The Takagis

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Takanosu.

October, x785.

"That took longer than I thought it would." Alfonzo said while driving the Humvee up to the gates of Takagi mansion. "But we're finally here."

"Yeah, but at least we got rid of quite a few of the undead." Saeko said, looking quite refreshed as she spoke.

"I'm actually surprised you kids are so skilled in combat." Kiriko said from the back seat. "I mean, you all just found out that you have magic power a couple of days ago, right? Yet, you're wielding it like you've been doing it for a while."

"What can I say?" Alfonzo said proudly. "I'm just a bad ass teacher."

"You act like you're so much older than them." Kiriko replied while rolling her eyes. "You're what? Twenty at the very most."

"That's true." Alfonzo replied with a nod. "But I've been leading other wizards in training since I was eight. So, I'm really not just boasting."

"I see…" Kiriko replied, though it was obvious that she was skeptical of Alfonzo's claim.

"Anyway, why are you so quiet, Saya?" Alfonzo asked, looking back at Saya through the rear view mirror. "Aren't you happy to be back home?"

"Huh?" Saya exclaimed in surprise after being mentioned so suddenly. "Uh... Yeah… I'm glad to be home. I wanna see if my parents are safe."

Hearing Saya's somewhat downcast tone, Alfonzo, Saeko, and Kiriko exchanged glances. However, none of them knew what to say.

'She's probably upset that no one ever came looking for her… Just like in the source material.' Alfonzo thought as he stopped the Humvee outside the Takagi mansion's main gate. 'But it probably would have been more dangerous for her parents and their forces to start combing the streets for her at the beginning. Of course, I know I can't tell her that.'

"Halt!" A guard manning the mansion's gate shouted, though he was a bit late. "Identify yourself! And explain how did you get here with that magic vehicle despite all the obstacles that were set up along the way?"

In response, Alfonzo rolled down the driver's side window and stuck his head out.

"I'm Alfonzo Marcus of the Fairy Tail guild." Alfonzo replied calmly, completely unbothered by the magic rifles aimed at the Humvee. "And I'm only here to bring the Takagi princess home to see her family. As for the obstacles, they were all made of metal… So…"

At the end, Alfonzo shrugged his shoulders. However, it seems he ran into a group of people that did not recognize him or his name immediately. Because his explanation of how the obstacles were cleared was not taken well.

"That's not an explanation!" The guard shouted. "Now, please get out of the vehicle and come with us for questioning."

"Hahaha! I guess you're not as famous as you thought, huh?" Kiriko laughed.

"I guess not…" Alfonzo said while scratching his head. "And did they just ignore the fact that I said I have the Takagi princess with me?"

"That's what it sounds like." Saeko replied with a nod.

"So, can you say something to them, Saya?" Alfonzo asked, looking back at Saya over his shoulder.

"*Sigh* Fine." Saya said as she stood up and opened the hatch on the ceiling. Then, once her head was sticking out, she shouted. "Hey, I'm back home! Go inform my mother and father that their daughter is back!"

Immediately, the guards showed shocked expressions after hearing Saya's voice. Then, when they focused on the head sticking out of the magic vehicle's roof, they finally lowered their guard. On top of that, one of the guards immediately sprinted back towards the mansion to relay the news.

Even so, they did not open the gates.

"I guess they need permission before opening the gates." Kiriko muttered.

"It's a sound strategy to keep the people inside safe." Saeko replied.

"Yeah, but the young lady of the house just came home." Alfonzo said. "You'd think they could make an exception for that, right?"

Meanwhile, Saya, instead of participating in the conversation, only clenched her fists in frustration. It was rather embarrassing to be forced to wait outside your own home, after all.

It did not take long for a response to come from the mansion. Though, it did not come in the form of the guard returning to open the gate. Instead, a relatively tall, beautiful, fair-skinned woman with long purple hair, purple eyes, a slender figure and large breasts wearing a thin red evening gown and a shawl wrapped around her arms and lower back came sprinting towards the gate with the ferocity of an enraged bull.

"Saya! My baby!" The lady of the house, Yuriko Takagi, shouted as she approached the main gate.

"Mama!" Saya shouted in return as she jumped through the roof hatch.

Then, in a display of superhuman strength, Yuriko jumped and cleared the gate. At the same time, Saya leapt from the top of the Humvee. Then, the mother and daughter embraced in midair.

"Damn, that was pretty bad ass." Alfonzo muttered.

