"Forest of Monsters?!!"
Levy cried out the moment she heard the name.
Sarusuke glanced at her curiously. "What's wrong, Levy? You know that place?"
Levy nodded. "It's recorded in the Magic Chronicle. The Forest of Monsters is said to be one of the legendary forbidden zones for humans. It's rumored that over a million monsters live there."
"A million?! How much is a million? I can't count that high! Happy, lend me your fingers!!"
Natsu flinched in shock, frantically counting on his fingers in panic.
Happy retorted, "Even if you borrowed all my fur, it still wouldn't be enough!"
Gray frowned. "If there are that many monsters in the forest, doesn't that country fear being wiped out?"
Makarov explained, "That brings us to the Kingdom of Sobea. It's also known as the Kingdom of Swordsmen. The people there revere swordsmanship. Unlike our mage guilds, they have sword guilds instead."
"The sword guilds mainly hunt monsters in the Forest of Monsters. They defeat monsters, bring back the materials, and sell them. Their rank rises depending on how many monsters they've slain—from One-Star Swordsman all the way up to Nine-Star Swordsman."
"A Nine-Star Swordsman is roughly equivalent to an S-Class Mage in our guild."
"Thanks to the countless swordsmen who hunt daily, the Kingdom of Sobea has managed to defend itself from monster attacks. Moreover, the materials gathered from the monsters' bodies have made it one of the most powerful nations on the entire Ishgar Continent."
"What I know is only that much. I've heard of the Legendary Sword long ago, but I thought it was just a rumor."
"I'm telling you all this so you'll understand how dangerous this mission is. It was first issued to the sword guilds. Countless Seven-Star, Eight-Star, and even Nine-Star Swordsmen took up the challenge—yet they all fell in the Forest of Monsters."
"After that, when no one could complete it, the mission was reassigned to the mage guilds. Many mages attempted it as well, and all failed."
"Though it's officially listed as an S-Class quest, every guild master agrees that its difficulty borders on SS-Class. That's why I tried to stop you from going."
"SS-Class?!!"
Everyone in the guild gasped in shock. SS-Class missions were ranked above S-Class—twice as dangerous, and far more likely to claim lives.
"The only advice I can give you is this: if you find the mission too difficult to complete, retreat immediately. Staying alive is more important than anything else."
"Yes, Master!"
Kaien and Erza both nodded firmly, their faces solemn.
Kaien also felt that this would be a tricky one. The Forest of Monsters, with its endless hordes—definitely not an easy task. This was probably the most troublesome type of challenge he'd faced so far.
But that didn't discourage him—in fact, it made his blood boil with excitement.
During the fight against the Phantom Thief Guild, he'd felt something he'd never experienced before—a rush of pure exhilaration.
'Could it be that I'm a battle maniac deep down? No way. Before I crossed over, I never even fought anyone. The most I ever did was curse at teammates while playing Genshin Impact when they messed up.'
Erza turned to him. "Kaien, let's head home and pack separately. Meet me at the Magnolia train station in one hour."
"Got it!"
With that, they both left the guild.
"Uoooooh! I wanna do an S-Class mission too!!"
Natsu watched their backs with envy written all over his face.
Gray sighed. "That's because we're not strong enough yet. That's why we can't take on S-Class missions."
"Didn't Elfman take one?"
Elfman scratched his head awkwardly. "I was just tagging along. Kaien did all the work. If it were up to me, I'd have died ten times over."
Even though he had technically participated in an S-Class mission, the memory still made him uneasy. This mission had been far more dangerous than the one he took with his sister a year ago. Every mage from the Phantom Thief Guild was terrifying—and their leader's Full Reflection Magic had been especially troublesome.
When Kaien got home, he quickly packed his things and headed to the station.
A while later—
"Sorry… did I keep you waiting?"
"I just got here too… Whoa, that's a lot of luggage!!"
Kaien couldn't help but stare. Erza stood there with a cart piled high with bags—enough to fill a small house.
'Is she going on a mission or moving out?' he thought. 'No, even if I were moving, I wouldn't have this much stuff!'
Erza blinked. "Too much? I thought it was just enough."
Soon after, the two boarded the train and found seats as it began to move.
"Kaien, I'm sorry for dragging you into this."
It was their first real mission together, and she already felt guilty for having someone risk their life alongside her.
Kaien waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I was going to take on work anyway. Honestly, I should be the one thanking you for giving me the chance to challenge an S-Class mission."
Hearing that made Erza feel much better.
They chatted idly during the trip. Kaien found that Erza was actually quite talkative, and speaking with her was easy and comfortable. When they grew tired, they rested.
After about three days, they finally reached the capital of the Kingdom of Sobea—Sword City, Noah.
"Wow, it's magnificent!"
Kaien's eyes widened as he took in the sight of towering hundred-meter walls.
Unlike the open city of Magnolia, this capital was completely encircled by walls that loomed high above. Cracks and dried blood stains marked the stone—proof that this wasn't for decoration, but the result of real battles fought in steel and blood.
Even someone used to skyscrapers and modern cities couldn't help but be awed. The feeling of standing before a fortress forged from countless fights was something else entirely.
"It's incredible!" Erza echoed, equally amazed. She had never seen such massive fortifications either.
At the base of the wall stood a huge gate where travelers and merchants lined up for inspection.
"What business do you two have here?"
Before long, a guard approached them.
Erza replied, "We're mages from Fairy Tail. We received a commission to complete a task here."
The guard nodded. Mages came through often, especially those hoping to hunt monsters in the Forest of Monsters.
"What's in your crates?"
"Luggage."
"Luggage?! This much?!"
The guard was dumbfounded. Was this really for a mission? It looked more like a moving trip.
Suddenly—
A sharp scream pierced the air.
"Monsters!!"