Jason held herbal tea in his left hand and fruit tea in his right, alternating between bitter and sweet sips, his taste buds being pulled back and forth.
It felt like life had reached its peak.
( ´ ◊ ω ◊ ｀ )
"COOL! This way of drinking is sheer genius! Out of bitterness comes sweetness!"
He continued walking and suddenly saw several pieces of fruit being tossed into the air ahead.
Apples, pears, and watermelons spun and tumbled in mid-air, with sunlight reflecting off them, casting an alluring sheen.
Immediately after, several sharp sword flashes cut through, moving too fast to see clearly.
One could only hear the "swish, swish, swish" of the air being cut as the fruit was precisely sliced and carved in mid-air, peels and pulp separating, with scraps fluttering down like snowflakes.
Then, the carved fruits landed precisely into a neat row of boxes, each one sculpted into the lifelike shape of a small animal.
There were birds spreading their wings, rabbits sitting, dogs wagging their tails, and a kitten tilting its head.
The texture of every cut was just right, with the lines of feathers and fur clearly visible.
Jason was so excited he nearly squeezed his two cups of tea until they leaked.
"COOL! Titania Erza! What exquisite swordsmanship! To think she can carve fruit with a sword!"
Erza stood behind the stall, still holding two thin swords. She had changed into casual clothes, but her aura remained undiminished.
She sheathed her swords, lifted her chin slightly, and looked smug.
The children were drawn in by this spectacular performance and crowded the stall, standing on tiptoe and stretching their necks, their eyes sparkling as they exclaimed, "Wow!" and "So cool!"
"I want that bird one too!"
"I want the little rabbit!"
"Big sister is so cool!"
Erza picked up a box of toothpicks from the table and handed them to the gathered children, her movements so gentle she seemed like a different person.
"Here, use the toothpicks to eat it, don't use your hands, it's dirty."
The children took the toothpicks, chattering as they crowded around the stall, carefully picking up the fruit animals with their toothpicks, reluctant to take a bite.
Seeing her work being appreciated by the children, Erza put her hands on her hips and hummed smugly.
"Hmph, I really do have a talent for cooking."
Lucy, who had been following Jason the whole way, hid nearby and couldn't help but retort.
"That's just knife skills! What does that have to do with cooking? Don't you have any self-awareness about the chocolate you make?!"
Erza's mouth twitched, but she quickly recovered her smile, pretending not to hear.
╭ ( ╯ ^ ╰ ) ╮
Jason used a toothpick to skewer a fruit shaped like a mini Happy—it was a little cat with wings spread and tail raised, looking exactly like Happy.
Happy, who was perched on top of Lucy's head, saw this mini version of himself and instinctively covered his little butt, tucking his tail in tight.
Jason bit off the head of the mini Happy, chewed twice, and his eyes lit up.
"COOL! COOL!"
Happy touched his own head, shivering.
"I feel a chill on my head..."
Lucy laughed, gloating.
"Serves you right, who told you to laugh at me earlier."
Jason continued to explore the stalls, and as he walked, a piece of elegant classical music drifted into his ears. He followed the sound and was so excited he nearly jumped up.
"COOL! Fairy Tail's Thunder God Tribe! And the S-Class Mage Laxus!"
This stall was completely different from the others in style.
While the other stalls were like roadside snack stands, this one had gone all out with a Michelin-star setup.
A long table covered with a white tablecloth was set with exquisite tableware, silver knives and forks gleaming under the lights, and wine like liquid rubies filled the goblets.
Evergreen summoned a group of light orbs, illuminating the entire stall until it sparkled, looking as dreamy as a fairy tale world.
"Even when running a stall, we must be the brightest! Oh ho ho... cough."
Evergreen choked right after striking her pose and quickly cleared her throat to regain her elegance.
Bickslow stood in front of the workstation, letting his "babies" release hair-thin beams of light to precisely cut the steak. Every slice was perfectly neat and uniform in thickness, more precise than a machine.
"My babies are quite skilled at cutting." He proudly stroked the small totem dolls beside him.
The totem dolls nodded in unison, chiming in: "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Freed was wearing a crisp suit and white gloves, elegantly searing the steak. The butter sizzled in the iron pan, and the surface of the steak was seared to a perfect caramel color.
His movements were fluid and smooth—flipping, seasoning, and plating, all done in one go. He then poured a glass of red wine and brought it to Laxus.
