The Celebration Banquet Begins

Riyao slept until the evening of the next day.

Since Mirajane dragged me into the bathroom last night to take a shower, I've been lying on the bed and haven't moved since.

She was nestled in the soft bedding, breathing evenly, her face clean, and her hair neatly combed. She was completely unrecognizable from the disheveled woman she had been yesterday.

Mirajane nudged Riyao.

"Wake up, Riyao."

Riyao grunted twice, buried his face deeper into the pillow, curled up into a ball, and wrapped himself in the blanket like a silkworm cocoon.

Mirajane reached out and pulled him over, turning him back onto his back.

"If you don't wake up soon, don't blame me for not showing any mercy!"

Riyao's voice was muffled, squeezed out from between the pillows.

"Let me sleep for five more minutes."

Mirajane leaned down and whispered a couple of words in his ear.

Riyao awake, sitting up in bed so quickly that he threw the blanket off onto the floor.

His face looked so wronged, his eyebrows drooped, and the corners of his mouth turned down, just like a cat whose treat had been stolen.

Mirajane grinned and hugged Riyao, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Come on, I picked out a nice dress for you."

She dragged him into the bathroom to wash up.

She shoved a toothbrush into his mouth and smeared a towel on his face, all in one smooth motion. Riyao kept his eyes closed the whole time, letting her manipulate him like a puppet on a string.

The banquet hall in the palace was bustling with activity.

The crystal chandelier illuminated the entire hall, and the long table was laden with all sorts of food: roasted lamb leg, whole roasted chicken, three-tiered cake, boiled black-backed bass, "Judgment Time" (a dish of roasted meat), fruit platter, and many other delicacies—a dazzling array.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and the milky scent of desserts, a mingled fragrance that made one's stomach rumble.

All the mages fighting in the royal capital were invited to participate.

Members of each guild wore their own formal attire. It was a bit unusual for these guys who usually fought and killed to be dressed in formal clothes, but the atmosphere was really great.

The Blue Pegasus is the most carefree.

They were used to attending these kinds of banquets; each of them held a wine glass with elegant posture, their every move showing they were seasoned socialites.

Hibiki and Jenny were munching on each other in the corner.

The two were pressed tightly together, their lips stuck together, and pink bubbles were floating around them.

The air around us was sickeningly sweet.

Lian and Sherry held hands, acting all coy and awkward.

Their fingers were intertwined, then loosened and then intertwined again, both of them with their heads down, their ears so red they could bleed.

Lucy couldn't help but complain.

"So many years have passed, and he still likes this style."

Ivan pursed his lips, held a glass of wine, looked at the couple on his left, then at the couple on his right, and felt a little superfluous.

He changed his pose with every step he took, arriving at Erza's side.

"Erza, you smell so good today~ man~"

Erza shuddered, goosebumps rose all over her body, her face turned bright red, and she kicked Ye Yi away.

It flew through the air in an arc, and landed still in its shape, lying in the corner of the wall, its fingers still trembling.

Millianna approached with Kagura.

"Eru-chan!"

She threw herself on Erza and hugged her tightly, hanging her whole body around Erza's neck, her legs swinging back and forth.

Kagura stood to the side, feeling very uncomfortable.

She tugged at the hem of her dress, her fingers gripping the fabric, her shoulders hunched; she had never worn this type of dress before.

She usually wears combat gear; her everyday attire was something other members forced her to wear.

Now, suddenly wearing such a glamorous dress, I feel completely out of place.

Erza patted Millianna's head, then reached out and patted Kagura's head.

"Millianna, Kagura, you both look beautiful in your dresses today."

These words made Kagura's face turn as red as an apple, the color spreading from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

She lowered her head, her fingers twisting together, her lips moved, but she didn't utter a single word.

Millianna and Erza exchanged a glance, and the corners of their mouths turned up simultaneously, as if they were about to tease each other.

Gray held up his champagne glass, swirling the liquid with an elegant gesture.

Of course, we have to ignore Gray's shirtless appearance.

The man's upper body has clearly defined muscles, and he is holding a wine glass, creating an inexplicable sense of incongruity in the image.

Cana took a swig of her drink and looked him up and down.

"Gray, where are your clothes?"

Gray looked down and nearly dropped his wine glass.

He frantically searched for his clothes all over the floor, bending over and crawling under the table, his butt sticking out high.

Juvia handed the clothes to Gray, holding them with both hands and folding them neatly.

"Lord Gray, Juvia has kept your clothes very well."

Gray took the clothes and could still feel their warmth, carrying his body heat.

