A New Life in Fairy Tail

Chapter 319 319: Leaving the Council

"You don't need to overthink it right now. It's just a proposal someone brought up; the specifics still require thorough discussion. The title of Wizard Saint isn't handed out lightly. Especially with everything that's happened recently, and the egregious behavior of the last two titleholders, the Council must consider it with extreme caution," Yajima said to Noah."That works for me. Honestly, having the title or not doesn't really matter to me. Having it might just bring more trouble. I don't need a title to prove my strength," Noah replied.

"That's good to hear. I was worried you might have a negative reaction to the news, but hearing you say that puts my mind at ease," Yajima nodded in satisfaction.

He had genuinely feared that Noah might become arrogant or complacent upon hearing this news, which would be detrimental to his growth. For the vast majority of mages, this title was a supreme honor, a source of immense pride. One only had to look at how insanely arrogant Jose, the Master of Phantom Lord, had become after receiving the title.

If Noah had shown signs of complacency, Yajima would have immediately informed Makarov so they could work together to correct his attitude. However, seeing Noah's utter indifference—and his immediate concern about whether the title would bring extra chores, clearly indicating he found the whole thing troublesome and undesirable—Yajima realized he had nothing to worry about. Noah wouldn't let the title change who he was.

"Ah, no worries there. I don't care about these titles because most people who have them can't beat me anyway," Noah said, speaking his true thoughts.

Ever since his all-out battle with Gildarts, which ended in a draw, Noah knew there were very few people on the continent of Ishgar who could fight him at full strength. Therefore, he didn't care about titles. The vast majority of titleholders couldn't defeat him, let alone force him to use his full power.

"So that's how you really think..." Yajima broke out in a cold sweat.

But thinking about it, he realized Noah's logic was perfectly sound. If you can't beat me, why should I care about your title? Given the strength Noah had just displayed, he was more than qualified to make such a statement.

"In that case, let's leave the matter of the Wizard Saint title for now. Go back and think about it. If you want it, I'll fight for you to get it. If you don't want it, I'll help you decline it." Seeing Noah about to speak, Yajima waved his hand. "Go back and discuss it with Makarov first. Get his opinion."

"Alright. I'll talk to Gramps about it when I get back," Noah agreed. This was indeed something he needed to discuss with Makarov.

"Well then, if there's nothing else, you should all be heading back. Makarov must be very worried," Yajima said.

"Mhm. Grandpa Yajima, if anything comes up, just contact me."

Yajima nodded, waved, and turned to leave.

Noah waited until Yajima disappeared into the distance before turning back to the archives.

"Did the councilors say anything important?" Ultear asked as Noah approached.

"Nothing much. Just asked some questions about the Tower of Heaven. Nothing else," Noah shook his head, and Ultear and the others visibly relaxed.

"Does anyone have anything else they need to do here?" Noah asked the group.

"We're good," Ultear shook her head.

Beside Mirajane, Lucy spoke up. "I still need to copy down some more documents."

Seeing that no one else had any pressing matters, Noah said, "Since everyone else is done, we'll leave as soon as Lucy finishes."

Hearing this, Natsu and Gray, who were still slumped over a table, sprang up with excitement. "Oh yeah! That's great! Let us help you, Lucy!"

Erza delivered a swift, heavy punch to each of their heads. "Stop making a ruckus. You're disturbing the others."

Natsu and Gray clutched the large, throbbing bumps on their heads.

"Let us help you, Lucy," they whispered, leaning in close to her, completely undeterred. Being inside the Council headquarters made them incredibly anxious, and they wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Alright, alright. You two not causing trouble is the biggest help you can give me," Lucy said without looking up, continuing to copy the texts.

"Sigh~" Natsu and Gray slumped back to their seats and collapsed onto the table again.

"Lucy thinks you're just getting in the way," Happy snickered, covering his mouth as he watched them sulk. Natsu and Gray didn't even bother retorting.

In the end, Noah stepped in, using his magic to instantly duplicate the documents Lucy needed.

