BXBX NOVEL Chapter 138: Arc of Time
Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Arc of Time
"If they truly wish to turn over a new leaf, the guild will not turn them away," Makarov replied with a smile. His trust in Nate was evident. If anyone else had made such a request, Makarov might not have been so confident.
Nate was grateful for the guild master's trust. "Rest assured, if they cause any trouble, I'll take full responsibility."
At that moment, Mirajane approached with two glasses of juice.
"Master, Nate, would you like some juice? I just made it," she offered cheerfully.
Makarov sighed. "If possible, I'd prefer some wine..."
"Nope, Master, you should cut back on the alcohol," Mirajane smiled, gently refusing him.
"Want some, Nate?" she asked, turning to him.
"Thanks, Mira," Nate replied, taking a sip. The juice tasted good—something like coconut milk with a hint of creaminess.
Mirajane smiled and handed the other glass to Makarov.
"What were you two discussing?" she asked curiously, noticing that they had been in a private conversation.
"Two new members will be joining the guild soon," Nate said briefly, though he left out the detail about their past as members of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. Only Makarov needed to know about that.
"Really? Even Ultear from the Magic Council?" Mirajane said, shocked. Was she really leaving her position as a council member to join the guild? After all, being on the council offered much higher status and income than being a guild mage.
Mirajane seemed intrigued. "Why would she do that?"
Nate felt himself sweating. "Maybe she's tired of all those endless meetings?"
"Is that so?"
Makarov chuckled, watching the two of them interact. 'They actually make a pretty good couple,' he thought.
...
That morning, Nate took it easy, writing code. Around noon, Juvia arrived with a lunchbox filled with homemade food.
Nate accepted it graciously. This wasn't the first time Juvia had made him lunch, and the guild members were already used to it. Everyone knew Juvia liked Nate—even Lucy's spirit, Plue, knew it. Plue was a small, white spirit with a yellow nose, mostly good for nothing besides being cute. Officially, he was known as Canis Minor, Nikora.
After finishing Juvia's meal, Erza appeared at the worksite. Today, she wasn't wearing her usual armor and blue skirt. Instead, she was dressed like an ordinary girl in casual clothes—a refreshing change from her usual battle gear or speed-oriented outfits like the bunny girl one.
Mirajane was surprised and curious. Erza explained, "I want to start dressing like a regular girl more often. I'll leave my armor for battle."
Mirajane was astonished, but Nate knew the real reason. 'Love changes people,' he thought. Even the Fairy Queen wasn't immune to its effects.
However, when Erza walked toward him, Nate began to sweat again. 'I can't stay here much longer!'
Before she could reveal their relationship, Nate quickly grabbed her hand.
"Here for a spar? Let's go!" he said and hurriedly led her away.
The two left the city and had an intense duel in the countryside. After Nate summoned a vast ocean, the match ended in a draw.
"Don't hold back, Nate. I want a real fight," Erza said, a bit frustrated.
'I can only spank you!' Nate thought. 'How could I go all out against my girlfriend?'
"Let's do it in the arena next time," he suggested.
"Alright," Erza agreed, though she seemed a little disappointed. Still, she was happy that her boyfriend cared for her.
"But the arena's too crowded lately. We should wait a few days," Nate added, remembering all the complaints in the forum about the long queues. Ultear had mentioned it as well. They just needed to wait until Loke created more maps. He could produce two sets of maps per day, so soon the queues would ease.
"Also, Erza, let's keep our relationship a secret from the others for now," Nate said.
"Why?" she asked, puzzled.
"Think about it. Most of the guild members are single. If we flaunt our relationship, it might make them feel bad."
Whether or not others would feel pressured, Nate didn't know. But he certainly felt the pressure himself.
Erza thought for a moment and nodded. "You're right. That makes sense."
With that crisis averted, Nate let out a sigh of relief.
...
After escorting Erza back to the guild, Nate returned to his apartment, intent on writing code. 'Girlfriends are great, but code is even better!'
He wrote until late into the night, only stopping when Lucy brought him dinner.
"Nate, you haven't been home much lately. I've been eating all the dinner I make by myself," Lucy said, a little disappointed.
"I've been out seeking inspiration," Nate replied. "Developing new features requires it."
"You work so hard," Lucy said, feeling sorry for him.
'Yes, it's very hard!' Nate thought, recalling Cana's prediction of "woman trouble."
Suddenly remembering something, he pulled out the Fleuve d'étoiles whip and handed it to Lucy.
"This is from the Celestial Spirit King," he said.
"Huh?"
"I asked him for Urano Metria, but he invited us to visit the Celestial Spirit World. We'll go there in a few days," he explained and then taught her how to use the whip. It was a simple weapon to learn.
Lucy eagerly swung the whip, clearly excited. "Thank you, Nate!"
"Thank the Spirit King," Nate replied.
"I don't know him, so of course, I'll thank you!"
...
Two days later, Ultear and Meredy arrived in Magnolia.
"This is my boyfriend, Nate," Ultear introduced.
Meredy was stunned. As an avid user of the Magic Net and a Mahjong addict, she was well aware of Nate's name. So Ultear was really in love; no wonder she had changed so much lately.
She discreetly observed Nate, noting that he looked even more handsome in person than in photos.
"Hello, I'm Meredy," she greeted politely, though her expression was mostly blank, giving off a "three-no" vibe—no emotion, no reaction, no unnecessary words.
"Hello, I'm Nate," he replied simply.
After introductions, Nate took Ultear to find a place to live. Ultear, being wealthy, had no interest in staying in the guild's dormitory. It wasn't ideal for spending time with Nate. She even considered moving in with him, but since Meredy was with her, she decided against it for now.
In the end, she rented a large house close to the guild, paying a hefty 300,000J a month in rent.
"The guild has been under construction recently. It's already late tonight, so I'll take you there tomorrow," Nate suggested, planning to maybe tell her about Juvia soon.
Ultear smiled mischievously. "Did you forget my magic?"
"My magic can complete the guild's reconstruction in an instant!"
Her 'Arc of Time' could restore anything to its former state or even push it forward in time.
Nate realized she was right. "You're right. You'll save us a fortune on repairs!"
"Consider it a gift from the new member. Let's go, dear brother—I want to see everyone's shocked faces tomorrow!"
Ultear smiled sweetly.
The next morning, the members of Fairy Tail stood outside the newly reconstructed guild hall, completely dumbfounded.
"What just happened?!"
"Did the guild get rebuilt overnight?"
~~~
4/10 Bonus Chapters this week