"What's this?"
Natsu stared curiously at the device in Noah's hand. Noah didn't keep him in suspense. He set it down on the floor and explained,
"This is a heat-preservation device that can regulate the temperature inside within a fixed range. That way, Lisanna doesn't need to stay in her bird form all the time to keep the egg warm."
Hearing this, Lisanna's eyes widened. She was amazed that such a small device could maintain constant warmth.
Noah went on,
"The liquid inside is a nutrient solution I specially prepared for incubating eggs. It provides plenty of nutrition, strengthens the body of the creature inside, and helps it hatch healthier."
"That sounds amazing! So what do I do?"
Noah adjusted a few dials, opened the cover of the device, and instructed Natsu,
"Gently place the egg inside."
Natsu followed his directions, carefully setting the egg into the device. Noah then poured in the nutrient solution, replaced the lid, and adjusted it again.
"There. It's all set. The device will maintain the right temperature. If you notice the nutrient solution dropping below this line, or if the light underneath changes from green to orange, come find me right away."
Noah pointed to the scale mark and the indicator light. Natsu nodded eagerly.
"That's it?"
"That's it. Now all you have to do is wait. Did you remember what I just told you?"
"I remember! If the solution drops below the line or the light turns orange, I'll come find you!"
"Good. Then I'll leave it in your care."
"I'll definitely hatch it!"
Clutching the device, Natsu bolted out the door with an excited grin. Lisanna quickly followed after him.
"Wait for me!"
Ultear, standing nearby, watched Natsu sprinting off with the device. She glanced at Noah with concern.
"To be honest, I'm worried Natsu might break the egg by accident. He's usually so rough, and his destructive power is… well, you know. If he broke it, he'd be devastated."
"Relax. That device isn't as fragile as it looks. It has shock absorption, impact resistance, constant temperature, and automatic detection. The protection is excellent. Unless Natsu keeps attacking it nonstop, it'll be nearly impossible to break."
"This is the first time I've ever seen him take something so seriously. I really hope this ends well."
"It will. I'm sure of it."
After finishing, Noah said goodbye to Ultear. He was heading home to prepare another device and another set of nutrient solution. His thought body had sent word that another egg had been found in the forest near Roubaul and had already been brought back to his home.
Noah returned, readied the second device and solution, then went to find Wendy, who was still practicing at the training grounds.
"Wendy, Grandpa Roubaul has a gift for you. Come with me."
"Really?"
Wendy's face lit up with joy. She often visited Grandpa Roubaul with Noah and loved spending time with the kind old man.
"Of course. Let's go home so you can wash up first, then we'll go see Grandpa Roubaul."
"Okay! Thank you, Noah."
Noah smiled, helped her close the training ground, and teleported her home. Once Wendy had washed up, he took her straight to Roubaul's house.
"Hello, Grandpa Roubaul!"
"Wendy, you're such a good girl!"
Roubaul's face lit up with joy when he saw her arrive. To Noah, the old man looked just like a grandfather welcoming his granddaughter home.
"Here's your gift, Wendy."
Roubaul stepped aside, revealing a very large egg with intricate patterns covering its shell.
"This egg is huge! It's almost the same size as the one Natsu-nii was holding earlier."
"That shouldn't be the case. You saw Natsu carrying his egg?"
Wendy tilted her head, still staring at the egg with curiosity, while Noah was a little surprised. She had already seen Natsu with his egg so soon? That didn't sound right.
Natsu had said he found it in the forest. The training ground only had a few trees nearby, and the forest was much farther away.
"Well, Natsu-nii came into the training ground holding the egg. He said he found it there."
"I see."
Noah thought it over. That wasn't surprising Natsu must have gone to the training ground to show off before returning to the guild.
"To be exact, this egg was discovered thanks to you, Noah. You suggested Wendy should hatch it, and I think that's a good idea."
Roubaul whispered to Wendy, agreeing with Noah's proposal. Letting her hatch a new life with her own hands would help her understand the power of life itself and benefit her greatly in the future.
"Me? You want me to hatch it? I… I don't think I can do it well. Wouldn't it be better for Brother Noah to hatch it?"
At first Wendy's face glowed with excitement, but the moment she heard the responsibility was hers, fear set in. She worried she wouldn't be able to care for it properly, and that would cause the egg to fail.
"Don't worry. I've already checked it the egg is very healthy and will hatch normally.
Besides, I've prepared another device and nutrient solution to keep the creature inside healthier and stronger. All you need to do is look after the device, and it will hatch without problems."
Noah reassured her patiently, but Wendy still fidgeted, doubt clouding her face.
"But… why didn't Brother Noah just bring me back to the guild to hatch it there? There are plenty of people at the guild who could help, right? And you always bring me back so quickly with teleportation…"
"You mean teleportation? That won't do. Eggs are both sturdy and fragile. The shell is strong enough to withstand some impact, but inside, it's delicate.
Teleportation is a type of space magic. Even though my control is steady, if the egg were disturbed even slightly during the transfer, the result could be disastrous. So I can't risk teleporting it to the guild.
Also, the distance from here to Magnolia is long. Carrying it the whole way isn't good for the egg's development. It's far better to let it hatch here in peace."
Wendy slowly nodded. Noah's reasoning convinced her. After some hesitation, she finally agreed to take care of the hatching.
Seeing her agreement, Noah let out a quiet sigh of relief.
In truth, he could have solved all those problems easily. The simplest way would be to put the egg into the device, fill it with nutrient solution, and then run straight back to Magnolia. The device's shock-absorbing measures were more than enough to protect it.
But Noah had explained it differently on purpose. He wanted Wendy to take responsibility for this egg. How could a Dragon Slayer and her partner Carla not experience such a bond?
Noah prepared the device, poured in the nutrient solution, and Wendy carefully placed the egg inside.
Once the lid was closed, Noah adjusted the settings and explained everything Wendy needed to watch for. Wendy stared at the device with wide, sparkling eyes, her face glowing with anticipation. She was already dreaming of the moment the egg would hatch.
At last, Wendy made up her mind she would stay here for a few days, watching over the egg until the new life was born.
Fortunately, Wendy already had plenty of clothes here, and since she often stayed for several days at a time, there was no need to prepare anything else.
Noah spent some time with her, making sure she felt comfortable and reassured. Before leaving, he promised to come visit her every day. With that, he finally returned to the guild.
...
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