Chapter 243

Barking Up The Right Tree

After taking the request from Makarov, with the rest of Team Natsu, myself, and Mirajane joining Natsu and Gray on their journey, we were soon walking on the road somewhere in the countryside after taking a train. Other than who this Warrod person wanted to see, we were instructed to come to his residence, which he provided the address for, so we were still puzzled as to what he wanted. But since he was a Wizard Saint and apparently one of the Four Emperors, who were we to decline?

It was a beautiful spring day, with a gentle breeze blowing around the green plains and trees on either side of us. I was walking alongside Mira and Erza, carrying a small water bottle in case I was thirsty.

"Well, it's been a pretty nice walk thus far," said Wendy.

"Yeah, and the weather is perfect," Lucy agreed, stretching her arms as she walked. "Especially with this fresh air."

"And the breeze feels nice, too," said Erza.

"I think this place would be great for going on vacation," concurred Mira. "I really love how beautiful this place looks."

"No kidding," I approved. "On a beautiful day like this one, a vacation actually sounds good."

"Doesn't it feel like we're all going on a family picnic?" said Happy.

"Well, it would," said Carla. "If it weren't for those two."

I looked over my shoulder, only to see Natsu and Gray once again leering menacingly at each other, arguing again. I wasn't fully paying attention to what they were fighting about, but knowing them, it was more than likely something petty that wasn't worth getting involved in.

"Simmer down, you two," Erza spoke sternly. "Master told you to behave yourselves around this client."

But the two didn't seem to hear as they continued glaring at each other.

"We tagged along so that we could help them do that, but I don't think that's even possible," Lucy sighed wryly.

"You gotta hand it to them, though. They sure have a lot of energy," said Mira. "Even after completing the last job and getting beaten senseless by Erza not too long ago."

"I guess so," I said. "But let's just hope that this Warrod guy is a lot more forgiving should these two decide to start acting up."

"Speaking of which, about the ten wizard saints, they're chosen by the Magic Council if I remember correctly," said Lucy. "So, how does someone become an Emperor of Ishgar? The same way?"

"That's correct," confirmed Erza. "Master Makarov, Tu-Chi, and Lamia Scale's Jura have been wizard saints for years. Jose from Phantom Lord was once one but was stripped of his title, and the same could be said for Jellal - I mean, Siegrain. That is to say, they're far from equals. The four strongest among them are the Four Emperors of Ishgar."

A look of unease crossed Lucy's face. "Um, maybe I should go back to the guild," she said nervously.

"Oh, come on, Lucy. It's a little late to turn back now," I said. "Besides, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

"You say that, but I'm still going to worry," Lucy quipped.

"By the way, what's Ishgar?" wondered Wendy curiously. "I've never heard of that name before."

"It's what Fiore used to be called," replied Mira. "But that was a few centuries ago."

"So, let me see if I got this right," Lucy said, as she looked towards me and then Natsu and Gray skeptically. "One of the strongest wizards in all of Fiore needs the help of those three? Willy, I'd understand, but not when it comes to those two."

I looked back at Natsu and Gray again, only to see that the two were still bickering.

"Well, I'm sure it's for a good reason," I said. "But on the other hand, if the guy wanted to see a comedy routine of those two, he's definitely found the right people for the job."

We continued strolling along the dirt road for a couple more hours until, finally, Wendy called out while pointing in the distance.

"Hey, guys! I think that's the house over there! On top of that hill!"

Just as she said, a lone house stood on top of a large hill just a few yards away.

"Good eye, Wendy," praised Mira.

"Thank goodness," sighed Lucy thankfully. "We're almost there."

"Hold on a second. How do we even know that's the right place?" asked Happy.

"Easy. It was on the map when we looked at it," quipped Carla.

We then continued our trek up the hill, heading towards it. But as the house came nearer, I couldn't help but grow a bit nervous. But as I walked on, Mira came alongside me.

"Feeling worried?" she asked.

"Well, maybe a little bit," I confessed to her. "And here I was telling Lucy not to be nervous earlier."

Mira placed her hand on mine and gently squeezed it in comfort. "Don't worry. It'll be fine," she reassured. "Just treat Warrod like how you would treat Tu-Chi."

I returned the squeeze and replied back with a nod, my worries easing up.

We soon stood right in front of the doorstep of the house. The place looked run down and hadn't been touched for a while. Some green vines snaked around the walls, and trees, two on each side, grew out of it.

"So this is the house of Warrod Sequen," observed Lucy. "The fourth strongest wizard of the wizard saints."

"The hell? This dude lives in a hovel!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I know, right?" agreed Happy. "Talk about shabby."

"I was about to say that it reminds me of your place," Lucy bantered.

"I must admit, you'd think with him for having such a high status, his dwelling would be a bit more bougie or something," said Mira.

"Maybe he's trying to appear normal for travelers or something?" I questioned.

Our party then approached the front door and carefully entered the house.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Lucy called out.

"We've come from Fairy Tail," Erza also announced.

Inside, there were plants of various kinds on multiple shelves, including a tree that stood in the corner that was growing inside. There were also two bookcases filled with books.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many houseplants," observed Carla.

Then, I noticed someone standing in front of some plants, watering them with a can while hidden in the shadows. I couldn't tell who the person was, but I could see that they wore a long brown cloak with a lime green symbol on the back.

"U-um, excuse me, sir," Lucy called out to the stranger.

But Lucy was quickly cut off by a sharp, shushing sound, followed by a male voice coming from the figure.

"Hush! Be silent, will you? My plants prefer peace and silence, so do me a favor and keep your damned mouths shut?"

Lucy jumped while she and Wendy covered their mouths. "S-Sorry!" she squeaked.

I couldn't help but frown at this person's attitude, but I grew all the more tense from the voice he gave. But then, the voice came again; this time, it was more light-hearted than what it was before.

"Just kidding!"

Then, several beams of light came shining through the ceiling, illuminating the whole room. As they did, the plants suddenly sprang to life, several flowers blooming in all sorts of colors. As I gasped in amazement, I noticed the person who then turned to face us. When I saw him, I was all the more surprised.

The person was an old man whose entire head was like a tree. His skin was as wrinkly as a tree trunk, and his hair was like a treetop. In fact, he looked like a humanized tree. He also wore a lime-green high-collared kimono with trousers and some boots.

"Oh, come on, kids. It was just a joke, so lighten up," the old man laughed heartily. "I actually believe that all plants and flowers love the sound of human voices."

But as he laughed, all we could do was stare at him.

"Is… that a tree?" Lucy puzzled.

"Well, there's no other way to describe it," I said.

"He's definitely not as funny as he looks," Natsu snarked quietly.

"Now, now. Don't be rude," said Mira. "He's just having a bit of fun. Even though it was in poor taste."

"Seriously, what's with this guy?" Gray inquired. "Is he seriously a Wizard Saint?

"I bid you welcome, wizards of Fairy Tail," the old man continued as he approached. "I appreciate you all for coming after traveling such a long way. Tell me, which amongst you is Natsu, Gray, and Willy?"

The three of us then stepped up. But as we did, the old man then picked up Happy and Carla and stared at them gobsmacked.

"My word! You're both more feline than I imagined!" he gawked. "And it seems one of you has gone missing! It's a cat-astrophe!" He then beamed. "Gotcha, again! I'm only kidding!"

Our party stared at him annoyedly as the old man guffawed some more.

"This old man's a bit of the hyper side, ain't he?" Lucy spoke snidely.

"Well, at least he can crack himself up," said Mira. "I guess you can say he finds himself conical."

"Oh, please, don't you start," I groaned at her.

The old man continued to laugh for a little bit more, enough for him to double over with laughter.

"How is he still laughing after that?" wondered Gray.

"Should we stop him?" asked Natsu flatly. "I'm open to making fun of him."

"Of course not!" Wendy admonished. "He's royalty, remember?"

The old man soon stopped, wiping his eyes. "Whew! All that laughing's gotten me thirsty."

He then proceeded to take his watering can and poured the water down his mouth, much to my bafflement.

Erza then approached. "Pardon me, but we're looking for Warrod Sequen of the ten wizard saints," she said. "Are we to assume that you're him?"

The old man stopped as he looked at us, a sense of seriousness appearing on his features. "That is correct," he said. "You now stand before Warrod Sequen in the bark."

There was a brief pause before he lost the seriousness and returned to his joking persona.

"Nah, I'm just screwing with you."

I couldn't help but almost fall over, feeling confused, before the old man spoke out again.

"Kidding again. It's really me."

I couldn't help but grow all the more exasperated as he heartily laughed once again.

"This guy's a real piece of work," huffed Gray.

"You can say that again," Natsu and I agreed.

A few minutes after that, we all joined Warrod outside on a picnic table while he poured us some tea. The tea's aroma was deliciously sweet, and the taste was just as good. As he did, Warrod once again dropped his joking demeanor and was much more serious.

"I'm a retired old man now," Warrod began. "Since then, I've spent my time bringing the deserts of this land back to their former glory."

"Does that mean that you were once part of a guild?" inquired Erza.

Warrod chuckled and then held up his palm, and a beautiful red flower grew and bloomed in the middle of it. "Indeed, and it was a great guild," he said nostalgically. "But that was a long time ago. These days, I've been stopping desertification using my Green Magic. It's become a little hobby of mine."

He then took out a book, placed it on the table, and started flipping through the pages.

"As you can imagine, I've seen many deserts in my lifetime and many peculiar things throughout my travels," Warrod continued. "Most recently, I came across a village hidden deep in the mountains."

He then stopped on a page that showed an illustration of a large flame and of a sun.

"According to literature, this particular village is known as the Sun Village. Its people worship a guardian deity, which is an ever-burning flame."

"An ever-burning flame?" repeated Natsu curiously. "You mean it's a flame that never goes out?"

"Correct," nodded Warrod. "But when I arrived there, I saw a strange sight unbecoming of it. The whole place had frozen over."

My eyes widened at this. "Frozen over?" I puzzled.

"Yes," Warrod spoke grimly. "Whether it was by natural disaster or brought on by humans, the entire place was encased by solid ice. The rivers, buildings, plants, creatures, its residents, and even the sacred flame that guarded the village itself. All was frozen."

"You're kidding!" Lucy gasped incredulously. "It's possible to freeze a flame just like that?!"

"All those people, too," Wendy murmured with sympathy. "Poor things."

"Do you have any idea as to what could have caused such a thing to happen?" Mira asked.

Warrod shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't," he said. "But one thing I can safely know for certain is that they're all still alive."

"But how can that be when you said they were all frozen?" questioned Happy.

"None of this makes any sense," Carla spoke with confusion.

"I understand that, but I refuse to turn a blind eye to that village when its residents are in dire need," Warrod spoke with firm determination. "Which is all I called you all here. Break the curse of the ice. That is my task to you."

Natsu then slammed his foot on the table, grinning eagerly from cheek to cheek. "Ain't no problem!" he spoke with confidence. "My flames will melt that ice, and those folks in that village are going to get nice and toasty!"

"But if that was all you needed, then why ask for the three of us?" asked Gray.

"Yeah. Natsu, I get because he's a fire wizard, and Gray's an ice wizard, but what about me?" I asked. "I use water magic."

"Because this ice is far from normal and will take a lot more than fire alone to melt it," said Warrod. "Plus, Willy knows the Aqua Sense spell, if memory serves. It should be helpful to identify what type of ice magic it is. Or if it's even ice magic at all."

"That would make sense," said Mira.

But Erza was still puzzled. "Pardon me, sir. It's not like we're willing to do this for you, but you're one of the strongest wizards alive," she said. "Surely, it wouldn't be much trouble for you to handle alone."

Warrod chuckled as he smiled in amusement. "I believe you're misunderstanding something about my rank," he said. "Despite the title we carry, we're far from omnipotent. We're nothing more but ten people the council chose to put on top of a list."

He then stood up and walked a few steps away from us as he stared into the sky.

"There are countless wizards on this continent who surpass me, and there are wizards on this continent who surpass even them. When you look at it like that, I'm really no one special. In fact, I don't have a single offensive spell to speak of, so if I were to fight against you youngsters, I wouldn't have a chance of winning."

"That's true, but…" Erza started to insist.

Warrod then turned to face us as he smiled humbly. "Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, my dear," he said. "But that's what inspires wizards to create alliances and make comrades, which in turn forms guilds. Wouldn't you agree?"

I couldn't help but stare in amazement at his sage words as I was filled with admiration.

Erza also smiled, appearing inspired. "You're as wise as I imagined you'd be," she complimented.

"Agreed," smiled Mira. "Just like Master Makarov."

Natsu and Gray then fist-bumped each other, each of them wearing a smirk.

"We accept your request!" confirmed Natsu.

"What he said!" Gray also said.

"That makes three of us!" I spoke while beaming. "It would be my honor and pleasure to accept!"

"Count me in, too," smiled Mira. "You can rely on us."

Everyone else also gave them approval, which made Warrod smile all the gratefully.

"So, where is the Sun Village?" asked Wendy.

"About 1,200 miles south from here," replied Warrod. "Or 2,000 km if you want to be technical."

"That's pretty far," said Carla.

"And it'll take a while to travel even if we fly," I added.

"Nonsense," soothed Warrod. "You should get to the village in no time if you'll allow me to lend a hand. It's the least I can do." He then pointed at a particular spot with his cane. "Now, all of you gather over there and make sure you have all of your belongings."

"What do you intend to do?" wondered Carla. "Do you have some kind of magic vehicle?"

I immediately turned to walk away, as did Natsu, but Erza and Mira quickly held us back and prevented our escape.

"Now then, I leave this task in your hands, youngsters of Fairy Tail," addressed Warren. "Should you ever face yourselves in this journey, I ask that you stay true to yourselves as you look closely. Do that, and I'm sure you can overcome whatever befalls on your path. Now pivot to the right."

All of us immediately did so, and Warrod then immediately let out a cackle of laughter.

"You're all seriously so gullible. That was a joke."

But before any of us could object or reap him a new one for his joke, he gave two sharp taps of his staff, and almost immediately, a giant tree erupted from where we stood, sweeping us off of our feet as it rose high in the air. As it did, I grabbed onto the leaves while the tree then took off towards the direction we were going at incredible speed.

"This is incredible!" Gray yelled.

"That it is!" Erza marveled as she looked back. "It's like this tree's become a living creature!"

"I'll say!" I also shouted as the wind blew my hair back as I grinned. "It's like he's turned the tree into a dragon! He's definitely a wizard saint!"

"I'm just amazed by how humble he was with his magic!" Mira smiled. "It's incredible!"

I couldn't help but look down, taking one last look. Warrod's house seemed to be nothing but a spec as landscapes and mountains flashed by. But I then refocused my attention up ahead.

"Looks like this going to be the start of another insane adventure!"