"Yeah, I didn't know Yuriko was so strong." Kiriko added.

"But isn't she concerned about flashing the guards?" Alfonzo asked. I mean, she's doing all that in a dress.

"I don't think she cares about that right now." Saeko replied with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Alfonzo said with a nod.

However, Alfonzo continued to watch. And to his surprise. Even when descending to the ground, Yuriko's dress was not raised by the wind. Instead, it looked as if something was actively keeping her dress down.

'I'm not even gonna ask.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'If I do, these two are gonna look at me like some kind of pervert who was hoping to catch a peak.'

"Saya, I'm so glad you're safe." Yuriko said with Saya in her arms as she landed in front of the Humvee. "I'm sorry we couldn't come to find you sooner. But clearing the area around the mansion took all our attention."

"*Sigh* I know." Saya said as she buried her head in her mother's bosom. "But if it weren't for Alfonzo and Elicia, you probably would have never seen me again."

"What do you mean?" Yuriko asked in a much sterner tone. "What happened?"

"Uh… Sorry to interrupt your reunion." Alfonzo said, once again sticking his head out the window. "But should we leave? Or can we come in?"

Hearing Alfonzo's voice, Saya looked embarrassed that she had forgotten about the others. Meanwhile, Yuriko turned her head towards the voice's direction. Then, she looked down at her slightly blushing daughter.

"Oh, it looks like someone has a little crush." Yuriko whispered into Saya's ear.

"What are you talking about, Mom?" Saya shouted back, her face even redder than before.

In response, Yuriko only giggled. Then, she unwrapped her arms from around her daughter and started walking towards the Humvee's driver's side.

"So, when Saya mentioned that Alfonzo and Elicia saved her, she was talking about Alfonzo Marcus and Elicia Taylor, huh?" Yuriko asked once she was standing in front of the driver's door. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter. I cannot thank you enough."

"Don't worry about it." Alfonzo said with a smile. "It's kind of my job."

"And it looks like you found Kiriko, too." Yuriko said while looking into the vehicle. "Oh, and the daughter of Master Busujima, as well."

"Yeah, he pulled me out of a pretty sticky situation." Kiriko replied with a shrug. "But because of him, there's a chance I'll get to see Tadashi and Rei again."

"Indeed." Yuriko replied. Then, she pulled the door to the backseat open. "Anyway, let's return to the house. We can talk more there."

As she spoke, Yuriko signaled to the guards manning the gates to open them. Then, she ushered Saya back into the Humvee before climbing in herself. After that, once the gates were open, Alfonzo drove through them before they were quickly close behind them.

Considering the fact that Alfonzo was not driving very fast, the drive from the gate to the front of the mansion took about five minutes. And in those five minutes, they were able to see quite a few tents set up.

"You've saved quite a few people in only a few days." Alfonzo said as he scanned the surroundings with both his eyes and [Magic Power Detection].

"Yes, while securing the area around the mansion, we came across quite a few of them.

"But why aren't they doing anything to help?" Alfonzo asked, his eyebrows furrowing in discontentment.

"*Sigh* It's because they are too scared to fight." Yuriko said. "Or at least, that's what most of them say."

"Yeah, but there are many other ways to help in a situation like this than to just fight." Saeko said. "They could help prepare meals, maintain weapons, or any number of non-combat related tasks."

"Yes, I realize that." Yuriko replied in an exasperated tone. "But they refuse to do so. And my husband won't force them."

"I know I probably shouldn't say this as a wizard who came here to stop this shit show." Alfonzo said. "But if they're not willing to help, then they don't deserve your protection."

"Alfonzo's right, Mom." Saya added. "If they don't want to help with little things, then they don't' deserve to be protected. I mean, you're providing shelter and food for them."

"I understand what you mean." Yuriko replied. "But as nobles, it's our duty to protect the common citizens."

"Ah… That noblesse oblige shit, huh?" Alfonzo said. "I've heard a lot of nobles talk about it in my career as a wizard. But this is the first time I've actually seen it taken seriously."

While Saya frowned slightly at Alfonzo's crass language, Yuriko giggled.

"I see… So, a foul mouth can be passed on from generation to generation." Yuriko said in an amused tone.

Hearing that, Alfonzo could only smile wryly. Meanwhile, Saeko, Saya, and Kiriko were a bit confused by the seemingly out of place comment.

"So, you knew my mom, huh?" Alfonzo said with the wry smile still present on his face.

