Chapter 20: Ch 20 : Temple Ruins
The next morning, when Noel arrived at the guild, he was met with a commotion of chatter.
"What's going on? Did something happen?" Noel asked as he walked into the guild, noticing that Mira was glaring at Laxus with a dark expression.
"Noel, something bad happened. Natsu and Lucy went off to do an S-Class mission," Mira said, her face filled with worry. "Last night, Happy took the mission request for the 'Cursed Island' S-Class quest."
"What?!" Noel exclaimed in shock, and in an instant, he recalled seeing Happy flying across the sky the previous night.
"You know something, Noel?" Makarov asked when he saw Noel's regretful expression.
Noel scratched his cheek, looking somewhat remorseful. "Last night, I saw Happy flying across the sky, but I didn't notice he was carrying a mission request. That was my mistake."
"No," Makarov shook his head. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have expected Natsu to do something like this. I already sent Gray after them, but with his ability and personality, I doubt he'll be able to bring Natsu back. I don't feel reassured, Noel. Can you go after them and bring them back?"
Noel thought for a moment and then replied, "Even if I force them to come back, it won't change anything. I can bring Natsu back once, but with his personality, he'll just try again sooner or later. We can't restrain him forever. It's better to let them go through with it—I'll be there to protect them. Once they experience firsthand how difficult an S-Class mission is, they'll probably settle down."
"But..." Mira still wanted to say something, but Makarov stopped her.
Makarov pondered for a moment before speaking. "You have a point. If that's the case, then I'll leave it to you, Noel. Go ahead. When Erza returns, I'll have her go support you."
"Got it. Leave it to me." Noel nodded.