Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 483: Open the door of Aries

Lisanna quickly took on the role of the group’s guide, naturally slipping into the position of managing the map that Rhodes had gotten from Levy. After all, she had lived in Edolas for two years, far more familiar with the terrain than the rest of them.

And certainly more reliable than Carla, whose "knowledge" was based entirely on input she received.

Standing beside Rhodes, Lisanna pointed at the map and laid out the plan. "If we keep heading this way, the closest city is Luen City. We can stop there to rest, grab something to eat, and then move on. If we don’t delay, we should make it to Extalia City before nightfall."

Rhodes asked, "And how long to reach the Royal Capital?"

"At today’s pace... maybe three to five days."

Rhodes frowned slightly, realizing he was the reason they were moving slower than usual. "We’ll find a way to speed things up tomorrow. We’ll definitely get there in two days."

He’d have to ask the wolves to carry them. Not exactly glamorous... but efficient.

Along the way, they encountered a beast that looked like a cross between a lion and a tiger. It prowled near the edge of the forest but never dared to approach. There were too many of them traveling together.

Eventually, the group reached the outskirts of Luen City, and by now, Rhodes was finally able to walk more or less on his own.

They planned to keep their stop short, just pick up supplies and water, then head out again without drawing attention.

But shortly after they started shopping, a squad of soldiers came storming down the street.

The group instinctively braced to fight... only to realize the soldiers weren’t after them at all. In fact, they didn’t even give them a glance.

"After her!"

"Don’t let her get away!"

"We need backup, she’s one of Fairy Tail’s most dangerous women, Lucy!"

As the soldiers charged ahead, the bystanders on the roadside gasped and scattered.

"Lucy?" Lisanna blinked in surprise. "Did she come with us?"

Then came a voice not far away, soft but full of resolve.

"Open! Gate of Aries!"

Natsu’s eyes widened. "It’s our Lucy!"

Wendy clutched her chest in panic. "Oh no... Lucy doesn’t know that magic doesn’t work in Edolas!"

"Let’s go!" Rhodes shouted, already sprinting forward. The others quickly followed.

But before they could get far, a sudden explosion of pink wool spiraled out from around the corner.

Fluffy clouds of it rolled down the street like a tidal wave, coating the pavement and surrounding the soldiers like a silky net. Anyone touched by the wool instantly slowed down, their faces flushing pink.

"So soft..."

"So warm..."

"Uuhh... comfortable..."

The soldiers collapsed one by one, sighing in weirdly peaceful ecstasy, groaning phrases like "So gentle," and "Umm, ahh..." as they were swallowed by the woolen cloud.

From the gap between the wool balls, Lucy burst out, running at full speed with frustration written all over her face.

"Seriously! What did I even do?! One minute I’m minding my own business, and the next, ’You’re a criminal!’?!"

Rhodes and the others skidded to a stop in disbelief.

"Magic?" he muttered aloud.

Natsu and Wendy couldn’t use their magic. Rhodes’s Take Over, and Solid Script Magic all failed. Even summoning was barely functioning.

So why was Lucy completely unaffected?!

Lucy froze in her tracks the moment she saw them.

"Natsu?! Mr. Rhodes? And Wendy too?! Happy, Carla, what’s going on?! Where are we?! What happened?!"

"There’s no time," Rhodes said sharply. "Let’s get out of here first."

"Huh? We’re just running away?" Lucy asked, clearly indignant. "Aren’t we going to cause a scene or something? Usually by now, Natsu would’ve smashed two buildings!"

But the pink wool mist was already fading, and new Royal Army soldiers were pouring in from the other side of the street.

"There they are!"

"Fairy Tail, more of them!"

"Request reinforcements! Seal off the entire city!"

"Tch... troublesome," Rhodes muttered. He raised a hand. "Summon: Murk Wolves!"

Six black wolves surged out of the shadows, silent and swift.

"Everyone, get on!"

Five of them mounted a wolf each, while Happy and Carla shared the sixth.

As Lucy climbed on, she side-eyed Rhodes’s creations. "Why are your wolves so scary now?! Mr. Rhodes, what happened to them?"

Even Natsu stared with wide eyes. "Wait... you actually ate them?!"

"Who ate what?!"

"Their tails! Their feet!" Natsu pointed at the skeletal limbs of the Shadow Wolves. "There’s nothing but bones! So you weren’t joking that time!"

Rhodes blinked. "Back then...?"

It took him a second, but the memory surfaced. More than a year ago, in a half-joking conversation, he’d told Natsu he wanted to eat wild monsters to understand their magic structure.

’This idiot actually remembered that?!’

Rhodes groaned. "These aren’t the same ones! These wolves were born like this!"

