Chapter 102: Chapter 102: A Top-Tier Staff Body
With everyone gathered, and Erza's luggage secured in George's magical backpack, there was no need to arrange for special storage. The group of four humans and two cats boarded the train together.
Gray and Natsu sat in one row, with Happy between them. Lucy and Erza sat across from them, with George in the middle.
However, as soon as the train started moving, Natsu's demeanor changed dramatically. He no longer looked energetic like he had before boarding but instead appeared to be suffering from severe motion sickness.
"What's wrong with him?" George asked in surprise.
He could understand someone getting carsick or seasick, but trainsick was a new concept to him—especially for someone with Natsu's incredible physical resilience.
"It's just how Natsu is," Happy explained, pulling a small dried fish from his bag and munching on it. "He gets motion sickness on any form of transportation. You'll get used to it."
As Natsu's long-time companion, Happy was entirely unfazed. He even offered George one of the dried fish, but George politely declined. While his body resembled a cat's, his soul was that of a human, and he didn't share Happy's love for dried fish.
"Motion sickness from all forms of transport? That doesn't make any sense," George muttered. Although he couldn't figure out why, he drew his wand and cast a spell on Natsu.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Under the effects of the Levitation Charm, Natsu slowly floated off his seat, suspended in mid-air. Without physical contact with the train's surface, Natsu instantly felt better and even let out a small burst of flame in relief.
"Ha! I'm back to normal! Thanks, George!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Glad it works," George replied with a nod. With his 'infinite' magical reserves and the boost from his super wand, maintaining the Levitation Charm for half an hour was no problem. If necessary, he could recast it multiple times to keep Natsu afloat for the duration of the trip.
Natsu was a key combatant for this mission, so George needed to ensure he stayed in good condition. After all, if they encountered enemies, George couldn't take on the front line himself.
"Erza, we've already set off. Could you tell us what this is all about now?" Gray asked.
The group still didn't know what kind of trouble Erza had mentioned or who their enemies were.
Erza nodded and began to explain.
A few days earlier, after completing a mission and on her way back to the guild, she stopped at a bar in Onibus that was frequented by wizards. There, she overheard members of the Eisenwald Guild talking about their discovery of the legendary Cursed Flute. They intended to unseal its power and use its deadly curse for some grand plan.
"Wait, the Cursed Flute?!" George's eyes lit up at the mention.
He recalled reading about the Cursed Flute in a book on magical artifacts at the library. The artifact was originally designed for curse-based magic but had been modified by the infamous dark wizard Zeref into a deadly magical flute.
Anyone who heard the sound of this flute would instantly fall victim to its death curse, which had an enormous range of effect.
However, George wasn't interested in the flute's curse. Such a dangerous item would make him a target for every wizard in the kingdom if he tried to claim it. What intrigued him was its construction. The flute's image in the book showed that it was made of thick wood and had a skull-shaped headpiece. To George, it seemed like an ideal material for crafting a powerful staff.
He had always felt that the body of his super wand didn't quite match the quality of its core. If he could use a segment of the Cursed Flute as the staff body, he believed the resulting wand would significantly amplify his magic—particularly spells with a curse-like nature, such as Sectumsempra.
"George, do you know about the Cursed Flute?" Erza noticed his expression and asked.
George nodded and explained what he had read in the library.
After hearing his explanation, Erza's expression grew serious.
"This thing is far too dangerous to be left unchecked. The Eisenwald guild is a dark wizard guild that takes on assassination and other illegal tasks. There's no way their plan involves anything good. If they succeed, it could cost countless lives."
She clenched her fists, frustration evident. "I should have acted immediately when I overheard their plans. If I had, I could have taken down those Eisenwald wizards and forced them to reveal their plan through a blood sacrifice!"
"What's our plan now?" Lucy asked nervously, clearly uneasy about the task ahead.
"We're heading straight to the Eisenwald Guild's headquarters. We'll storm their base, take down every wizard there, and seize the Cursed Flute," Erza declared with her usual directness.
Initially, she had planned to tackle the mission alone but decided it was too risky. She feared that someone might use the chaos to smuggle the flute away. That was why she returned to gather Natsu and Gray.
"Sounds exciting!" Gray grinned, showing no hint of fear. Meanwhile, Natsu, now fully recovered, was practically bursting with excitement, flames spewing from his mouth.
"Taking down the whole guild? Awesome!"
"I want to go home," Lucy muttered, sweat pouring down her face.
The idea of storming an entire guild, especially one infamous for assassinations, was terrifying.
George, however, didn't share her fear. He believed that as an S-class wizard, Erza wouldn't act recklessly. Her confidence suggested she had a solid plan. Besides, with Natsu, Gray, and himself joining, their odds seemed even better.
While Lucy's abilities were still unproven, George knew he could contribute more than just support if things got dangerous. His magic and enhanced powers were far from ordinary.
As the train carried them toward Onibus, where the Eisenwald Guild awaited, a different scene unfolded in Clover City. There, during the routine Council of Guild Masters meeting, Makarov received a magical letter from Mirajane.
"Makarov! Makarov! Mirajane has sent a letter for you!"
A small blue magical bird delivered the letter to Makarov, who was in the middle of boasting about his guild's wizards to the other guild masters.
Taking the envelope, Makarov infused it with his magic. A small magical array appeared on its surface, glowing faintly.