"Phew~ Thanks!" Lucy gathered the copied files.

Wendy-kun looked at the thick stack of papers in Lucy's hands. "Lucy-nee, you copied a lot of documents."

"Well, it's my first time here, and there's so much information I've never seen before. I had to get a lot of it," Lucy said excitedly.

"I remember storing copies of the documents I read here in the guild's database. You can look for them when we get back," Noah mentioned.

"Really? That's amazing! I was in a hurry, so I only copied the newest materials; I didn't get any of the older stuff. It's great that the guild has them!" Lucy cheered.

"Since Lucy is done, let's head out," Noah said, seeing everyone ready.

"Let's go!" Natsu took the lead, sprinting toward the Council's main entrance.

"Wait for me!" Happy flew after him.

Seeing Natsu's reaction, Noah and the others shared a smile and followed him out.

"Yes! Finally out of the Council!" Natsu yelled the moment he crossed the threshold.

"Aye!" Happy agreed enthusiastically.

"Natsu, you make it sound like we just got released from prison. We were only here to answer a few questions," Lucy commented as she walked out.

"His brain rots when he's in there. Just ignore him." Gray's expression also visibly relaxed once outside. He smiled at Lucy.

"What?! What did you say?!" Natsu whipped around, grabbing Gray by the collar.

"I called you an idiot, moron!"

"You wanna fight?!"

"Bring it on!"

The two slammed their foreheads together, ready to brawl.

BAM! BAM!

Erza punched them both. They instantly dropped to a squat, clutching their heads, tears welling in their eyes.

"You two... we are still right in front of the Council's gates. What are you doing?"

"W-We're sorry..." Natsu and Gray mumbled in unison from their squatting positions.

"You shouldn't fight even if we aren't at the gates," Lucy sighed.

"Well, everyone feels a bit uneasy inside the Council. Coming out naturally makes everyone feel much more relaxed," Mirajane said to Lucy with a smile.

Lucy looked around and noticed that everyone's expressions were indeed much more relaxed than they had been inside.

"Because almost everyone here has received warnings from the Council in the past, being inside feels weird," Ultear explained.

"Eh? Even Wendy-kun and the others?" Lucy looked at Wendy-kun, Yukino-kun, and Meredy-kun in surprise. The three girls immediately turned bright red.

"Well... we didn't do it on purpose..." Wendy-kun whispered shyly.

"When Wendy-kun and the others went on missions in the past, they accidentally destroyed quite a few houses, which earned them a warning from the Council. I believe it happened shortly after Wendy-kun started using her Dragon Slayer Magic offensively," Noah explained, glancing at Wendy-kun.

"Wow, I never would have guessed..." Lucy covered her mouth, looking at the girls. She hadn't expected them to be just as "energetic" as the rest of Fairy Tail.

The girls' faces grew even redder.

"Although I probably shouldn't say this, Wendy-kun and the others truly embody the spirit of Fairy Tail. They are authentic members through and through," Noah laughed.

"Brother Noah, please stop talking..." Wendy-kun pleaded, her face burning. Yukino-kun and Meredy-kun looked much the same.

Carla watched them and couldn't help but sigh. Even the seemingly well-behaved Wendy-kun and her friends had unknowingly become just like the rest of the guild's destructive members.

"Although you probably don't want to, I have a feeling you'll end up just like them soon. Don't worry, that day isn't far off," Noah said, looking at Lucy seriously.

"No way! I definitely don't want to become like that!" Lucy panicked.

She barely made enough money each month to cover her rent. If she had to pay for property damage on top of that, she would definitely be evicted. The mere thought of it made her vision go dark.

"I always feel like Lucy forgets she's a wealthy heiress," Sorano remarked, seeing Lucy's reaction.

"If I'm going to be a mage, I need to be independent and give it my all. I won't rely on my parents and quit halfway," Lucy stated firmly.

"Excellent. That spirit is commendable. Once we get back, let's take a request. I recall you haven't earned enough for this month's rent yet, correct?" Erza asked Lucy.

~~~

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