The dozen or so people quickly split into teams and, with their usual impressive efficiency, set off toward their respective destinations.
Ankh, Mirajane, Gray, and Juvia took their wonderful sons, along with Cana, who had come to help, and prepared to head for Gazania, the city where Sabertooth was located.
After listening to everyone's explanation, Cana's jaw nearly dropped to the floor in shock.
She was extremely interested and immediately pulled Anmi, who was already almost as tall as her, into a hug, grinning as she said, "Little brother, come tell Auntie more about the future! For example, who's my husband?"
Compared to shy girls like Lucy and Juvia, Cana was clearly very excited about this sort of thing.
Anmi, however, trembled all over.
He stood stiffly upright, his little face flushed red, stammering and unable to squeeze out a single sentence.
Cana: ?
Ankh could not help glancing sideways at the brat.
'Why the hell are you blushing?'
"Cana-aun… Cana-neesan is still… single seventeen years later…"
The moment she heard that, Cana immediately pouted and drank gloomily while muttering, "Tch—how miserable. So I'm the only one who stays single…"
Anmi's lips moved a few times, but in the end, he still said nothing.
Ankh was helpless about this too.
Cana's personality had always been a little unusual.
Because she had grown up without a father, her view on romance carried a bit of a father complex, and she tended to like older men.
For example, when Cana was young, she and Macao had gotten along pretty well whenever they fooled around together.
Although her father had returned now and Cana's personality had improved somewhat, the influence had not disappeared completely.
"Speaking of which, where's Erza? I feel like I haven't seen her for two days."
Ankh looked around, somewhat puzzled about where his little sister had gone.
Usually, when it came to helping others solve problems, she would definitely be the most enthusiastic one.
Yet today, she had not even shown her face.
When Mirajane heard that, her expression turned a little strange.
Then she quietly leaned close to Ankh's ear and said, "That morning, Erza saw me… like that. She seemed to take a really big hit from it, and I don't know where she ran off to."
Ankh: (๑˙ー˙๑)
All right.
There was nothing he could do about that…
The two teams set off separately, one heading toward Sabertooth and the other toward the Magic Library.
After a not-too-long train journey, Natsu and the others soon arrived at the place where the Magic Library was located.
The Magic Library was managed by the archaeology guild, so after Lucy applied for reading permission, they were finally allowed to enter.
The Magic Library was a towering structure that seemed to reach into the clouds.
The bookshelves were embedded spirally into the walls, and when Levy looked up at the endless sea of books, she could not help letting out a sigh.
"So many books… As expected of the Magic Library."
Galena nodded, her expression calm.
While independently developing the power of the Metal Dragon, she had come here more than once to look up information, so she was quite familiar with the place.
"Let's start searching according to the index. Mainly for anything about the sacred land of the Celestial Spirits and the rituals performed there."
At Lucy's order, the group immediately scattered and began looking for information.
Naciel had little interest in books and the like.
Seeing that her father had followed her mother off to search for things again, she simply decided to move alone and headed toward the upper floors of the library.
She had inherited and learned Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, and it seemed she had also inherited Natsu's unique recklessness, as well as…
His luck.
Naciel stared blankly at a woman not far away, crouched in front of a bookshelf and flipping through a book with messy hair.
"Erza-auntie?"
Erza, who was currently absorbing knowledge, was startled when she heard someone call her.
She hurriedly hid the book in her hands behind her back.
Then she looked over and saw a cute pink-haired girl. Erza forced out a smile and said, "Hello. Do you know me?"
Naciel nodded, then pointed toward Natsu, who was searching through books downstairs.
"That's my dad."
Erza: !!!
"What?!"
Erza's startled cry quickly reached Natsu and the others.
Lucy looked up at Erza in surprise and said, "Erza? Why are you here?"
"I…"
Erza secretly hid the book in her hand and gave an awkward smile. "I came here to read some novels."
Lucy gave her a speechless look.
This was a library with a long history, yet she had actually come all the way here to look for novels…
Naciel, meanwhile, stared at Erza with her watery eyes.
She had just seen what book Erza had been reading.
Forbidden Love.
It was a book compiled by an old scholar long ago.
It analyzed several famous historical cases of sibling mages eventually becoming lovers, along with the consequences and harm they caused…
Naciel immediately understood why Erza had come here.
She had heard from Anmi that in the past, Auntie Erza had always thought she was Uncle Ankh's younger sister, and later, she had been troubled by that matter for a very long time.
Erza gathered her thoughts.
After meeting up with Natsu and the others, she listened to them explain the story of how future sons and daughters had collectively shown up, and her whole body froze.
"Then… where is Brother's child?"
After hesitating for a moment, Erza asked.
Lucy answered, "He went with Ankh and Mira to Sabertooth. He's a handsome boy who really looks like both of them."
"Oh… I see…"
After agreeing to help them, Erza also joined the book-searching team.
But seeing how distracted she looked, Lucy said with some concern, "Is she okay?"
Gajeel glanced over and said calmly, "Don't worry. She'll adjust herself soon enough."
…
Erza absentmindedly searched through the bookshelves.
After a while, she quickly shook her head and prepared to pull herself together and fully focus on the task.
Just then, a figure suddenly drifted past her side.
Along with that person's movement came long scarlet hair, fluttering lightly and brushing faintly against Erza's cheek.
Erza's eyes widened slightly, and she quickly turned her head toward that person.
"Wait a moment!"
The person stopped and turned around, looking at her calmly.
"Is something wrong?"
The voice was beautiful yet crisp, carrying the aura of a leader.
However, the girl wore her red hair loose, her body wrapped in a cloak.
A mask covered the lower half of her face, leaving only a pair of bewitching eyes visible, red like polished agate.
Seeing the girl's calm and unhurried manner, Erza's suspicion eased a little.
Then she pointed at the large bag on the girl's back and asked, "May I ask what that is?"
"Ah…"
The girl lifted the bag slightly and chuckled. "I'm an archaeologist. These are my tools."
An archaeologist visiting a library managed by an archaeology guild.
Very reasonable…
Seeing that the girl remained calm, Erza nodded apologetically and explained, "Sorry. We're looking for someone."
"No problem. Then may I go?"
"Please do… Oh, right. Your hair… It's beautiful."
The girl lifted a strand of hair and seemed very proud as she said, "Yes, I dyed it specially."
Hearing that, the last trace of curiosity and doubt in Erza's heart vanished.
After greeting each other, the two walked in opposite directions.
After successfully reaching the library entrance, the girl looked up meaningfully at Erza, who was busy among the bookshelves.
A sly smile flashed through her eyes.
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