Bab 234: Chapter 234: S-Class Promotion Participants
"First up for the women's group... Cana Alberona!"
"Yes!"
Cana cheered and raised her glass high.
Although she no longer needed S-Class status to muster the courage to face her father, after four failed attempts, she was determined to take on the challenge for the fifth time.
Nate glanced at her and thought, 'At least you're holding a glass and not a barrel. Progress…'
"Second... Lucy Heart..."
Lucy was browsing [Online Commissioning], searching for light, easy jobs.
However, the platform's convenience meant that any simple job was quickly snatched up.
'Maybe I should just sell some Magic Net Coins...' she pondered.
Just as she was lost in thought, her name was called.
"Huh?! Me?" Lucy's head shot up in surprise.
Levy, sitting nearby, tilted her head curiously. "Lucy Heart... What? Now that I think about it, I don't know your last name."
"Ah, haha... My last name isn't important," Lucy replied awkwardly, trying to brush it off.
The only ones in the guild who knew her full name, Heartfilia, were Nate and the master.
As for why the master knew...
Lucy had heard that her father had donated a large sum of money to Fairy Tail, asking the guild to look after her.
'That idiot dad, why not just give me the money? I can barely pay my rent!'
"Third... Levy McGarden."
Lucy seized the opportunity to shift the focus. "Levy, you made it too!"
"Fourth... Juvia Lockser."
Juvia was lurking in the shadows, quietly observing Nate while glaring warily at the little blonde girl by his side.
"Fifth... Ultear Milkovich."
"Sixth... Meredy."
Neither Ultear nor Meredy was present in the tavern, as Nate had mentioned earlier that they were out on a mission.
"Mirajane, make sure to notify them online later," Makarov said before continuing the announcements.
"Seventh... Evergreen."
"Eighth... Wendy!"
"Me? I'm in the exam?" Wendy whispered nervously.
"I didn't make it; that's a shame," Lisanna said with a look of disappointment before turning to Wendy. "Wendy, you have to do your best! How about making me your partner?"
"Partner?"
Lisanna explained the past rules of the S-Class exam to the newcomer Wendy.
...
Meanwhile, Makarov began listing the men's group participants:
"First... Natsu Dragneel!"
Natsu, standing with one foot on a chair and the other on a table, pointed excitedly at the S-Class mages on the second floor.
"You S-Class mages up there, just you wait! I'm definitely going to become an S-Class!"
"Natsu, no magic fusion during the exam," Laxus said nonchalantly. "No Lightning Flame Dragon either."
Natsu looked as though he'd been struck by lightning, but his determination returned almost instantly.
"Even so, I'm not gonna lose!"
"Good to have spirit, but quiet down for now."
Makarov extended his arm like a rubber band, delivering a punch that sent Natsu sprawling.
"Second... Gray Fullbuster!"
"Finally, my turn," Gray muttered, standing up.
"Clothes! Clothes!" someone reminded him from the side.
"Third... Elfman."
Elfman raised his fist. "A real man passes on the first try!"
"Fourth... Freed Justine."
"Fifth... Bickslow."
The Raijinshū's table remained calm and quiet, showing none of their usual rowdiness.
"Sixth... Gajeel Redfox!"
Gajeel stood on the second floor, arms crossed and leaning coolly against a pillar, with a black cat perched on the railing beside him.
When Nate glanced his way, Gajeel simply raised his index and middle fingers in a casual salute.
'Are you Vegeta?'
Nate chuckled internally. That gesture was probably a thank-you for the intel on the black cat. Looks like they were getting along well!
"Seventh, Loke," Makarov announced.
Loke raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I got picked too?"
"Eighth, Mest."
Hearing this name, whispers broke out among the guild members.
"Mest? What a shame about last year."
"He joined last year's exam?"
"Almost made it through!"
This part of the chatter stemmed from real memories, not ones fabricated by Mest's memory control magic.
Finally, Makarov called the last name: "Nate."
The tavern fell silent as everyone began looking around.
"Nate's back?"
"He's been gone for half a month."
"Wasn't he on a date with Lucy?"
"A honeymoon? What about Mira?!"
'Seriously, can you guys stop making up rumors?!'
Nate rolled his eyes. 'Who's the gossipmonger here? When I find out, I'm cursing you with chronic constipation!'
Soon, the crowd spotted Nate standing in the corner.
"There he is! Nate!"
"Update the gacha pool! Hurry!"
"Yeah, even if you're dating, don't forget your responsibilities."
The moment everyone's attention turned to him, Mavis vanished from sight.
While Nate's Six Eyes could still see her, to the others, she had disappeared completely.
"Next time, I swear," Nate said, making a mock surrender gesture. "I just got back from the Celestial Spirit World. Time flows differently between worlds..."
Mirajane smiled sweetly and interjected, "Regarding Pokémon, this year's S-Class exam will allow the use of Pokémon!"
"What do you mean? Pokémon battles?" Bickslow exclaimed excitedly. "Finally, it's your time to shine, my little treasures!"
With a dramatic flourish, he threw out eight cards. A flash of light revealed eight Pokémon appearing simultaneously.
"Ahem!"
Makarov coughed to regain control of the room. "Put your Pokémon away first. Let me explain this year's exam rules."
"In the past, participants could choose a partner for the exam. However, this year is different."
"With 17 contestants, you'll be required to form teams within your group—two people per team."
"The person you team up with will not only be your partner but also a competitor you'll have to outshine to win!"
The moment Makarov finished, Cana raised her hand.
"Master, I choose Nate!"
With Nate in the exam, anyone who partnered with him would have an almost guaranteed chance of passing, right?
Others quickly caught on.
"I choose Nate too," Evergreen chimed in.
"Juvia should be paired with Nate-sama!"
Juvia glared angrily at the others. 'Ultear and Erza are fine, but why are 'you two' going after my Nate-sama?!'
Lucy sighed deeply. 'He's my boyfriend, okay? Shouldn't I be on his team?!'
Lisanna whispered, "Wendy, if you team up with Nate, it'll be a breeze for you."
Even Carla agreed. "That's practically cheating."
"Wait, this doesn't make sense!"
Mirajane held up a finger and smiled mischievously. "Nate is a special case. His exam is independent. He'll be participating as an examiner, just like the other S-Class mages."
"Huh?!"
The crowd collectively froze.
Nate—an examiner?
Was this some kind of nightmare?
Mirajane continued cheerfully, "And the teams will be formed within each group: women with women, men with men."
"Excluding Nate, that leaves eight participants per group, forming a total of eight teams."
~~~
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