Ch 20 : Temple Ruins
The next morning, when Noel arrived at the guild, he was met with a commotion of chatter.
"What's going on? Did something happen?" Noel asked as he walked into the guild, noticing that Mira was glaring at Laxus with a dark expression.
"Noel, something bad happened. Natsu and Lucy went off to do an S-Class mission," Mira said, her face filled with worry. "Last night, Happy took the mission request for the 'Cursed Island' S-Class quest."
"What?!" Noel exclaimed in shock, and in an instant, he recalled seeing Happy flying across the sky the previous night.
"You know something, Noel?" Makarov asked when he saw Noel's regretful expression.
Noel scratched his cheek, looking somewhat remorseful. "Last night, I saw Happy flying across the sky, but I didn't notice he was carrying a mission request. That was my mistake."
"No," Makarov shook his head. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have expected Natsu to do something like this. I already sent Gray after them, but with his ability and personality, I doubt he'll be able to bring Natsu back. I don't feel reassured, Noel. Can you go after them and bring them back?"
Noel thought for a moment and then replied, "Even if I force them to come back, it won't change anything. I can bring Natsu back once, but with his personality, he'll just try again sooner or later. We can't restrain him forever. It's better to let them go through with it—I'll be there to protect them. Once they experience firsthand how difficult an S-Class mission is, they'll probably settle down."
"But…" Mira still wanted to say something, but Makarov stopped her.
Makarov pondered for a moment before speaking. "You have a point. If that's the case, then I'll leave it to you, Noel. Go ahead. When Erza returns, I'll have her go support you."
"Got it. Leave it to me." Noel nodded.
"Please be careful, Noel." Mira looked at him with concern before finally nodding in agreement.
"Don't worry. I'll be careful and make sure everyone returns safely." Noel smiled reassuringly.
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"Is that so? They've already set sail... Sorry for bothering you." Noel thanked the fisherman he had questioned and then turned his gaze toward the sea in the direction of Galuna Island.
(I need to hurry. Hopefully, they can behave themselves before I get there... Sigh.) Thinking about how much trouble Gray and Natsu could stir up, Noel couldn't help but sigh, feeling a bit of sympathy for Makarov.
For so many years, the old man had been cleaning up the messes caused by this bunch of rowdy troublemakers.
"[Holy Light Magic—Wings of Light]"
A pair of wings formed from white light appeared on Noel's back.
As he flapped them and prepared to fly toward the Cursed Island, an inexplicable sense of unease suddenly washed over him.
At first, Noel thought it was just his imagination, but as he got closer to Galuna Island, the strange feeling became clearer and more frequent.
(This feeling... what is it? It's like... a resonance.)
Resonance? A fleeting spark of realization flashed through Noel's mind, but before he could grasp it, the thought slipped away.
(Anyway, once I reach the island, I'll find out.)
Noel's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his already incredible flight speed increased another notch.
By the time Noel arrived at Galuna Island, night had already fallen.
In front of him was a moderately large island, roughly the size of a small city.
The entire landmass was shaped like a crescent moon.
A pillar of purple light extended down from the moon, striking the top of a temple in the island's center.
Placing his left hand gently over his heart, Noel stared at the temple ruins in the island's center and murmured, "A... temple. I see, so that's what it is? Is it just because of the temple that I'm feeling this way?"
Noel stood there, staring at the ruins in a daze for a moment before coming back to his senses. He clasped his hands together.
"[Holy Light Magic—Insight Light]"
A transparent ripple spread outward from Noel as its center.
Closing his eyes, he quietly sifted through the information being transmitted back from the Insight Light.
[Natsu, Gray, and Lucy are resting in a village… A group of unidentified individuals, though weak in strength, are performing some kind of ritual, seemingly to summon the power of the moon… Four—no, five mages. The strongest among them are about on par with Natsu and Gray, and one has an extremely well-hidden presence, making it impossible to gauge their strength… As for the Moon Temple, it's being shielded by some unknown force, preventing me from probing further.]
Noel opened his eyes, finally releasing the tension he had been holding.
After a moment of hesitation, he flapped his wings of light and chose to head toward the temple ruins at the island's center. (Natsu and the others are resting, so they shouldn't get into trouble for now. I should check out that temple first.)
Faintly, Noel felt an inexplicable voice whispering in his heart, urging him toward the temple ruins. It told him that there—he would find it.
Everything he had ever questioned, everything that had ever confused him, he would find the answers there. (What is this feeling? What secret does this island hold? And… what does it have to do with me?)
Upon reaching the ruins of the temple, Noel slowly stepped inside.
The cracked floors and walls seemed to silently tell the tale of time's merciless erosion.
Green moss had spread across the stone walls, bringing a touch of life to the otherwise cold and desolate temple.
Faint starlight filtered through the cracks, casting an air of serenity and peace over the entire place.
Ignoring the group performing their unknown ritual atop the ruins, Noel walked straight through the passageway into the temple's depths.
It was there that he saw it—a colossal stone statue, towering several meters high at the very center of the hall.
The statue depicted a benevolent-looking woman, holding a scepter in one hand and wearing a crown atop her head, exuding the dignity and majesty of a supreme queen.
Noel walked directly to the statue of the Moon Goddess and reached out to touch its surface.
It was made of an extremely rare type of magic-sealing stone, which should have been incredibly tough.
However, not even the hardest stone could withstand the relentless passage of time.
After nearly a thousand years, the statue had become fragile, seemingly ready to crumble at the slightest touch.
Yet, beneath its surface, a layer of some unknown material still held it together, maintaining its original form.
"This is… a temple from the Age of the Gods… It might even be the Moon Goddess's palace."
Noel pondered for a moment before closing his eyes and slowly raising his right hand.
A wisp of golden energy extended from his fingertips—an immensely powerful force, yet it was not magic.
If magic were a small stream, then this golden energy was an ocean.
The difference between the two was not just in scale but in an entirely different dimension altogether—they were completely incomparable.
As the golden light intensified, a nearly imperceptible trace of pain flickered across Noel's face, and blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.
Despite this, he persisted, channeling that thread of energy into the statue.
Boom!
The statue trembled with a deep, resonating hum before slowly shifting to the side, revealing an entrance. (It actually worked… I was just giving it a try.)
Noel wiped the blood from his mouth absentmindedly, his thoughts surprisingly carefree as if he had already forgotten the promise he made to Erza not to push himself too hard.
His gaze then fell upon the newly revealed passage.
The entrance was a rectangular doorway, nearly three meters tall and over two meters wide.
Inside, a long staircase descended into an unknown subterranean depth.
The dark tunnel yawned like the mouth of a beast, radiating an unsettling aura.
No light could be seen within, but the faint moonlight outside illuminated the walls, revealing countless mysterious carvings and inscriptions along both sides.
Noel simply smiled at the sight.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and disappeared into the darkness.
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