A New Life in Fairy Tail

Chapter 368: The Banquet

Mirajane was no exception to the rule; the enthusiastic villagers systematically loaded her arms with gifts as well. Every item was a traditional piece of attire or a hand-crafted ornament unique to the Cait Shelter village. Knowing these gifts represented the genuine warmth and affection of the villagers, Mirajane accepted them with a graceful, appreciative smile.Seeing Mirajane, Wendy, and the younger girls thoroughly enveloped by the villagers' hospitality, Roubaul cast a knowing glance toward Noah.

Understanding the silent cue, Noah followed the elderly chief as they stepped out of the rustic building, navigating to a quiet, secluded alcove away from the gathering.

"I received word that a legal Coalition Force is being assembled to subjugate Oración Seis, and that their primary vector of mobilization is directed toward this exact region," Roubaul said, turning his eyes toward Noah. "They were drawn here by the tactical rumors you covertly leaked over the past few months, correct? The individual you have been searching for all this time must be operating within their primary roster."

Noah instinctively prepared to deflect the question, but meeting Roubaul's absolute, unwavering gaze, he realized the elderly chief had already run his own diagnostic and mapped the parameters. There was no point in hiding the details.

"Mmm. It is highly probable that it is them," Noah nodded, his voice dropping into a solemn cadence. "But until I cross blades with their leadership face-to-face, I cannot verify the data with absolute certainty."

Noah shook his head. Without a direct encounter on the battlefield, no hunch could serve as definitive proof.

"If it is indeed them, it would be a blessing," Roubaul sighed, a deeply sincere, wistful look gracing his weathered face. "It would allow you to fulfill your long-standing objective, and it would simultaneously grant me the closure I have sought for centuries."

"Old man Roubaul... are you truly set on this course? Won't you reconsider parameters? Once Wendy and the girls discover the truth..."

Roubaul raised a single hand, smoothly cutting off Noah's protest. Looking at the young Mage, his expression turned intensely solemn. "I am well aware of your perspective, Noah. But my resolve is ironclad. I have lingered in this ephemeral state for far too many centuries. My people... the rest of my kin... they have been waiting for me to join them for a very long time."

A wave of profound exhaustion and nostalgia washed over Roubaul's features. He locked his eyes onto Noah and asked, "You haven't disclosed the structural details of my condition to Wendy or the others, correct?"

"No. I haven't breathed a single word regarding the exact nature of your existence to anyone," Noah shook his head.

Over the years, he had attempted to persuade Roubaul to alter his parameters countless times, but the elderly chief had firmly rejected every proposal, strictly warning Noah never to compromise his secret to Wendy and her friends.

Noah understood that if he violated that trust and revealed the truth, the children's desperate tears might give Roubaul pause. But he could also see the bone-deep regret and agonizing phantom trauma that continuously tortured the old man's spirit behind closed doors. If Noah hadn't actively commissioned him to document and preserve the cultural history of the ancient Nirvit race, giving the ghost a critical academic purpose to anchor his mind, Roubaul would likely have dissolved his own spiritual construct the exact moment Noah demonstrated the capacity to vaporize Nirvana.

But the old man was rapidly approaching his absolute psychological limit. To accommodate Noah's strategic layout against the underworld networks, Roubaul had forced his spiritual projection to endure for an extra six months. Now that the bait had finally snapped shut on their target, and knowing the mastermind was within reaching distance, a massive weight had visibly lifted from the old chief's shoulders.

Noah picked up an unyielding sense of finality in the old man's eyes. It was glaringly obvious that regardless of whether the incoming Dark Guild housed the exact person Noah was hunting, Roubaul had already finalized his decision to depart this world once the battle concluded.

An acute, suffocating tightness gripped Noah's chest. He parted his lips to speak several times, but the words completely failed him. Roubaul had provided him with immense guidance and unconditional paternal care throughout his formative years, investing everything he had into nurturing Noah's magical intellect. A massive portion of Noah's current tier-breaking capacity was a direct monument to the old man's tutelage.

"There is no cause for sorrow, child. This is a release I have chosen for myself. You should celebrate my impending peace," Roubaul comforted him, a gentle, lighthearted smile returning to his face.

Perhaps because his mind was entirely at peace with his impending departure, the smile gracing the old man's weathered face looked brighter and more radiant than anything Noah had witnessed before.

