Chapter 4
The next morning, dawn…
"dongdongdongdong—-"
Still in his sleep, he's awakened to the sound of Gray banging on his door.
"Hey! Noah! You awake yet?!"
He can't help but frown when he saw the door that rattled from his banging.
Gray's not the kind of person who would consider whether or not to wake someone up from their sweet dream, he always use this kind of brash manner to wake him up via knocking on the door in the most uncivil of manners. But somehow the strength he used today seems stronger than usual even his tone is a bit frantic.
Did something happen?
As this doubt surfaced in him, outside the door Gray answered him.
"You rascal! Now's not the time to be sleeping! Something is going on down there! Get up will ya!"
……
Hurrying down the stairs with Gray he saw upon coming down to the ground floor that the guild is in a different mood from before.
It's still as rowdy as before but all the members are gathered at the bulletin board for quests, they surrounded it with such intensity there seems to be no room for one to squeeze into.
"This quest again?"
"The one who put this up must be having a hard time, nobody likes this quest…."
"Can't put it that way, see, the quest reward this time is better than last time is it not?"
"Well you're right…"
Other than these scattered abnters, on the counter of the guild's bar is a midget old man who looks like he's not much taller than your average kid. He's wearing a jester like attire and wields a cane, he just sat there cross legged while nonchalantly drinking booze in quite a contrast with the guild's reactions.
Once he saw this old man, Noah revealed an elated expression.
"Grandpa!"
Who else but the guildmaster of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar!
"hmm?"
Stopping his booze guzzling motion he turned towards Noah who stood at the stairway, he put on his peaceful smile.
"Noah? finally awake?"
"Gramps!"
He pitter-pattered over to the old man.
"I haven't seen you in days!"
"Oh it's just a reunion betweena few good ol buddies of mine, it's nothing to worry about!"
Makarov rubbed his head while saying so.
"I'm sorry for making your worried kiddo!"
"Gramps!"
Gray arrived as well and he inquisitively looked at the commotion in front of the guild board.
"What's going on? Why's everybody all riled up?"
"Oh just let them have their fill of messing around!"
He gave the bulletin board a look and then went back to drinking booze.
"You will understand in just a bit!"
"For the guild members to calm down… I'm afraid that will have to be after a while…"
He expressed his helplessness at the situation.
"So why don't you fill us in on the details!"
"I suppose you have a point…"
He of all people know just how boisterous the guild members are so he jumped down from the bar counter after knocking on his head. He made his way towards the bulletin board.
"Okay that's enough! Silence!"
After his voice fell, the rowdy guild members all shut their yapper, they parted way for Makarov to walk through.
Once he arrived at the front of the bulletin board he turned around towards the guild member and lifted his cane before pointing at the most eye catching quest post on the bulletin board.
Noah who had good eyes saw the post and muttered its title.
"Lake of ceremony?" (tl: seems to be made up 仪式之湖)
Just as he spelled the words out something hit Gray and he looked like he knew what's going on so he asked him straight away.
"What's this lake of ceremony?…"
"You didn't know?"
He blinked at his ignorance before nodding.
"I suppose it's reasonable, I mean you have just arrived at Fairy Tail for about a year."
"What is it?…"
"Could it be the reason why everyone's so enlivened is because of this lake of ceremony?"
"The lake of ceremony is a very popular wishing lake!"
"Legend has it that if one were to wish with the lake as a witness then the fairies of the lake would grant one's wishes and make it come true!"
"Dream come true?"
He lost a major part of his excitement straight away.
"That's too good to be true is it not?"
"Maa, it's not just you, a lot of people also treats it as nothing more than a rumor, at least I have never heard of anyone who wished upon it and the fairy appeared and granted their wish!"
"However, there is one who have wished upon it and it came true!"
"Are you aware of the Magic council?"
Raising his eyebros he recalled that this organization is the one keeping the magicians of Fiore kingdom in check.
This organization is consisted of one chairman and 8 members. Their main duties are overseeing the movement of various guilds, enforcing punishment upon disobedient guild and pursuing dark guilds that threaten the magic world.
In Fiore it is necessary to get the magic council's approval before one can establish a guild, and once they're approved they must follow the guidelines laid down by them if not they would be disbanded. Basically they are the invigilators of each guild in Fiore.
"Rumor has it that the chairman wished upon the lake before establishing the magic council."
He curled his lips as he is saying so.
"The organization was built by him that's a fact but after wishing upon the lake to build the magic council and shortly after the fact of the matter that he did, the lake became a sort of holy ground to the magic council!"
"coincidentally, the lake has a very fantastic property, if one were to put a lot of magic power into it then the lake would shine!"
He threw a meaningful look at Noah.
"Hence, from an unknown time the magic council strives to maintain the lake in its luminescent state out of an unproven street talk that if the lake were to go out of power then so too will the wish become ineffective and the magic council would fall. Each year the council would issue a request to inject more power into the lake!"
"So, this request is from the council?"
He looked at the request with a puzzled look.
"But then why does everyone look like they don't want to bother with it?"
"That's because the magic power required to make the lake shine is enormous, it would need at least a few dozens of magicians to do so, and the reward would have to be split accordingly and thus everyone would only have a measly reward!"
He explained he crossed his arm.
"This kind of request where the reward is pitiable, even if it's issued by the council, who would give it the time of day?"
"But the bastards over at the council insisted that the guild who received this request must settle it within a month and itjust so happens it's out turn this year to be saddled with this quest!"
With a bit of grumbling tone inside his voice Makarov continued.
"I want to reject it but the guys over there would deliberately make it hard for me so it's better to just be done with it!"
The guild members looked at each other.
"Completing it…"
"But the reward's so low, who would?"
"That's right…"
Hearing the whispers of his guild members he's not surprised and he tapped the cane in his hand before announcing to them.
"You guys don't have to worry, I've made my decision!"
He lifted his head and looked straight at Noah who's standing near the bar counter.
"This quest, Noah you shall do it!"