Capítulo 233: Chapter 233: 17 Participants in S-Class Promotion
With the Celestial Spirit King's assistance, the issue of insufficient celestial energy was easily resolved.
With his goal achieved, Nate was eager to leave. After all, the difference in time flow between the two worlds was immense—spending a single day here meant three months had passed in the human world.
However, the Celestial Spirit King wasn't about to let him leave so easily. He warmly invited Nate and Lucy to attend a banquet in their honor.
Nate had no choice but to stay, and so, he and Lucy joined the grand feast in the Celestial Spirit World.
…
The Celestial Banquet
The banquet brought together many of the Zodiac Spirits, and all of Lucy's contracted spirits were present.
A highlight of the event was the incredible food.
Dishes such as CCrab and Seafood Pasta with Starlight Cream', 'Lamb Chops Drizzled with Celestial Lamb Sauce', and 'Eight Treasure Fresh Fish Rainbow Stew' left Nate marveling at the exquisite flavors.
While enjoying the delicacies, Nate couldn't help but glance at Cancer, Aries, and Aquarius, silently wondering where the ingredients had come from—perhaps the 'Dark Celestial Spirit World'?
There were also live performances. Lyra, the Lyre Spirit, played the harp and sang beautifully, her voice akin to a celestial melody.
…
The Celestial Library
After the banquet, Nate and Lucy visited the Celestial Library, a place filled with countless books unavailable in the human world.
If not for the urgency of time, Nate would have loved to stay longer to learn more about the Celestial Spirit World's rich history.
As they prepared to leave, the Celestial Spirit King presented Lucy with a magic book containing advanced knowledge of Celestial Spirit magic.
"My old friend, I hope this magic book will be of use to you," said the Celestial Spirit King.
"Thank you, Big-Beard Uncle!" Lucy cheerfully replied.
Returning to the circular platform where they had first arrived, Virgo activated the teleportation magic, concluding their brief visit to the Celestial Spirit World.
…
Back at Nate's Apartment
Staring out the window at the night sky, Lucy gasped in surprise.
"It's already nighttime?"
The moonlight shimmered faintly outside.
Nate checked the Magic Network for the current time and nodded.
"Yep, it's evening—ten evenings later, to be exact."
"Wait, what?" Lucy's face froze in disbelief.
"It's been a little over two hours in the Celestial Spirit World, but here in the human world, ten days have passed," Nate explained.
"Ten days…" Lucy clutched her head and wailed. "Then it's November already?! Oh no!"
"What's wrong?"
"This month's rent! What am I going to do? I'm broke! My landlady must be looking for me everywhere! Nate~~" Lucy gave him a pitiful look.
"I've been showing Ashley around, spending so much money, and I haven't even worked properly!"
"You're out of money?" Nate raised an eyebrow.
"Please, lend me 70,000J!" Lucy clung to his arm, pleading coquettishly. "Come on, you're my boyfriend—you can't just abandon me in my time of need!"
Nate smirked. "You already owe me over 30 million. If you want my help, you'll have to repay me with your body."
With that, he scooped her up and carried her to the bed.
Lucy's cheeks turned bright red as she bashfully hit his chest.
"One kiss is 200,000J!"
"A tenfold increase? That's ridiculous!"
…
The Next Morning
When Nate woke up, Lucy was already gone.
After washing up, he noticed a prepared breakfast on the dining table with a sticky note from Lucy.
"Don't forget to eat breakfast on time! ~Lucy"
Nate smiled faintly. The feeling of having a thoughtful girlfriend was truly wonderful.
He sat down, enjoying breakfast while opening the Magic Net to reply to a slew of messages.
After disappearing for ten days, Nate returned to a mountain of private messages.
He took his time replying to each one, explaining the reason for his absence.
Once breakfast was finished, Nate took a hot shower, changed into clean clothes, and then headed to the guild.
…
At the Guild
The guild's tavern was unusually lively that day.
"Soon, the master will announce the participants for the S-Class exam and the rules for the first round."
Carla stood proudly atop a table, her arms crossed and her tail swaying, adorned with a pink ribbon tied into a bow.
"Really?" Lisanna asked in surprise. "Is that your precognition ability?"
Carla swayed her tail shyly and replied, "When I visited our queen in Edolas, she told me I possess the same innate ability as her—the power to foresee the future. It's an inborn gift."
She added with a hint of pride, "Now that I'm aware of it, I've found a way to control it to some extent."
"Wow, Carla, you're amazing!" Wendy praised, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Lisanna's curiosity grew. "Then, can you tell me who I'll marry in the future?"
Carla froze, her expression stiffening. "Predicting something that far ahead is beyond me… Huh?"
Suddenly, an image flashed through Carla's mind.
It was of Lisanna kissing Nate!
Her face turned red, and she quickly averted her gaze to hide the vision.
Lisanna, however, leaned closer, her eyes wide with anticipation. "Who is it? Who's my future husband?"
"I... I can't predict that!" Carla stammered, trying to dodge the question.
The shocking scene she saw was too much for her to handle, and she felt it was best not to share such explosive news.
But why would her vision show Nate? Wasn't he dating Mirajane?
And if the vision was accurate, it meant this might happen in the near future.
Could the Strauss sisters possibly like the same man?
Wait—what about Erza?
Carla's thoughts raced back to the Tower of Heaven incident, where she and Wendy had witnessed Erza kissing Nate.
Could this be a... love quadrangle?!
The very idea was too overwhelming for Carla, and her face turned even redder.
Such juicy gossip couldn't be shared casually, and keeping it to herself was unbearable.
"Pop!"
A confetti cannon exploded on the second floor.
Colorful ribbons and sparkles fell from above, accompanied by a banner with the guild's emblem, which unfurled dramatically.
All eyes were instantly drawn to the spectacle.
On the balcony, Mirajane waved at everyone with a warm smile, while Makarov stood atop the railing and cleared his throat.
"Cough, cough… Everyone, please quiet down."
"It's that time of year again. Based on your performance over the past year, I'm about to announce the participants for the S-Class Promotion Exam!"
At his words, a wave of astonishment swept through the guild.
"Isn't it only early November, Master?"
"Yeah, isn't this announcement way too early?"
"Damn it, I was planning to take on a bunch of jobs this month to improve my chances!"
Many who hadn't been diligent all year groaned in despair.
Typically, November was crunch time for those aiming to qualify, as mission completion rate and quality were key criteria for selection.
But this year, things were different. The announcement came too early for anyone to cram in extra work.
Mirajane explained with a smile, "This year's situation is a bit unique. The number of participants is much larger than usual, and the rules are different, so we're announcing it earlier."
As soon as she finished speaking, several S-Class mages appeared on the second-floor balcony: Gildarts, Laxus, Mystogan, and Erza.
Nate, already aware of the selection, chose a quiet corner where he noticed Mavis.
"First Master?"
"Long time no see, Fourth Master~" Mavis greeted him with a playful smile.
'To you, maybe it's been ten days, but to me, I just saw you yesterday!' Nate mentally grumbled.
…
Meanwhile, Makarov began reading the list of participants from the balcony.
"This year's S-Class Promotion Exam has 17 participants!"
The announcement left everyone stunned.
That many?!
"They'll be split into two groups—male and female. Nine men and eight women."
"First, the female group..."
~~~
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