The food stalls stretched endlessly along both sides of the street, disappearing into the distance.
"Grrr..."
Gray stared at the freshly steamed buns, plump and white, with steam rising from them. His stomach betrayed him and growled.
"Smells so good..."
Gray swallowed, his eyes fixed on the buns. He could barely make himself move.
Lu Chongwei's eyes were shining too.
As someone who had crossed into another world, tasting its food had always been one of his goals. The temptation was simply irresistible.
"Uncle, how about we grab something to eat first? The grilled meat over there looks good too."
Lu Chongwei suggested.
Just then, Gildarts suddenly stopped.
He turned around, put on a stern expression, and looked gravely at the two boys, as if he were about to impart some supreme magical wisdom.
"Listen up, brats."
Gildarts spoke in a deep voice.
"As Mages, we must stay focused at all times while carrying out a mission. We need to meet with the client first and draw up a detailed plan. We must never let outside distractions tempt us."
Gildarts pointed to his head.
"Focus is the first rule of survival for a Mage. If you can't resist even this little temptation, how will you face vicious monsters?"
Gray and Lu Chongwei were left utterly dazed by his speech.
They hurriedly nodded, like chicks pecking at food.
Lu Chongwei secretly admired him even more. No wonder he was the strongest in the guild. His professionalism and sense of responsibility were truly worth learning from.
However, that admiration lasted less than three minutes.
Lu Chongwei had just been distracted by the scantily dressed, curvaceous hostess at the entrance of a restaurant when he immediately remembered Gildarts's lesson and shook his head in frustration.
"No, I have to stay focused."
Lu Chongwei tugged at Gray, ready to keep going.
But Gray didn't budge.
Not only did Gray refuse to move, but Gildarts up ahead had stopped too.
Lu Chongwei looked up and saw Gildarts standing there, staring blankly at the hostess.
His mouth hung slightly open, and he was practically drooling. His usually sharp eyes had turned into hearts that kept bouncing up and down.
"Uncle?"
Lu Chongwei called out tentatively.
"Gildarts?"
Gildarts suddenly snapped out of it.
He wiped the corner of his mouth, but showed no embarrassment at all. Instead, he solemnly revised his statement.
"Ahem... Actually, the second lesson for Mages is that you should always eat your fill before carrying out a mission!"
Gildarts declared righteously.
He pointed to the luxurious restaurant with the beautiful hostess, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"That place looks perfect! The... uh, food there is sure to give us plenty of energy!"
Gray pointed at the bun shop beside them and said meekly, "But I want one of those buns..."
Gildarts immediately turned around.
His gaze instantly grew sinister and terrifying, like some kind of beast guarding its food. Gray shrank back in fright.
"Shut up! We're going to eat something nutritious!"
With that, Gildarts straightened his clothes, put on what he considered his most dashing smile, and confidently led the way toward the hostess.
Half an hour later.
Lu Chongwei and Gray emerged from the restaurant, holding their round bellies and looking thoroughly satisfied.
Their faces were beaming with happiness. The meal had been incredible—not only was the food delicious, but the portions had been huge.
Behind them, Gildarts staggered out, looking utterly devastated.
He seemed as if his soul had been sucked out of him. His steps were unsteady, and his face was as pale as paper.
He held a deflated wallet in his hand. As he looked at the mere 5,000 J left inside, a sorrowful tear slid from the corner of his eye.
"It's over... It's all over..."
Gildarts muttered to himself.
He had meant to use the meal as a chance to strike up a conversation with the beautiful hostess, but she hadn't paid him any attention. She had treated him like just another gullible customer.
Even worse, those two brats, Lu Chongwei and Gray, could really put it away.
They'd ordered a huge spread of expensive dishes as if they'd been starving for years. When the bill came, they'd spent a full 70,000 J!
"I still haven't finished paying off the damage..."
Gildarts was beside himself with grief.
Most of his mission rewards went toward compensating for the destruction he caused during missions, which was why he lived in such a shabby place. Now he hadn't gotten anywhere with the girl, and he was nearly out of what little living money he had left.
Lu Chongwei looked at Gildarts's utterly hopeless expression and struggled to hold back his laughter.
Gray looked at Gildarts in confusion.
"What's wrong with Uncle? Did he eat something bad?"
Lu Chongwei patted Gray on the head and brushed him off. "It's nothing. Uncle's just reflecting on life. You wouldn't understand the adult world."
With their very different feelings, the three of them arrived at the mayor's office.
Mayor Walker was a somewhat portly, middle-aged man who was pacing anxiously around his office.
When he saw the three of them enter, Mayor Walker immediately went to greet them. But as soon as he saw how young Lu Chongwei and Gray were, his expression froze.
"Uh..."
Mayor Walker looked at Lu Chongwei, then at Gray, who was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, and finally turned his gaze to the dejected Gildarts.
"Are you the Mages sent by Fairy Tail?"
Mayor Walker's voice was full of doubt and concern.
"That monster, Gidoken, is incredibly vicious. Several Mages have gone missing after accepting the job. Forgive me for saying so, but these two boys..."
Gray heard that and immediately lost his temper again.
"Who are you calling a kid?"
Gray raised his fist, cold air swirling around it.
"I'm strong! Don't underestimate me!"
Lu Chongwei hurriedly reached out and held Gray back.
He stepped forward and met Mayor Walker's eyes, his expression calm and confident. The mayor's doubts did not affect him in the slightest.
"Please don't worry, Mayor."
Lu Chongwei's voice was steady and firm, carrying a maturity beyond his years.
"Since we accepted the mission and have President Makarov's approval, we're absolutely confident we can solve the problem. All you need to do is prepare the reward money. Leave everything else to us."
The night was as dark as ink, enveloping all of Volk City.
The cold wind howled, sweeping fallen leaves along the streets with a rustling sound. It added to the bleakness of a city already gripped by fear because of the monsters plaguing it.
At the top of the tallest bell tower in the city center.
Three figures stood silently in the night, their coat hems snapping in the wind.
"Tell me, is that thing really going to show up?"
Gray folded his arms and stamped his feet impatiently.
Although he was an Ice Mage and wasn't afraid of the cold, waiting around aimlessly was the most trying test of his patience.
"Didn't the mayor say it comes every night?"
Gildarts sat cross-legged on the edge of the railing, a foxtail grass stem he'd found somewhere sticking out of his mouth. He looked completely unconcerned.
"Besides, more than a hundred people have gone missing this past week, and several Mages who came to take it down have been killed. Once a bloodthirsty beast like that gets a taste for people, it won't leave this place easily."
Before you continue