Fairy Tail.
The guild was peaceful in the early morning. Most of the troublemakers were out on missions, giving Makarov a rare chance to enjoy a leisurely breakfast.
Wearing his little sleeping cap, Makarov sat on a stool, holding a sandwich in one hand and a cup of milk in the other, savoring his meal.
"This is how an elder should live!" He bit into an egg and ham sandwich, lifted his milk with a satisfied sigh, and thought to himself.
But just as he tipped the milk to his mouth, the guild door slammed open violently, and a flustered figure burst inside.
"Guild Master, it's bad! Ur and Natsu went on a mission and blew up a mountain!"
"Pfft!" Makarov's eyes nearly popped out in shock, and the milk he had just sipped sprayed all over him. "What did you say?"
Panting heavily, the messenger gasped out: "B-bad news… Natsu and Ur… they blew up a peak in the Hogria Mountains. The falling boulders destroyed the villages below, and now the Magic Council is demanding compensation!"
"Gah!" Makarov's head spun, nearly knocking the wind out of him.
But he quickly realized something and hurriedly asked. "What were Natsu and Ur doing in the Hogria Mountains?"
The moment he spoke, the guild fell into an awkward silence.
Then the messenger continued, "Treasure hunting. I heard a rumor about treasure in the Hogria Mountains, so they must have gone to find it."
Those who gathered intelligence were rarely in the guild, so they didn't know much about Levy and the others being injured.
In that instant, a perfect lie was formed.
After hearing this, Makarov felt even more dizzy. If someone hadn't supported him, he probably would have collapsed.
A minute ago, he had been relieved that the guild's troublemakers were out. A minute later, he realized he had underestimated them. Apparently, these little rascals were even more capable of causing chaos outside than inside the guild.
"Also, Master, there's another piece of news about Ur and the others…" The messenger spoke again.
Makarov paused, then nodded faintly. "Go ahead."
His expression gradually returned to calm, shifting toward a sort of serene acceptance.
He had come to terms with it. No matter what news came next, even if the sky fell, he was mentally prepared.
"Ur and the others killed a dragon!"
"What the hell did you say?"
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Meanwhile, at some location in the Hogria Mountains, Natsu and Ur had once again fallen into trouble.
They were being scammed.
More precisely, Ur was the target. "What is this thing?"
Natsu and Happy stared at the black-and-white sphere clinging to Ur's leg, their minds full of question marks.
This little creature had tumbled down the mountain just as they reached the base, and immediately latched onto Ur's leg, refusing to let go.
Ur also looking down in surprise.
The fluffy black-and-white ball was a baby panda.
"This world actually has pandas?" Ur blinked in astonishment and tried to grab its scruff, but the panda hugged its leg tightly, refusing to budge.
"Woo~~" The little panda clung to Ur's calf, whimpering pitifully.
From this, Natsu finally saw the little panda clearly. "Oh, it's a baby flower panda. No wonder it's here—it looks like our battle earlier accidentally destroyed its home."
He glanced at the ruined mountain peak, a little embarrassed.
"Adult flower pandas aren't afraid of humans, so its presence here isn't unusual. But why latch onto you?" Natsu asked.
While adult pandas typically avoid humans, a baby might not understand and act differently. Natsu's brain was already running out of capacity trying to figure it out.
Ur, however, seemed to get an idea. He slowly pulled a piece of jerky from his pocket and offered it to the panda.
Sure enough!
The panda's eyes lit up at the sight of the jerky.
It grabbed the snack with both tiny paws, sat down, and began devouring it hungrily.
Natsu's eyes widened in realization. "So that's it! The little panda's home was destroyed, it can't find food, and Ur's smell from roasting meat over the past two days attracted it. That's why it latched onto you."
Ur said nothing, knowing that Natsu had already deduced enough. The aroma alone would attract the panda, but it wouldn't cling like this if Ur was wrong. The real draw was likely the potent energy in the dragon meat.
Even though the panda wasn't a monster, its instincts were strong.
One piece of dragon meat could fully satisfy it, even to the point of intoxication.
After eating, the panda staggered around, wobbling a few times before suddenly clinging to Ur's leg again, half-asleep, refusing to let go.
Ur: "······"
Great. I've been claimed.
"Puhahaha!" Natsu burst out laughing, clutching his stomach at the sight.
Happy, meanwhile, was curious and flew closer to the panda to investigate, but each time it tried, the panda swatted it away and returned to Ur's leg.
Thus, Ur now had a new companion on his journey.
A true leg accessory.
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Next Chapter: Robbery...
Next Next Chapter: Master Dingley With a Weak Heart
Next Next Next Chapter: The Examination