Chapter 18

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Noah had heard Makarov mention before that Porlyusica, though not very famous, was an extremely capable person.

When Makarov said this, Noah had assumed that Porlyusica was a powerful individual, comparable to Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints.

Now, Noah understood that when Makarov said Porlyusica was an extremely capable person, he was referring to her healing abilities, not her strength.

Noah's injuries, though not life-threatening, were certainly not minor. Yet, after just one visit from Porlyusica, who said he would be fully recovered in three days, Noah indeed healed completely by then.

After the three days, when Noah removed the bandages, his left shoulder and arm, which had been charred black, had returned to their original state, leaving only a few rather nasty scars.

Of course, if Porlyusica had been able to check on Noah during those three days, he would have been left without a trace of injury.

Unfortunately, getting the human-hating Porlyusica to come back to 'Fairy Tail' just to prevent Noah from scarring was probably something even Makarov couldn't manage.

Noah wasn't particularly bothered by the nasty scar that ran from his left shoulder down his entire left arm. After confirming that his injuries were fully healed, he hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his entire left arm in bandages to cover the scar, and left the room.

...

'Fairy Tail' was as noisy as ever.

Looking at the bustling first floor of the guild, which resembled a bar, Noah felt a sense of nostalgia, a smile involuntarily spreading across his face as he walked into the sight of his guildmates.

"Noah?"

Gray, who was talking to someone at a wooden table, froze at the sight of Noah, then quickly jogged over and started feeling Noah's body.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Noah said with a smile, swatting away Gray's hands.

"The injuries are completely healed."

"Really?" Gray continued to feel around, his eyes scrutinizing Noah.

"You looked like you were about to die when you came back, and it's only been three days. Are you really all better?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have come down," Noah said, exasperatedly swatting away Gray's hands.

"You know, Grandpa is unusually stubborn about these things. He wouldn't have let me come down if I wasn't healed."

"You're right," Gray stopped pestering Noah, crossing his arms and marveling.

"But I didn't expect that your first mission would result in such serious injuries. I told you not to go, didn't I?"

"I know you were worried, but these things happen. It's good that I'm okay," Noah said, surprisingly understanding, and even offered some advice to Gray.

"When you get the chance to go on a mission, be careful and don't end up like me."

"Just because you went on a mission before me, you're acting like a senior? What's with that?" Gray pouted, then gestured to the side.

"Instead of me, look over there."

Noah looked in the direction Gray indicated and was surprised.

There, Erza, still in her armor, sat at a wooden table, her red hair as brilliant as ever, her expression as stern as usual.

What was different was that this time, Erza was not sitting alone in a corner of the guild.

At the table where Erza sat, a few other guild girls were also seated, chatting with her. They seemed to be getting along quite well.

"This..." Even Noah was taken aback.

"What's going on?"

Noah clearly remembered that the previous Erza had always been aloof and never interacted with others.

But now, what was happening?

"Three days ago, after you all returned, Erza became much more approachable and no longer rejected the guildmates who tried to get close to her," Gray said curiously.

"Did something happen while you were on the mission? Otherwise, why would Erza have changed so much?"

"I'm not really sure," Noah scratched his cheek, but he had his suspicions. He just smiled at Gray.

"Well, it's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Indeed, the current Erza is much more likable. But I heard that during your mission, Erza apparently defeated a mage from 'Phantom Lord'!" Gray said, eager to challenge her.

"If I get the chance, I'll challenge Erza to see if she's really that strong!"

Hearing Gray's words, Noah opened his mouth to say something, but seeing Gray's excited face, he knew it was pointless.

Honestly, Noah didn't think Gray's chances of challenging Erza were good.

Not only was Gray still in the learning stage of his magic, but using magic in battle was still too early for him.

On the other hand, Erza not only had formidable sword skills that could crush the regular mages of 'Phantom Lord's' branch, but she also used her 'Armor Magic' with great proficiency, far beyond what Gray, who was still in the exploration stage, could match.

If Gray were to face Erza, Noah thought it would be a miracle if he could last a minute.

Just as Noah was feeling helpless about Gray's decision, Erza noticed him from a distance. She quickly said something to the others at her table, then got up and walked over to Noah.

Seeing the brave young girl in armor approaching, Noah chuckled and, when Erza reached him, spoke directly.

"It seems you're finally starting to fit in here..."

"Everyone is very easy to get along with," Erza nodded, then asked with concern.

"Are your injuries all better?"

"As you can see, they're basically fully healed," Noah moved his left arm, but his gaze was drawn to Erza's eyes.

Of course, this wasn't because Erza was particularly charming or because she had a beautiful face and eyes. It was because both of her eyes were now exposed to the air.

Yes!

Both of them!

The medical eye patch that had covered one of Erza's eyes was gone, and both eyes were intact and visible to Noah.

Naturally, this drew Noah's attention.

"Your eyes..." Noah asked cautiously.

"My eyes..." Erza touched the eye that had been covered by the medical eye patch, then shook her head after a moment.

"They were gone, but the old lady who came to treat you at the guild master's request also checked my eyes."

"I see," Noah understood.

"An artificial eye?"

Erza nodded, seemingly not wanting to talk about her eyes, and changed the subject with a serious tone.

"I haven't thanked you for saving me yet!"

Noah shrugged, about to brush it off, but then his mind changed, and he looked at Erza intently.

"Since that's the case, there's something I want to ask you. Can you come with me for a moment?"

"Sure!" Although she didn't know what Noah wanted to ask, Erza agreed readily.

So, under Noah's lead, the two of them left the guild together.

Seeing Noah and Erza leave as if no one else existed, Gray, standing nearby, was stunned for a moment before bursting out in anger.

"Are you ignoring me?!!"

;

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