Hargeon Port · Park Open Space
Lucy pushed open the door of the magic item shop, the winter sun making her squint slightly.
The crowd on the street was surging towards the port park, with noisy cheers mixed with excited female screams.
"Lord Fire Dragon! So amazing!"
"Oh my god, are those Flame Roses!"
"Lord Fire Dragon! Please look at me!"
"Oh my god... those Flame Roses... they're so beautiful..."
Following the sound, more than twenty young girls were gathered in the open space in the center of the park.
Their cheeks were unnaturally flushed, and their eyes were dazed as they surrounded a man draped in a deep red velvet cloak.
He wore a magnificent deep red cloak, with gold embroidery at the collar, elaborate makeup on his face, and an air of deliberate elegance in his every movement.
Each time he flicked his gem-studded finger, pink flames bloomed in the air like petals, transforming into alluring roses.
This drew continuous gasps of surprise from the girls around him, who shouted "Lord Fire Dragon" like fervent fans.
The Flame Roses drifted into the outstretched palms of the girls, and instead of burning their skin, they elicited even more infatuated sighs.
Lucy's fingertips unconsciously caressed the newly acquired Sirius key at her waist.
The cool metal touch kept her clear-headed and allowed her to keenly sense the hidden abnormality within those pink flames—each time a spark erupted, a nearly invisible wisp of purple smoke mingled with the firelight, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, entering the nostrils of the onlookers.
"Charm magic..." she murmured to herself, her sea-blue pupils contracting slightly.
Her right hand was already on her key ring, and the sapphire-studded heel of her boot subtly shifted backward.
"Something's not right with this person..."
However, just as she was about to turn and leave, the "Fire Dragon" in the crowd suddenly looked up, his gaze precisely locking onto her.
—She had been discovered.
Lucy's heart tightened, but her expression remained calm.
"This beautiful lady!"
A clear male voice suddenly cut through the noise.
The other party, with light steps, pushed through the crowd and walked towards her; the mesmerized girls, like puppets controlled by invisible strings, automatically made way for him.
Upon closer inspection, this fellow was somewhat ridiculous.
His face was smeared with an excessive amount of pearl powder, his lips were an unnatural rosy red, and even the Fairy Tail emblem embroidered on his cloak was crooked and askew.
Most suspicious was the pink gem-studded ring on his right ring finger, which, with his exaggerated hand gestures, was now pointing its gem surface directly at Lucy's eyes.
"This beautiful lady!" The Fire Dragon's voice was filled with exaggerated enthusiasm; he pushed away the girls surrounding him and strode towards Lucy, "You seem very interested in my flame magic?"
Lucy did not reply, merely observing him calmly.
The other party's gaze swept over her, from her luxurious cloak, exquisite jewelry, to the Celestial Spirit keys hanging at her waist—especially the three Zodiac golden keys: Aquarius, taurus, and Cancer, each worth a fortune.
A hint of greed flashed in his eyes, but he quickly disguised it with a polite demeanor, bowing slightly in a gentleman's salute.
"I am a Mage from the Fairy Tail Guild, Fire Dragon," he deliberately adjusted the pink ring on his finger, aiming the gem at Lucy, the gem's surface emitting an eerie pink glow, "Tonight I am hosting a banquet on my private yacht at the port, and I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting you to attend?"
Lucy's gaze swept over the ring, a cold sneer in her heart.
—As expected, it was Charm magic.
She subtly took half a step back, a polite smile on her face: "What a coincidence, I have a few friends who are very close to Fairy Tail."
The man calling himself Fire Dragon's smile remained unchanged: "Oh? And who might they be?"
"Punishment Knight Ezreal, Miracle Writer Levy," Lucy took a step forward with each name she spoke, the crisp crunch of her boot heels breaking the ice on the ground particularly clear in the suddenly quiet open space, "As a senior member of the Guild, you should be very familiar with them, shouldn't you?"
The fake Fire Dragon's smile became strained; he subtly adjusted the angle of his ring, making the light refracted by the gem shine directly into Lucy's eyes.
However, the expected look of intoxication did not appear—a cold light suddenly burst forth from the golden iris family crest on Lucy's chest, reflecting the pink light back in its entirety.
Defensive magic item?
The Fire Dragon's heart skipped a beat, but to maintain his disguise, the fellow answered without hesitation: "Of course I know them! Both of them are members of our Guild."
He added with feigned enthusiasm, "Since you, Miss, are so interested in our Guild, why not come to my yacht tonight? I can write a letter of recommendation to help you join our Guild."
Lucy's smile gradually turned cold.
"Is that so?" she said softly, "Then you should know that Fairy Tail's Fire Dragon—Natsu Dragneel—gets motion sickness."
The fake Fire Dragon's expression instantly froze.
"You..." His eyes darkened, and his voice lowered, "Miss, do you know? Sometimes being too smart isn't a good thing."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly waved his hand, and the surrounding, previously fervent young girls suddenly went limp, one after another, falling unconscious to the ground.
At the same time, a dozen or so Mages with sinister smiles emerged from the shadows, surrounding Lucy.
A pink magic barrier, like an inverted bowl, enveloped the entire open space.
The original noisy sounds of the port instantly receded, leaving only an eerie silence within the barrier.
Within the barrier, only Lucy and the fake Fire Dragon's group remained.
Lucy's smile remained unchanged as she unhurriedly said, "Do you know? Sometimes being too stupid isn't a good thing."
The fake Fire Dragon sneered as he tore off his disguise; he ripped off his magnificent cloak to reveal the gray uniform underneath, the Eisenwald Guild emblem pinned to his collar gleaming coldly in the barrier's light.
"You wouldn't think that with so many of us, we'd let you successfully summon a Celestial Spirit, would you?"
He rotated his ring, aiming the pink gem at Lucy's brow, his gaze falling on Lucy's key ring, "Miss, I am a gentleman; if possible, would you hand over those Zodiac keys yourself? You are so beautiful; if your face gets hurt, you won't fetch a good price."
Lucy still wore a smile, her right hand, however, moved away from the key ring, and she crossed her arms, showing no intention of summoning a Celestial Spirit.
"Who said I was going to summon a Celestial Spirit?" she softly retorted.
The fake Fire Dragon was startled; before he could react, Lucy looked at him, extended her finger, and pointed to the sky—
"Think about how you're going to explain it to the real one!"
The fake Fire Dragon realized something was wrong, abruptly looked up at the sky, his pupils suddenly constricted, and his face turned grim.
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