Lu Chongwei glanced at the scene in the middle of the tavern, which was already on the verge of turning into an all-out brawl, and nodded decisively.
"Let's go. If we stay any longer, we'll probably get dragged into it."
The three of them didn't alert anyone else and quietly left through the side door.
Crocus at night was completely different from Crocus by day.
During the day, the royal capital was lively and noisy, packed with spectators and merchants everywhere.
At night, the streets were much quieter. Magic lamps stretched along the road, flowers in the beds swayed gently in the night breeze, and the faint fragrance of blossoms mingled with the laughter drifting from the distant taverns, making people feel especially relaxed.
Mirajane walked on Lu Chongwei's left, her hands clasped behind her back, her silver-white hair lifted softly by the night wind.
Erza walked on his right, her gaze resting on the flower lanterns lining both sides of the street, her expression rarely this relaxed.
"Crocus really lives up to being the City of Flowers," Mirajane said softly. "It's beautiful at night too."
Erza nodded.
"During the matches in the daytime, I didn't have the heart to look at any of this."
Lu Chongwei smiled. "Once the Grand Magic Games are over, we can stay a couple more days. Anyway, once the old man gets the prize money, he probably won't be stingy about lodging fees for a while."
Mirajane covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"The guild master would cry if he heard that."
Erza thought about it seriously. "If we win the championship, he'll probably cry even harder."
The three of them simultaneously pictured Makarov clutching a wine cup and bawling his eyes out, and couldn't help laughing.
The street was empty, their footsteps clear.