After a long while, the four of them composed their emotions and began planning their next steps.
Darwin put away Eclixion's heart to prevent the ice from melting. As he worked, he asked, "With this, the favor my father owed back then should be considered paid in full, right?"
"Uh... of course!" Elefseria answered subconsciously.
Chris asked curiously, "Speaking of which, what exactly happened between you and my parents back then? How did they end up owing a favor?"
"Well..."
"It actually wasn't anything too extraordinary; I simply imparted a bit of magic to them."
In Elefseria's eyes, the help he gave Weston, Mavis, and the others years ago truly wasn't much, so he didn't hide anything and spoke quite openly. The three listened like they were hearing a bedtime story, finally understanding the history between the old man and their parents.
"So the advanced magic Dad mastered, as well as the Arc of Embodiment and Fire God Slayer Magic, were all learned from you, Senior?"
"In that case, you really are the original investor of Fairy Tail!"
Elefseria sighed. "It's embarrassing to mention. Back then, I just taught them casually and gave them a few types of magic. Your parents achieved what they have today mainly because of their own high talent and hard work; it really didn't have much to do with me."
"The help you've given Guiltina this time far exceeds the help I gave your parents back then!"
Teaching a few spells versus defeating a giant dragon—the difficulty of the two was worlds apart. Elefseria even felt that after this trip to Guiltina, he was actually the one who owed them a favor. But seeing their "this trip was very rewarding" expressions, he decided it was best to treat it as even.
"By the way, Senior, I have one more thing I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
Darwin hesitated for a few seconds before choosing to speak: "It's about the earthquake a few days ago... did it cause much damage to Guiltina?"
Elefseria blinked, then gave a gratified smile.
Previously, he had assumed the earthquake was a natural disaster and thought little of it. But through their conversation, he now knew it was caused by the meteorite Chris summoned to deal with Eclixion. Darwin asking this question showed he wasn't the type of person who would disregard life just to hunt a dragon.
At most... he was just a bit inconsiderate in his methods.
"You really are a kind child!"
"Don't worry. For some reason, the shockwave from that meteorite didn't spread entirely across the continent. Although tremors were felt in various places, they passed instantly. There weren't many casualties; at most, some houses collapsed. It's no big deal."
Though... even a simple house might be the result of someone's lifelong struggle. However, such overly realistic matters were better left unknown to the boy, Elefseria thought privately.
Relieved that Guiltina wasn't too badly affected, Darwin couldn't help but follow up: "Then... where did that shockwave go? Was it the Western Continent? Could there be serious damage or heavy casualties over there?"
What?!
This kid doesn't just care about Guiltina; he's even worried about the Western Continent across the sea?
What kind of compassionate heart is this?!!
Elefseria became even more determined not to tell the full truth. "Well... as for the situation in the Western Continent, this old man isn't too sure."
"I see..." Darwin lowered his head, feeling slightly anxious.
Seeing this, Elefseria had to change the subject. "Ahem... right!"
"Didn't I say before you set off? If you successfully hunted the dragon, I would give you a gift!"
Hearing this, the three perked up instantly, but tried not to look too excited, their expressions becoming sheepish.
"Oh, how could we accept that?"
Elefseria chuckled. "No need to be polite. This is the reward I promised beforehand, and I must keep my word! Just tell me what you want!"
"Is any gift really okay?"
"Of course!"
Chris raised her hand high. "Um... do the three of us get one gift total, or can each of us have one?"
"Hahaha... one for each of you, of course!"
"But take note, it must be something that actually exists in this world!"
How generous!
"Then... let us think about it first."
Chris pulled Darwin and Erza into a small huddle. Elefseria didn't rush them, standing by with a smile as they deliberated.
"Have you guys thought of anything?"
Darwin shook his head. "I don't really want anything."
All three of them were essentially born with silver spoons in their mouths. Whether growing up in Fairy Tail or later attending Fairy Academy, they lived comfortably and never lacked for anything. Being asked to choose a single item on the spot made it hard to come up with ideas.
Chris pouted. "I knew I wouldn't get any suggestions from you. What about you, Erza?"
"Me??" Erza paused, then thought for a moment. "If it's me... perhaps the most powerful armor or weapon in the world would be nice?"
"Ooh! That does sound like something perfect for you!"
"What about you, Chris?"
"Me... there are so many things I want!" Chris began counting on her fingers. "Like beautiful clothes, the latest jewelry, or legendary treasures... I'm interested in all of them! But using such a rare opportunity on those things would be such a waste. I want something meaningful. Sigh, if only I were a Holder-type wizard like you, I wouldn't have to worry about this!"
Just then, Darwin let out a sudden "Ah!"
"Speaking of Holder-type wizards, I actually thought of something."
Chris immediately turned to him. "What?"
"The Celestial Spirit Keys!"
"Celestial Spirit... Keys??"
Darwin nodded and said seriously, "I remember Mom saying that Dad once planned to collect all Twelve Keys of the Zodiac, but later he didn't actively look for them because he was too busy with work. Over the years, Dad has collected several more, but the Zodiac set is still incomplete. If we could get our hands on the remaining Zodiac keys and finish the collection Dad couldn't, wouldn't that be amazing!"