Chapter 9: The Price of Truth (and Rent)
The trip back from Duke Everlue's mansion was significantly more somber than the journey there. Natsu was quiet, the story of Koby and his father clearly weighing on his mind. Lucy clutched the book "Daybreak"—or rather, "Dear Koby"—to her chest, her earlier excitement about the reward money completely replaced by a sense of profound responsibility.
Our first stop was not the guildhall, but the office of the client, Koby. He was a man who wore his ambition like a suit of armor, his office sterile and filled with political treatises. He looked up as we entered, his expression sour.
"So," he said coldly, not even offering us a seat. "I assume by your presence that you have failed. The book is not burned."
"No, we didn't burn it," Lucy said, stepping forward. She placed the book gently on his desk. "We did something better. We read it."
Koby scoffed. "You read it? And what good does that do me? The secrets in that book could ruin me! My father wrote it to give my rival, Duke Everlue, ammunition against me!"
"You're wrong," Lucy said, her voice soft but firm. "Your father didn't write this for Duke Everlue. He wrote it for you."
She explained everything—the anagram, the truth spell, the real meaning of the title. Koby's cynical expression began to falter, his armor cracking with every word Lucy spoke. She opened the book to the first page, the rearranged words glowing faintly in the dim light of the office.
"'My dearest son, Koby...'" Lucy began to read again.
Koby held up a hand, his whole body trembling. "Stop," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. He picked up the book, his fingers tracing his father's handwriting. He read the first few lines himself, and his composure finally shattered. The ambitious politician vanished, replaced by a son who had just received a message from the grave. He collapsed into his chair, silent tears streaming down his face, clutching the book like a lifeline.
We stood there in silence, giving him the moment. Natsu, for all his usual bluster, seemed to understand completely. He just watched, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
This is the real magic of Fairy Tail, I thought, observing the scene. It's not just about flashy fights and explosions. It's about mending broken hearts and reconnecting families. It's about the power of truth and love.
After several minutes, Koby finally looked up, his eyes red but clear. "Thank you," he said, his voice thick with gratitude. "You've given me back something I thought I'd lost forever. You didn't complete the job I hired you for... you completed the one my father started."
He stood up and walked over to a safe. "The original reward was 200,000 Jewel. I cannot, in good conscience, pay you for a job you didn't do."
Lucy's face fell. The reality of her 70,000 Jewel rent came crashing back down. There it is, I thought. The heroic sacrifice that results in being broke.
"However," Koby continued, pulling out a large bag of jewels, "I can offer you a personal reward for bringing me this truth." He placed the bag on the table. "It's 100,000 Jewel. And I will, of course, pay for any and all damages you may have caused to Duke Everlue's property. Consider it a public service."
Lucy's eyes lit up. 100,000 Jewel! It was more than enough for her rent, with some left over!
"But wait," she said, a thought occurring to her. "The original request to burn the book... that came from Duke Everlue's rival, right? Not you?"
Koby nodded. "That's correct."
"So... we technically failed that job," Lucy realized. "And we just gave the book to you, his other rival. So... we're not getting paid by anyone, are we?"
The room went silent as the financial implications of their actions dawned on them. They had angered two powerful political figures and had no legitimate client to pay them.
Koby looked at the book, then at their crestfallen faces. He let out a small, genuine laugh. "Don't worry," he said, pushing the bag of jewels towards them. "Let's just say I'm hiring you retroactively. The job: 'Deliver a precious item to Koby.' And you've completed it perfectly. Please, take it."
Lucy practically hugged the bag of money, tears of relief in her eyes. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Our return to the guild was triumphant. Natsu kicked the doors open (gently, this time) and proudly announced our success.
"We didn't burn the book!" he yelled. "We made a guy cry and then got paid anyway!"
The explanation was a bit confusing for the rest of the guild, but Makarov, sitting on the bar, understood perfectly. He listened to the whole story, a proud smile on his face.
"You followed the spirit of the request, not the letter," he said, looking pointedly at Lucy. "You sought the truth instead of just blindly following orders. That is the mark of a true Fairy Tail wizard. I'm proud of you, children."
Lucy beamed, her heart swelling with pride. This was what it meant to be in this guild.
The rest of the day was spent celebrating. Natsu ate a mountain of food, paid for by their reward. Lucy happily counted her rent money. Gray and Natsu got into another fight, which Elfman promptly joined because it was "manly." It was a perfectly normal, chaotic day.
I was floating near the request board, mentally preparing for the next major event—the Lullaby arc—when the guild doors slammed open with a force that silenced the entire room.
The presence that filled the hall was immense, radiating an aura of disciplined power and unwavering authority that was the polar opposite of the guild's usual chaos. It was the kind of intimidating presence you'd expect from a final boss, not a guildmate.
Standing in the doorway was a tall woman clad in shining silver armor. Her scarlet hair was as striking as her stern, beautiful face. In one hand, she casually held a massive, ornate horn, clearly the trophy from her latest S-Class quest.
The guild froze. Gray yelped and instinctively checked to make sure he was wearing pants. Cana stopped drinking mid-chug. Even Natsu, for a split second, looked serious.
A hushed, terrified whisper went through the room.
"It's... it's Erza."
Ah, I thought, a sense of excitement building. The Queen of the Fairies has returned. Right on schedule.
Erza's sharp eyes scanned the room, her gaze sweeping over the silent, terrified wizards. Her eyes landed on the two main sources of the guild's chaos.
"Natsu. Gray," she said, her voice calm but carrying an authority that demanded obedience. "I need to speak with you."
She took a step inside, her armored boots clanking on the floorboards.
"We have a problem."