Drawn Swords and a Dangerous Relationship

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Using his height advantage, the youth looked down at Noah from above, his eyes growing increasingly fierce. The oppressive feeling in the air became heavier and heavier, even creating the sense that swords could be drawn at any moment.

"It really has been a long time..."

"Ever since I moved into the Fairy Tail guild, a full year has passed since we last met, hasn't it?" Noah nodded calmly.

"Laxus, you're still the same as before."

"Don't joke around. I've become who knows how much stronger than I was before!" Lacasus lowered his crossed arms, took a step forward, bent down, and brought his head directly beside Noah's ear as he laughed in a low voice.

"As for you, you're still the same as a year ago. You clearly possess magic power that even that old man was amazed by, yet because of one sentence from him, you've never dared to learn magic. This is all the potential you've got, coward!"

"Oh?" Not only did Noah not get angry, he even smiled faintly.

"You really want me to learn magic?"

The moment Noah finished speaking, Laxus abruptly reached out, hooked an arm around Noah's neck, and tightened his grip, pulling Noah firmly against him.

Seeing this, even Erza frowned.

Erza did not want to associate with anyone, even companions from the same guild. But that did not mean she could remain indifferent when members of the same guild turned against each other.

Still, while she could not remain indifferent, Erza had no intention of interfering. She simply stood quietly to the side.

Though Laxus was radiating a dangerous aura and looked as though he might attack at any moment, Erza did not sense any genuine hostility from him.

More importantly, Noah, whose neck was tightly held in Laxus's grasp, remained calm. He did not seem worried that Laxus would attack him at all. Compared to the frowning Erza, he was the one who truly appeared indifferent.

"What I hate most is that expression of yours, like you've always got everything under control no matter what happens!" Laxus put away his smile and continued expressionlessly.

"I'm just telling you this: even if that old man picked you up from who knows where, since you've become my younger brother, I won't allow you to be weak. Do you understand?"

Picked up from who knows where?

After Laxus said that, Erza finally fixed her gaze on Noah for the first time, a complicated look appearing in her eyes.

So he was an orphan like me...

Unaware that Erza's feelings had shifted, Noah gave something like a soft scoff at Laxus's words for the first time.

"You talk as if you're strong. Compared to Grandpa, you're still far behind!"

A shadow crossed Laxus's face before it was replaced by a wild, unruly grin.

"That's only temporary. Sooner or later, I'll trample that old man beneath my feet!"

"And besides..." Laxus let out a crazed laugh.

"Even now, I could crush you with one hand, little brother..."

After leaving those words behind, Laxus seemed to lose interest in continuing the conversation. He released Noah, glanced at Erza beside them, and snorted coldly.

"That old man actually wants me to babysit two brats who don't even know how to walk yet. Weaklings like this should just be tossed somewhere and left there. Fairy Tail isn't a daycare!"

Laxus had clearly chosen the wrong targets for such almost cruel words. Of the two youths his age, one still wore the same calm expression as ever, while the other did not even lift an eyelid, remaining exceptionally cold. Finding it boring, Laxus turned around and left.

"Hurry up and finish this boring mission!"

Noah and Erza still ignored Laxus. In tacit understanding, they started walking and followed behind him toward the exit of Magnolia Town.

From Magnolia Town to Lake of Rituals, even by train, they had to pass through at least four towns and spend an entire day traveling.

Ever since Noah met Makarov, was adopted by him, and joined Fairy Tail, he had only wandered around Magnolia Town in his daily life. This was his first trip far from home. Even though Noah had thoroughly studied the route to Lake of Rituals and even looked over the maps, whether station staff would allow an eleven-year-old child to board alone was still unknown.

Therefore, Noah and Erza merely followed Laxus the whole way. Under Laxus's lead, they boarded the train and rode for an entire day before arriving at the location of Lake of Rituals.

It was worth mentioning that throughout the journey, Noah, Erza, and Laxus did not exchange a single word. Yet Laxus paid for both the train tickets and all three meals.

Of course, Laxus did not care about such small expenses, nor would he fuss over them just because he had two irritating teammates.

It was not until night had fallen that the three got off the train.

"Excuse me..."

The moment they stepped off the train, a middle-aged man dressed in somewhat formal attire approached them from the crowd. His gaze swept over the Fairy Tail guild mark on Noah's right hand and Erza's armor before he asked in a neither servile nor overbearing tone.

"I'm the person sent by the Council of Magi to accompany those carrying out the mission of infusing Lake of Rituals with magic power. Are the three of you the mages sent by Fairy Tail?"

"The Council of Magi?" Laxus sized the middle-aged man up, then withdrew his gaze a second later.

"Then lead the way!"

At that, the middle-aged man frowned.

"Shouldn't we wait for the others from your guild?"

"Others?" Laxus understood what the man meant and immediately grinned.

"There are no others. Just the three of us!"

"Three people?" The middle-aged man looked stunned.

Though he was not a mage, since the Council of Magi had assigned him to accompany those coming to infuse Lake of Rituals with magic power, it was impossible for him to know nothing about the lake.

Naturally, he also knew that every year, the guild carrying out this mission had to send a large team of at least dozens of mages to infuse Lake of Rituals with magic power before it could be activated and begin to shine.

And now, they were saying that only three people had come?

The middle-aged man's first reaction was disbelief, but then he recalled the rumors about Fairy Tail.

Although Fairy Tail was one of the strongest mage guilds in the Kingdom of Fiore, the Council of Magi did not look favorably upon them.

The reason was simple. Fairy Tail's Guild Master, Makarov, advocated that guild members follow the paths in their hearts and forge their own paths of magic. To that end, he had even openly declared to the guild members that they did not need to heed even the Council of Magi's words.

To Fairy Tail's members, such behavior was freedom and spontaneity. But to the Council of Magi, it was indulgence. Naturally, they did not think highly of such a guild.

Could it be that this time, they had not taken the Council of Magi's commission seriously either?

The middle-aged man's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

"Everyone, I think it would be better to ask your Guild Master to send more people..."

"Hah?" Laxus laughed at once, his laughter incomparably arrogant.

"Does this commission require that more people must come?"

"Not exactly..."

"Then stop talking so much nonsense. As long as we can complete the mission, that's enough!" Laxus said impatiently.

"Since you're here to guide us, then obediently lead the way!"

The middle-aged man was left speechless. He could only lead the way out of the station.