"What? Gildarts is leading the mission himself?"
"Whoa!"
"That's a rare sight!"
At Makarov's words, the guild erupted in excited chatter.
With Gildarts' current strength, he rarely teamed up with guild members for missions anymore; his power had long surpassed theirs. This time, having Gildarts' lead the mission was less of a team effort and more like having a personal bodyguard.
"How about it, Gildarts? Any objections?" Makarov asked.
Gildarts scratched his head. "I have no problem. I haven't had a mission to do recently anyway… might as well enjoy a little fun."
While Gildarts didn't mind, someone else certainly did.
"Wait, what? Gildarts is taking Ur and Mira on an S-Class mission?" Natsu had just returned from a mission. Hearing the guild gossip, he immediately started shouting.
"Old man, I want to go too!"
"Natsu, don't be ridiculous. You're not qualified for an S-Class mission yet," Makarov sighed, struggling to reject him. Just then, Erza stepped forward and sternly denied him.
"Then what about Ur? Why is he allowed to participate in an S-Class mission?" Natsu protested.
"Because this mission involves the Beast Apostles connected to his previous mission, that's why he and Mira are allowed. Otherwise, he wouldn't be qualified either…"
This time, Makarov personally explained things to Natsu, knowing full well that the fiery young mage wouldn't let it go otherwise.
Sure enough, after hearing the explanation, Natsu didn't continue arguing. He left the guild muttering a disgruntled, "Unfair!"
Makarov shook his head as he watched Natsu's retreating figure, taking a long, frustrated gulp of beer.
Being a guildmaster is tough.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
"Natsu, you okay?" Happy asked, concerned at his friend's dejected look.
"Hahaha! I'm totally fine!" Natsu replied. Then, all of a sudden, his spirits shot up. He threw his head back and laughed wildly, showing no trace of his previous disappointment.
"I already knew the old man wouldn't let me go. But I have a plan! If we can convince Ur to give up his spot, even the old man can't stop us! Isn't that brilliant, Happy? Hahaha!" Natsu laughed, nose practically pointing skyward.
"Aye!" Happy cheerfully echoed.
"Then let's go find Ur!"
Laughing wildly, Natsu charged toward the guild library.
But when he arrived, only Levy was there.
"Where's Ur?" Natsu asked, searching the library.
"Ur? He's already gone with Gildarts and Mira to complete the mission," Levy replied.
"Wait, what?!"
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
On the speeding train, Ur held a magic book and quietly read. Suddenly, he shivered, a strange unease creeping over him.
"What's wrong?" Gildarts noticed Ur's odd behavior and asked.
"Nothing… probably just feeling a bit chilly with autumn approaching," Ur replied.
"Is that so?" Gildarts raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. Instead, he spoke, "We're almost at the mission location. I'll assign each of you your roles. This mission is mainly for you two; I won't intervene unless necessary."
"This mission is centered on Mira. Ur, you're here to support her. Understood?"
"Understood." Ur nodded.
From the start, Ur had already figured out the real purpose of this mission.
Compared to this innocent world, the unwritten rules in his previous life were far more complex.
Indeed, this S-Class mission wasn't truly about difficulty was really arranged by Makarov to help Mirajane gain reputation, preparing her for the next S-Class mage evaluation. Gildarts clearly understood Makarov's intentions, which explained this arrangement.
"Tch! I don't need support!"
Ur didn't mind being the support, but Mirajane, the ADC*, clearly did. She looked as if she could handle the mission alone.
Ur: "…."
If this were Natsu, Ur would have kicked him eight meters away by now.
Seriously, Ur still couldn't figure out why this white-haired girl seemed so intent on "targeting" him.
He didn't recall ever having offended her… at most, he had not greeted her when he joined the guild. Could it really be because of that?
Ur glanced at the girl beside him, but couldn't figure it out.
Instead, he noticed Gildarts beside him winking with a sly grin, wearing a look that screamed, "Men understand each other."
Ur's mind filled with black lines.
'Damn it! Just wait. I'm going to dig up all your dirty secrets and show them to Cana when you reunite. You'll regret it!' He silently vowed.
At that moment, the train slowly came to a stop.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
(TN: *ADC stands for Attack Damage Carry)
Next Chapter: Simple and Brutal
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