Chapter 357: Pranks
As Mages, facing danger during a mission was completely normal.
Being a double agent could naturally be viewed as a mission in itself, even if the stakes and hazards were significantly higher than average. From Makarov's careful deliberation and his exchange with Noah, it was clear that Gajeel's assignment was monumentally important. A single misstep could deal a devastating blow to Fairy Tail.
Yet, despite that, Makarov had still gone out of his way to tell him that his life came first, and that he should pull out the moment things went south.
This was a level of genuine care Gajeel had never experienced during his time with Phantom Lord. His former master, Jose, only ever cared about whether a mission was accomplished, never giving a second thought to anyone's safety.
As for Noah, back when they were adversaries, his sheer power was enough to strike terror into anyone's heart, making people shudder at the mere mention of his name. But now that they were allies, that very same strength provided an incomparable sense of security.
"Don't worry, I'll keep myself safe," Gajeel said, his tone earnest as he looked at Noah and Makarov.
"Good." Makarov nodded, a warm smile gracing his face.
"Aren't you going down to join the rest?" Noah asked, gesturing with a tilt of his head toward the raucous afterparty on the ground floor now that their serious discussion had wrapped up.
"Nah, not my style," Gajeel declined, turning around to make his exit.
Noah didn't press him. Watching Gajeel descend from the second floor, Noah turned his gaze toward a secluded corner of the balcony and asked, "Should I grab you something to eat?"
In that quiet corner, ripples manifested in the air, revealing a cloaked and masked figure stepping out from the empty space.
"No need, I have already eaten," Mystogan replied, shaking his head.
"Fair enough." Noah nodded. Mystogan's circumstances were unique, so since he had no desire to join the afterparty, Noah didn't force the issue.
Catching sight of Wendy out of the corner of his eye downstairs, Noah turned back to Mystogan. "It's been a while since you last saw Wendy, hasn't it? She was asking me about you earlier. You should go see her in a bit."
"Mm." Mystogan nodded, agreeing to the suggestion.
"Gramps, let's head downstairs together," Noah said to Makarov.
"Alright."
Makarov and Noah made their way back down to the main hall.
"Let's drink until we drop tonight, everyone!" Makarov bellowed the moment they hit the ground floor, instantly swept up by the infectious energy of the crowd. He hopped right onto the bar counter, raising a massive mug high in the air.
"OHHH!!!" The guild members roared in response, raising their drinks to the ceiling.
"Hmph, those bastards really thought they could drink me under the table? You're not escaping."
Back at his seat, Noah helped himself to some food before locking his eyes onto the group of men who had previously tried to corner him. A distinctly mischievous glint flashed in his eyes.
"Go get 'em, Noah! You've got my vote! Drink every single one of them under the table!" Sorano cheered excitedly, stoking the flames the moment she heard him.
"My, my, I can certainly get behind this idea," Mirajane said, covering her mouth with a soft chuckle.
"Take them down in a decisive showdown!" Erza added with a dead-serious nod.
"I'm sure they'll absolutely love sharing another round with you," Ultear said with a playful smile.
Once the girls realized that Noah could handle an absurd amount of alcohol without a single issue, their worries completely evaporated. Now, they were filled with anticipation, eager to watch the other guild members get completely flattened.
Noah grinned and stood up, raising his mug in one hand as he marched straight toward the group that had tried to prank him. As he passed a massive, full barrel of liquor, the barrel suddenly levitated off the ground, trailing quietly behind him.
"Alright boys, we weren't quite finished earlier. Let's keep this momentum going!" Noah said, stepping right up to one of the members who had led the previous charge.
"No thanks!" the man stammered, waving his hands frantically.
He had just witnessed Noah's monstrous tolerance firsthand. Seeing the man standing before him without even a hint of a flush, who knew how many more cups Noah could put away? He had absolutely no desire to act as a guinea pig and turned to make a quick escape.
"Hey, no backing out! You haven't finished drinking with Noah yet, so you've gotta keep going!"
"Yeah, exactly! Back to the drinks!"
"Drink up!"
Seeing the entertainment unfold, the surrounding guild members immediately swarmed over, completely blocking the man's path of retreat. With nowhere left to run, he looked at Noah, resigned to his fate, and reluctantly picked up his mug.
After a rapid succession of over a dozen cups, the man collapsed onto the floor, thoroughly wasted.
"Next."
Noah glanced at the fallen guild member, ensuring he was fine and just regularly passed out, before actively scanning for his next target.
"Next!" the surrounding crowd chanted in unison, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle as they helped Noah hunt down the next culprit from the earlier drinking chain.
Just like the first guy, the next target found himself completely boxed in by the rowdy onlookers, forced to match Noah cup for cup until he, too, crumpled to the floor.
"Next!" Before Noah could even say a word, the crowd was already roaring for more.
"Right. Next."
One by one, Noah tracked down every single guy who had tried to corner him earlier and then attempted to slip away. He methodically drank every last one of them under the table.
"OHHH!!!" The onlookers cheered wildly, celebrating each collapse as if they had achieved some grand victory.
"Would any of you like to join me for a drink as well?" Noah asked with a calm smile, turning his mug toward the cheering crowd.
