บท 60: Chapter 59 : Harvest Festival!!
Fairy Tail always takes center stage during the Harvest Festival, and this year is no exception.
Although the main festivities for the townspeople start in the evening, the guild has its own special activities planned for the day.
The highlight?
The "Miss Fairy Tail Contest," where the winner takes home a whopping 500,000 J.
"Half a million Jewels," Lucy exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
Even though she often went on high-paying missions with Natsu, her expenses always seemed to outpace her income, leaving her scrambling to cover rent and food.
"Lucy doesn't stand a chance," Happy said with a teasing grin.
"That's not true! I'm a beautiful girl!" Lucy snapped, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, but you're up against Erza, who's insanely popular, and Mirajane, the guild's supermodel."
Lucy's confidence wavered. "Ugh." Competing with Erza and Mirajane felt impossible. But she wasn't about to give up. If nothing else, she had spirit.
Meanwhile, in the guild shop, Max was arranging figurines. Lucy had noticed his meticulous arrangement.
The top sellers? A cursed doll of Everit and then figures of Erza, Mirajane, and the other popular guild members.
Even Natsu and Gray were ranked higher than her! As a blonde with a great figure, she couldn't believe she was near the bottom of the popularity list.
Even Gajeel, the newest member, ranked higher than her! What an insult!
Lucy remembered the time she bought a key for a white puppy in Harugion Town. She'd tried to charm the shopkeeper into giving her a discount, but all she got was a measly 1,000 J off. Did she really have no appeal?
No, that can't be! She shook her head, determined to regain her confidence. "At least I'm younger than them," she declared.
"Levy's also seventeen," Happy pointed out, ever the voice of reality.
"Oh, shut up, Happy! Don't bring me down before the contest!" Lucy groaned.
Natsu, who'd been listening and looking around, suddenly turned to Lucy with a big grin, his sharp teeth on full display. "Don't worry, Lucy, I'll vote for you!"
Lucy brightened up. At least Natsu wouldn't vote for someone else, which gave her some comfort. "Thanks, Natsu," she said, feeling a bit better.
Their lighthearted moment was interrupted by a small child's innocent voice. "Mommy, why doesn't that man have clothes on?"
The mother quickly covered her child's eyes. "Don't look!"
"Gray-sama! Clothes!" Juvia shouted, clearly concerned.
Gray's eyes widened in sudden realization. "Wait, when did this happen?!"
"Pervert," Natsu snickered, clearly enjoying himself.
Gray spun around, glaring at Natsu. "What did you just say? You looking for a fight?!"
"Oh, it's on!" Natsu shot back.
Seeing the tension between them, the townspeople quickly took cover. They knew all too well what happened when these two got into it.
Meanwhile, a burly traveler was weaving through the crowd on the street. He accidentally bumped into a magician who was performing tricks for a group of kids.
The magician had been spinning a card on his fingertip, but when he was bumped, the card went flying to the ground.
The kids gasped in disappointment. "Oh no!"
The traveler frowned and snapped at the magician, "Hey, why are you blocking the street? Move aside!" He seemed to think he could bully the magician because of his size.
But the magician just smiled calmly, not seeming to be bothered at all.
"Hey, mister, you bumped into him!" a kid called out.
"Yeah, you should apologize!" said another child.
"Be nice to Brother Everit!" they all shouted, standing up for the magician.
The traveler grumbled, "Even if I did bump into him, what's it to you? Stay out of this, you little brats."
"Bad man!"
"Yeah, go away! We don't want you here!"
The traveler scowled and walked off, grumbling under his breath. The magician, Everit, just shrugged and went back to his act. "Okay, let's keep the magic going!"
Just a few steps away, the traveler suddenly saw a woman with a voluptuous figure. He couldn't help but reach out to give her a pat—but to his shock, when the person turned around, it was a bald, muscular man with a fierce scowl.
"You're asking for it!" The bald man was not happy.
The traveler frantically tried to explain, "No, no, I swear, it was a woman!"
"You think that's an excuse?!" The bald man punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.
The crowd cheered at this. "Serves him right!"
Everit paid no mind to the commotion and continued his magic show. He looked at a little girl and asked, "Little Mary, what do you want for the harvest festival?"
"I'd like an apron because my mom's apron is really old," she replied.
"What a thoughtful child!" Everit said with a warm smile. "For someone who thinks of their mother, you're already a hero. Look, you're wearing a brand-new apron and a cape!"
The little girl giggled with joy and found a new apron on her back, just like magic.
"Thank you, Brother Everit!" she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Everit knelt down to receive the thanks of a little girl. He smiled and patted her on the head before turning to another kid, a boy with a runny nose.
"What would you like for a gift, Jack?" Everit asked.
"I want a lollipop!" Jack replied eagerly.
"Here, take this card," Everit said, handing him a small card.
"Okay!" Jack took the card and, to his surprise, it transformed into a flat lollipop, palm-sized and colorful.
"Wow, thank you, Brother Everit!" Jack was so happy that he leaned in to give Everit a kiss on the cheek, leaving a smear of snot and saliva on his face in the process.
"I want a gift too, Brother Everit!"
"I want a new doll!"
"I want a puppy!"
The children chimed in, shouting their wishes with excitement.
From a distance, Lucy Heartfilia watched Everit as he wiped his cheek with a handkerchief, a slight smile on his lips. "Isn't Everit a germaphobe?" she asked, almost in disbelief. She worried about his reaction to the messy kiss. Would he get angry and scare the children?
"Yes, but he's also a kind-hearted person," replied Mirajane Strauss, who had come to stand beside Lucy.
"Ah, Miss Mira!" Lucy said, turning to her with a smile. Mirajane joined Lucy in watching Everit, her eyes softening at the sight of him with the children.
"Everit might make a great dad one day," Mirajane mused.
"Sure, as long as he doesn't teach his kids any of his deception magic," Lucy laughed.
"Haha, but if they learn his deception magic, they'll be hard to control!" Mirajane chuckled.
"Absolutely," Lucy agreed, imagining a scene in her head—
The Fairy Tail Guild, fifteen years later.
A child with blond hair and a scarf, holding celestial keys in one hand and breathing fire with the other, shouting, "Ice-magic users are idiots!"
"Fire-brained fool, are you picking a fight?" said a boy with blue hair, clad only in shorts. Water swirled in his left hand while ice formed in his right.
The atmosphere was tense, and it seemed a fight could break out at any moment.
Ice against fire, water against celestial spirits. It was a clash of elements.
Meanwhile, in a dim corner, a white-haired boy with a cane and a sly smile held a camera. His presence was unsettling, but he seemed to enjoy the chaos around him.
Hold on—why is a kid who looks like Natsu suddenly blonde? Lucy shook her head, cheeks flushing red as if her thoughts had gone somewhere inappropriate.
"Lucy?" Mirajane asked, her eyes curious.
"No! It's nothing!" Lucy blurted out, her words rushed.
Mirajane blinked slowly, then grinned. "Well, I need to pick up something, so I'll leave you to it." She walked away with a light wave.
Back in the middle of the commotion, Natsu and Gray stood forehead-to-forehead, glaring at each other with enough heat to melt ice. Lucy stepped in, pulling Natsu away from Gray.
"Okay, okay. Gray-sama, you need to put your clothes on," Juvia suggested with a hint of concern.
"Hmph!" Both Natsu and Gray turned away from each other at the same time, their arms crossed. It seemed the rivalry between them was as intense as ever.
****
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