His eye twitched.

Happy floated over, swishing his tail.

"They're having an affair~"

Shut up, Happy!

Gray pinched Happy's face and pulled it to both sides, stretching Happy's face into an oval shape and his mouth into an arc, yet he still managed to make indistinct sounds.

"Aye~Aye~"

Lucy stood in the crowd, her posture very natural.

After all, she is the eldest daughter of the Heartfilia Family, and her manners have been rigorously trained.

She held a glass of red wine, stood ramrod straight, and smiled just right, exuding the air of a young lady from head to toe.

Levy tasted the red wine, took a small sip, and as soon as the liquid touched the tip of her tongue, her face scrunched up.

Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes narrowed to slits, and her lips pursed high. A sour and astringent taste exploded on her tongue, and she shuddered.

"Hahaha, Levy-chan, you're such a loser."

"So, Lu-chan, you're really brave, huh?"

Levy reached out to tickle Lucy's waist, and Lucy twisted her body to avoid it. The two of them played around and their laughter carried far.

Mavis stood beside the dining table, gripping the edge with both hands, standing on tiptoe, her mouth watering uncontrollably.

Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth, falling in a steady stream and pooling on the ground.

She reached for a piece of cake, but her hand slipped through; then she tried to grab a cookie, but her fingers slipped through again.

Mirajane led Riyao into the banquet hall.

She wore a black lace dress, the hem of which reached just to her ankles, giving her an elegant and graceful appearance that softened her overall demeanor, making her seem completely different from her usual combative self.

Riyao was dressed up by Mirajane, wearing a black suit with gold embroidery, the collar was crisp, the gold thread on the cuffs was finely embroidered, and his hair was neatly combed.

As soon as the two entered, a crowd gathered around them.

"Riyao! You're awake!"

"That tree yesterday was amazing!"

Are you alright?

Riyao sighed.

As expected.

"I'm so hungry, please let me have some food."

Makarov came over to help Riyao out of the predicament, his hands behind his back, smiling broadly.

"The child has been unconscious for a whole day and night. If we don't feed him soon, Mira will probably get angry."

Mirajane glared at the group, looking even more terrifying than in his Satan Soul form.

The group awkwardly dispersed, slinking back to their seats and pretending they were drinking and chatting.

Riyao led Mirajane to the dining table.

He rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a leg of lamb from the table, and started gnawing on it.

With one bite, the juices dripped down his chin. He chewed a couple of times, his eyes lighting up, and then he tore into the meat with gusto, completely disregarding his image.

Mirajane shook his head helplessly.

"I'm going to go chat with Erza and the others. You take your time eating."

"Mmm..."

Riyao's mouth was stuffed full of meat, his cheeks bulging like a hamster's, and he gave a muffled reply.

He continued gnawing on his lamb leg, glancing at Mavis beside him out of the corner of his eye.

Mavis was standing on tiptoe, staring pitifully at a plate of small cakes on the table, drooling like a waterfall.

Riyao deliberately picked up a small cake and waved it in front of Mavis, the cake floating right under her nose.

Mavis rolled her eyes dramatically.

Are you being polite?

Riyao grinned and stuffed the small cake into his mouth, chewing it with a loud smacking sound.

Mavis clenched her fists, her ahoge standing on end in anger.

Lucy looked around, her gaze sweeping across the banquet hall.

"Where's that idiot Natsu? Is he still asleep?"

Happy flew over and landed on Lucy's shoulder.

"You're awake? I wonder where you went. Did Natsu get lost?"

"Impossible. Even if he didn't know the way, he could still follow the scent here."

As soon as Lucy finished speaking, Arcadios cleared his throat, his voice echoing in the banquet hall.

"His Majesty the King has arrived!"

All eyes turned to the entrance of the passage.

As a result, Natsu walked out of the passage wearing a crown.

He walked with his head held high and chest out, the crown perched crookedly on his head, pressing down on his messy hair.

He grinned, his smile as wide as a weasel that had stolen a chicken.

This stunned everyone present.

Toma jumped around at Natsu's feet, reaching out to grab him, but couldn't reach him. He jumped up to reach him again, but still couldn't reach him.

The old man's face turned red with anxiety.

Give me back my crown!

Natsu laughed heartily, holding the crown with one hand to prevent it from falling, and putting the other hand on his hip.

"Hehehe, we won the championship, let me wear the crown too!"

I don't know who laughed first.

Then everyone burst into laughter, which echoed throughout the banquet hall, even making the crystal chandelier sway.