Chapter 368: Banquet
Mirajane was equally unable to avoid it; she was also stuffed with a massive pile of items by the enthusiastic villagers, all of which were unique clothing and handicrafts of the Nirvit tribe. Because these were tokens of the villagers' goodwill, Mirajane could only smile and accept them.
Seeing Mirajane, Wendy, and the others being so warmly entertained by the villagers, Roubaul gave Noah a glance. The two of them stepped out of the building simultaneously and arrived at a secluded corner.
"I heard that an Allied Force is being formed to subjugate the Oración Seis, and that the Oración Seis's target is right here. They must have been attracted by the rumors you deliberately leaked earlier, right? Among those people, there must be the person you are looking for?" Roubaul said to Noah.
Noah wanted to deny it, but seeing Roubaul's incredibly certain gaze, he immediately knew the elder had already done his own investigating. Unable to hide it, he replied, "It should be them, but without meeting them face-to-face, I cannot be completely sure."
Noah shook his head. Without a true face-to-face encounter, no one could know for sure if it was the person he was looking for.
"It would be wonderful if it is. It would fulfill your wish, and it would also fulfill mine," Roubaul sighed with utmost sincerity.
"Grandpa Roubaul, won't you reconsider? Once Wendy and the others find out..."
Roubaul raised a hand to interrupt Noah's words. He looked at Noah very seriously and said, "I know what you are thinking, but my mind is made up. I have lived for far too long, and the others are waiting for me..."
Roubaul let out a long sigh. He looked at Noah and asked, "You didn't tell Wendy and the girls about the actual situation, did you?"
"No, I haven't mentioned the specific circumstances to anyone else." Noah shook his head. He had tried to persuade Roubaul many times before, but each time the elder firmly refused, and even warned Noah not to tell Wendy and the girls the truth.
Going against Roubaul's wishes and telling Wendy and the girls the actual situation so they could try to persuade him might have had some effect. But Noah could see that Roubaul had been constantly tortured by regret and pain. If Noah hadn't previously given him the task of recording the cultural history of his people so he had something to do, Roubaul likely would have passed away on his own the moment he confirmed Noah had the power to destroy Nirvana.
But now he was nearing his absolute limit. Because Noah had previously stated he wanted to use Nirvana for his plans, Roubaul had held on for over half a year longer. Now, hearing that someone had taken the bait, and that it was very likely the person Noah was searching for, Roubaul visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Noah could see the unwavering resolve in his eyes. It was highly probable that, regardless of whether the people coming this time were the ones Noah was looking for or not, Roubaul had already planned to leave. Noah felt an intense wave of sorrow; he opened his mouth a few times but did not know what to say. Roubaul had shown him no shortage of care and affection, doing everything in his power to teach Noah in various aspects. Roubaul deserved a great deal of credit for Noah's growth.
"Do not be sad. This is my own choice; you should be happy for me," Roubaul consoled Noah with a relaxed smile.
Perhaps because he had finally made up his mind, the expression on Roubaul's face was brighter and more radiant than Noah had ever seen before.
Looking at the radiant smile on Roubaul's face, Noah felt a heavy tightness in his chest. He blinked forcefully a few times; though no tears fell, his eyes slowly began to redden.
"Alright now, you still have your own matters to attend to, right? Hurry along now, do not dawdle here," Roubaul said with a smile, patting Noah on the shoulder.
"I think I will stay here tonight," Noah said, his voice slightly hoarse.
"That is fine too." Roubaul did not refuse.
"I'll have Wendy and the girls spend some time with you."
Roubaul nodded to show he understood, simultaneously waving his hand to urge Noah to hurry up and handle his own business.
Noah turned and walked back inside the house. Wendy and the others were still happily chatting with the villagers. Mirajane immediately noticed Noah walking in with slightly reddened eyes.
She quickly hurried over, grabbed his arm, and lowered her voice to ask urgently, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Nothing... Just make sure you all spend plenty of time with Grandpa Roubaul," Noah replied, his still somewhat hoarse voice startling Mirajane.
When she first heard those words, she thought Grandpa Roubaul was on his deathbed. But a moment later, she saw Roubaul walking in right behind Noah. His complexion was as rosy as ever, and his vitality didn't seem diminished in the slightest. Mirajane couldn't quite figure out why Noah was acting this way.
Although she didn't know why Noah said that, she nodded seriously, indicating that she understood.
Seeing Mirajane agree, Noah told Wendy and the girls that he needed to make a quick trip back to the guild.
By this time, Noah's voice had returned to normal, and the redness in his eyes had mostly faded. Wendy and the others didn't notice anything unusual about him; they just happily said their goodbyes. Roubaul also smiled and waved at Noah. Noah could only give a firm nod before casting Teleportation to return to the Fairy Tail guild hall.
