The Pict Magic Of Fairy Tail

Chapter 36: The List of Candidates for the S-Class Wizard Exam

The busy renovation work lasted for a week, and when Silver finally completed everything and returned to the guild, it was as lively as ever.

"Yo, finished painting the walls?" Gray, seated not far from the entrance with a drink in hand, noticed Silver and greeted him.

"Yeah, finally done. That house is way too big to handle alone—it was exhausting." Silver slumped into a seat beside Gray, letting out a long sigh.

"Alone? Didn't Mira help out?" Gray asked, surprised by Silver's remark.

"Ugh, don't even mention it. Mira tends to break things when she's angry. Thanks to her, I had to replace two walls," Silver replied with a deep sigh, looking completely exasperated.

"I see…" Gray said, at a loss for words. "But wouldn't it have been easier if you didn't make her angry?"

"Of course, I didn't mean to upset her! But something's been off with Mira lately. She gets angry over the smallest things, especially whenever I say something without thinking," Silver lamented, rubbing his temples. "I just hope it's a phase. If not, life's going to be tough."

"Let's hope so," Gray said, patting Silver on the shoulder. Knowing Mira's temperament, Gray avoided provoking her at all costs and couldn't offer much help to Silver other than his sympathy.

Silver understood that this was a problem he had to handle himself, so he changed the topic.

His attention was drawn to the unusual sight of a large crowd gathered in front of the mission board.

Normally, the wizards of Fairy Tail were more relaxed, rarely all focusing on work at the same time.

"What's going on? Why's everyone gathered around the mission board?" Silver asked, pointing toward the crowd.

"Oh, that." Gray glanced at the board and explained, "While you were busy with your house, a bunch of wealthy nobles and rich folks started commissioning missions at our guild. Most of them are for party performances or similar stuff. You know how popular those missions are—they're easy, safe, and pay well."

"Ah, that makes sense." Silver nodded, recalling a young man they had encountered during a similar party mission with Cana.

"What's with that look? Did you remember something?" Gray asked, noticing Silver lost in thought.

"Nothing much, just thinking about that time Cana and I did a similar mission," Silver said, shaking his head.

"Oh, that one!" Gray grinned knowingly.

Before Silver could respond, the guild master's voice boomed from the second-floor balcony: "Alright, everyone, listen up! I'm here to announce the list of participants for this year's S-Class Wizard Exam!"

"Huh?" Silver looked up in surprise. "It's that time of the year already?"

"Yep, didn't you notice?" Gray gestured toward the crowd at the mission board. "If it weren't for today's announcement, those guys would've already taken missions and left the guild. I guess the old man wanted to announce it early since everyone's already here."

As Gray finished, the guild master began reading the names loudly: "The first participant for this year's S-Class Wizard Exam is… Erza Scarlet!"

"Woohoo!" Cheers erupted throughout the guild upon hearing Erza's name.

"Wow, starting with Erza," Silver commented, turning to Gray. "If Erza's on the list, then…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the guild master announced the next name: "Mirajane Strauss."

"Woo——!" The guild erupted in cheers once again after Mirajane was announced as a participant in the S-Class Wizard Exam.

"As expected. If Erza qualifies, Mira definitely qualifies too," Gray said knowingly, his eyes reflecting a hint of envy. "I really admire those two. They've just come of age and already have the chance to participate in the S-Class Wizard Exam and potentially become S-Class Wizards. But honestly, envy aside, their strength makes them more than qualified for this."

As Gray spoke, the guild master waited for the cheers to die down before continuing. "These two are the only participants for this year's S-Class Wizard Exam. The task is to venture into the Beast Forest and slay the man-eating Green Wyvern. Whoever completes the mission will earn the title of S-Class Wizard. You have one week to prepare and may choose one non-S-Class Wizard as your assistant to help you complete the mission."

As soon as the guild master finished speaking, the guild was abuzz with chatter.

Most people were discussing the mission, while a few others took the opportunity to grab mission requests from the board and head to the counter to register.

At that moment, Natsu, who had been standing at a distance, suddenly ran up to the guild master and shouted, "Old man! Why are Erza and Mira allowed to participate, but not me? I want to become an S-Class Wizard too!"

"What an idiot," Gray said quietly, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

"Who are you calling an idiot, Gray?" Though Gray's voice was low enough that only Silver could hear, Natsu's sharp ears caught every word.

He turned and glared at Gray.

"I'm talking about you, flame-brained idiot," Gray said loudly, no longer bothering to hide his words. "You're not even of age yet. How could you possibly qualify for the S-Class Wizard Exam?"

"What did you just say? Who are you calling a flame-brained idiot?" Natsu, ignoring everything else, focused on Gray's insult.

He immediately started stomping toward him, ready to pick a fight.

Before things could escalate, the guild master suddenly extended his arm with surprising speed, delivering a solid knock to Natsu's head. "Gray is right. You're not old enough yet. You don't qualify to take the S-Class Wizard Exam."

The guild fell silent for a moment before the buzz of activity resumed, leaving Natsu to nurse his sore head while glaring at Gray, who looked rather pleased with himself.