Chapter 48: Start of Galuna Arc

When Natsu was about to enter the guild, he heard Mira's loud shout. "OH NOOOO!"

Natsu quickly entered inside and saw she had a panicked expression while holding a registry. She descended the stairs and went toward the guild master and spoke in a severe tone. "Master! One of the requests on the second floor is missing."

Makarov was drinking beer happily but sprayed it out comedically after hearing this. Everyone looked at her direction in curiosity. Natsu hid in the corner to watch their antics. He was confused by her outburst and wanted to know the reason behind it.

'So Happy still stole the S-class job request from the second floor. The main question is, for whom?' Natsu thought in confusion.

"What do you mean missing?" Makarov shouted in worry, wiping the leftover beer from his mouth. Mira was unable to find any reason for the missing request. When she was about to reply, someone interrupted her.

"Oh… Yesterday I saw a blue cat stealing one of the jobs. The cat with the wings, yeah that one." Laxus answered casually. He'd caught a glimpse of the cat in the act but didn't do anything to stop it. He was interested in watching the drama that would occur due to this.

"Happy!" Everyone shouted. They all stared at Lisanna, making her uncomfortable.

"Where is Happy, Lisanna?" Makarov asked. He hoped that this was just a small prank by the little gremlin. He didn't want anyone to take a job request without authorization, especially if it's such a dangerous job, but all his hope was lost when he heard her answer.

"Um… Gray borrowed Happy for a while. He told me that he wanted to take Happy with him for a job. He also invited Lucy. Now I'm worried about them." Lisanna replied uncomfortably. She started worrying about her friend's safety. Lucy was one of her best friends in the guild, and happy was just like her child.

"That stupid kid! I told him that he wasn't ready for the S-class trial yet. Sigh… Why didn't you stop the cat, Laxus? You know it's against guild rules for a regular mage to take S-class job." Makrov shouted, staring at Laxus suspiciously. He knew Laxus could have stopped the cat easily if he had wished to do so.

"Why should I stop some stupid cat? Now that they've broken an important rule, you'll expel them, isn't that right? I was tired of watching those weaklings anyway. The guild should quickly expel them and get it over with." Laxus looked at Makarov with a smirk. He was pretty happy to rid the guild of those weaklings. Makarov looked at Laxus in disappointment while Mira was angry at his words, but managed to control herself from lashing out at him.

"I doubt they'll come back alive. I mean, completing an S-class job with their pathetic skills is nearly impossible after all. Hahaha, they'll die for overestimating their abilities. They're nothing more than weaklings after all. One of them's a walking freezer while the other one's a useless bimbo, and let's not forget that useless furball. What a great combination of idiots, hahaha..." Laxus continued in a burst of laughter.

"That's enough, Laxus! I'm disappointed with your behavior. You don't need to insult them further." Makarov shouted, causing Laxus stop laughing and glare at Makarov hatefully. He was angry at his grandfather for making the guild so weak. He believed that strength is the most important thing for a mage.

"Tch…" Laxus clicked his tongue in annoyance. Makarov sighed and turned toward Mira, who looked like an enraged beast.

"Which job is missing, Mira? I just hope they took a simple job," Makarov said, trying to change the topic. He didn't want them to fight with each other. It clearly worked, as Mira managed to calm down thinking about the missing job, but her expression suddenly paled while facing Makarov.

"It's bad, master. It's the cursed Galuna Island job," Mira said grimly.

"What!? That's the island of demons! This is really bad!" Makarov shouted in worry. That island was a dangerous place. He didn't want Gray, Lucy, and Happy to get harmed over there.

"Laxus! Bring them back!" Makarov faced Laxus and ordered him to forcibly bring them back to the guild. Only a few people in the guild had the strength required to complete an S-class job, and Laxus was one of them. He was hoping that Laxus would help a fellow guild member in need, but all his hope was for naught as Laxus denied without hesitation.

"Don't be ridiculous gramps. Why should I bring back some weaklings? I have another job to take care of." Laxus said with a smirk. He shrugged his shoulders and left the guild, making Makarov look at his retreating figure in disappointment.

"Laxus! Sigh… That boy is becoming even more troublesome. Mira! Maybe you should retrieve them. Erza isn't at the guild at the moment. She's out doing a quest, and we don't know when Natsu will be back. Only you are strong enough to force them to come back." Makarov spoke while facing Mira. He knew that Mira was strong enough to complete the job. She was still one of the S-class mages of the guild after all.

"Sure, master! I haven't gotten a chance to go on a mission for so long. This will be a nice exercise for me." Mira answered in jubilation. She was extremely bored with her regular job in the guild, and besides, she wanted to test her current strength. She was unable to go to many jobs due to her modeling and guild work. This would be a nice change of pace for her.

But suddenly Natsu appeared in front of them with a wide grin adorning his face, making everyone surprised.

"Hey! Don't exclude me from the fun. I'll also join you, Mira. I miss bullying Gray, hehe…" Natsu chuckled with a mischievous smile.

"NATSU!" The guild member shouted. They were glad to have Natsu back.

"Thank God you're here, my boy. With you there, I know you'll be able to bring them back safely," Makarov said with a smile. He could now feel more reassured of their safety. Natsu was one of the strongest mages in their guild, after all.

"Sure, Gramps! Make sure to send the job confirmation to the client though. I don't want to return empty-handed. That's fine right?" Natsu asked with a sly smile. He didn't want to waste the mission rewards.

"Sigh… Okay then. I'll inform the client about it. You should head out immediately. Time is of the essence, after all. They must have left the Hargeon Port already." Makarov replied with a sigh. He couldn't believe that Natsu was focused more on the reward than the safety of his friends.

"'Kay! Pack all your stuff, Mira. I'll store them in my inventory. We're leaving shortly." Natsu said with a victorious smile while facing Mira. Mira also looked at him warmly and smiled.

"Alright! Just give me an hour to get ready. This sounds like it'll be a fun little vacation. I bet Erza will be jealous when she gets back hehe…" Mira said with a mischievous smile. Then, she left the guild to prepare stuff for their vacation, or mission. She internally thanked Happy for giving her a chance to spend more time with her beloved.

Natsu just shook his head with a wry smile, looking at her retreating figure. Meanwhile, he talked to Makarov about other job details while Mira was getting ready.

'I guess I'll get to meet Ultear again.' Natsu thought.

~Edited by Nyanodesu

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(A/N: 2 more chapters to reach the goal! Give me all the power stones! I need more power to write it!)