Upon returning to the guild, Noah saw that Natsu and the others were all still there. After asking around, he found out that they were already prepared and were just waiting to set off tomorrow. With nothing else to do, they were just bragging and chatting.
In no time at all, Natsu and Gray had already started fighting, with the surrounding guild members cheering them on loudly.
"Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Happy, how about I take you all to a banquet?"
"A banquet? Hell yeah! I'm gonna eat a massive feast!" Natsu, who was in the middle of a brawl, immediately shouted in excitement upon hearing this.
"A massive feast!" Happy, who was watching the fight from the sidelines, echoed loudly.
"Sounds good to me," Gray said, also stopping his scuffle.
"A banquet? It's not going to be another formal ball like the one at that Count's place, is it?" Lucy asked with a hint of doubt.
"No, it's completely different. To be precise, where we're going is more of a tribal gathering or a village get-together. It's nothing like the ball at the Count's mansion," Noah said, shaking his head.
"Then what about our gathering tomorrow after we attend this banquet?" Lucy thought about how they had to form the Allied Force to subjugate the Oración Seis tomorrow. How were they supposed to fight the enemy after partying at a banquet?
"Our meeting point is near the Worth Woodsea, and the place we're heading to is right around there too. So don't worry, you could even sleep in late there before getting up and you'd still be fine," Noah explained to her.
"The Worth Woodsea? I remember Grandpa Roubaul is in that area too, right? Could this banquet you're talking about be hosted by Grandpa Roubaul and the others?" Erza asked Noah.
"Yeah, it's at Grandpa Roubaul's place. It just so happens that our destination tomorrow is right nearby. We can stay the night at Grandpa Roubaul's and head straight there tomorrow."
"That works as well. Tomorrow we can face the Oración Seis in much better spirits." Erza nodded, feeling that Noah's proposal was excellent.
"Then without further ado, let's head over right now. Wendy and the girls are already there, so we can all join the banquet held by Grandpa Roubaul and the others together," Noah announced to the group.
Natsu and Happy were already standing to the side, drooling in anticipation. Gray took two steps away in slight disgust to distance himself from Natsu. Lucy wore a look of expectation, curious to see what this banquet Noah spoke of was really like. Ultear and Sorano stood silently to the side; seeing that they didn't object, Noah took it as their agreement.
Next, Noah raised his hand and cast Teleportation, bringing everyone directly to the vicinity of Roubaul's home.
Roubaul was a little surprised to see Noah return so shortly after leaving. But when he heard Natsu continuously chanting about a banquet and a massive feast, he immediately understood what was going on. He couldn't help but laugh as he said, "Don't rush, the banquet will begin shortly. We'll definitely make sure you eat your fill."
"Aye!" Natsu and Happy cheered happily in unison.
Before long, under Roubaul's arrangements, the Nirvit tribe quickly set up an open-air venue for the banquet. A massive amount of food was also prepared; the moment Natsu and Happy saw it, their eyes practically sparkled.
Time passed quickly. By the time the banquet preparations were finished, the sun had already set.
The moon hung high in the sky, and though the scattered starlight wasn't as dazzling as the moonlight, it still strove to shine its light down upon the earth. Numerous bonfires had already been lit on the ground, casting a faint reddish glow into the surrounding night sky.
The clamor of voices caused the previously quiet environment to become lively and bustling once more. Noah and his friends, along with the Nirvit tribe led by Roubaul, were joyously celebrating the feast.
"Dish is sho ghood (This is so good)!" Natsu mumbled incoherently, tearing into a large steak.
"Swallow the food in your mouth before you speak!" Lucy scolded Natsu loudly. Then she turned her head to look at Gray, who was standing to the side completely bare-chested in nothing but his boxer shorts, and asked, "Where are your clothes?!"
"Crap!" Gray hastily began looking around everywhere for his clothes.
"Wow!"
"Great figure!"
"Nice abs, looks like you work out well."
"Not bad at all, young man. I've got my eye on you!"
The younger girls nearby covered their faces with their hands, though their peeking eyes could clearly be seen through the gaps between their fingers. The older women and men, on the other hand, casually pointed at Gray's physique without a care in the world, loudly sharing their opinions.
Being stared at by everyone like this, Gray couldn't help but flush red. After finding his clothes, he hurriedly put them on and shrank back into a corner.
"Carla, I think this fish is really good. You should try some," Happy said to Carla, who was right next to Wendy.
"Hmph." Carla accepted the fish Happy offered her and took a small bite. "It is indeed quite good."
"Right?!" Happy smiled brilliantly.
"Hahaha!" Wendy and the girls were chatting merrily with the village women. Roubaul watched their beaming, smiling figures with an affectionate, grandfatherly gaze.
Ultear and Sorano were originally weighed down by heavy thoughts, but amidst such a lively atmosphere, even their faces revealed faint, genuine smiles.
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