Lisanna giggled from atop her mount. Even while fleeing for their lives, being around these people made everything feel lighter.

"Don’t let them escape!"

"Stop right there!"

Another squad burst out from an alley, blocking the road ahead.

"Leave it to me!" Lisanna said with a grin.

She drew the Rose Sword from her back, gripped the wolf’s mane with her left hand, and leaned sharply to the right. With a smooth motion, she dragged the sword lightly across the ground.

A ripple spread beneath the soldiers’ feet.

Suddenly, their legs sank as if into jelly.

"Wh—what is this?!"

"My feet...!"

The cobblestone road beneath them had turned soft, like thick mud or a sponge. The more they struggled, the deeper they sank.

The six wolves leapt gracefully over their heads and bolted out of the city.

"Huh... Sugarboy’s Rose Sword really does soften everything," Lisanna said proudly, holding the sword up for Rhodes to see. "It’s just like the rumors. Pretty powerful, right?"

She smiled sweetly. "So, Brother-in-law~ do you regret giving it away?"

Rhodes chuckled. "Not at all. I wouldn’t know how to use it even if I kept it. It suits you better."

"Wow! That was amazing!" Lucy gasped, genuinely impressed. "But... wait, who are you?"

"Ah, I haven’t introduced myself properly yet," Lisanna said cheerfully. "I’m Lisanna. You know Mira-nee and Elf-nii, right?"

Although they’d just met, she didn’t feel the slightest unfamiliarity with this Lucy. Even though the two Lucys had very different personalities, there was still something warmly familiar about her.

Lucy blinked in surprise. "You’re Mira’s sister? But I heard that..."

After explaining Lisanna’s identity and her journey to Edolas, the group had put enough distance between themselves and Luen City. They stopped in a quiet forest to catch their breath.

They found a shaded spot, sat down on rocks and fallen logs, shared water and food, and took a well-earned break.

Natsu was already digging into some bread, speaking with his mouth half-full. "So? What’s up with you showing up here, Lucy?"

Lucy exhaled, recalling the events. "Well, a huge vortex suddenly appeared in the sky... and it sucked up the entire city in the blink of an eye. Then, Horologium appeared, he said he detected spatial distortion and hid me inside his clock."

"He kept me in another dimension temporarily. When he finally let me out, everything was... gone."

She paused, then added, "Right after that, Mystogan showed up. He didn’t explain much, just told me about Edolas and something called Anima... and then sent me here."

That last part sparked everyone’s attention.

So Mystogan was still around... and still capable of traveling between worlds.

Rhodes straightened. "Mystogan sent you here? Where is he now?"

Lucy frowned. "No clue. He didn’t tell me anything else. Didn’t even ask me if I wanted to come here! Just snapped his fingers and bam, I was in this world."

She pouted, clearly still annoyed by the abruptness.

But then she perked up, suddenly remembering. "Oh, right! You guys probably don’t know this yet, but Mystogan looks exactly like Jellal under that mask! I nearly had a heart attack!"

Rhodes nodded calmly. "I know."

Natsu took another bite and shrugged. "Yeah, I know too."

Wendy raised her hand sheepishly. "I promised to keep it a secret, so..."

Happy and Carla also shook their heads with zero surprise.

"Eh?!" Lucy’s eyes widened in disbelief. She pointed at herself, then at everyone else. "What is this?! Am I the only one who didn’t know?! Wendy and Carla joined after me!"

Lisanna gave her a sympathetic smile. "It’s okay, Miss Lucy. I joined the guild much earlier than you, but I had no idea. And honestly, I don’t even know who Jellal is."

"That doesn’t help!" Lucy groaned instinctively. "It’s meaningless if you don’t know who Jellal is..."

She paused, suddenly realizing she was being a little too casual with someone she’d just met.

"Ah! Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude!"

But Lisanna simply laughed. "It’s fine. Miss Lucy only just met me today... but I’ve known you for a long time."

Lucy blinked. "Huh?"

Lisanna smiled and explained there was a Lucy here in Edolas, too.

As the others described this world’s version of Fairy Tail, Lucy listened with growing amazement, reacting with one shocked "Eh?!" after another.

"This world is seriously insane! I really want to see everyone with my own eyes!"

And then came a particular detail that made her stop cold.

"Me? Bullying Natsu every day?!"

She looked around, as if needing confirmation. "There’s no way! I’d never believe that unless someone had video proof!"

"What kind of person am I here?!"

Lisanna giggled. "Well... I wouldn’t exactly call it bullying. Honestly... I think Lucy here likes Natsu."

Lucy’s entire face turned bright red.

"Wh-what?! N-No! Impossible! I-I-I—Na-Na-Natsu?! ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

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