A New Life in Fairy Tail

Chapter 349: Opening of the Miss Fairy Tail Contest

On the streets specifically designated for vendor stalls, merchants had set up shop early, shouting enthusiastically as they spared no effort in peddling their wares.At regular intervals along the roadside, people were putting on various performances, playing musical instruments, showcasing acrobatics, and more.

Mascots in oversized costumes could be seen occasionally wandering the streets, handing out balloons to delighted children.

Even the boats floating down the canals were adorned with all sorts of colorful decorations. The festive atmosphere blanketing the entire city was incredibly intense and infectious.

It wasn't just the local residents; massive crowds from neighboring towns had rushed in early that morning.

Tourists from other regions, and even other countries, drawn by the continent-wide fame of the [Fantasia Parade], had also arrived ahead of time. The streets were an absolute sea of people.

Crowds gathered in front of every stall, with the food vendors naturally being the most popular.

The mouth-watering aromas drifting through the air continuously lured people in. Whenever someone walked away from a food stall, their arms were inevitably filled with bags of delicious snacks.

Because it was the grandest annual festival, the guild members who would usually be lounging in the hall first thing in the morning had mostly scattered into the streets, seeking out whatever caught their interest.

Natsu, dragging Happy along, had bolted into the city at the crack of dawn, declaring his intention to sample every single snack available for purchase.

Given his bottomless appetite, Noah seriously doubted whether Natsu's already meager savings could survive the day's expenditures.

As for those remaining in the guild, aside from Noah, there was Laxus, leading a group of the younger generation boys and girls.

They were all busy making the final preparations for the highly anticipated [Miss Fairy Tail Contest].

The newly renovated guild hall already featured a built-in stage, so their current task was arranging the seating and layout around it.

"Is the stage ready?!"

"All set and decorated!"

"Are the seats arranged?!"

"Chairs are all in place!"

"Where is the ballot box?!"

"The ballot box is positioned right over there."

Freed pointed to a spot a safe distance away from the stage, where the voting box was prominently displayed.

"I have already inscribed it with defensive Runes. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to cheat," Freed stated with utmost seriousness.

"Excellent. And what about the most important part—the ballots?" Noah asked the busy guild members.

"Handing them out! Handing them out right now! Every guild member gets one vote, and we'll be giving one ballot to every audience member who enters the hall," Laki said, walking up to Noah with a thick stack of tickets and handing one to him.

"Why aren't you participating in the contest? The prize pool is massive this year, and even the runner-ups get a share," Noah asked curiously as he took the ballot.

"You know perfectly well how much I despise perverts. I have absolutely no desire to stand on a stage and have that many people staring at me. Helping out behind the scenes is perfectly fine for me," Laki replied before asking the question everyone was dying to know. "So, who are you voting for? Ultear? Erza? Mirajane? Sorano?"

Hearing her question, the surrounding guild members instantly smelled gossip. They all turned their heads, pausing their work to wait eagerly for Noah's answer.

"Can you give me three more ballots? I've decided to cast one vote for each of them," Noah said to her with a completely straight face.

"Absolutely not! One person, one vote!" Laki crossed her arms into a large X, flatly denying his request. "You'd better think carefully about who you're going to pick."

"Then I've decided not to vote at all. How could I possibly choose just one?"

With a flash of magical light, Noah instantly incinerated the ballot in his hand. He wasn't stupid; forcing himself to pick just one of them was practically begging for a death sentence.

Laki and the eavesdropping guild members looked at Noah with profound disappointment. There would be no drama today.

Noah's decision had been far too decisive; a few seconds of hesitation would have been highly entertaining for everyone else.

Noah couldn't help but roll his eyes at them. He knew these bastards were just hoping to watch him dig his own grave. Thankfully, his reaction speed had saved him from falling into their trap.

Watching from a distance, Ultear and the girls couldn't help but smile radiantly at his response.

After a flurry of activity, the venue was finally set up.

Max, stepping into his role as the host, stood on the stage looking incredibly excited as he tested the magical microphone.

The female contestants began making their way into the backstage area to prepare.

Noah flashed a supportive thumbs-up to Ultear and her group. They smiled, waved back, and confidently strutted backstage.

Under Noah's direction, the remaining members finalized the last few details.

Soon enough, after confirming that the venue and the contestants were fully ready, Noah gave the signal for the guards at the door to let the audience in.

The moment the doors opened, the crowd tried to surge forward but was orderly held back, only allowed to enter after receiving their designated ballot.

Many of the attendees had never set foot inside Fairy Tail before. They looked around in awe. Some tried to wander up to the second floor, only to be blocked by golden runic barriers.

