The busy train sped through the mountain ranges, finally coming to a smooth stop at the station.
The doors slid open, and several members of Fairy Tail's "Strongest Team" stepped off the train.
In the world of Earthland, the development of technology was a strange.
Aside from special vehicles powered by Magic Power—like magic airships, sleek magic trains, and the rare magic car—traditional steam-era trains and ships also existed in this world, coexisting in a delicate balance.
It was worth mentioning that Magnolia's station was one of the national railway hubs, with most major train lines passing through it.
This illustrated the standing of Magnolia within the economic heart of the Fiore Kingdom.
However, for Natsu, he couldn't distinguish much difference between these modes of transportation.
Whether it was magic or steam, if it moved, it was his enemy.
"Ugh... earth... sweet earth..."
Natsu practically crawled off the train, his face a shade of green that matched the surrounding foliage.
He kissed the station floor. He was hardly in the mood to ponder the socio-economic impact of the railway system; he just wished that transportation simply didn't exist in this world.
"Get up, you disgrace," Gray muttered, kicking Natsu's side lightly.
This time, the city Ankh and the others had arrived at was Onibus, a town famous for its performing arts.
After dragging the semi-conscious Natsu off the platform, the group began to take in the sights of the city.
It was certainly not as prosperous or bustling as Magnolia, but it possessed a unique charm. The streets were lined with colorful posters, theaters, and street performers. It likely ranked in the upper tier nationwide for culture and tourism.
"That theater should be on this street, right?" Gray asked idly, crossing his arms and scanning the architecture.
Lucy nodded cheerfully, holding a map.
"Yes! Once we meet the client at the theater, we can start working immediately."
She clenched her fist determinedly. "With our Magic, we'll definitely be able to attract a large audience for the client. It's easy money!"
Natsu trudged weakly behind them, looking dazed and still recovering from the motion sickness.
"Lucy..." Natsu groaned. "Why are you so invested in this job? It's just a play."
Lucy turn around, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Of course I'm invested! As an aspiring writer, I'd naturally hope for my novels to be adapted into stage plays someday! This is a great opportunity to learn more about the behind-the-scenes work of a production."
Ankh, walking with his hands in his pockets, smiled appreciatively. "That's not a bad idea—integrating your hobby into your work. It's efficient."
Lucy was a Celestial Spirit Mage, but her passion for literature was well known to her team.
Her talent for writing was no less than her talent for Magic. Gray had secretly read a few pages of her novel before (without her permission), and according to him, the story was actually quite well-written.
Even Gray, who rarely had anything nice to say without a sarcastic bite, didn't hesitate to praise it .
The group made their way to the entrance of the designated theater. It was a grand, albeit slightly faded, structure with velvet ropes and gold trim.
Gazing at the massive building before them, Erza couldn't help but exclaim, "What an impressive theater. One can feel the history in the stones."
"Let's go inside!" Lucy cheered happily.
Just then, the heavy oak door creaked open.
A strangely shaped head popped out from the shadows.
The man wore a colorful costume and had two large, purple pom-poms attached to his head like ears. He looked timidly at the group.
"Excuse me..." the man whispered. "Are you all from Fairy Tail?"
Lucy responded energetically, striking a pose. "Yes! You can leave attracting audiences to us! We are the specialized team!"
"Oh, thank goodness..."
The man, Rabian, stepped out. He shook the two purple pom-poms on his head awkwardly and sighed.
"About that..." Rabian said, wringing his hands. "There's been a slight, unexpected issue."
After leading the team inside the dimly lit theater, Rabian explained the dire situation the theater was facing.
The silence that followed was deafening.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Lucy screamed, her voice echoing to the rafters.
"All the actors have run away?!"
Rabian shrank back, hiding behind the red velvet curtain.
He spoke in an odd, detached tone. "Yes. Thank you all so much."
Happy, floating nearby, couldn't help but complain. "What are you thanking us for? That's bad news!"
Rabian peeked out, looking miserable. "Our theater troupe's performances have been receiving worse reviews with each show. The actors now feel performing in my stage plays is embarrassing. They all quit this morning."
He looked down at his shoes. "My wife even left home because I was too obsessed with pursuing my dreams. She even took the dog."
"That's... tragic," Lucy muttered.
"So this is truly my only chance..." Rabian looked at them with desperate eyes. "I really can't thank you enough!"
Gray also couldn't resist commenting. "You really do love saying thank you at the wrong times, don't you..."
The atmosphere was grim. The mission was to attract an audience, but without a play, there was no audience to attract.
However, facing the director's despair, Erza suddenly stepped forward.
Her eyes burned with a strange, intense fire!
"I thought it was something serious," Erza declared with full confidence.
