The Pict Magic Of Fairy Tail

Chapter 40: Silver, Gray, Natsu, and Happy

At Fairy Tail's guildhall, nearing noon, Silver finally strolled in leisurely.

As soon as he entered through the main doors, Gray approached him. "Yo, you're pretty late today. I've been waiting for you."

"Huh?" Silver raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled.

"I want you to join me on a mission," Gray said bluntly, pulling out a mission request and handing it to Silver.

Silver took the request and glanced at it. "A C-Class extermination mission?"

"Yep. It's to deal with some mountain bandits," Gray explained. "You know the rules—since I'm still a year away from turning fifteen, the old man won't allow an underage mage to take on missions with higher risks. So…"

Gray trailed off, but the implication was clear. Silver nodded in understanding and replied, "True, underage mages need an adult mage to accompany them for these kinds of missions. But I've only just turned eighteen myself. Do you think the Master will let me, someone barely older than you and whose magic isn't exactly combat-oriented, lead this mission?"

Gray had clearly thought this through. "I think the old man will allow it. After all, we're both B-Class mages, and the only thing holding me back is my age. With you leading, age isn't an issue anymore, right?"

"That's a fair point. Alright, let's give it a shot," Silver agreed after some consideration.

As soon as Silver gave his approval, Natsu and Happy, who had been eavesdropping, exchanged a glance.

In a flash, they leapt over the chairs separating them from Silver and Gray, landing right in front of them.

"Take me and Happy with you on this mountain bandit mission!" Natsu declared.

"Aye~!" Happy chimed in, raising a paw enthusiastically.

Silver crossed his arms, turning his head away as if to ignore them. "If I bring you two along, you'll probably end up fighting with Gray, or worse, cause a bunch of unnecessary trouble."

Silver knew exactly what kind of chaos Natsu and Happy could bring, so he refused them outright.

"Aw, come on! I promise I won't fight with Gray, and I'll follow all your orders during the mission. How's that?" Natsu pleaded, quickly making his case.

"Yeah, don't be so stingy! You're taking Gray but not us?" Happy added, flying in front of Silver with a look of protest.

Just as Silver was about to turn them down again, Gray interjected. "Actually, I think bringing this fiery idiot along might not be such a bad idea. He's strong enough to be a B-Class mage, and if things go south, we can just blame the trouble on him. After all, he is the guild's resident troublemaker."

"WHAT!?" Natsu snapped, ignoring everything else Gray had said and zeroing in on the last part. He bent down, cocking his head menacingly toward Gray. "Who are you calling a troublemaker, huh!?"

"Obviously you! Name one mission you've done where you didn't cause a mess," Gray shot back, matching Natsu's intensity as the two pressed their foreheads together.

Before Natsu could come up with a rebuttal, Happy raised a paw and interjected, "Natsu, Gray's saying he's okay with us joining the mission."

"Huh?" Natsu blinked in confusion before straightening up and slapping Gray's shoulder with a grin. "Oh, that's what you meant! Guess even a jerk like you can be decent sometimes."

"Alright, that's enough," Silver cut in, placing a hand on both Natsu and Gray's shoulders. "Since Gray is okay with you two joining, I won't object either. But let's make one thing clear: during the mission, no fighting between you two, and you must follow my orders. Got it?"

"Of course!"

"No problem!"

"Aye~!"

The trio answered enthusiastically, all nodding in agreement without hesitation.

"Alright, let's go talk to the Master," Silver said, seeing that everyone had agreed. Without further ado, he led the group toward the guild master.

The Master, sitting on the counter and sipping his drink, raised an eyebrow as Silver and the others approached. "Silver, Gray, Natsu, and Happy? What brings you all here?"

"Master, I plan to take them on a mission," Silver said as he placed the mountain bandit extermination request in front of the guild master.

"Just the four of you?" The Master glanced at the mission request, then at Gray and Natsu. Considering Silver's temperament and past mission records, as well as Gray and Natsu's abilities, he nodded. "Alright, I'll approve it. But this mission is far more dangerous than dealing with magical beasts. You'll need to be extremely careful, especially you, Natsu."

"Why single me out, Grandpa? What about Gray and Silver?" Natsu immediately protested upon hearing his name.

"Because those two haven't caused any issues before. You, on the other hand…" The Master fixed Natsu with a stern look. "Tell me, has there ever been a mission you completed without the client coming here to complain about you? Has there?"

Caught off guard, Natsu couldn't come up with a retort. The Master continued, "You're only handling low-risk missions now, so mistakes aren't a big deal. But when you start taking on higher-level missions, a single mistake could lead to serious consequences."

"Huh? What do you mean, serious consequences? I don't get it," Natsu said, scratching his head with a confused expression.

The Master sighed, realizing it was pointless to explain further. "Never mind. Just make sure you follow Silver's instructions and don't act on your own during this mission."

"Fine, fine. Everyone keeps saying that," Natsu muttered, agreeing while grumbling under his breath.

"Since you understand, carry it out properly." The Master suddenly brought his fist down on Natsu's head, causing him to fall to the floor. "And stop complaining!"

"Got it!" Natsu said quickly, sitting on the ground and looking up at the Master while holding his head.

Silver, who was about to laugh at the exchange, suddenly remembered something. Turning to the Master with a puzzled look, he asked, "Wait a second, Master. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Mira and Erza's group?"

"Oh, that? I sent Gildarts to follow them," the Master replied nonchalantly. He poured himself another drink, took a long swig, and explained, "Gildarts is more than capable of protecting the four of them. Plus, he has enough experience to judge whether Mira and Erza have what it takes to become S-Class wizards. You see, defeating the green wyvern only proves they have S-Class-level strength. Whether they meet the other requirements depends on their decision-making during the mission."

"So even if they defeat the green wyvern, they might not qualify as S-Class wizards?" Gray suddenly understood.

"Exactly," the Master confirmed with a nod.

"What are you guys talking about?" Natsu asked, his face full of confusion, clearly lost in the conversation.