Chapter 47
"This egg really does seem to be the same species as Marshall’s."
"Yeah. Aside from the color and markings, they’re almost identical."
After arriving at the guildhall, the three of them gathered around Natsu’s egg and examined it from every angle.
Mira even stepped forward and tapped the shell with one finger, nearly giving Natsu a heart attack.
"Hey! Mira, what are you doing?! What if you crack it? This is a dragon egg! I’m going to hatch it!"
"A dragon egg?"
Marshall’s nerves immediately went on high alert.
’Did a dragon leave its egg in my room? Is that why I was given a Dragon Seed as payment?!’
"Natsu! How do you know it’s a dragon egg? Can you sense something from it?"
"Huh?" Natsu pointed at the pattern on the shell. "Doesn’t that look like a dragon’s claw? That means it has to be a dragon egg!"
"..."
Everyone fell silent.
Marshall covered his eyes, then smiled in resignation.
He must have lost his mind to place any faith in Natsu’s judgment.
"Anyway, I’m hatching it!" Natsu declared. "Do any of you know how? Master’s too stingy to help me!"
Makarov extended one arm with his staff and smacked Natsu over the head.
"You idiot! I already told you that magic must never be used to profane life! Life is born from love, and love is the greatest magic of all."
"I don’t understand any of that!"
Erza planted her hands on her hips and smiled.
"Natsu, you spend all your time destroying things. This is a good opportunity to learn what it means to nurture a new life."
She gestured toward the egg.
"What Master means is that you can’t hatch it by forcing the process with powerful magic. You need patience and genuine care."
Mira immediately spoke in a syrupy, mocking tone.
"My, my~ Erza certainly enjoys giving speeches. Aren’t you the most violent person in the entire guild?"
Erza slowly turned toward her.
"Mira, did our earlier fight not satisfy you?"
"Come on, then! You think I’m scared?"
The two girls immediately vanished into a cloud of dust and flailing limbs.
Gray, who had been beaten often enough that he now pretended to be friendly with Natsu whenever Erza was nearby, muttered under his breath.
"Hypocrite. She acts like that and still tells us not to fight."
For once, Natsu wholeheartedly agreed with him.
"Exactly! Damn it! One day I’m going to beat both Erza and Mira!"
While they complained together, Lisanna approached Marshall, who had floated into the air for a better look at Natsu’s egg.
"Marshall, my sister said you have an egg like this too?"
"What?!" Natsu exclaimed. "Seriously? You have one too?"
Marshall nodded.
"Yes. It suddenly appeared in my room today. Where did you find yours?"
"In the eastern forest!" Natsu’s eyes widened. "Do you think your egg and mine are brothers?!"
Lisanna looked at Natsu’s pink spikes pointing upward, then at Marshall’s soft pink hair falling neatly downward.
She covered her mouth and giggled.
"Natsu and Marshall do look a little like brothers~ My brother, sister, and I all have white hair, while both of you have pink hair."
"Huh?!" Natsu stared at Marshall as though seeing him for the first time. "You’re right! Your hair is the same color as mine!"
"..."
Marshall had no desire to become brothers with the brainless, perpetually angry Natsu.
He was intelligent and cheerful, thank you very much!
"Why don’t we focus on figuring out how to hatch the egg?"
Lisanna eagerly raised her hand.
"I’ll help too! I read in a book that eggs need warmth to hatch, so—Natsu! What are you doing?!"
Before she could finish, Natsu breathed a stream of fire directly onto the egg.
"Huh?" He blinked at her. "You said it needed warmth. Fire is my specialty!"
"You idiot! Are you trying to cook it?!"
"..."
Natsu’s recklessness nearly gave Marshall high blood pressure.
’That egg had better not hatch with brain damage.’
There was no chance he would ever allow Natsu near his own egg.
"Ahem. The warmth Lisanna means should be close to body temperature. It can’t be too hot or too cold."
Marshall began counting the requirements on his fingers.