"Lord Laxus, your medium-rare steak and '82 Lafite are ready."
Laxus sat on a leather sofa, eyes closed, listening to music with headphones on, looking like a total boss.
He didn't even lift his eyelids. He opened his mouth slightly, and Freed expertly cut a small piece of steak with a knife and fork and fed it to him.
Laxus chewed twice, nodded expressionlessly, and continued to enjoy himself with his eyes closed.
Jason was so excited he nearly wrote through his notebook.
"COOL! The bond between the Thunder God Tribe and Laxus is so COOL! This chemistry! This coordination! It's absolutely seamless!"
Lucy, who had been following behind, watched this scene and couldn't help but retort.
"Are you guys here to run a stall or to go camping? You even brought a sofa? And where exactly did you see a bond there?"
Jason glanced at the steak Freed had cooked and couldn't help but reach out with his fork, wanting to snag a couple of pieces to taste.
However, Freed whipped his head around, his eyes as fierce as a wolf guarding its food, his knife and fork blocking the steak, a dangerous smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.
( ▼ ヘ ▼ # )
"This is for Lord Laxus."
Jason pulled his hand back, gave a sheepish laugh, took two steps back, and had no choice but to continue walking down the path.
"COOL! Master Makarov is personally running a stall too! So COOL! Purple-fire Macao! Smoker Wakaba!"
Lucy, following behind, felt her spirit shatter and crouched on the ground, clutching her head.
"Are even Macao and Wakaba this famous... What am I even..."
The entire stall was shrouded in smoke, looking like a small wonderland.
Makarov sat on a small stool with a tea set in front of him, slowly pulling a small bag of tea leaves from his pocket.
It was high-quality tea he had swiped from Riyao, which he carefully dropped into the teapot.
"Come, come, try the tea brewed by this old man."
Makarov picked up the teapot and filled the cup in front of him, his movements unhurried, possessing quite a bit of a tea master's flair.
Wakaba took a puff from his pipe and blew a smoke ring. The smoke ring slowly expanded in the air, turning into the shape of a flower.
He leaned back in his chair, looking like a laid-back old smoker.
"Tired of walking? Sit down and rest, have a cup of tea to take a load off."
Macao took the pipe handed to him by Wakaba, took a puff, blew out a cloud of smoke, and then pulled a handful of melon seeds from his pocket, dumping them onto the table with a "clatter."
"Come, come, these are Riyao's select five-spice melon seeds. Having them with tea is wonderful."
Jason sat down, drinking tea and cracking seeds, and pulled out his notebook, preparing to interview Makarov.
"Master Makarov, may I ask how many Jewels worth of assets Fairy Tail has destroyed this year? Has the guild considered controlling the scale of destruction?"
Makarov's hand holding the teacup froze, his mouth twitched, and then he suddenly clutched his stomach, putting on a pained expression.
Σ ( ° △ ° | | | ) ︴
"Oh my! My stomach! Getting old really takes its toll, I'll be right back!"
He put down the teacup, jumped off the small stool, and ran quickly toward the guild hall with his short legs, moving with a speed that didn't look like an old man at all.
Jason was stunned, watching the direction where Makarov disappeared.
"Master Makarov?"
Wakaba calmly took a puff of his pipe.
"Don't wait, he's pulling a 'pee-escape.' He does this every time someone asks that question."
Macao added while cracking seeds.
"Last year, a reporter asked the same question, and the Master hid in the bathroom for two hours."
Jason helplessly scribbled in his notebook.
"Master Makarov has chosen a strategic retreat when faced with the issue of destruction compensation."
Lucy poked her head out from behind the stall and muttered.
"So how much was actually destroyed..."
Wakaba and Macao looked at each other and said in unison.
"Don't ask, and if you do, the answer is 'we don't know.'"
Tea fragrance wafted, smoke swirled, and Jason sat in Makarov's seat, drinking tea and eating melon seeds. Although the Master had run off, the tea was indeed delicious, and the seeds were truly fragrant.
He looked at the dense notes in his notebook, nodded with satisfaction, and continued walking toward the next stall.
The Harvest Festival food fair continued, laughter echoed throughout the courtyard, and the air was filled with the aroma of various foods.
The Mages of Fairy Tail used their own ways to bring an unforgettable Harvest Festival Eve to the town.
The ballot box was set up in the center of the courtyard, and the ballots were already overflowing.