Six Eggs

Riyao pointed towards the Parasol Tree.

They're all inside the eggs.

Several huge fruits were hanging on it.

The Parasol Trees are still the same as before, with branches so thick that it would take several people to encircle them, and their canopies covering half of the manor.

Several fruits hung on the highest branches, larger than Wendy, with a faint sheen on their surface and covered with fine, unique patterns.

A gust of wind blew, and the fruit swayed gently, like ripe fruit hanging on the branch, ready to fall at any moment.

Everyone looked up at the same time, Natsu stared at the fruit eggs.

"Oh! Is this the egg that Riyao was talking about? It looks like Happy egg."

Speaking of which, he was the first one to rush back, furious. As soon as he entered the door, he rolled up his sleeves, ready to settle scores with Riyao, and kept shouting that he wanted to avenge Igneel.

Before he could finish his sentence, Riyao tackled him to the ground.

As he fought, Riyao said, "What are you getting so worked up about? You think I ate them all? Can't you even think straight? I just recycled them."

Everyone was stunned. They looked at each other, then at the few fruits on the tree, and no one uttered a sound for a long time.

Riyao clapped his hands, stood up, walked to the tree, and the egg with snowflake patterns fell down. He tossed the egg to Gray.

"This is yours. Just take it home and apply it, like Lisanna did when she was little."

The egg was icy cold to the touch, with a layer of fine, snow-like patterns on its surface, and it felt smooth to the touch.

Gray held it in both hands, completely stunned. He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say, and just stared blankly at the patterns on the egg.

"Brother-in-law!!"

Lisanna blushed. The memory of turning into a bird to incubate eggs when she was little sounded a bit embarrassing now.

She buried her face in her hands, her ears turned bright red, and she stomped her feet twice in embarrassment and anxiety.

Elfman chuckled beside her, but she elbowed him in the waist, causing him to clutch his back and squat down to the side.

Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy stared at Riyao with shining eyes.

All three of them had bright, sparkling eyes.

"You three can forget about it. They can't hatch yet. You know that, right? Their dragon souls have been taken away. If you want them to hatch, you'll have to defeat the Black Dragon."

When Riyao said this, all three of them were stunned.

Defeat the Black Dragon?

Can they really do what Igneel couldn't?

Flames ignited in Natsu's eyes.

"Alright! I'll leave Igneel in your care. I'm going out to train! Happy, let's go!"

He finished speaking and ran out of the manor, with Happy chasing after him.

"Aye, wait for me, Natsu."

Natsu ran incredibly fast, almost tripping over the threshold as he passed it. He stumbled a couple of steps, then dashed off without looking back.

The sound of his footsteps, which had been running, could be heard on the cobblestone path outside the manor, and gradually faded into the distance.

Happy flapped his wings and chased after them, and the two of them disappeared in a flash.

Everyone's eyes twitched; Natsu's antics had somewhat dispelled the somber atmosphere.

What was supposed to be a somber scene was turned into a stagnant pool by his outburst, like a stone being thrown into a still pond.

Everyone looked at each other with strange expressions, wanting to laugh but unable to.

Wendy then remembered that the guild had disbanded. She pouted, looking utterly dejected.

I was so focused on the dragon's matter that I realized now that the guild is gone.

She lowered her head, poking at herself with her fingertips, her eyes began to redden again, and the tip of her nose turned red. She sniffed, stubbornly holding back her tears.

Riyao patted her head and said gently, "Wendy, the guild has only temporarily disbanded, and besides, Mira and I are still here, aren't we?"

"It's okay, we'll all be with you, it won't be like that time," Mirajane hugged Wendy to comfort her.

Wendy leaned against Mirajane's chest, feeling much more at ease, and fell asleep.

Her little head bobbed up and down until she finally buried herself in Mirajane's arms, her breathing becoming light and even.

Mirajane held her, moving very gently, not daring to move, looking down at her with eyes as soft as water.

Carla also leaned over and gently brushed the stray hairs off her face with the tip of her paw.

Mirajane looked at Riyao with a questioning gaze, asking what was going on.

Carla was also looking at Riyao.

"She successfully activated the Dragon Force today. She's still young, and it's still a bit of a burden on her body, but it's not a big problem. Let her sleep." Riyao shrugged.

"A burden? Are you sure you're okay with that?"

Carla's two little eyebrows were almost twisted into a pretzel.

"Maybe my height will grow a little slower." Riyao scratched his head.

Carla froze. She couldn't let Wendy know about this, or she'd cry again.

A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen.

Lisanna called for Elfman to bring out the last soup.

The table was already piled high with plates of all sorts of dishes—fried, braised, stewed—steaming hot and emitting enticing aromas that made one's stomach rumble.

Elfman emerged from the kitchen carrying a large bowl of soup, his arm muscles taut; the bowl was a size larger than his head.

Everyone was so hungry their eyes were practically green.

I've been working since morning and haven't had a proper meal. Now, the smell of food is making my stomach rumble.

Lucy stared wide-eyed at the bowl of soup, while Gray held the egg in one hand and had already gripped the chopsticks in the other.

Erza remained silent, sitting there staring at the table full of food, without touching her chopsticks for a long time.

"Eat up, why do we have to wait for everything to be served? Really."

Riyao took the lead and picked up some greens, stuffing them into his mouth.

"After all, this is the last meal, let's be solemn," Erza said softly.

She seemed lost in thought; even her movements to pick up food were a beat slow.

He picked up food with his chopsticks, brought it to his mouth, then put it down, then picked it up again, his eyes fixed on the rice in his bowl, lost in thought.

Mirajane glanced at everyone; they all seemed to be preoccupied with something on their minds.

The sudden disbandment of the guild was a huge blow to everyone.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was subdued; no one spoke much, only the sound of chopsticks clinking against bowls could be heard.

Makarov is gone, the guild is gone, even this meal tastes like a farewell dinner.

No way! We have to buy the guild!

She clenched her fist, her mind already calculating how much the land would cost and how long the reconstruction would take.

"Riyao, what do you think about making Erza after we rebuild the guild?" Mirajane asked in a low voice.

"That's a great idea, hehehe, let Erza be the president, and we can continue to sleep in the infirmary," Riyao whispered.

The two huddled together, heads close together, as if plotting something big.

Erza stared speechlessly at the two idiots beside her.

"I also want to go out for a walk. You two don't need to make arrangements for me yet. Besides, you've both been slacking off today, and I haven't settled that score with you two yet."

She rolled her eyes at the two of them, annoyed.

Riyao raised his head and said arrogantly, "Gray, Juvia, do you think we're slacking off?"

Juvia immediately shook her head and said, "No, no."

Gray glanced at the snowflake-shaped egg in his arms.

"Uh, no."

Riyao's lips curled into a smile.

"You see, the people have discerning eyes."

Erza's forehead creased with annoyance; she really wanted to punch someone.