Chapter 9 : Ahhanita Town!!

"No, thanks!" The scent of perfume filled Everit's nostrils, and he quickly stepped back.

"So swift!" Lucy couldn't help but be amazed by the other person's agility.

"That's Bob, the guild master of Blue Pegasus," Erza explained. "He's the type Everit struggles to handle."

"Do you really think so? Little Everit is clearly quite popular in our guild. If needed, many girls would gladly be your girlfriend," Bob continued, drawing nearer.

"No, thank you! Ah, I've been battling all day and I'm exhausted. I need to rest. Goodbye, Mr. Bob," Everit swiftly activated his magic, disappearing from view.

Bob reclined leisurely, striking a flamboyant pose. "Ah, such a shy child."

"Eek!" Lucy shuddered.

"Lucy, feeling chilly?" Natsu inquired, carrying Lucy piggyback.

"No," Lucy mumbled into Natsu's scarf.

"Let's move, Natsu," Gray urged.

"Okay."

They took a few steps.

"Lucy, you're quite heavy," Natsu remarked.

"No, I'm not!" Lucy blushed furiously and playfully punched Natsu on the head.

"It's true, heavier than Lisanna," Natsu stated matter-of-factly, causing Lucy to freeze.

"What on earth are you doing, you rascal!" Everit suddenly reappeared, brandishing a camera in his left hand and delivering a punch to Natsu's face with his right.

"Hey, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Natsu, you asked for it!" Gray chimed in.

"Indeed," Erza agreed.

"Well, that's our Natsu for you," Happy commented, adopting a maternal tone tinged with resignation.

"It's beyond comprehension!" Natsu grumbled, unable to retaliate while carrying Lucy on his back. He could only puff up his cheeks indignantly and turn away.

"..."

After a while, Lucy's voice emanated from Natsu's scarf.

"Who's Lisanna?"

"..." Everyone fell silent.

"Gray's childhood sweetheart," Everit responded.

"Gray's childhood sweetheart? Then why did Natsu carry her?" Lucy inquired.

"..." Gray shot Everit a quizzical look, curious about his response.

"Because we're comrades. It's natural for comrades to carry each other, just like this," Everit explained, climbing onto Erza's back.

Erza had no choice but to hoist Everit up, finding him quite hefty. It had been years since she'd carried anyone on her back, and the one she'd carried most frequently in the past was Natsu. Carrying Natsu had been much easier; usually, he'd fall asleep from exhaustion, unlike Everit, who kept shifting positions.

Seeing Everit squirming on her back, Erza felt no irritation. Lucy sensed that Erza regarded Everit, Natsu, Gray, and the others as... family. But she couldn't shake the feeling that Lisanna might mean more to Natsu than just a childhood friend.

However, Lucy refrained from probing further. Despite her intuition that this matter was complicated, she felt it wasn't her place to pry into Natsu's past.

"I'll take the lead," Erza declared, taking a few steps forward and causing Everit on her back to vanish.

Everit couldn't endure it any longer. He wasn't Natsu; he couldn't bang his head against Erza's chest armor and come out unscathed.

After a few more steps, Lucy still hesitated to speak. "Something seems amiss, Natsu..."

"..." Erza and Gray hastily averted their gazes.

Suddenly, Natsu felt something strike his ankle, causing him to topple to the ground. Instinctively, he reached down and felt something softer than his thigh.

The unexpected mishap cut off Lucy's words, and Erza and Gray breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Huh? What's this?" Natsu, slow on the uptake, couldn't comprehend what he was holding and pinched it a couple of times in confusion.

"Ah! You idiot! You idiot! You idiot!" Lucy's face flushed crimson as she wildly slapped Natsu's head.

*Click* *Click* The sound of cameras snapping echoed around them.

"Such a mischievous fellow," Gray muttered to himself, feeling a newfound wariness. He resolved to steer clear of Natsu's antics in the future.

They spent the night resting at the hotel.

Because the station and railway were damaged, Erza and the others decided to walk back with the Guild Master. Everit exclaimed, "Walk? Are you kidding me?!" 

Everyone knew him well; he was always considered weak with poor physical fitness. Compared to Natsu, who had a phobia of vehicles, Everit definitely depended on vehicles more!

There was no need to rush back. The next "Alex's Machine Exhibition" would be held in the town of Ahhanita. Everit had heard that the commercial street in Ahhanita Town was quite good, so he decided to take a detour and check it out in advance. Rushing blindly wasn't his style.

Ahhanita Town. 

Everit arrived at the entrance but was stopped. "Sorry, guest, please pay the 1000J entrance fee," the soldier said.

"Why?" Everit questioned. 1000J wasn't much, but Everit wasn't wasteful. He didn't mind spending money, but it had to be for a good reason.

The soldier explained, "This is the first time guests have come to Ahhanita Town. Our town used to be very poor until the Ahhanita family managed it, making it prosperous. However, there are still some who resist progress and change."

"So, the prosperous areas are all in the west. If guests aren't willing to pay, they have to enter from the east—a poor area with thieves and robbers."

Ahhanita Town was located in a canyon with only two entrances, east and west. 

"Oh," Everit nodded and paid the fee.

"Welcome, guest. Enjoy your stay in our town," the soldier said.

"I'd like to offer you some advice," Everit said, adjusting his glasses.

Ahhanita Town was indeed prosperous. Perhaps it was due to the concentration of resources in this half of the town, or maybe because the Ahhanita family was a renowned business family.

But Everit didn't dwell on the dirty dealings behind the scenes. He was having a great time exploring the town. There were plenty of attractions, amusement facilities, toys, delicious snacks, and even a food court with specialties from around the world. It was a true tourist attraction.

In the evening, the Ahhanita family had inserted many exquisite artificial crystals into the cliffs on both sides of the town, taking advantage of the special terrain. 

As the sun set, the crystals refracted colorful light onto the buildings, people, and streets below, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Everit couldn't help but feel like he was in a fairy tale world.

As he walked, Everit was taking pictures when suddenly a tall figure passed by his camera. Beauties! He instinctively looked over.

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