"An egg also needs stable humidity, enough moisture, proper ventilation around the shell, and occasional turning to prevent the contents from sticking."
Lisanna’s eyes grew brighter with every word, sparkling with admiration.
"Marshall really is amazing! You know so much."
"I only read it in a book."
Natsu scratched his head in frustration.
"Does it really have to be that complicated? Marshall, you must have some way to do it, right? Help me!"
"..."
Marshall truly had no defense against Natsu’s straightforward, naturally idiotic personality.
He sighed.
"Fine. Everyone follow me."
A large group of children immediately poured out of the guildhall, all eager to watch.
"The children of this generation really get along well~"
"They certainly do. Youth is wonderful~"
"Laxus, aren’t you going with them?"
"Get lost!"
...
Marshall led the group to an open area near his home and chose a suitable location.
Then he began construction.
First, he used Earth-Make Magic to raise a small mound and keep the nest off the ground.
Next, he wove branches together with Wood-Make Magic, forming a structure resembling an enormous bird’s nest.
He pointed toward the bed of dry grass in the middle.
"Place the egg here. I’ll carve magic circles around the outside to regulate the temperature and humidity."
"After that, you’ll only need to visit occasionally and turn the egg. That should be enough."
"Marshall is incredible!"
"As expected of Marshall."
"There really isn’t anything he can’t solve."
Children’s praise was always sincere, and Marshall accepted it without the slightest embarrassment.
Natsu, however, had never seen Marshall use such a wide range of magic before.
His eyes immediately lit up.
"Marshall! Your magic looks really strong! Want to fight me?"
"N-No. I’m not very good at fighting."
Marshall shook his head so violently that sweat appeared on his forehead.
"You should challenge Gray instead."
This was exactly the situation he had always wanted to avoid!
If Natsu, that single-minded battle maniac, decided to follow him around demanding fights, Marshall’s peaceful life would be over!
"So that’s all we need to do?" Lisanna sounded slightly disappointed. "I wanted to help hatch it with the magic I just learned~"
"Your new magic?"
"Mm-hmm! Full-Body Take Over—Animal Soul!"
Lisanna transformed into a large bird.
Marshall vaguely recognized it as a Flame-Crested Pheasant, a giant bird whose meat supposedly tasted similar to chicken.
’She went around absorbing small animals?’
’That’s disturbingly evil.’
"This is my friend Basha," Lisanna explained. "She was struck by a magic train and badly injured. There was no way to save her, so she asked me to carry her life with me..."
Marshall was immediately consumed by guilt.
’Wait.. am i the bad guy here? doubting such a kind and innocent girl?’
Enduring the condemnation of his conscience, he offered a sensible suggestion.
"You could still sit on the egg while transformed. Magic can regulate the temperature, but it probably won’t be quite as natural as the warmth of a living creature."
"It might even hatch faster."
"Really? Then I’ll come help whenever I have time!"
Natsu was deeply moved.
"Thanks, everyone! I’ll definitely hatch it!"
He suddenly pointed at Gray.
"Oh, and you’re forbidden from coming near it, ice-for-brains! You’ll freeze the egg!"
"Hah?! You idiot! I’m not going to use magic on it!"
"You want to fight?!"
"Bring it on!"
Erza narrowed her eye.
"Hmm?"
Natsu and Gray immediately threw their arms around each other.
"Ahaha~ We’re such good friends~"
Still transformed into a giant bird, Lisanna pecked gently at Marshall’s arm.
"What about your egg? Aren’t you bringing it here so they can hatch together?"
"Ah... No, that won’t be necessary."
Marshall forced a smile.
"I can take care of mine myself. I’ve already set up the proper magic circles at home."
There was no chance he would allow someone as dangerous as Natsu anywhere near his egg.
Nearby, Elfman looked at Lisanna, who could already perform a full-body Take Over.
His shoulders drooped.
Then he glanced toward Marshall, surrounded by children who openly admired him.
Elfman quietly clenched his fists.
A decision began to form in his heart.