Gildarts Leads the Team to Eat Them Out of House and Home

Food stalls stretched endlessly along both sides of the street, disappearing into the distance.

"Grumble..."

Gray stared at the freshly steamed buns, plump, white, and piping hot, as his stomach let out an uncooperative growl.

"They smell so good..."

Gray swallowed hard, his eyes fixed intently on the buns, his feet unable to move another step.

Lu Chongwei's eyes were also shining with excitement.

As a transmigrator, tasting the delicacies of another world was one of his goals, and this kind of temptation was simply irresistible.

"Uncle, why don't we grab a bite first? That barbecue over there looks pretty good, too."

Lu Chongwei suggested.

Just then, Gildarts suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He turned around, his face stern and serious as he looked at the two boys, as if he were about to impart some supreme magical mystery.

"Listen up, brats."

Gildarts said in a deep voice.

"As mages, you must remain focused at all times while on a mission. We must prioritize meeting the client and formulating a detailed plan; we must never be distracted by external things."

Gildarts tapped his own head.

"Focus is the first rule of survival for a mage. If you can't even resist this little temptation, how will you face ferocious monsters?"

Gray and Lu Chongwei were left stunned by this speech.

The two of them nodded hurriedly, like chicks pecking at grain.

Lu Chongwei felt a surge of secret admiration; as expected of the guild's strongest, this level of professional integrity and sense of responsibility was truly worth learning from.

However, this admiration lasted less than three minutes.

Lu Chongwei had just been distracted by a scantily clad, curvaceous hostess at the entrance of a restaurant, but he immediately recalled Gildarts' teachings and shook his head in frustration.

"No, stay focused."

Lu Chongwei pulled on Gray, ready to continue on their way.

But he tugged, and Gray didn't budge.

Not only did Gray not move, but Gildarts, who was in front, had also stopped.

Lu Chongwei looked up and saw Gildarts standing there, staring blankly at the hostess.

His mouth was slightly agape, drool nearly dripping down, and those sharp eyes of his had transformed into heart shapes that were pulsing rhythmically.

"Uncle?"

Lu Chongwei called out tentatively.

"Gildarts?"

Gildarts snapped back to reality.

He wiped the corner of his mouth, showing not a hint of embarrassment, and instead changed his tune with a straight face.

"Ahem... actually, the second lesson for a mage is that you must be well-fed before carrying out a mission!"

Gildarts declared righteously.

He pointed at the luxurious restaurant with the beautiful hostess, his tone brooks no argument.

"That place looks just right! The... er, food there will surely provide us with plenty of energy!"

Gray pointed to the bun shop next door and said weakly, "But I wanted to eat those buns..."

Gildarts immediately turned his head.

His gaze instantly became dark and terrifying, like some beast guarding its food, making Gray shrink his neck in fear.

"Shut up! We're eating something nutritious!"

With that, Gildarts straightened his clothes, struck what he considered his most handsome pose, and confidently led the way toward the hostess.

Half an hour later.

Lu Chongwei and Gray walked out of the restaurant, clutching their round, full bellies with expressions of pure satisfaction.

Beaming with happiness, the two felt that the meal had been absolutely fantastic—not only was the taste excellent, but the portions were generous.

Behind them, Gildarts walked out, looking utterly dejected.

He looked as if his soul had been drained away; his steps were unsteady, and his face was as pale as paper.

He held a shriveled wallet in his hand, and as he looked at the mere 5,000 J remaining inside, a tear of sorrow slid down the corner of his eye.

"It's over... it's all over..."

Gildarts muttered to himself.

He had intended to use the meal as an opportunity to chat up the beautiful hostess, but she hadn't paid him any mind at all, treating him as nothing more than an ordinary sucker of a customer.

What was even worse was that those two brats, Lu Chongwei and Gray, could eat far too much.

They acted like starving ghosts reincarnated, ordering a mountain of expensive dishes, and when it came time to pay the bill, it actually totaled a full 70,000 J!

My destruction compensation payments aren't even finished yet...

Gildarts felt like crying, but had no tears.

Most of his mission bounties went toward paying for the damage he caused during his assignments, which was why he lived so frugally. Now, not only had he failed to pick up a girl, but he had also nearly exhausted his last bit of living expenses.

Lu Chongwei watched Gildarts's look of utter despair and struggled to hold back his laughter.

Gray looked at Gildarts with some confusion.

"What's wrong with the old man? Did he get a stomachache from the food?"

Lu Chongwei patted Gray on the head and brushed him off, saying, "It's nothing. The old man is just contemplating the meaning of life. You wouldn't understand the world of adults."

With their own varying moods, the three of them arrived at the mayor's office.

Mayor Walker was a slightly portly middle-aged man who was pacing anxiously around his office at that moment.

Seeing the three of them enter, Mayor Walker immediately stepped forward, but when he caught sight of the ages of Lu Chongwei and Gray, the expression on his face instantly froze.

"This..."

Mayor Walker looked at Lu Chongwei, then at Gray, who was wearing nothing but his shorts, and finally cast his gaze toward the dejected-looking Gildarts.

"Are you the mages sent by Fairy Tail?"

Mayor Walker's tone was filled with suspicion and worry.

"That monster Gidoken is extremely vicious; several mages have already gone missing after taking on this mission. If I may be blunt, these two children..."

As soon as Gray heard this, his short temper began to flare up.

"Who are you calling a child!"

Gray raised his fist, cold air surging in his hand.

"I'm very strong! Don't look down on people!"

Lu Chongwei quickly reached out and grabbed Gray.

He stepped forward, looking Mayor Walker straight in the eyes with a calm and confident expression, completely unaffected by the man's skepticism.

"Mr. Mayor, please rest assured."

Lu Chongwei's voice was steady and powerful, revealing a maturity that transcended his age.

"Since we have accepted this mission and received the approval of Master Makarov, we have absolute certainty that we can resolve the problem. You only need to prepare the bounty; leave the rest to us."

The night was like ink, shrouding the entire Volk City.

A cold wind whistled, whipping up fallen leaves on the streets and creating a rustling sound, adding a touch of desolation to a city already gripped by fear due to the monster's harassment.

At the top of the tallest clock tower in the city center.

Three figures stood silently in the night, their clothes flapping loudly in the wind.

"I'm asking, will that thing really come?"

Gray crossed his arms over his chest and stomped his feet with some impatience.

Although he was an Ice Mage and didn't fear the cold, this kind of aimless waiting was the most taxing on one's patience.

"Didn't the mayor say it comes every night?"

Gildarts sat cross-legged on the edge of the railing, a foxtail grass stalk dangling from his mouth, looking nonchalant.

"Besides, over a hundred people have gone missing this week, and even several mages who came to hunt it down have been lost. A bloodthirsty beast like that won't easily change its hunting ground once it's tasted success."