Treasure Hunt, Part Five

Mirajane brought out a pot of fish soup from the kitchen.

The milky white soup was topped with scallions and ginger slices, and the fish was stewed until it was so tender that it fell apart when picked up with chopsticks.

Steaming hot, it carries a sweet and savory aroma that makes your stomach rumble just from smelling it.

Happy slammed his spoon on the table, the metal spoon clanging rhythmically against the wooden table.

"Fish~ Fish~ Fish~"

Mirajane placed the fish soup in front of Happy, the bottom of the pot hitting the table with a dull thud.

Happy couldn't wait to scoop up a spoonful of fish soup and put it in his mouth. The moment the spoon touched his lips, the whole spoonful of soup was swallowed.

The next second.

Happy stuck out his tongue, making it very long and bright red at the tip. He fanned his tongue with his hand, and tears welled up in his eyes from the heat.

"It's so hot!"

Riyao scooped two bowls of fish soup, the spoon sinking to the bottom, filling them with soup and fish.

He handed a bowl to Mirajane, the rim of the bowl brushing against the back of her hand.

"What's the rush? Nobody's going to take it from us. Take your time and drink it."

"That's true... wait, why is it 'us'? Isn't this fish mine?"

Happy shouted excitedly, his voice cracking, slamming his paws on the table, leaning forward, his eyes wide open.

Riyao and Mirajane took a sip of fish soup, pressed their lips to the rim of the bowl, blew on it gently, and then took a small sip.

They both closed their eyes at the same time, their faces beaming with happy smiles, the corners of their mouths curving in exactly the same way.

Happy quickly scooped himself a bowl, held the spoon steady, blew on it several times before putting it in his mouth and slowly drinking it down.

"Aye~"

The two people and the cat were enjoying their soup very contentedly, sipping it one sip after another, occasionally putting down the bowl to rest before picking it up again to continue drinking.

The only sounds in the guild hall were the clinking of bowls and spoons, as quiet as the calm before Tempester.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the door.

Footsteps, shouts, and laughter mingled together, growing louder and louder as they approached.

Natsu was covered in sweat, his hair plastered to his forehead, but the excitement on his face was as if he had discovered some priceless treasure.

"Haha... I got the old man's embarrassing history crystal ball! Riyao, hurry up and put it down."

Erza and the others followed behind him, their faces filled with excitement. Some were even panting heavily, leaning against the doorframe to catch their breath, but their eyes were fixed on the crystal ball in Natsu's hand.

Makarov burst out from behind, his short legs moving incredibly fast, his expression shifting from terror to Despair, as he reached out to snatch the crystal ball.

Erza reacted quickly, grabbing Makarov and pulling him into her arms.

She moved so fast that Makarov didn't have time to react. His head snapped back, and his forehead hit her armor.

duang~

He fainted on the spot, his eyes rolled back, and his body went limp in Erza's arms.

Riyao and Mirajane exchanged a glance, and both of their eyebrows twitched simultaneously.

"Little Ai has gone astray."

"I just wanted to give the president a hug."

Erza looked very serious, her expression as solemn as if she were attending an important meeting, and her tone was also very formal, without the slightest hint of joking.

This made everyone laugh, and laughter rose and fell. Some people clutched their stomachs, some slapped their thighs, and some laughed until tears streamed down their faces.

Erza glared at them, her gaze sweeping from left to right, and each person felt a chill run down their spine the moment it touched them.

They fell silent instantly; their laughter stopped abruptly as if it had been paused. Some people forced back their laughter, their faces turning red from holding it in.

Natsu handed the crystal ball to Riyao, holding it with both hands as if it were some sacred relic.

He urged him frantically from the side, jumping around on the spot, his voice getting higher and higher.

"Quickly, let it go!"

Riyao took the crystal ball, turned it over, and looked at it.

"Just infuse it with magic, you don't need to give it to me specifically."

He infused the crystal ball with magic, and a ring of light appeared on its surface. Then, a beam of light shot out from the center of the ball, projecting a light screen.

The light curtain, rectangular in shape, floated in mid-air, its edges rippled slightly, like a thin film on the surface of water.

Outside the door, Levy and Lucy walked in, both holding a crystal ball and trying not to laugh.

Levy's shoulders trembled, her lips were tightly pressed together, and her cheeks were puffed out, as if she might break down at any moment.

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes curving into crescents.

Upon seeing the light screen, they immediately crowded around, their faces full of eager anticipation, pushing their heads to the front of the crowd, afraid of missing a single frame.

Levy didn't notice what was behind her.

Wendy, also carrying a crystal ball, walked in quietly, cradling it in her hands.

Juvia stood beside her, looking somewhat disappointed, his lips downturned, his eyebrows drooping, and he was muttering something under his breath.

Gray's eyes lit up when he saw Makarov's embarrassing past being played in the guild hall.

