Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master
Chapter 503: Reunion! Recognition!

Chapter 503: Reunion! Recognition!

Carla found it hard to believe. She had no memory of ever learning prophecy magic.

But then she thought about how she’d foreseen the Guard Division’s attack last night, and how Happy had no idea about Edolas at all. Maybe... it really did make sense?

Lucy followed up with another question. "If Nichiya knows the whole thing is a lie, then why is he still so arrogant toward us?"

"Because they must appear strong," Erza said, crossing her arms. She kept her eyes pointedly away from Gemini, who had taken on Nichiya’s form.

"For years, Exceed and the humans maintained a delicate balance. If they show even a hint of weakness, that illusion could shatter completely. That’s why they strictly forbid humans from entering their domain without permission. The whole system depends on fear."

"Oh no..." Rhodes suddenly realized. "I might’ve caused a huge mess for the Exceed."

If they were truly that vulnerable, and if Edolas believed it was the Edolas Erza who attacked them, they wouldn’t dare retaliate directly. But with their Guard Division already defeated by his team, the Exceed were defenseless.

Queen Shagotte’s prophecy... could it have been triggered by them?

Everyone quietly came to the same unsettling conclusion. The Exceed might be doomed, and it could be their fault.

But right now, there were more urgent matters to deal with.

Without knowing whether Edolas would go after the magic crystals or the Exceed first, they had to focus on saving their missing companions. Only afterward could they even think about trying to fix the rest.

Nichiya didn’t know many details about the inner workings of the Edolas Kingdom, but he could provide some intel: names, magic styles, and notable officials.

For instance, Panther Lily’s swordsmanship, Erza Knightwalker’s Ten Commandments Spear, Hughes’s baton, and Sugarboy’s Rose Sword.

Everyone carefully took notes. They planned to head for the capital at dawn, and since a fight might be unavoidable, this intel could be crucial.

Happy suddenly raised his hand and blurted out, "Then do you know who Carla’s mom and dad are?"

His thoughts were simple: he’d been so happy to see his parents. So shouldn’t Carla want to meet hers too?

At the very least, she’d want to know who they were.

"S-stupid! This isn’t the time for that kind of question!" Carla snapped back with a flush of embarrassment. But despite her words, she couldn’t help but lean in, quietly hoping for an answer.

"Unfortunately, Nichiya doesn’t know," Gemini replied.

Carla’s ears drooped a little in disappointment.

But then Gemini continued, "However... Nichiya thinks that Carla looks very much like Queen Shagotte."

(In truth, only Queen Shagotte and the Four Elders knew Carla was her daughter. But with such a striking resemblance, even Nichiya had his suspicions.)

"What?!" Marl gasped. She had once seen the Queen from afar, and now that it was mentioned... the resemblance was uncanny.

Carla’s eyes widened. ’Could it be? Her mother... was the Queen?’

But the Queen had lied to everyone!

No, she had done so to protect her people.

But she had sent away a hundred children!

No, she had done it to ensure her race’s survival...

But she threw her own child into another world...

Carla’s heart twisted.

Even that... was done with the hope that her child might live a better life.

Carla wanted to hate her, for abandoning her, for lying to everyone, for placing such a burden on a child who never asked for it.

But now that she knew the truth, she couldn’t bring herself to hate her at all.

All those so-called "missions," "duties," and "responsibilities" weren’t real. They had never been assigned.

It had all been a misunderstanding, no, worse.

She had misunderstood her own magic.

For six years, she had been deceiving herself.

Six years...

Carla’s mind was a whirlwind of emotions. She didn’t know how to feel, or even what to say.

Then, unexpectedly, someone embraced her gently.

A soft, familiar warmth pulled her from the chaos.

Carla looked up, and met the comforting eyes of Wendy.

"That’s wonderful, Carla!" Wendy said, her voice filled with relief as she rubbed her cheek affectionately against Carla’s. "There was never any mission. So the reason you came to me, the reason you said you’d protect me, it was all because you wanted to, right?"

"N-no! That’s not it at all!" Carla retorted instinctively, flustered.

But when she saw Wendy’s trusting, joyful expression, she faltered.

"It’s... it’s just that you’re so much trouble," Carla mumbled, looking away with a blush.

Wendy giggled but didn’t call her out. "Mm-hm! I know."

With that, they could no longer ignore the Exceed situation.