"WHOA!!!"
The crowd instantly scattered in every direction. They loved drinking, sure, but nobody wanted to be systematically demolished.
Noah chuckled and shook his head, returning the now-empty barrel to its original spot before making his way back to his seat. Before he could even sit down, Natsu and Gray had launched into their daily brawl. Nearby, Ultear and the others were watching the boys' familiar antics with amused smiles. Not far off, Laxus and the Thunder Legion were sitting together, chatting amicably with the nearby members.
Listening to the endless laughter and rowdiness echoing through the hall, Noah felt a pleasant, floating sensation wash over him, despite being completely sober.
He tracked down Laxus and, ignoring his blatant look of reluctance, forcefully dragged him into a drinking contest until Laxus finally passed out, leaving the Thunder Legion to look after their unconscious captain.
Next, he stealthily dropped a handful of ice cubes into Natsu's mug, before sneaking up from behind to lock Natsu in a chokehold, pouring the freezing drink right down his throat amidst Gray's boisterous laughter.
Before Gray could even finish laughing, Noah stuffed a piece of grilled meat slathered in insanely spicy hot sauce right into his wide-open mouth.
Watching one boy shivering miserably from the sudden freeze and the other practically breathing fire from the intense spice, Noah planted his hands on his hips and burst into loud, triumphant laughter.
"Curse you!"
"You bastard!"
Natsu and Gray finally gasped through the shock, leaping to their feet and charging straight at Noah. Noah whipped around and bolted, dragging Natsu and Gray into a high-speed game of cat-and-mouse across the guildhall.
The rowdy celebrations carried on until around five in the morning before the remaining members finally collapsed in a tangled mess across the floor, drifting off to sleep.
Thanks to his powerful constitution, Noah was still perfectly refreshed and full of energy despite pulling an all-nighter. He walked over to where Ultear, Wendy, and the other girls had fallen asleep hours ago, gently pulling up the blankets that had slipped off them. He then lay down nearby, casting a minor magic spell to set an internal timer to wake himself up.
When his internal alarm went off, it was exactly seven in the morning.
Sitting up, Noah shook his head with a wry smile as he surveyed the sea of sleeping guild members, many of whom were locked in incredibly awkward, gravity-defying sleeping postures.
He headed into the kitchen to prepare a massive batch of hangover soup along with some hot milk, ensuring everyone would have something warm to settle their stomachs when they finally woke up.
When he stepped back out, he found Mirajane already awake, quietly cleaning up the lingering debris left behind by last night's wild revelry near the counter.
"Up so early? You should sleep a bit longer," Noah said, handing a warm mug of milk to her.
Mirajane accepted it with a grateful smile, finding the temperature absolutely perfect. Taking a gentle sip, she replied, "No, we're going to be incredibly busy today anyway. Besides, I didn't stay up too late last night."
Noah nodded. While the party had been wild, Ultear and the older girls had turned in at a reasonable hour, and Wendy and the younger kids had been sound asleep even earlier inside a soundproofing barrier Noah had set up for them.
"Oh, you're already awake."
The soft murmurs between Noah and Mirajane gently rouses Ultear and the others. Rubbing their eyes sleepily, they sat up one by one.
"Here, have some milk to wake yourselves up."
Noah handed out three warm mugs. The girls took them and drained them in one go, the soothing warmth instantly dispelling the last remnants of sleep from their systems.
Now fully awake, Ultear and the girls headed off to wash their faces and freshen up.
When they stepped back into the main hall, they caught Noah hunched over an unconscious Laxus, holding a paintbrush and carefully drawing a pair of little turtles on the man's cheeks—one on each side.
"You—"
The moment Sorano spoke, Noah quickly pressed a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet before sneaking over to them on tiptoe.
"How could you keep something this fun to yourself?" Sorano whispered excitedly as Noah approached. She had just noticed that Natsu, Gray, and several others already had an assortment of bizarre doodles plastered all over their faces.
"Yeah, you definitely should have called us for something this entertaining!" Mirajane chimed in with a playful pout, gently pinching Noah's arm.
"Count me in," Erza said, ever the woman of action. She had already snatched a paintbrush from the hand of a soundly sleeping Reedus on the floor, looking at the sea of unconscious guild members with a deeply competitive gleam in her eyes.
Ultear didn't say a word. She simply extended her pale hand, palm up, her eyes locked onto Noah.
Noah chuckled at her silent demand and placed his paintbrush right into her palm. Clutching the brush, Ultear flashed a brilliant smile and immediately turned around to join Mirajane and Erza, who were already enthusiastically tagging their first victims.
Noah shook his head with a laugh, pulled another paintbrush from Reedus's stash, and happily joined the ranks of the graffiti army.
When Makarov finally walked down the stairs from the second floor a short while later, he was greeted by the sight of Noah and the girls huddled over the sleeping bodies, working with frantic intensity.
"What in the world are you kids doing?"
Catching sight of Makarov, Erza's face flushed bright red, and she instantly whipped her paintbrush behind her back. Ultear and the other girls froze mid-stroke, their cheeks burning as they quickly hid their brushes away, their eyes darting frantically around the room, utterly failing to look the Master in the eye.
~~~
Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn