Chapter 362: FTG Chapter 359: A Cabin in the Woods
After quite a while, everyone finally accepted the fact that "there are no longer any mountains of gold to be excavated in the Northern Continent."
Thinking about how that wealth didn’t belong to them in the first place, and that they themselves hadn’t actually lost anything, the last trace of unwillingness in their hearts gradually faded away.
Subsequently, their mood transformed into a deep sense of reverence toward Weston and the partners he spoke of who had hunted giant dragons alongside him.
"So amazing..."
"Old grandpa and your partners are all so amazing!"
"Indeed, it really feels like a grand eye-opener..."
"Tonight wasn’t a wasted trip at all!"
On this night, they had not only eaten a fragrant barbecue until their stomachs were completely full, but had also heard a brilliant story they had never heard before and would probably never hear again in the future.
Everyone was thoroughly satisfied, both in their stomachs and in their hearts.
As they spoke, a streak of dazzling white light pierced through the clouds and broke the dawn from atop the distant mountain peaks, using a gentle and warm power to dispel the haze enveloping Fairy Academy.
"It’s dawn?!"
"No way, time passed that fast?!"
"We unexpectedly sat here for an entire night?!"
"Oh no!! Ms. Anna has definitely discovered that we sneaked out at night!"
Natsu and Gajeel cried out in terror at the same time.
Thinking of Anna who was about to fly into a terrible rage, the two couldn’t help but shudder all over for a moment, yet turning their heads they saw that everyone else had a perfectly calm appearance.
"Aren’t you guys worried at all?"
The several members of the exchange student group didn’t speak, merely giving them an "experience it for yourself" look.
Oh right!
Over on their side, there was completely no one managing them!
Natsu and Gajeel came to a sudden realization, their gazes skipping over Juvia, Jellal, Erik, Macbeth, and Sorano one after another, before landing on Gray and Erzi.
Sensing the inquiring looks from the two, Gray raised his chin proudly: "My dad and mom are working outside during this period and haven’t come home. Ultear alone certainly can’t manage me!"
What’s more, he happened to know that during the previous period, Ultear had also quietly gone out for several nights, only returning at dawn the next day.
If she truly dared to report him to his dad and mom, he would just blow up her secrets alongside his!
Seeing Gray’s look of having nothing to fear, Gajeel couldn’t help but complain: "What are you acting so arrogant for, brat..."
Natsu turned his head to look at Erzi: "What about Erzi? The guild master and Aunt Layla should be at home, right?"
Erzi waved her hand, indicating it didn’t matter: "I spoke with them before I came out last night, so it’s fine."
"What?!"
Natsu was completely shocked: "There actually exist parents in this world who agree to their own child staying out all night?! This is a bit too open-minded!"
Gajeel also stared blankly with his mouth open: "Your family rules are truly enviable..."
"Is Aunt Anna very strict with you guys? She clearly looks like a very gentle person!"
The facial features of the two wrinkled into a ball, and their speech became faltering and hesitant.
"We can’t really say strict, it’s just a kind of... uh... very complex situation..."
Anna indeed wouldn’t fly into a terrible rage at the children; she would merely use an exceptionally gentle gaze to look at them quietly until they themselves felt guilty, ashamed, and lowered their heads to admit their mistakes. Only then would she begin her guidance, explaining to them in detail what they should do and what they shouldn’t do.
Of course, this was because she was entirely sure that both Natsu and Gajeel were good kids. If it were a bad kid, this kind of method actually wouldn’t have much of an effect.
"It sounds like it will be very troublesome if you guys don’t leave, so hurry back!"
Hearing everyone’s words in his ears, Weston began to dismiss the crowd.
"Then see you next time!"
Natsu and Gajeel were indeed pressed for time, so they didn’t decline at the moment either, hurriedly getting up and running toward home.
A few seconds later, the two ran straight back again.
"Is there anything else?"
"Old grandpa, when we meet next time, can you tell us more of your adventure stories?"
Weston was slightly stunned for a moment, subsequently nodding with a smile: "Of course you can!"
"Awesome!! Then this time we are really leaving, bye-bye!!"
With the departure of Natsu, Gajeel, and Happy, Jellal and the others also rose one after another: "Then we shall take our leave as well. Thank you for your hospitality, old grandpa!"
Polite, but not by much.
Weston waved his hand, similarly bursting with a smile: "Go on, go on..."
When the few people left, the words in their mouths still hadn’t stopped.
"Ha~ so sleepy..."
"If we go back right now, we should be able to sleep for a bit longer, right?"
"But there are still classes this morning. If you go back to sleep, you won’t make it in time."
"If you ask me, you might as well just sleep directly during class later. Anyway, Macbeth does that every day and hasn’t been punished by the teacher..."
Weston withdrew his gaze, looking toward the final two children remaining here, Gray and Erzi.
"Aren’t you guys leaving?"
Gray scratched his hair, saying somewhat bashfully: "I’m not pressed for time anyway, so it won’t be too late to leave after helping you clean up the things here completely!"
Erzi also chimed in to agree: "We won’t be like the others who lack any sense of loyalty! Walking away right after eating, I can’t bring myself to do that kind of thing!"
Mmh...
Children guided by normal human parents have a completely different level of quality!
Weston felt very gratified: "Hahaha... truly two attentive and kind children!"
"Since it’s like this, then could I trouble you guys to clean up the trash together with me, and then help me carry the things back home together?"
"No problem!!"
Half an hour later.
Deep within the woods of Fairy Academy.
The golden light of the morning sun pierced through the gaps between the tree leaves, spilling warmly onto a cabin in the woods.
"There actually really is a small cabin here..."
Gray subconsciously halted his steps, quietly examining the cabin before his eyes.
This was a two-story wooden cabin with a courtyard. It was very different from those modern houses built of stone and cement in Magnolia town, yet it possessed a heavy sense of history, while simultaneously fitting the image of a solitary elderly person like Weston.
"Oh, there are so many plants here!"
Erzi’s gaze was immediately drawn to the flower stands in the courtyard, upon which dozens of entirely different, multicolored flowers were planted.
Weston casually set down the things he brought back in the courtyard, then led the two children to the faucet in the corner to wash their hands: "An old friend of mine really likes plants. Back then they gifted me a lot of flower seeds, so when I was free with nothing to do, I just planted them."
"If you don’t mind, could you guys help me water the flowers?"
Hearing this, Erzi volunteered herself: "Leave it to me!!"
"Then I’ll head inside first to prepare breakfast for you guys. Just come in after you finish watering the flowers!"
"Okay!!"
Ten minutes later.
Erzi and Gray finished watering and came into the small cabin.
The interior decoration of the house was very simple; most of it consisted of daily necessities required for life, while there was only one thing meant for decoration.
That was an old photograph hanging on the wall.