Rhodes, Erza, Gray, and Lisanna, being the more practical ones, gathered to discuss their next steps. After a brief conversation, they all agreed: they should rest early and make a move at dawn.

And so, morning came swiftly.

Because Moon Drip couldn’t be activated during daylight, they had to sneak into the capital while the sun was up.

Everyone changed into simpler outfits and prepared for stealth. Four sturdy backpacks were readied, just large enough to safely hide Happy, Carla, and her parents.

If they ran into danger, the Exceed could leap out and provide support.

In Carla’s words, "Since we already caused trouble for our family, we might as well make the most of our Exceed identities while we still can."

As for the captured enemies from the night before, they were left aboard the airship. Rhodes figured they’d eventually wake up and leave on their own.

However, they hadn’t gone far when a deep rumble echoed in the distance.

Everyone immediately drew their weapons, eyes sharp and senses alert.

Before long, they spotted something barreling toward them through the trees, a blazing vehicle, wheels alight with fire, and a large figure clinging to its roof.

Natsu instinctively grimaced.

After spending all of yesterday aboard an airship, the mere sight of another fast-moving machine was enough to make his stomach churn.

But then he squinted at the silhouette on the roof.

"Gajeel?!" he exclaimed.

Normally, seeing Gajeel would only annoy him. The two never got along. But now, seeing a familiar face in this strange world, it actually made him smile.

The fire-powered chariot drew closer, and soon everyone could see the passengers in the front seat clearly.

Lucy gasped. "Is that... me?! And...Natsu?!"

Happy poked his head out of Natsu’s backpack and stared, stunned. "Wait...is Natsu driving?!"

Natsu’s reaction was even more over-the-top. He grabbed both cheeks and stretched them until his face was completely distorted.

"It’s real! That’s me! And I don’t get motion sickness in this world!"

The flaming chariot came to a sudden, stylish stop right in front of them, both figuratively and literally stalling the entire group.

Before anyone could respond, a figure bolted from the passenger side and launched herself straight into Rhodes’ arms.

Caught off guard, Rhodes staggered back several steps under the force of the collision. His mind blanked for a moment, but when he caught the person properly, realization hit him like a lightning bolt.

"Mira?"

At first, he assumed it was this world’s Mira. After all, she had arrived with this world’s Natsu and Lucy.

But the way she ran to him, the emotion in her gaze, the warmth and urgency in her hug, he knew instantly.

There was no mistake.

"Mm—" Mira looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. Her mouth trembled as she spoke with a hint of grievance, "Where did you go...?"

Her face was scratched and bruised. Her clothes were torn, her body covered in signs of battle. Even her usually pristine white hair was singed in places, despite someone clearly trying to neaten it earlier.

She had clearly gone through something terrible.

And now, she looked so small, so vulnerable, so unlike her usual bold and confident self, that Rhodes felt something twist sharply in his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"I’m sorry," he whispered. "I wasn’t there when it mattered."

Mira shook her head against his chest and clung to his jacket with both hands.

"I don’t care about all that," she murmured, "I just want you to be here now."

"Hmph," Gajeel grunted from behind as he leapt down from the roof of the vehicle, turning his head aside dramatically. ’Was this really the same fierce, domineering sister who wiped the floor with Erza earlier?’

’And what’s with that teary, pitiful look? You’re the one who beat everyone up, why do you look like the victim?’

Natsu and Lucy quietly stepped aside, giving Rhodes and Mira space. They instead approached their counterparts from this world.

The two sets of "Lucy" and "Natsu" stared at each other, standing in eerie symmetry. For a few moments, no one said a word.

Meanwhile, Elfman had exited the vehicle as well. He watched his sister and Rhodes, a gentle smile on his face.

But as his eyes drifted elsewhere, they suddenly locked onto someone familiar.

He froze.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

It was Lisanna.

At first, her unfamiliar clothing had thrown him off, making him think she was the other world’s version of his sister. But now, looking closer...

He stepped forward, his hands trembling slightly. Then he grabbed Mira’s sleeve.

"S-Sis... this is..."

Mira turned, following his gaze. At first, she too assumed it was her Edolas counterpart.

But then she looked again, and gasped.

Covering her mouth with both hands, she was overcome with shock.

Tears spilled from Lisanna’s eyes.

She took a hesitant step forward, then another, and finally broke into a run, throwing herself at her brother and sister.

"Mira-nee! Elfman!"

"Lisanna!"