Chapter 17: Kingdom of Swords
"Demon Beast Great Forest?!"
Levy McGarden exclaimed upon hearing the name, her face paling.
Jet, who was sitting nearby, looked at Levy and asked, "What? Levy, you know about it?"
Levy nodded, her expression grim. "It's recorded in the Mage Chronicles. The Demon Beast Great Forest is one of the legendary 'Human Forbidden Zones.' It's said to be home to... to millions of demon beasts."
"Millions?!" Natsu's eyes bugged out. "How many is a million? I can't count that high! Happy, lend me your fingers!"
Happy, who was perched on Natsu's head, retorted, "Aye! Forget fingers, even all the fur on my body wouldn't be enough for you!"
Gray Fullbuster, for once, wasn't fighting. He crossed his arms, his expression serious. "Since that forest has so many demon beasts, isn't this country afraid of being overrun by them?"
Makarov, still on the second-floor railing, explained, "That brings us to the Kingdom of Sobelia, also known as the Kingdom of Swordsmen. Everyone in that kingdom reveres swordsmanship. Compared to our Mage Guilds, they have more Swordsman Guilds."
"The Swordsman Guilds' entire purpose is to hunt in the Demon Beast Great Forest," he continued. "They defeat demon beasts, bring back their materials to sell, and their ranks are determined by how many monsters they hunt, from One-Star Swordsman to Nine-Star Swordsman."
"Among them, a Nine-Star Swordsman is roughly equivalent to an S-Class Mage in our Mage Guilds."
Makarov's face was serious. "Under the constant hunting of numerous swordsmen, the Kingdom of Sobelia has managed to resist the attacks of the demon beasts. By utilizing the materials produced from the demon beast bodies, its national power ranks among the top in the entire Ishgar continent."
"That's roughly all I know. I've heard of the Legendary Sword a long time ago, but I thought it was just a rumor. I'm telling you this just to make you aware of the danger. This quest was initially posted in those Swordsman Guilds. Countless Seven-Star, Eight-Star, and even Nine-Star Swordsmen went to challenge it one after another... but they all fell within the Demon Beast Great Forest."
"Later, when the quest couldn't be completed, it was distributed to various Mage Guilds, and some Mages who challenged it also ended in failure."
"This quest only seems to be S-Class," Makarov said, his voice dropping to a deadly serious low. "But all of us Guild Masters believe that its true difficulty is approaching SS-Class. This is also why I tried to stop you from going, Erza."
"SS-Class?!"
Everyone in the Guild was astonished to hear this. SS-Class was a job above S-Class, with double the danger.
"The only advice I can give you," Makarov said, his eyes locking with Ren's, then Erza's, "is that if you feel the quest is too difficult and impossible to complete, retreat immediately. Staying alive is more important than anything else."
"Yes, Master!" Erza and Ren said in unison.
Ren felt a bit troubled at this moment. The Demon Beast Great Forest, with its countless demon beasts, was no small challenge. It was the most troublesome type he had encountered. His Take Overs were incredibly powerful, but they were drains on his small 2-Star magic container. Ulquiorra's Cero Oscuras could wipe out a large area, but Yoriichi's Sun Breathing was for single, high-level combat. A horde of millions... this was a war of attrition, something he was ill-equipped for.
However, this could not stop him from giving up the quest; instead, he felt a surge of excited anticipation. It was the same when he fought the Phantom Bandit Gang. At that time, he felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.
'Could it be that I'm inherently warlike?' he thought. 'No... before I transmigrated, let alone fighting, I only cursed when my teammates were too weak in a game.'
He glanced at the S-Class quest in his hand. 'No. It's the reward. Another ten-pull. This is the fastest way to get stronger.'
Erza turned to him, all business. "Ren, let's go back separately to pack our luggage. We'll meet at Magnolia Train Station in one hour."
"Alright!"
After speaking, the two left the Guild.
"Oh oh oh oh! I really want to do an S-Class Quest too!" Natsu looked at their retreating figures, his face full of envy.
Gray said from the side, "It's precisely because our abilities aren't enough that we can't do S-Class Quests, idiot!"
"Didn't Elfman also do an S-Class Quest?" Natsu retorted.
Elfman, who was nearby, said helplessly, "I was just playing a minor role; Ren did everything by himself. If it were me, I probably would have been killed long ago. That's a real 'man's' power..."
Even though he participated, he still felt lingering fear. This new S-Class Quest sounded even more dangerous than the Phantom Bandit Gang.
