In the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Fiore lay the Mountains of Catacia, the site of Zorn's final S-Class Mission. Under Zorn's leadership, the previous missions had all been completed with ease, without a doubt.
For Cana, getting to see different kinds of S-Class Missions at her age and even help complete them was an incredibly valuable experience for a Mage. Her own strength had also improved greatly through real battles. Of course, the days she and Zorn had spent together were precious memories for them both.
In the distance, the mountains were dyed in the colors of late autumn, like a tranquil Chinese painting. Yellow, brown, and red intertwined, their colors and forms depicting the beauty of the season.
Zorn and Cana walked leisurely along a mountain path, eagerly admiring the scenery around them.
"Tap, tap, tap~" Cana suddenly ran ahead. They had reached a naturally formed platform on a mountain peak.
"Haha, Zorn, hurry up! Look, it's so beautiful!" Cana called with a laugh, urging him to walk faster. She was so absorbed in the breathtaking scene that she didn't even turn her head.
The overlapping peaks were like a beautiful painting, while clouds drifted between them like silk, swaying gently around the mountains. In the sunlight, they shimmered like dazzling treasures from the realm of immortals.
The clouds made the peaks look even steeper and more majestic. When Zorn stood on the platform and looked down at the beautiful sea of clouds and mountains, he couldn't help marveling at the wonder and magnificence of nature. The view filled both him and Cana with an incomparable sense of peace.
As he admired the scenery, Zorn quickly took out his magic camera to capture the moment. He hopped from side to side, taking pictures of Cana against the beautiful view, as well as plenty of photos of the two of them together as keepsakes.
Zorn took out the photos he had just taken and carefully placed them in an album. It held many wonderful memories: a group photo of Fairy Tail, taken when Happy was born; unflattering photos of Laxus; photos of Erza and Mirajane fighting; photos of Natsu and Gray struggling through training but persevering; a photo of Elfman looking shy in front of the camera and Lisanna smiling sweetly; other amusing photos of guild members; and photos of him and Cana together since they had set out on their journey.
Zorn treasured all these memories. He also planned to show the new travel photos to the guild members when he returned, so they could be properly envious. Smiling, he closed the album and slowly put it back in his bag, then took Cana's hand and continued on their unfinished mission.
"Zorn, I heard a lot of Mages came back empty-handed from the ruins we're investigating this time. That's why it was eventually upgraded to an S-Class Mission." Cana was thinking of the mission sheet she had seen before they came, [Investigate the Lost Magic Ruins], and what she had learned from other Mages' accounts of the mission.
Mages carrying out the mission kept going missing. Others would search the mountains inch by inch without finding a single trace. Then, one day, the missing person would be found somewhere at random in the mountains, with all their Magic Power gone. They would be somewhat disoriented and unable to remember anything that had happened.
At one point, people thought the ruins didn't exist at all. But an old man from a village in the mountains said they did exist. He said the story had been passed down through generations, along with the insistence that his descendants find the ruins.
"I don't know the exact reason."
"All their Magic Power disappeared? That is a little strange, but don't worry. I'm here." Zorn made the assurance without the slightest concern. If anything happened, he could always teleport Cana straight out. His Observation Haki now covered an extremely wide area.
"Let's go. The village should be in that direction." Zorn briefly sensed his surroundings and detected some signs of life to their east, though he also sensed something unusual.
"What is it? Did you find something?" Cana had seen Zorn frown slightly while sensing the area. There was clearly some kind of problem.
"Well, we'll know when we get there. It's just a small problem." Zorn held two fingers close together, sincerely indicating that it was a small problem. From his sincere answer, Cana got the message loud and clear: it probably really was a small problem.
Some time later, the two entered the village. A middle-aged man dressed like a villager came toward them and greeted them with a smile. "You two Mages must be tired after your journey. Come, come, the food's already prepared. Eat and get some proper rest, then carry out your mission tomorrow."
"Oh, really? That's great. I am pretty tired after the trip." Zorn raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curving upward as he replied with a happy expression ^_^. He even turned to Cana and said, "Looks like this mission's going to be nice. Let's hurry inside!"
With that, he eagerly pulled Cana along behind the man. But after taking her hand, he drew a mark on it and discreetly conveyed that she needed to be on alert.
Cana immediately understood what Zorn meant. She wrapped both arms around his arm and followed the middle-aged man into the village, looking just as eager.
The villagers were going about their business. Children played nearby, looking curiously at the pair, while each household prepared its midday meal.
Zorn carefully observed the villagers' daily routines as he looked around. On the surface, it really was a peaceful, pleasant village, with nothing to suggest that anything was wrong.
"Haha, we're almost there, just up ahead. My father is the village chief here. After we eat, you can learn more about the mission from him."
Seeing Zorn watching the villagers go about their lives with great interest, the middle-aged man hurriedly spoke up to divert his attention. He pointed ahead, and an old house and courtyard came into view, thick smoke billowing from the chimney.
A large table stood in the courtyard, laden with chicken, duck, fish, meat, and seasonal vegetables. It was a lavish spread, appetizing at a glance.
A woman carried the last dish out of the kitchen. Seeing that her husband had brought their guests back, she greeted them just as warmly.
"Oh, are these the two Mages who came for the mission? So young and accomplished! Come, come, you young lovebirds, have a seat. Dear, keep our guests company while I help Father out."
After complimenting them, the woman hurriedly invited them to sit, then went into the inner room and helped out an elderly man who walked with an unsteady gait.
Zorn had kept his Observation Haki spread over the entire village ever since he entered it, and so far there really hadn't been anything wrong.
When he had first surveyed it, he had indeed noticed something odd about the village. At first, he had sensed only a few people there. Then, in an instant, the number had shot up, as though they had suddenly sprung out of the ground.
That had put Zorn on guard. Then, as they approached the village, this middle-aged man had come out to greet them early, as if he knew someone was coming that day, making the situation all the more worthy of caution.
Zorn silently considered it all, while outwardly enjoying the food and looking happily at the tableful of delicacies before him.
To be continued~