I rushed in immediately, squeezed through the crowd, found a good spot directly opposite the screen, and plopped down.

The light screen fully unfolded.

Makarov appeared on the screen, acting furtively, hunching over, walking on tiptoe, turning his head left and right to make sure no one was around.

On screen, his expression was tense yet tinged with barely suppressed anticipation; his mouth was moving, as if he were muttering something.

Gildarts and Cana were following behind him.

Gildarts was also bent over, but given his size, the bend was almost imperceptible, making him even more noticeable.

Little Cana followed at the back, carrying three wine glasses that clinked together.

The three of them slipped into Riyao's wine cellar.

The cellar door was gently pushed open, and the three filed in, with Cana, the last to enter, closing the door behind her.

The scene on the screen shifted, and the three people stood in the wine cellar, twitched their noses, took a deep breath, and then revealed an expression of fascination.

Makarov's eyes narrowed to slits, Gildarts rubbed his hands together, and Cana's mouth was practically watering.

Makarov dragged out a barrel of wine, bigger than himself. He held the barrel with both hands and moved it outwards little by little with crab-like steps.

Little Cana handed the wine glasses to the two of them, her movements so practiced it was as if she had rehearsed them countless times.

The three filled their glasses with wine, the liquid swirling inside, its amber luster shimmering alluringly in the light.

They clinked their glasses together, the glasses hitting each other with a crisp sound, then simultaneously tilted their heads back and drank it all in one gulp.

He drank one cup after another, poured it out after finishing it, and then drank it again after pouring it out.

Her face began to flush, her eyes started to glaze over, her movements became more exaggerated, and her laughter grew louder.

After drinking to their hearts' content, the three of them each grabbed a bucket of liquor and poured it directly into their mouths.

Wine spilled from the corners of his mouth, trickling down his chin, soaking the front of his clothes.

"Stop releasing it!! I was wrong, Riyao! Brother Riyao!"

Cana's voice came from the guild entrance, and she was hugged by Lisanna who had returned.

Lisanna's arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, her face pressed against her back, and she was grinning like a weasel that had stolen a chicken.

"Hehehe, I didn't expect you'd get a share."

The commotion startled Makarov awake. He groggily opened his eyes, saw the scene on the screen, and his pupils dilated instantly. He struggled to get out of Erza's arms.

But Erza held on tightly, her arms like iron hoops, giving Makarov no chance to break free.

He could only rage helplessly, kicking his legs wildly in the air and shouting something, but his voice was drowned out by everyone's laughter.

In the light screen, the three of them drank several buckets in a row.

The empty wine barrels rolled all over the ground, lying haphazardly. Three people leaned against the barrels, their faces as red as boiled shrimp.

Riyao appeared within the light screen.

His footsteps echoed in the wine cellar, and he kicked away an empty wine barrel on the floor, which rolled to the corner of the wall.

The three of them looked at Riyao in a daze. Cana even raised her glass and waved at Riyao, her mouth opening and closing as if she was calling for Riyao to join.

The man in the light screen had a fierce Riyao, his eyebrows were lowered, and there was no smile on his lips.

He had somehow acquired a rope, which was wrapped twice around his fingers.

Then he walked up to the three men, bent down, and with a flick of the rope, tied them all up.

His movements were clean and efficient, and the ropes were tied up tightly, like tying up pigs. The three people were strung together and dragged out of the wine cellar, where they were hung on Parasol Tree.

Little Cana was at the very top, the rope hanging from the highest branch, dangling in mid-air, her body swaying back and forth with the branch.

Makarov was in the middle, bound like a dumpling, with his legs dangling in the air.

Gildarts was at the bottom, his weight pulling the rope taut.

The three of them swayed back and forth in the wind, like a string of wind chimes.

Little Cana at the very top couldn't hold it in any longer; she opened her mouth, her face changed, and she vomited.

The liquid spurted from her mouth, arcing through the air before landing precisely on Makarov's head, soaking him thoroughly.

Makarov was drenched and shuddered; his hair was plastered to his scalp, and his face was covered in indescribable things.

This disgusted Makarov so much that his stomach churned, and he opened his mouth and vomited.

Gildarts, at the very bottom, also vomited. He had taken all the damage from the two people above him, and he vomited more than anyone else.

Sunlight streamed in, filtering through the gaps in the tree canopy and falling on the three of them.

Light pierced through the splashing liquid, refracting into a spectrum of colors, creating a magnificent rainbow.

The members in the guild hall were laughing so hard they could hardly breathe.

Some people were crouching on the ground clutching their stomachs, some were lying on the table, some were laughing so hard they were pounding the floor, and some were laughing so hard that tears and snot were streaming down their faces—they were completely out of control.

Riyao now has two more crystal balls in his hands.

He glanced at the one in his left hand, then at the one in his right, and a smile crept onto his lips.