"I did." Yuriko replied. "She actually saved me from a Dark Guild when I was younger. I think I was only twelve back then. When she brought me back home, she said something about completing her first S-Class quest successfully."

'Her first S-Class quest, huh?' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'Gramps told me that she made S-Class when she was seventeen. So, that would make Mrs. Takagi---"

"It's rude to guess at a woman's age, young man." Yuriko said playfully. However, there was a hint of sternness in her tone, as well.

In response, Alfonzo could only smile wryly once again.

"Wait, so who was his mother?" Saya asked curiously.

"The Mage Killer, Bianca Rollen." Yuriko announced.

Immediately, Saeko, Saya, and Kiriko opened their eyes wide in surprise.

"Mom had so many fans." Alfonzo said with a smile.

"It's probably because she didn't destroy everything like the rest of your guild." Kiriko said.

"Yeah, I guess I can see that." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "From what Gramps told me, only Mom and Lici's dad were like that."

"By Lici, you're referring to Elicia Taylor, correct?" Yuriko asked.

"That's right." Alfonzo replied with a nod as he pulled the Humvee up to the front of the mansion.

"Indeed. The Shockwave, Orlando Taylor, was another one who kept property damage to a minimum."

With that, Alfonzo put the Humvee in park and the five climbed out once the engine was turned off.

"Saya, it's good to see you back, safe and sound." A tall, intimidating man with jet black hair and fierce, red eyes with a predatory gaze said from the mansion's front door.

Hearing that voice, Saya's head snapped in its direction.

"Father… It's good to see you, too." Saya said politely in a subdued tone.

'I guess he's pretty shit at expressing himself in this world, too.' Alfonzo thought to himself.

"She called you father." Alfonzo said, stepping forward. "Then, does that mean you're Souichiro Takagi, the Marquis in charge of this town?"

"That is correct." The black-haired man, Souichiro Takagi, replied with a stern nod.

"Good." Alfonzo replied. "Then, I would suggest you relocate everyone here as fast as possible. There's a horde of nearly---"

"I won't be relocating." Souichiro said, cutting off the rest of what Alfonzo had to say. "I refuse to abandon my home… No, I will stay here and fight to the very end."

"*Sigh* I expected you to say that." Alfonzo muttered. "Luckily, there's nothing in this town I can't handle yet. But if there were, I'd knock your stubborn ass out and drag you to somewhere safe."

While Souichiro was too far away to hear Alfonzo's muttering, Saeko, Saya, Kiriko, and Yuriko were able to hear it just fine. And while Saeko and Saya were surprised to hear that Alfonzo was willing to treat a marquis like that, Kiriko and Yuriko, a former knight and a marquis's wife, respectively, could only shake their heads with bemused expressions on their faces. They had heard a lot more about the wizards of Fairy Tail over the years, after all.

"Well, since you're not planning on going anywhere, I guess I'll have to wipe out that horde." Alfonzo said. "But if you had relocated, I could at least set up an ambush when they showed up here. Now, I'll have to fight them on the road leading to the gate. And there are a lot of houses and shit along that road."

"How are you so sure there's a horde on its way here?" Yuriko asked curiously.

"A detection spell I came up with a long time ago." Alfonzo replied. "I've pretty much got the whole town under surveillance. Though, I can't tell exactly what anyone is doing."

"Impressive." Kiriko said. "Having a spell like that would have been nice when I was on duty as a knight. You wouldn't mind sharing, would you?"

"He won't." Saya said in a huff. Then, she continued in a mocking tone. "It's a Fairy Tail secret, after all."

"I see." Kiriko replied with a nod of understanding. "Well, then I won't ask again. I know better than to dig into a guild's secrets."

Yuriko and Souichiro nodded along, as well.

"On top of a horde coming this way, I think the one who started this whole mess is leading them this way, too." Alfonzo added, deciding to get the conversation back on track.

Hearing that, everyone widened their eyes in surprise.

"Do you have any idea who that could be?" Souichiro asked in a stern tone.

"Not a clue." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "I'm not familiar with the magic power signature. But they are driving here in a magic vehicle with a few other people. And the horde is following behind them."

"Then, I'll be coming with you when you go to deal with them." Souichiro said in a tone that would not accept no for an answer. "I'd like to see who had the audacity to sink my town into such chaos."

"If that's what you want." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "They should be arriving at around sunset. If they keep their current pace, that is."

章 423: The Takagis

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章 423: The Takagis

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