Chapter 76 : Cursed Dolls!!

Everit grinned, "But since you're acting as my assistant for this trick, you're not just part of the audience."

Laxus remained silent.

Everyone dancing was under Everit's sway. Even those not dancing—like Natsu, Lucy, and Cana—were feeling Everit's pressure.

Erza, who hadn't danced and hadn't been threatened, had been coaxed into leaving by Everit.

Mirajane, shaking her head, just continued mixing drinks at the bar. She wasn't being coerced, but she had no plans to get involved.

The Thunder God Tribe and others knew better than to stand up—if Laxus had been put in his place by Everit, what chance did they have?

Laxus, known for his stubbornness, courage, and resistance to threats, had been pulled into Everit's magic act. Once involved, there was no turning back, and he had to maintain his role as an assistant until the act was over.

Master Makarov wasn't about to spoil the fun, so—

Everyone stayed in line.

"The magic trick isn't over yet," Everit announced with a smile. "There's a second trick coming up."

The crowd tensed—what now?

"Before we continue, let's take a short break for a quick announcement," Everit said. "I'm opening a small shop in the guild. I hope you'll all support me."

"What are you going to sell?" asked Freed. 

"Mostly photos, magical crystals that record images and sounds, things like that," Everit replied.

"There'll be a grand opening with special deals for everyone!" he added.

The room fell silent.

"Okay, that's enough of the advertisement," Everit said, picking up the second piece of paper. He unfolded it to reveal two words: "I buy."

"So, folks," Everit asked with a loud voice, "do you know what that means?"

Nobody dared to make trouble!

Everyone shouted in unison, "I'll buy it!"

It's impossible not to shout! 

It's impossible not to buy it! 

The things that Everit sells, you have to buy them and keep them to yourself. You can't let them get out!

"Thank you all! The magic show was a complete success. I'll be waiting for you all at my shop."

Everit took off his hat, bowed, and left the stage, leaving the audience with jaws dropped and eyes wide open, their expressions completely flabbergasted.

The magic trick was so intense!

A few days later.

"Fairy Tail Happy Shop" opened its doors.

The sign outside read -

"Free Trade-In: Exchange old figures for new ones at no cost! (small print: excludes clerk's gratuity - 20% discount on the regular price of figures)"

"Old figures?" The first customer to arrive was Wakaba, who asked, a bit puzzled.

"Yes, they're just some figurines that can be pricked with needles." As soon as Everit said this, Wakaba's mood, which had taken days to settle down, suddenly took a nosedive.

Everit continued with a smile: "I realized that some figurines get damaged after extended use. They go from new to old, and it's not practical to keep using them. So, I'm offering everyone a grand opening deal."

"Trade in your old figurines for new ones."

"Completely free!"

Everit pulled out a figurine, and the character depicted was Max.

This was clearly a cursed doll!

Wakaba stared at the long, trembling needle stuck into the head of the Max doll.

He sighed.

So that's where the trouble started.

The whole thing was becoming clearer.

After the guild was rebuilt, Max saw an opportunity to make some money, so he opened a small shop.

At first, business was slow, but it picked up when he started selling Everit's figurines.

Now, when we say "figurines," they were really just cursed dolls—you know, the kind you can stick with pins. People started buying them for fun, to vent their frustrations.

Max made a killing with these dolls.

But then, word got out. At first, everyone was a bit anxious about it. However, even though days passed, Everit didn't seem to do anything about it, so everyone figured he didn't really care.

Turns out, he was just biding his time.

Everit's been pulling a lot of strings lately—from advising Laxus to suggesting a carnival to showcasing his magic tricks. 

Turns out, he was setting up this whole elaborate scheme not just to mess with us but also to reclaim all the cursed dolls. And he had plans to take down Max, the guy who'd been selling them!

Wakaba felt a chill run down his spine.

Change things up? 

Oh, you bet he needed to change things!

Everyone else had already made adjustments, but if Wakaba didn't, he'd be a sitting duck for Everit!

Give Everit an excuse, and he'd turn the whole place upside down!

"Looking to buy something?" Everit asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Wakaba replied without hesitation. "I'll buy them all!"

"Would you like to exchange any figurines?" Everit asked.

"Yes!" Wakaba said firmly. "I'll exchange all of them!"

"Thanks for your business," Everit replied. "By the way, there's a 20% fee for each exchange to cover the labor costs."

"Absolutely, that's completely fair!" Wakaba nodded, not hesitating for a moment.

"You're quite the agreeable customer." Everit chuckled. "I wish all my customers were as easygoing as you."

"Easygoing?"

"No!"

"It's fear!"

Also, who would dare not to pay attention to these people? We're at Everit's little shop, and it's bustling with activity. Yet today, a few unexpected visitors decided to come by during a quieter time.

Lucy, Juvia, Evergreen, and Bisca entered together.

"I just came along with them!" Lucy was quick to clarify her intentions.

"It's not a problem. I actually have some products that might interest you." Everit replied with a friendly smile. "Would you like a picture of Natsu in a mascot suit? It's quite adorable."

"...," Lucy's expression shifted slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "I'll take one, then."

"There are also photos of him playing with puppies, babysitting, or looking cool during fights. Would you like to see those?" Everit asked, eyeing her reaction.

These photos captured Natsu during some of his odd missions in Magnolia, a collection Everit had amassed over the years.

Lucy considered it briefly, then nodded, "I'll take one of each."

"Lucy, you're quite the collector," Evergreen remarked with a light chuckle behind her fan.

Lucy's head dipped slightly, her ears turning a shade of red, as though touched by a warming flame.

"Gray has plenty of these kinds of photos too," Everit mentioned casually.

"Can I have one?" Juvia interjected, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Of course, thank you for your purchase."

Evergreen, who usually carried herself with a confident and composed air, suddenly turned pink and seemed at a loss for words.

"I also have a surprise item— a product blind box. It could be just what you're looking for," Everit suggested, sensing the shift in mood.

"A blind box? Sure, I'll get one and see what I find." Evergreen replied, feeling a wave of relief.

Everit knew that business was about reading people and offering just the right thing at the right time.

"Do you still have the video of Alzack dancing?" Bisca had made sure to send Alzack away beforehand, ensuring he wouldn't show up while she was here.

"Of course, I still have it. I've even got some bonus Q&A videos." Everit replied with a nod.

"Can I buy it from you?"

"Absolutely! Thanks for your business!"

Once they had packed everything up, the girls paid and left, quite pleased with their purchases.

Everit glanced around his shop, letting out a sigh of relief. "Business has been booming; we've sold out of everything."

In the corner, several large boxes were piled high, each filled with cursed dolls.

He pulled out a notebook, checked his inventory, and nodded with satisfaction. Everything was accounted for—nothing was missing!

****

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