After Ren returned home, he quickly packed his "luggage." It consisted of a small bag with a change of clothes, his satchel of money, and the house keys, which he pocketed. He looked around his new, quiet home, then headed to the train station.
He arrived with thirty minutes to spare. A short while later, he heard a rumbling sound.
Clack-clack-clack-THUD. Clack-clack-clack-THUD.
"Sorry... have you been waiting long?"
Erza's voice called out. Ren turned, and his jaw dropped.
"I just arrived... So. Much. Luggage!"
Ren couldn't help but complain when he saw Erza. She was single-handedly pulling a massive, four-wheeled cart piled high with dozens of large and small bags, chests, and suitcases. It was a mountain of luggage that defied physics.
"Is it a lot? It's fine, isn't it?" Erza said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Soon, the train arrived. It took several station attendants, Ren, and a very confused Erza to get all the luggage loaded into the cargo car.
The two found their seats in a quiet carriage, and the train slowly departed, pulling out of Magnolia.
"Ren, I'm sorry to trouble you this time," Erza said, turning to him as the town's familiar cathedral faded from view.
It was their first meeting, yet she was asking him to risk his life on an S-Class Quest with her, which made Erza feel somewhat guilty.
Ren waved his hand, "It's no trouble at all. I would have been working normally anyway. I should thank you; the Master would never have let me take an S-Class quest alone. I get to go because of you."
Hearing Ren say this, Erza felt much better. "You are very composed. Elfman's report... he said you were remarkable. I must admit, I am... curious."
"Curious?"
"Your power. I have never seen a Take Over like the one he described," Erza said, her gaze intense. "When we return, I would like to spar with you. To test your strength against my own."
Ren saw the competitive fire in her eyes. "Uh... alright! I'd be honored, Erza-san."
"Just Erza is fine. We are comrades."
The two then chatted. Ren found Erza to be a surprisingly talkative girl, and talking with her was relaxed and comfortable, as long as he didn't mention her luggage. When they got tired, they rested.
The journey was long. It took about three days. They passed through fields and forests, mountains and valleys. Ren spent most of the time in his seat, his eyes closed, practicing his Sun Breathing. He focused on the rhythm, the flow of air, the burning in his lungs. It was agonizing, but he was already able to hold it for two minutes at a time, up from one.
Erza, meanwhile, read a book for a while, polished the armor she was wearing (which Ren found odd), and, at one point, pulled a massive, strawberry-topped slice of cake from one of her smaller bags.
Ren just stared. "You... you have cake in there?"
Erza froze, the fork halfway to her mouth. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "It is... important for morale."
Ren couldn't help but smile. This was the Erza he remembered.
After about three days, the two arrived at the capital of the Kingdom of Sobelia, Sword City—Noah.
"How magnificent!"
Ren couldn't help but exclaim as he looked out the window. The train was pulling into a massive station built into the side of a towering, hundred-meter-high city wall.
Unlike open cities like Magnolia Town, this capital was entirely enclosed. It was a fortress. There were also deep damages and dried, dark bloodstains on the city walls, making it easy to infer that these were not mere decorations but evidence of actual battles of iron and blood. Ren could see giant, three-pronged claw marks etched into the stone, and the scorch marks of what could only be dragon's fire.
Even having seen skyscrapers in his past life, these structures from a real, active battlefield still gave a completely different kind of shock.
"Yes! How magnificent!" Erza, like Ren, was awestruck by the sight.
There was a large gate beneath the city walls, and all tourists or merchants were queuing to be inspected before entering the city. After retrieving Erza's mountain of luggage (much to the attendants' dismay), they got in line.
"What are you two here for?" In a little while, a guard, clad in plate mail and holding a spear, came before Ren and Erza to question them.
Erza said, "We are Mages from Fairy Tail. We've accepted a commission and are here to complete a quest."
The guard nodded. "Mages, eh? Here for the Forest, no doubt." He looked them over, then his eyes landed on the cart of luggage. "What's in the boxes?"
"Luggage," Erza said.
"Luggage?! So much?!" The guard was equally startled. "Are you here for a quest? It looks like you're moving house!"
Erza's eye twitched. "Is there a problem with my luggage?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.
"N-No, ma'am! No problem at all!" the guard stammered, his professionalism vanishing in the face of her S-Class aura.
Suddenly!! A scream rang out from the top of the wall.
"DEMON BEASTS! A PACK IS AT THE EASTERN GATE!"
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