"By the way, where did Brother Nameless go? Why haven't I seen him at all today?" Erza finally voiced the question that had been weighing on her all day.
She hadn't seen any sign of Achill since early that morning. If he had gone out to sell things or something, surely he wouldn't have left them behind? He hadn't even taken Angel with him. That was strange enough to prompt her question.
"Oh, him? Hmm, I did run into him very early this morning," Le Qi, who was carving nearby, chimed in. "Around four or five, I think. I'd just gotten up to make breakfast for everyone with Mira, who was also up early. Achill said he had something to take care of, then left Angel here and went out alone."
"I heard he wanted to put those two friends of his at ease. They spent these past seven years worrying about him too," Le Qi added.
"Those two?" The faces of Lahar and Doranbolt flashed through Erza's mind. "They came to Crocus too?" she asked in surprise. "Still, he really should thank them properly. According to Macau and the others, they secretly helped Fairy Tail quite a few times over these seven years. And since Achill disappeared beneath the sea with us and Wolf Island back then, they must have spent all those years worrying."
"That's true." Le Qi shrugged. "As for why they came to Crocus, the Grand Magic Games might need the Magic Council's help maintaining order, but the main reason is probably that news of Achill's return has spread across the entire continent! I doubt there are many people left who don't know that Achill, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, has joined our Fairy Tail family. Everyone knows we're here to compete in this year's