Strategic Retreat

Jason held a cup of herbal tea in his left hand and a cup of fruit tea in his right, taking a sip of bitterness and a sip of sweetness, his taste buds being repeatedly pulled apart by the alternation of bitterness and sweetness.

I feel like I've reached the pinnacle of my life.

(´◊ω◊`)

"COOL! This way of drinking is simply ingenious! After bitterness comes sweetness!"

He continued walking downhill and suddenly saw several fruits being flung into the air ahead.

Apples, pears, and watermelons twirl and flutter in mid-air, reflecting the sunlight with an alluring sheen.

Immediately afterwards, several sharp sword lights flashed by, so fast that they were almost invisible.

All that could be heard was the "whoosh" sound of something cutting through the air as the fruit was precisely cut and sculpted in mid-air, separating the peel from the flesh, and the fragments falling like snowflakes.

Then the carved fruits fell precisely into a row of neat boxes, each one sculpted into a lifelike little animal shape.

There were birds spreading their wings, rabbits sitting, puppies wagging their tails, and kittens tilting their heads.

Every cut was perfectly executed, with even the textures of feathers and hairs clearly visible.

Jason was so excited he almost dropped the two cups of tea he was holding.

"COOL! Titania Erza! What exquisite swordsmanship! She can even carve fruit with her sword!"

Erza stood behind the stall, still holding two rapiers in her hands. She had changed into casual clothes, but her imposing presence remained undiminished.

She sheathed her sword, slightly raised her chin, and looked smug.

The children were drawn to the wonderful performance and crowded the booth, standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, their eyes sparkling, exclaiming "Wow!" and "Amazing!"

"I want the little bird one too!"

"I want a little bunny!"

"My sister is amazing!"

Erza picked up a box of toothpicks from the table and handed them to the children who had gathered around, her movements unusually gentle.

"Come on, eat it with a toothpick, don't use your hands, it's dirty."

The children took the toothpicks and gathered around the stall, chattering excitedly. They carefully used the toothpicks to pick up small fruit animals, reluctant to take a bite.

Erza, seeing that her creations were loved by the children, put her hands on her hips and gave a smug hum.

"Hmph, I do have a real talent for cooking."

Lucy, who had been following Jason all the way, hid nearby and couldn't help but complain.

"That's just knife skills! What does it have to do with cooking skills! Don't you know how badly you made that chocolate?!"

Erza's lips twitched for a moment, but she quickly regained her smile and pretended not to hear.

╭(╯^╰)╮

Jason used a toothpick to make a miniature Happy- shaped fruit. It was a kitten with its wings spread and its tail held high, looking exactly like Happy.

When Happy was perched on Lucy's head, saw this miniature version of himself, he instinctively covered his little bottom and tucked his tail tightly between his legs.

Jason bit off Mini Happy's head, chewed it a couple of times, and then his eyes lit up.

"COOL! COOL!"

Happy touched his head, trembling.

"My head feels a little cold..."

Lucy laughed gleefully.

"Serves you right, who told you to laugh at me just now?"

Jason continued exploring the stalls, and as he walked, a melody of elegant classical music drifted into his ears. He looked in the direction of the sound and was so excited he almost jumped up.

"COOL! Fairy Tail's Thunder God Tribe! And the S-Class Mage Laxus!"

This stall is completely different from the others.

The other stalls were like roadside food stalls, but this one managed to pull off a Michelin -starred setup.

On the long table covered with a white tablecloth were exquisite tableware, silver cutlery gleaming under the light, and stemmed glasses filled with ruby-red wine.

Evergreen summoned a group of orbs of light, illuminating the entire stall and making it sparkle like a fairytale world.

"Even when setting up a stall, I want to make it the brightest one! Oh ho ho... cough."

Evergreen choked a little after posing, quickly cleared her throat and regained her elegance.

Bickslow stood in front of the workbench, directing his little robots to emit beams of light as thin as hair, precisely cutting the steak with each stroke neat and even in thickness, more accurate than any machine.

"My darlings are really good at cutting things up." He proudly stroked the small totem figurine beside him.

The totem figures nodded in unison, chanting in unison, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Freed, dressed in a sharp suit and white gloves, elegantly seared a steak in the pan. The butter sizzled in the pan, and the steak was caramelized to a perfect golden brown.

His movements were fluid and effortless; he flipped the noodles, seasoned them, and plated them all in one smooth motion. Then he poured a glass of red wine and placed it in front of Laxus.

