Treasure Hunt, Part One
For the past few days, the afternoon sun has been lazily streaming into the Fairy Tail guild hall, filling the air with a drowsy atmosphere.
Happy rummaging through drawers and cabinets in a corner of the guild, looking for something.
It flapped its wings and flew onto a row of old shelves, shoving aside a pile of dusty junk with its claws: old wine glasses, broken magic items, smelly socks that no one knew who had left behind...
Suddenly, its paw touched a piece of paper that was pressed at the bottom.
Happy pulled out the paper and shook off the dust.
The paper was old and yellowed, with rough edges, and had crooked lines and arrows drawn on it.
Happy stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape in an "O" shape.
"Natsu! Look what I found! A treasure map!!"
That shout had a penetrating power comparable to Totoro's roar, and it could be heard clearly throughout the entire guild hall.
The guild members, who had been drowsy, all looked up, their eyes lighting up instantly. The words "treasure map" were more appealing to Fairy Tail members than a "free buffet."
Especially Lucy, who was once again lying on the bar, lamenting about how to pay the rent.
The moment she heard the words "treasure map," she was as if she had been electrocuted, and she sprang up from the bar.
The blond hair flew through the air in an arc, and the empty wallet was flung out and hit some unlucky guy on the head.
A treasure map?!
Lucy teleported in front of Happy, so fast that she didn't even leave a afterimage.
She snatched the yellowed paper from Happy's hand, slammed it on the table, and unfolded it. "Let me see!"
The others, hearing the news, quickly formed a circle around the table, crowding it completely.
Some people stood on tiptoe, some peeked out, and some even stood on chairs to look inside.
Mirajane, sitting on the sofa, was looking down at Riyao, who was sleeping on her lap. Riyao's head was resting on Mirajane's thighs, his long golden hair cascading over her knees, his breathing even and deep, he was fast asleep.
Mirajane gently patted Riyao's cheek.
"Wake up! Happy's found some treasure!"
Riyao rubbed his eyes, mumbling sleepily.
"What treasure... could it be the dried fish that Happy hid...?"
He yawned, two tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, and tried to lean his head back onto Mirajane's lap.
Mirajane grabbed the back of his head and pulled him up.
"Get up, go take a look."
Riyao reluctantly stood up and followed Mirajane to the side of the crowd.
He rubbed his sleepy eyes and glanced at the treasure map.
Then his expression changed.
That hazy sleepiness vanished instantly, replaced by a fleeting sense of unease.
His pupils contracted slightly, and the corners of his mouth turned up almost imperceptibly.
But he quickly returned to normal, even more normal than normal, and he yawned even more, perfectly covering up the strangeness that had just occurred.
Lucy lay on the table, pointing her finger at the lines on the treasure map, and complained with a look of disgust.
"Isn't this treasure map too hastily written?!"
She's right. The treasure map was drawn with simple, crooked lines, as if it had been drawn with feet.
The landmarks are so illegible they're appalling: a circle labeled "this," a wavy line labeled "water," a triangle labeled "mountain"... it's hard to tell which place is which.
Mirajane stared at the treasure map, her silver eyelashes drooping slightly as she seemed lost in thought.
She felt that the picture looked familiar, not in the way of "I've seen it somewhere before," but in the way of "this thing is related to me."
She looked up at Riyao.
The two exchanged a glance.
Mirajane leaned closer, her lips almost touching Riyao's ear, and whispered.
"You don't hide money from others, do you?"
Her breath brushed against Riyao's earlobe, carrying a hint of dangerous sweetness.
Riyao's expression remained unchanged as he responded in a low voice.
"This treasure will be very interesting; let them look for it."
A slight smile played at the corners of his lips, and a sly glint flashed in his eyes.
The group was gathered together, excitedly discussing the information on the treasure map.
Levy pushed up her glasses, her short blue hair swaying by her ears. She gestured with her fingers on the picture and began to analyze it seriously.
"This treasure map shows the terrain around Magnolia. Although it's drawn rather hastily, the direction of the coastline matches the outline of the mountains here."
Her finger stopped on an abstract pattern.
"The abstract pattern above... is our guild's logo."
Natsu squeezed through the crowd, his face almost pressed against the treasure map.
He scratched his head and pointed to a number on the picture.
What does the number twelve on this signify?
Gray taunted from the side, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"Then you'd have to ask the author of this treasure map."
Cana leaned against a nearby pillar, wiped the wine from the corner of her mouth, and looked on with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
"Could there be some legendary magical artifact buried here?"
Erza her arms, stroked her chin, and seemed lost in thought.
"It might be a gift left by a senior member of the guild."
Lucy heard the word "twelve," her eyes lit up instantly, like two twinkling stars.
Her hands clenched tightly, and her voice trembled.
"Could it be the key to the Twelve Gates of the Zodiac?!"
An image automatically appeared in her mind: a gleaming golden key, inside a magnificent treasure chest, radiating a divine light...
"I must find it! I absolutely must find it!"
The group decided to set off in search of the mysterious treasure.
Riyao stood at the back of the crowd, watching these excited guys, and almost couldn't help but laugh.
He pursed his lips, his shoulders trembling slightly, and had to feign a cough to cover it up.
Mirajane watched all this clearly from the side. She tilted her head and looked at Riyao, her silver eyes full of curiosity. What exactly had Riyao buried?
The large group set off in a grand procession, with a dozen or so people walking out of the guild gate in a line, their momentum comparable to an expeditionary force.
Makarov walked out of his office, his short frame standing in the center of the empty hall, looking around.
"Hey? Where is everyone?"
He stared wide-eyed and scratched his bald head.
Where did those noisy brats go in the blink of an eye?
Macao peeked out from behind the bar and pointed to the door.
"They went out treasure hunting."
Makarov: "..."
Those brats, they didn't even invite him on the treasure hunt!
A large group of people marched through the streets of Magnolia, their footsteps making the ground tremble slightly.
When passing residents saw such a large group of people, some carrying shovels, some carrying hoes, and some carrying... fish, they were so frightened that they hid on the side of the road and pressed themselves against the wall to make way for them.
"What's Fairy Tail up to now...?"
Don't ask, the answer is I don't know.
"Hurry up, hurry up, don't block the way."
Riyao and Mirajane followed behind the group. Some residents curiously approached and asked Riyao what was wrong. Riyao smiled and said, "Team building."