Noah had specifically placed those barriers to ensure non-members remained strictly on the ground floor and didn't wander into restricted areas.

The vast majority of the audience rushed straight toward the stage, the main attraction.

Upon reaching the front, they found the best tables and chairs already occupied by Fairy Tail members. When the crowd tried to push closer, they found another golden runic barrier protecting the stage, forcing them to stand behind the seated guild members.

Many guild members who had been out enjoying the festival had specifically rushed back to join the fun. A good number of them were there specifically to act as hype-men, ready to cheer loudly just in case any contestant didn't receive enough applause.

Noah had secured the absolute best seat in the house—the dead center of the front row. Makarov sat to his left, and Laxus sat to his right.

Veterans like Macao and Wakaba, possessing years of experience in these matters, had also claimed premium front-row seats early on.

Ur, Jude, Layla, Yajima-kun, Bob, and Goldmine—guild affiliates, family, and close friends—had also been guided to front-row seats before the doors officially opened.

Knowing that Wendy-kun, Yukino-kun, and Meredy-kun were still too small to see over a standing crowd, Noah had brought them to the front row as well, seating them right next to Ur and Layla.

Ur and Layla absolutely adored the polite, cute young girls. From the moment they sat down, the older women kept them engaged in warm conversation.

Feeling a motherly warmth from Ur and Layla, Wendy-kun and the girls chatted happily with them.

Alzack, harboring a deep crush on Bisca, had completely flushed as he stealthily secured a front-row seat, eager to support her in the competition.

Natsu, Happy, and Gray sat directly behind Noah. Miraculously, Gray was actually wearing a full set of clothes today.

Gray looked at Natsu, who was currently stuffing his face from a massive bag of snacks. "Hey. I thought you weren't interested in this kind of stuff?"

"[Chew, chew] But it's a guild event! I have to participate! Besides, Lucy is competing too," Natsu replied through a mouthful of food.

"Aye, we have to cheer for Lucy," Happy added from the side.

"Testing, testing. Can everyone hear me?"

Max's voice boomed from the stage, and the noisy guild hall gradually quieted down.

Looking down from the second floor, the massive hall, capable of holding over a thousand people, was already more than half full. The sheer enthusiasm radiating from the crowd was palpable.

"Citizens of Magnolia, and everyone visiting from afar! Eh? To watch this event, did someone even come all the way back from the realm of the dead? Make sure to head back to the graveyard when it's over!"

Max cupped a hand to his ear playfully.

"Hahaha!!!" The audience roared with laughter, instantly lightening the mood.

Having successfully hyped up the crowd, Max gripped the microphone and shouted, "Sorry to keep you waiting! The competition where our fairies show off their magnificent beauty, the [Miss Fairy Tail Contest], is about to begin! I, the Sand Mage Max, will be your host for this event!"

As Max introduced himself, a vortex of sand swirled through the air around him, a flashy demonstration of his magical prowess.

"OHHHHH!!!"

The crowd's excitement skyrocketed, filling the hall with deafening cheers, whistles, and screams.

"First up is Contestant Number 1, the beauty with an exotic flair! Cana Alberona!"

Cana strutted onto the stage, wearing a light-colored sleeveless top and dark trousers.

Cheers erupted from the crowd; it was clear many people were huge fans of Cana's wild, mature style.

Once Cana took her position, Max's energetic voice boomed again. "Now, it's time for the contestants to show off their charm using magic!"

The moment he spoke, a deck of cards materialized in Cana's hand. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she tossed the cards into the air.

Instead of falling, the cards glowed brightly and began orbiting around her.

The number of cards multiplied rapidly until they formed a dense, swirling cyclone, completely obscuring her figure from the audience.

"Card Magic is an incredibly versatile form of magic that allows the user to adapt to countless situations! Oh my, Cana has hidden herself within the cards..."

Max provided a helpful commentary for the non-mages in the audience, drawing waves of applause.

"She changed into a swimsuit!"

When the cyclone of cards dispersed, continuing to orbit her in neat rings, Cana was revealed to be wearing a striking, revealing bikini.

"Hehe, victory is mine!" Cana smiled confidently, striking a pose.

"OHHHHH!!!"

The crowd went absolutely wild. Sitting next to Noah, Makarov cheered just as loudly as the rest of them. He was so overstimulated that a stream of blood shot out of his nose.

"Gramps..."

Laxus, sitting on Noah's other side, facepalmed in embarrassment and handed his grandfather a tissue.

"Thanks!" Makarov took the tissue and wiped his nose, though his eyes remained completely glued to Cana on the stage.

~~~

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