Yet, looking at that brilliant smile, Noah felt an overwhelming lump form in his throat. He blinked violently several times to force down the swelling pressure. No tears spilled past his lashes, but the rims of his eyes turned a distinct, heavy crimson.

"Alright, that's enough heavy talk. You possess critical operational directives to execute tomorrow, do you not? Move along then, don't waste your evening lingering around an old ghost," Roubaul chuckled, playfully patting Noah's shoulder.

"I intend to remain in the village tonight," Noah said, his voice carrying a slight, raspy tightness.

"Very well," Roubaul didn't refuse.

"I'll have Wendy and the girls spend some extra time by your side this evening," Noah murmured. Roubaul nodded gently, waving his hand to signal the young Mage to return to his friends and enjoy the night.

Noah turned and walked back into the rustic building, where Wendy and her friends were still laughing and chatting animatedly with the villagers.

Mirajane's sharp eyes instantly locked onto his silhouette the second he crossed the threshold, picking up on the lingering redness tracing his eyes. She quickly intercepted him, her fingers catching his arm as she lowered her voice to an anxious whisper. "What happened? Did something go wrong during your discussion?"

"Nothing... just ensure you and the girls stay close to old man Roubaul tonight," Noah replied. The lingering, raspy strain in his voice sent a sudden jolt of alarm through Mirajane's chest.

For a fraction of a second, she was terrified that Roubaul was suffering from a terminal condition. But tracking Noah's line of sight, she saw the elderly chief step back into the room, his cheeks flush with healthy color and his spiritual energy perfectly vibrant. Unable to identify any structural anomaly, Mirajane found herself completely baffled by Noah's sudden emotional weight.

Even so, seeing the intense gravity in his eyes, she nodded firmly. "Understood. Leave it to me."

With her assurance secured, Noah addressed Wendy and the younger girls, mentioning he needed to briefly return to the guildhall to finalize a few logistics. By then, his voice had smoothly reverted to its standard cadence, and the redness around his eyes had completely faded into his natural complexion.

Oblivious to the subtle undercurrents, the children simply waved cheerfully, shouting their goodbyes. Roubaul offered a warm, parting wave as well. Noah nodded deeply, activated his high-level spatial magic, and vanished from the room, reappearing inside the Fairy Tail guildhall.

Stepping into the main hall, Noah found Natsu, Gray, and the rest of the selected strike team gathered together. A quick inquiry confirmed that everyone had fully optimized their gear configurations and stood completely prepared for tomorrow's deployment.

With no active tasks remaining for the evening, the members had naturally resorted to trading boisterous boasts to kill time. Within minutes, Natsu and Gray had launched into their customary physical brawl, drawing loud cheers and bets from the surrounding onlookers.

"Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Happy—how would you guys like to accompany me to a spectacular outdoor banquet tonight?" Noah called out, stepping up to the rowdy crowd.

"A banquet?! Heck yeah! Count me in for a massive feast!" Natsu roared, instantly breaking away from his grapple with Gray as his stomach took executive priority.

"A feast! Aye!" Happy echoed at the top of his lungs.

"Sounds excellent," Gray noted, dropping his combat stance as well.

"A banquet? Wait... it's not going to be another high-society masquerade ball like the Count's estate, is it?" Lucy asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

"No, completely different parameter. To be precise, it's a traditional tribal gathering hosted by local villagers. It shares zero structural similarities with a nobleman's formal gala," Noah clarified with a chuckle.

"But if we travel out to a banquet tonight, how are we supposed to make the mandatory staging assembly tomorrow morning?" Lucy fretted, remembering the strict Council directive regarding the Joint Coalition Force deployment against Oración Seis.

"Our designated staging ground is situated directly along the perimeter of the Worth Woodsea, and the village hosting the banquet is located right inside that exact sector. There's no cause for logistical concern; you can sleep in tomorrow morning and still make the assembly on time," Noah explained smoothly.

"The Worth Woodsea perimeter? Wait, if I remember correctly, old man Roubaul's village anchors that exact sector. Noah, is this banquet being hosted by Cait Shelter?" Erza asked, her sharp mind immediately calculating the coordinates.

"Mmm, exactly. It's at old man Roubaul's place. Since our battlefield objective lines up with that sector tomorrow, we might as well secure lodging at his village tonight and march directly to the staging ground in the morning."

"That is a highly efficient proposal. It will allow the detachment to secure proper rest and enter the engagement against Oración Seis with optimized mental clarity," Erza nodded, thoroughly approving of the tactical efficiency.

"Then let's not waste any time. Let's move out right now. Wendy and her group are already on-site, so we can join them for the festivities," Noah addressed the team.

Natsu and Happy were already standing by his side, comically drooling in anticipation. Gray took two clean steps to the side, deliberately putting distance between himself and his slobbering rival. Lucy's face filled with genuine curiosity, highly eager to experience a traditional tribal gathering.

Standing off to the side, Ultear and Sorano maintained a quiet, focused demeanor, but noticing no objections raised, Noah treated their silence as confirmation.

Extending a single hand, Noah channeled his high-level spatial magic, cleanly teleporting the entire deployment directly to the outskirts of Roubaul's village.

Roubaul was visibly caught off guard to see Noah return so rapidly after his departure, a hint of surprise touching his eyes. But catching the continuous, enthusiastic chants of "Banquet!" and "Feast!" echoing from Natsu's mouth, the elderly chief immediately mapped the situation.

Letting out a hearty chuckle, he said, "Rest easy, young Mages. The preparations are already underway, and the banquet will commence shortly. I assure you there will be more than enough food to completely satisfy your appetites."

"Aye!" Natsu and Happy cheered in perfect, ecstatic unison.

Under Roubaul's direct instructions, the resilient members of the Cait Shelter tribe worked with practiced coordination, rapidly setting up a massive open-air festival ground beneath the sky. A staggering volume of traditional meats, stews, and roasted delicacies were systematically prepared, making Natsu and Happy's eyes gleam like stars.

Time flew by in a flash. By the time the final structural setups were locked into place, the sun had dipped below the horizon.

A brilliant full moon hung high in the velvet sky, accompanied by a cascading sea of stars that gracefully scattered their silver radiance over the earth. Across the open-air grounds, multiple roaring bonfires were ignited, casting a warm, atmospheric red glow over the tribal settlement.

The vibrant hum of human voices cut through the quiet night, filling the forest with immense energy. Noah's detachment and the warm-hearted members of the Cait Shelter tribe comfortably merged into a single, joyful circle to officially launch the banquet.

"Thish ish absolutely incredible!" Natsu muffled out, aggressively tearing a massive chunk of seasoned meat from a bone, his words thoroughly slurred.

"Chew and swallow your food before attempting human speech!" Lucy barked at him, before shifting her gaze to her other side. Spotting a bare-chested Gray sitting comfortably in nothing but his boxers, her jaw dropped. "Where did your clothes go this time?!"

"Oh, crap!" Gray jumped, instantly spinning around to launch into a frantic search for his missing layers.

"Whoa!"

"He's got a spectacular build!"

"Look at those abdominal muscles, his conditioning parameters are exceptionally high!"

"An excellent young man, I thoroughly approve!"

The younger tribal girls quickly covered their faces with their hands, though their eyes remained glued to him through the wide gaps between their fingers. Meanwhile, the village elders and matrons showed absolutely zero reservation, pointing directly at Gray's muscular frame as they loudly debated his structural aesthetics.

Faced with the concentrated focus of the entire village, Gray's face flushed a deep crimson. Scrambling to retrieve his trousers, he hurriedly pulled them on and retreated to a quiet corner of the seating arrangement.

"Carla, I found this particular fish to be exceptionally fresh and tender. You should try a piece," Happy said, stepping up to where Carla was sitting beside Wendy.

"Mmm." Carla accepted the offering, taking a delicate bite of the roasted fish. "The structural texture and seasoning are indeed commendable."

"Right?!" Happy beamed, his face filling with absolute ecstasy.

"Hahaha!"

Wendy and the younger girls were locked in a lively, cheerful conversation with the village matrons, their laughter echoing through the trees. Sitting nearby, Roubaul observed their glowing faces with an incredibly tender, paternal gaze.

Though Ultear and Sorano had entered the village bearing the immense emotional weight of their impending confrontation, the warm, unpretentious energy of the tribal festival slowly dissolved their rigid guards, allowing soft, genuine smiles to grace their lips.

~~~

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