She reached out and vigorously patted her armored chestplate.
CLANG!
"If you need actors, we have ready ones right here!" Erza shouted. "We shall perform!"
Her inner performance spirit seemed to ignite like wildfire. She immediately struck a dramatic pose, projecting her voice to the back row.
"To be or not to be! That is the question!"
Ankh watched his silly sister's sudden transformation, his eyebrow twitching.
Lucy, however, realized the potential.
She clapped her hands delightedly. "Wait... thinking about it, this could actually be fun! We can save the theater!"
Natsu completely failed to see what was enjoyable about acting.
He wore an expression that said 'I might be dumb but you can't fool me' as he questioned, "Will it be fun? Can I blow something up?"
Gray nodded enthusiastically, mostly to support Erza. "Don't worry, Director! We won't let your dreams end like this."
Ankh's heart suddenly sank.
He looked at the ragtag group.
A fire-breathing idiot, a stripping ice mage, an overly intense knight, and a writer.
'Whether they could act was one thing..' Ankh thought, massaging his temples.
'But mainly, I am starting to have some very bad premonitions about this...'
Rabian looked at everyone with moved eyes.
"You... you would do that?"
But he immediately turned his head away toward the door and muttered disdainfully under his breath.
"Fine, let them try... Tch, a bunch of amateurs. They'll probably ruin it."
Gray stared at him speechlessly. "Hey! I heard that! Shouldn't you be thanking us now?!"
Happy fluttered his wings, spreading his paws helplessly. "He's a weirdo who can't grasp the right timing for gratitude! He's broken!"
With only one week left until the performance, the team temporarily settled in the town and began earnestly preparing for the theater activities.
On the theater stage, the lights were bright. Everyone was rehearsing with their scripts in hand.
Erza, wearing blue training clothes, stood center stage. She recited her lines with radiant, overwhelming energy.
"O, Princess! Why is the world so cruel to our love?!"
With emotional depth, clear articulation, and expressive features, Erza's stage performance was... surprisingly impressive.
It was intense, perhaps a bit too intense, resembling a Shakespearean tragedy more than a light romance, but she commanded attention.
Lucy sat in the director's chair, gazing admiringly at the shining Erza. "I never knew Erza had acting talent. She's a natural!"
Happy nodded in agreement, munching on a fish. "She's completely immersed in her character! It's scary!"
In stark contrast, Natsu and Gray stood opposite Erza.
They held their scripts with stiff limbs, reading in monotone voices.
Natsu: "Roar. I am a dragon. Fear me."
Gray: "I am the bad guy. I will catch you."
It was painful to watch.
Lucy served as the director, utilizing her writing skills.
She was organizing everyone's lines (including her own), directing stage arrangements, and managing positioning. Everything appeared orderly and organized under her command.
Only Ankh was slacking off nearby.
He was lounging gracefully at the edge of the stage, legs dangling over the orchestra pit, watching the train wreck unfold.
The stage play's plot followed a particularly cliché story written by Rabian himself.
A Prince (played by Erza, naturally) from one kingdom falls in love with a Princess (played by Lucy) from an enemy nation. Just as they decide to elope, the princess gets kidnapped by an Ambitious Schemer (Gray), who summons his loyal servant, the Fire Dragon (Natsu), to confront the prince.
After a passionate battle, the Ambitious Schemer and the Fire Dragon are defeated, and the Prince and Princess live happily ever after.
Ankh flipped through the script, wincing.
"With such a terrible script, no wonder they were about to go bankrupt before," Ankh complained aloud.
"This dialogue is atrocious. 'Oh, look at the moon, it is round like my love'? Who writes this trash?"
The sloppy story and flat character designs, combined with endlessly convoluted dialogue, dragged out the runtime to its absolute limit.
It was a cure for insomnia.
"If the client hadn't forbidden script changes," Ankh muttered, dark energy swirling around his finger, "I would have definitely rewritten this. I'd show the audience what a real blockbuster looks like! We need explosions! Plot twists! Betrayal!"
Fortunately, Ankh's role was eventually resolved.
Thanks to Ankh's extremely "enthusiastic" attitude—which mostly involved criticizing every line Natsu read—he moved the great director Lucy so deeply that she immediately recast his role...
To someone of significant importance!
There stood Ankh, looking listless at the edge of the stage. He was dressed in a tuxedo, holding a magical microphone.
"Ahem," Ankh spoke, his voice amplified through the hall. "The next story... The Tale of Frederick and Yandilika. Performers: Lucy, Erza, Natsu, Gray, Happy..."
He lowered the script and looked at Lucy with dead eyes.
"I'm the damn narrator?" Ankh asked flatly.
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