Before boarding the train.
"Robot—I am a robot—"
Natsu and Happy were still incredibly excited.
After boarding the train.
"Ugh…"
"Natsu, don't you dare throw up on me! I just bought this outfit!"
As Natsu, lying on Lucy's lap, groaned in discomfort, Lucy panicked and shouted.
Motion sickness—such a classic Fairy Tail trope!
Gray shook his head and glanced at Jehfrit, who sat calmly beside him. While Natsu suffered from motion sickness, Jehfrit seemed completely unfazed by transportation—a stark contrast.
Natsu and Lucy sat together on one side of the train car, while Gray and Jehfrit occupied the seats across the aisle. On the opposite row, Juvia sat next to Erza, staring longingly at Gray's profile as she bit her handkerchief bitterly. Why wasn't she sitting next to her beloved Gray-sama?
*Swoosh swoosh swoosh.*
Jehfrit spun a single card between his fingers and asked casually, "Wanna play some cards?"
"Sure," Gray nodded.
With a flick of his finger, the spinning card multiplied into an entire deck.
Curious, Lucy leaned forward. "Hey, Jehfrit, I've always wondered—how do you pull all sorts of things out using those cards? It looks so cool."
"It's similar to Requip Magic," Jehfrit explained with a nod.
"So it's magic, not sleight of hand?" Lucy grinned teasingly.
"No, it's sleight of hand!" Jehfrit insisted firmly.
Lucy blinked, momentarily speechless.
Gray rolled his eyes. "This guy is ridiculously stubborn when it comes to drinking, fishing, or card tricks."
"It's true, Gray!" Jehfrit emphasized.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just deal the cards already," Gray said impatiently.
Jehfrit smirked and began shuffling the deck with flashy flourishes. To Lucy, who had never seen such intricate techniques before, it looked like pure wizardry. She gasped audibly, utterly mesmerized.
"Enough showing off. Deal the cards already," Gray muttered dryly, clearly unimpressed.
"Tch, ruining the mood," Jehfrit grumbled but obliged, starting the game properly.
Jehfrit wasn't particularly lucky, but he often relied on skill alone to win—cheating would spoil the fun, after all. Like fishing, where the thrill came from catching something through sheer effort rather than shortcuts. But today… something felt off.
Half an hour later:
Jehfrit pulled his hat down over his face. "Ugh, I'm sleepy!"
Lucy stifled a giggle behind her hand.
"Lucy, I'm never playing with you again!" Happy muttered sulkily, facing the wall.
"Eh? Sorry, Happy!" Lucy apologized quickly.
"You're so dumb, Lucy," Happy mumbled, his voice trembling slightly.
Gray glanced at his own cards, then at the ones Jehfrit had discarded on the table. Silently, he flipped his hand over and placed them facedown.
On the other side of the aisle:
Juvia gnawed furiously on her soaked handkerchief.
That despicable Lucy-san!
How could she not let Gray-sama win even once?!
Argh!
Gray-sama, play with Juvia instead! Juvia will make sure you win every time!
---
Back at the guild, evening fell.
Laxus stood in front of the request board.
"Are you taking a job, Laxus?" Fried asked curiously.
"Yeah," Laxus replied curtly.
"I'm sorry, my injuries haven't healed yet, so I can't accompany you," Fried added regretfully.
"It's fine." Laxus' gaze locked onto a specific request.
Fried followed his line of sight and read aloud, "'Assist the client in investigating corruption and illegal imprisonment of civilians by the Aharnita family.' Client: Edward Adrian."
"Aharnita?" Freed frowned. "Isn't that the wealthy family behind the recently popular tourist destination, Aharnita Town?"
Laxus nodded.
"This won't be easy. They're a powerful family, likely employing many strong individuals," Fried warned.
*Zip.*
Without hesitation, Laxus tore the request sheet off the board.
"Safe travels, Laxus," Fried called after him.
---
At the Heartfilia estate:
The imposing figure of the patriarch stood before a large bay window, gazing into the distance with inscrutable eyes.
"Master, we've finalized the route to Aharnita Town," the butler informed softly.
"Good." The master turned away from the window.
---
Meanwhile, back at the guild:
With Natsu gone, the atmosphere felt unusually quiet.
Mira sighed wistfully. She had errands to run, so she decided to leave early for the day.
"Elfman?"
Walking down the street, Mira spotted two familiar figures ahead—Elfman and Evergreen. Smiling to herself, she chose not to disturb them and took a detour home instead.
When she arrived, she noticed a letter waiting in the mailbox.
"Hm? Who could have sent me a letter? Maybe Tiffania?"
None of the guild members usually wrote letters—they preferred stopping by in person. That left only one possibility: her friend Tiffania.
She picked up the envelope and confirmed her hunch upon seeing the sender's name. Opening it revealed a holographic projection of a stunning young woman.
The figure was breathtakingly beautiful, tall, and curvaceous, dressed in a form-fitting white martial arts uniform that ended above her knees. Her waist-length hair was tied into twin tails, transitioning smoothly from white at the roots to green at the tips. Sharp, elf-like ears framed her face, complementing her emerald-green irises, which gleamed like rare gemstones. Tiny beads of sweat clung to her skin, giving her an almost ethereal glow.
Clearly, she had written the message mid-training.
"Long time no see, Mira," Tiffania greeted warmly. "I recently acquired two 'all-area discount passes' to the grand mall in Aharnita Town. Are you free these days? Would you like to join me? Everyone says it's a wonderful place to visit, and I think it'll be worth our time."
"Oh?" Mira raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Jehfrit and the others are heading there too…"
Her lips curled into a knowing smile. "Things might get interesting."
---
Once again, they arrived in Aharnita Town.
After paying the entry fee, the group—especially the girls—was immediately captivated by the surreal beauty surrounding them.
"It's so beautiful…" Lucy murmured in awe.
Nestled within a canyon, Aharnita Town had once struggled due to its challenging terrain. That changed when the Aharnita family—another affluent family like the Heartfilias—took charge. Under the leadership of Mayor John Aharnita, a legendary businessman, the town transformed into a marvel.
Rather than fighting the geography, he embraced it. By focusing resources exclusively on the western side of the town, he created a luxurious shopping district renowned nationwide. Every detail showcased careful planning and creativity. Artificial crystals embedded along the cliffs filtered sunlight during the day, casting soft, multicolored hues over the area during dawn and dusk. Buildings blended whimsical fairy-tale architecture with harmonious color palettes, creating an enchanting, dreamlike atmosphere.
Even Natsu and Gray found themselves nodding appreciatively—it truly was a magical place.