The speed of the flying carpet was still impressive. In just a few hours, the group arrived at Ghost Lotus City from Magnolia.
Ghost Lotus City was less prosperous than Magnolia, lacking powerful magic guilds or famous tourist attractions. Its modest streets bustled with ordinary people, their lives untouched by the chaos that guild life could bring.
"So, where should we investigate?" Lucy asked as they disembarked from the carpet and stepped onto the cobblestone streets.
Erza looked around thoughtfully while Gray crossed his arms, already appearing exasperated by the task ahead. Investigating the Iron Forest wasn't going to be easy—dark guilds were well-hidden and operated in the shadows.
Kira, walking ahead, stopped suddenly, his face lighting up as if struck by a brilliant idea. "The book says the best places to get information are bars and..." He paused dramatically before snapping his fingers. "Let's go to the bar where Erza met them before!"
Erza nodded in agreement. "I think that's a good start. Gray and I will head to the bar we were in before. Kira, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy, you can search the rest of the town. Let's meet back here in two hours."
"Got it!" Kira saluted with exaggerated enthusiasm, which should have been Lucy's first clue that he had no intention of sticking to the plan.
As Erza and Gray headed off, Kira leaned closer to Lucy. "Let's split up. It'll be more efficient that way."
Lucy looked uncertain. "Split up? Are you sure that's safe?"
"Don't worry!" Kira gave her a reassuring smile. "Natsu and Happy are with you. They're not very smart, but that's why you're here to lead them! I'll investigate alone. See you later!"
Before Lucy could protest, Kira vanished into the crowd, leaving her with a puzzled expression and two clueless companions.
Kira wasn't shirking his duties out of laziness—he simply wanted to give Natsu and Lucy some alone time. He had always been a staunch supporter of their budding partnership and figured this was the perfect chance for them to bond.
"There are still two hours left," Kira muttered to himself, wandering the streets aimlessly. "Might as well find a place to sit and grab a bite... Wait, what's that?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Kira spotted something that piqued his interest. A small white card lay discarded on the ground, its edges glinting faintly in the sunlight.
Kira's eyes widened. "Could it be the legendary...?"
He glanced around cautiously. Seeing no one paying attention, he hummed a casual tune and pretended to tie his shoelaces as he bent down to pick it up. The card shimmered faintly in his hand, revealing an enticing image and the words "50% Off for the Whole Street!"
A mysterious smile spread across his face. "It seems fate has smiled upon me."
…..
Two hours later, at the food court
"It's so cool to have 50% off for the whole street!" Kira patted his stomach contentedly, standing with one hand on his waist and the other tracing circles over his satisfied belly. "Ah, what a pleasant afternoon. I guess it's time to meet up with the others."
As he turned a corner, Kira accidentally bumped into someone.
The collision sent the other person sprawling, their belongings tumbling to the ground. A dull thud echoed as a long, cylindrical object rolled to Kira's feet.
The object was unmistakable—a wooden flute adorned with three skulls. Kira's heart skipped a beat. Could this be... Larabai?
His mind raced as he quickly crouched to conceal the flute under the folds of his wide platinum magic robe. Activating his word magic, he replaced the flute with an ordinary wooden stick.
By the time the man opposite him—a tall, wiry figure with a sinister grin—recovered from the collision, Kira stood with an apologetic smile.
"Are you okay?" Kira asked politely.
The man, who Kira recognized as Kageyama of the Iron Forest, appeared momentarily startled but quickly recovered. "I'm fine. I should be asking if you're okay. I didn't sense any magic power from you, so I didn't expect you to be so sturdy."
Kira chuckled nervously. "Just lucky, I guess."
Kageyama bent down to retrieve his belongings, his hand brushing against the replaced wooden stick. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It's intact... That's good."
Kira watched silently as Kageyama stuffed the fake flute back into his bag and walked away.
When Kira finally arrived at the meeting spot, Erza and Gray were already there.
"How's it going, Kira? Did you get any information?" Erza asked.
Kira shook his head solemnly. "Unfortunately, I didn't hear anything about the Iron Forest."
Gray frowned. "What were you doing for two hours?"
Kira feigned a hiccup and changed the subject. "What about you guys?"
Erza's expression grew serious. "We didn't find their exact location, but we learned that a group of magicians has gathered in Kunuki."
"Kunuki... That's the station before Clover, isn't it?" Kira asked, scratching his chin.
Erza nodded. "Clover City is where the guild leaders are holding their regular meeting. If the Iron Forest plans to disrupt it, controlling Kunuki would be their first step."
"It seems their target is the guild leaders after all," Kira said thoughtfully.
Natsu, unable to contain himself, shouted, "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go save the old man and the others!"
"Don't be impulsive, Natsu," Kira said, placing a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "The president can handle himself, and Mira has already informed him about the threat. Our job is to deal with the magicians at Kunuki Station."
"Fine!" Natsu's fists ignited with flames. "Happy, let's go!"
"Hey hey!"
Before anyone could stop them, Natsu and Happy darted off at full speed toward Kunuki.
"Why doesn't that guy ever listen?!" Gray groaned.
Erza sighed. "We have to catch up to him before he causes trouble."
But before they could leave, Kira reached into his robe and pulled out the real Larabai.
Erza froze, her eyes widening. "Wait... Isn't that the flute?!"
"You just said the enemy has Larabai," Kira said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "What exactly do they have now?"
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