"Lord Laxus, the medium-rare steak and the 1982 Lafite are ready."

Laxus sat on a leather sofa, eyes closed, wearing headphones and listening to music, looking every bit the part of a big shot.

Without even lifting his eyelids, he slightly opened his mouth, Freed skillfully cut a small piece of steak with a knife and fork and put it into his mouth.

Laxus chewed twice, nodded expressionlessly, and continued to enjoy it with his eyes closed.

Jason was so excited he almost filled his notebook with notes.

"COOL! The bond between the Thunder God Tribe and Laxus is so COOL! This chemistry! This teamwork! It's absolutely perfect!"

Lucy, who had been following behind, watched this scene and couldn't help but complain.

"Are you guys here to set up a stall or camp? You even brought a sofa? And where did you see this connection?"

Jason glanced at the steak that Freed had cooked and couldn't resist reaching out his fork to pick up a couple of pieces to try.

As a result, Freed suddenly turned his head, his eyes fierce like a wolf guarding its food, his knife and fork blocking the steak, and a dangerous smile on his lips.

(▼ヘ▼#)

"This belongs to Lord Laxus."

Jason withdrew his hand, chuckled sheepishly, took two steps back, and could only continue walking.

"COOL! Guild Master Makarov is setting up a stall himself! So cool! Purple Fire Macao! Smoker Wakaba!"

Lucy, her heart broken, crouched on the ground, burying her head in her hands.

"Even Macao and Wakaba are this famous... What am I anyway...?"

The entire stall was shrouded in smoke, like a small fairyland.

Makarov sat on a small stool with a tea set in front of him, slowly taking a small packet of tea leaves out of his pocket.

That was a top-quality tea he had swiped from Riyao, which he carefully tossed into the teapot.

"Come, come, try some of the tea I brewed."

Makarov picked up the teapot and filled the cup in front of him with a slow and deliberate motion, displaying the demeanor of a tea master.

Wakaba took a puff of his pipe, exhaled a smoke ring, and the smoke ring slowly spread in the air, turning into the shape of a flower.

He leaned back in his chair, looking as relaxed as a seasoned smoker.

"Are you tired from shopping? Sit down and rest for a bit, have a cup of tea and relax."

Macao took the pipe from Wakaba, took a puff, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and then pulled a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket, dumping them onto the table with a "clatter."

"Come on, these are Riyao's premium spiced melon seeds. Enjoy them with tea, it's wonderful."

Jason sat down, sipping tea and cracking sunflower seeds, and pulled out his notebook to interview Makarov.

"Guild Master Makarov, how much property has Fairy Tail destroyed this year? Has the guild considered controlling the scale of the destruction?"

Makarov's hand holding the teacup froze, his lips twitched, and then he suddenly clutched his stomach, making a pained expression.

Σ( ° △ °|||)

"Oh dear! My belly! Getting old is no good, I'll be right back!"

He put down his teacup, jumped off the small stool, and ran quickly towards the guild hall with his short legs, his speed unlike that of an old man.

Jason froze, staring in the direction Makarov had disappeared.

"Chairman Makarov?"

Wakaba calmly took a puff of his cigarette.

"Don't wait any longer, he's just making excuses to pee. He does this every time someone asks him this question."

Macao added while cracking sunflower seeds.

"Last year, a reporter asked the same question, and the chairman hid in the restroom for two hours."

Jason frantically scribbled in his notebook in frustration.

"Chairman Makarov, faced with the issue of compensation for damages, has chosen a strategic retreat."

Lucy peeked out from behind the stall and muttered to herself.

"So just how much was destroyed...?"

Wakaba and Macao exchanged a glance and said in unison.

Don't ask, the answer is I don't know.

The aroma of tea wafted through the air, and Jason sat in Makarov's seat, sipping tea and munching on sunflower seeds. Although he was going to be a long-distance runner, the tea was indeed delicious, and the sunflower seeds were truly fragrant.

He glanced at the densely filled notes in his notebook, nodded in satisfaction, and then continued walking towards the next stall.

The Harvest Festival's food extravaganza continues, with laughter and chatter filling the courtyard and the air brimming with the aroma of various foods.

The mages of Fairy Tail, in their own ways, brought an unforgettable eve of harvest to this town.

The ballot box was set up in the center of the courtyard, and the ballots were already overflowing.