“Well then… that settles everything here. Let’s head back to the village and deal with the villagers’ curse.”
With Deliora’s matter finally resolved, it was time to finish the actual job they had come here for.
Noah waved the others along and turned toward the exit.
“But how are we supposed to do that?” Gray asked.
“Their condition was caused by Moon Drip, right?”
He, Cana, and Loke all looked toward Lyon, wondering whether he knew anything useful.
“I don’t know!” Lyon turned his head away.
“We never even met those villagers, and there was something wrong with their explanation from the beginning. Don’t forget, we’ve been exposed to Moon Drip this whole time too—”
“No need to explain. I already understand what happened,” Noah interrupted with a smile.
“Come on. We’re leaving.”
Only as he turned away did he notice that Ultear had disappeared at some point without anyone realizing it.
Before leaving, Gray glanced back at Lyon.
“You should find a guild and join one too. Maybe you’ll find another way to grow stronger there.”
He hesitated before adding, “And… having companions really is a pretty lucky thing.”
Noah’s voice drifted back from farther down the passage.
“Exactly! If surpassing Ur is impossible, you can always try surpassing me instead!”
“…”
After Noah and the others disappeared, only Lyon, his followers, and the shattered remains of Deliora were left behind.
The ice that had once been Ur had completely melted into water and was slowly flowing out toward the sea.
Lyon stood at the shoreline and stared into the distance, overwhelmed by a complicated mixture of emotions.
For ten years, his entire life had revolved around one goal.
Now that everything had abruptly come to an end, he felt strangely hollow.
Where was he supposed to go from here?
What was he supposed to do?
Lyon looked toward the sea.
“Seeing how much Gray has grown… I suppose you’d be happy too, wouldn’t you, Ur?”
‘Of course.’
Lyon stiffened.
“?!”
He whipped around, but there was nobody behind him.
Had he imagined that voice?
Or perhaps Ur really was watching all of this somehow.
After a long silence, Lyon finally smiled, the tension gradually leaving his face.
“Companions… and a guild, huh?”
…
On the way back, Loke turned to Noah.
“So you’ve figured out what caused the villagers’ condition?”
“Yeah.”
Noah pointed upward.
“The Moon Drip ritual produced a layer of magical contamination that accumulated over Galuna Island like a violet membrane. That layer affected the villagers’ memories. Once we destroy it, their minds should return to normal.”
Gray, Cana, and Loke all looked toward the sky.
“But that thing is ridiculously high up,” Cana said.
“We can’t even tell how far away it is.”
“Heh, heh, heh. That’s exactly where my magical weapons come in.”
Noah suddenly looked much more enthusiastic.
“Let me tell you, my weapons are powerful. Not only do they hit hard, they have incredible range. One shot will be enough to smash that thing apart.”
Once they returned to the village, Noah was firmly back on familiar ground.
“Honored Mages, when will you begin destroying the moon and lifting our curse?”
Gray and the others exchanged awkward looks.
“Well… actually…”
“Right now.”
Noah cut straight across them.
Gray stared at him.
“Did you forget? These people aren’t going to believe us if we explain the truth. So we don’t need to waste time arguing with them. They may have issued the request, but we’re the Mages handling it, which means the method is our decision.”
He turned toward the other three, his tone becoming surprisingly serious.
“When clients are frightened, ignorant, stubborn, superstitious, or simply don’t understand what’s actually happening, their emotions can distort their judgment. That doesn’t mean we should let ourselves be dragged along by whatever they believe.”
Noah tapped his temple.
“A Mage needs to think independently, identify the real cause of the problem, and decide on the proper solution. Never blindly follow the advice of someone who doesn’t understand the situation.”
He spread his hands.
“We’re the professionals.”
Gray, Cana, and Loke nodded, only half certain they understood what he meant.
Noah could not help feeling a little superior.
These three might only be a year or two younger than him, but they had grown up surrounded by the warmth of Fairy Tail.
How could they compare with someone like Noah, who had been traveling across the country with an adventuring party since he was a child?
The villagers, meanwhile, were delighted.
“Wonderful! The curse is finally going to be lifted!”
“Thank you so much!”
One of them hesitated.
“But… how exactly are you going to destroy the moon?”
Noah almost rolled his eyes.
‘So even you realize smashing the moon isn’t exactly easy.’
Outwardly, however, his expression radiated complete confidence.
“Leave everything to me.”
He looked up at the violet membrane covering the sky, then suddenly remembered something and turned toward Cana.
“Oh, right. I promised I’d show you how powerful that new set of cards is, didn’t I?”
Cana immediately looked interested.
“Watch carefully. You’re finally going to see what one of them can really do.”
After listening to Noah shamelessly advertise those cards for the entire trip, all three of them were curious now, especially Cana.
She already knew the quality of Noah’s Magic Items better than most people.
She had been using cards produced by Hope Cottage for years.
They really were powerful.
They were also painfully expensive.
As far as Cana was concerned, buying Noah’s cards early meant going broke early, while buying them later only meant suffering from not having them sooner.
Hope Cottage belonged to one of the best-known young Mages in Fiore, after all.
The monthly revenue passing through its accounts was difficult for ordinary people to imagine.
Magical weapons personally made and endorsed by the famous Sage appreciated in price almost like valuable property.
Their market value climbed every year.
Demand was not limited to Fiore either.
Mage Guilds, adventurer guilds, and bounty-hunting organizations in neighboring countries competed fiercely for Hope Cottage’s weapons, armor, and Magic Items.
Since Noah produced only limited quantities, anything carrying his craftsmanship became even more valuable.
That was precisely why Cana had never believed his earlier nonsense about making those new cards “especially for her.”
Everyone knew Noah’s merchandise had no trouble finding buyers.
He tilted his head toward the sky and held the card delicately between two fingers.
Everything was ready.
Then he turned toward the villagers, struck an outrageously cool pose, and grinned.
“Watch closely.”
He raised the card.
“This attack can shatter the sky itself in a single blow!”
“Ohhhhhh!”
The villagers erupted in excitement.
Gray, Cana, and Loke fixed their attention on the card as well.
Silence followed.
Then more silence.
Everyone waited.
Noah remained perfectly still, holding the card aloft while staring dramatically into the sky.
A full minute passed.
Gray’s patience snapped first.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Cana and Loke shouted at nearly the same time.
Noah’s eyes suddenly sharpened.
“It’s here.”
The three immediately looked up.
“Hm?”
Silence.
More waiting.
Gray’s eyebrow twitched.
“If you’re going to do something, then hurry up!”
Cana groaned.
“I seriously can’t take this anymore.”
Loke rolled up his sleeves.
“Don’t stop me. I’m punching him today.”
The villagers were nervous too, but unlike the Fairy Tail Mages, they remained remarkably patient.
Several even rushed to restrain Gray, Cana, and Loke, terrified they might interrupt Noah’s supposed moon-destroying technique.
“Please, honored Mages, remain calm!”
“That gentleman must be searching for the perfect angle to unleash his spell!”
“Please don’t disturb him while he destroys the moon!”
Noah suddenly looked as though he had reached a profound decision.
“That’s it!”
Everyone leaned forward.
Noah thrust the card toward the sky.
“Go! Moon-Shattering Cannon!”
The card shot upward like an arrow.
Everyone stared after it.
Then realization struck them simultaneously.
“You were thinking of a name for the attack?!”
The card erupted with dazzling white light as it climbed.
At the same time, an enormous surge of energy gathered around it, whipping the surrounding air into a violent gale.
Dust and stones tore across the ground.
The villagers struggled to remain standing, while the lighter among them nearly found themselves lifted off their feet entirely.
End of Chapter 21