Chapter 177: The Mystery Revealed
"What's with all the secrecy?" Lucy muttered, clearly disgruntled. She'd already been in Fairy Tail for nearly six months, long enough to feel like a seasoned member. The idea that something was going on behind her back ruffled her a bit.
And despite Mirajane's words, Lucy still worried about Cana saying she wanted to leave the guild. She was about to pry further when she noticed Mira and Su Yan off to the side, smiling and talking quietly, pretty much ignoring her.
From an outsider's point of view, ever since Lisanna's return, Mira's face had been radiant, like some weight on her heart had finally lifted. She was adorable and beautiful before, but now she truly glowed. Even though they hadn't announced anything, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that she and Su Yan were involved.
"I've heard that when people fall in love, their friends get kicked aside," Lucy grumbled to herself. "Guess that old saying isn't wrong…"
"WORK, WORK!!!"
"AYE~!!"
Natsu and Happy suddenly bolted past Lucy.
"Hey, wait! If you're taking on a job, I—"
"Sorry!! Gotta do this one alone!" Natsu yelled over his shoulder.
Lucy scowled. She needed rent money for next month; she didn't want to be left behind.
Gray sprinted in next, shirtless and sporting a few bruises. "I'm back!!"
"Welcome back, Gray… but where're your clothes?"
"No time for that! I'm taking another job now!" He snatched up a request flyer and dashed off.
A moment later, Elfman showed up. "Sis!! I'm off to handle this request!"
Then Bisca, Warren, Max—almost everyone in the guild—crowded around the request board, eager for missions. Lucy was dumbfounded: these people usually spent their days drinking, chatting, and messing around. Today they were acting like they'd gotten a shot of adrenaline.
…
Meanwhile, Carla was talking quietly with Wendy and Lisanna.
"So you really can see the future now?" Wendy asked.
"Yes. These last few days have confirmed it. I can somewhat control this ability," Carla replied.
"That's great, Carla!" Wendy beamed with pride for her.
Lisanna leaned in curiously. "Ooh, can you see who I'll marry someday?" She hadn't stopped dreaming of being a bride.
Carla shook her head, looking apologetic. "No, I can't see that far. I can only see a few seconds or minutes ahead. For instance, Macao's over there right now. In a moment Wakaba will join him, and they'll start chatting about the younger guild members."
Within seconds, Wakaba did wander over to Macao.
"Heh, Macao."
"Cough."
"This year's flown by, hasn't it?"
"Reminds me of old times."
"Yeah, we used to be so fired up back then…"
Before long, the two shifted to more questionable topics.
"Kids these days, especially the girls, I can't help noticing—"
"Hah?! I've got a kid of my own. Can't be ogling some young girl's behind!"
"Then how about her thighs?"
"Wouldn't mind a nibble! I'd love getting stepped on by them!"
"Bwahahaha!"
Lisanna winced. "Ugh, they said exactly what you predicted… though it's not exactly highbrow stuff."
Carla sighed. "Even though I see it coming, I can't change anything."
"It's still amazing, though," Wendy said encouragingly.
"Totally," Lisanna agreed. "And if you can't change the future, you can always tell someone else who can. In a guild like Fairy Tail, you'll definitely find people who'll act on what you see."
Carla blinked, recalling Su Yan's tremendous power. "You're right. I should keep that in mind. I just wish I could control my foresight better."
…
Nearby, the clang of steel rang out repeatedly. Erza was sparring with Pantherlily, each wielding weapons. They fought fluidly, though their expressions were calm and collected.
"Let's stop there," Erza announced, noticing Lily was starting to weaken.
With a pop, Lily's bulky form vanished, leaving just his small black-cat body. "I can't keep my original size very long," he said ruefully. "It's a real limitation."
"You're still plenty strong," Erza said, smiling. "Your swordsmanship is quite impressive."
From the sidelines, Gajeel boasted, "Pretty awesome, right, Erza?! That's Lily's true strength!"
Lily gave a modest shrug. "It's nothing much. But now I see how powerful someone with an S-class rank can be in this guild."
Lucy, watching from a short distance, muttered to herself, "So half the people are scrambling for jobs, and the other half are acting normal as if nothing's going on. This is so confusing."
"You'll understand tomorrow," came Mirajane's playful voice from behind her.
…
The Next Day
A large, white curtain now draped across the main stage in the guild's hall, obscuring whatever lay behind it.
"Wow, there's a huge crowd," Lucy remarked, glancing around at all the gathered members. Normally, only about half the guild would be around unless there was a big event.
"What're they doing?" Lily asked.
"Beats me," Gajeel answered, looking just as puzzled.
Wendy clapped her hands, eyes shining. "I heard the master's going to make an important announcement!"
Carla frowned, clearly irked that her foresight hadn't revealed anything. "Hmph, not that I care," she muttered.
Natsu paced restlessly, with Happy telling him, "Calm down!"
Across the room, Gray and a few others stood looking downright confident, as though expecting something big. Lucy swallowed, her nerves tingling.
"The mystery's finally about to be solved," she whispered. "It must be connected to why Cana was so weird about leaving… guess we'll find out now."