RNP Chapter 324 The Actors Are In Place
Chapter 324 The Actors Are In Place
Chapter 324 The Actors Are Ready (Please Subscribe!)
"I remember this day..."
Looking at the familiar scene before her, Erza's expression softened, as if she were recalling past events and those warm and comforting moments.
"Next I will say, stand up, stand up quickly."
Erza's expression was serious, and her tone unconsciously softened, like a gentle breeze across a lake, just as everyone thought she would encourage Natsu and Gray, whom she had beaten down, when they were children.
"hehe..."
Only Moen smiled; he knew that was impossible.
This is Erza, and she's Erza in an angry state!
Sure enough, Erza frowned, then suddenly raised her leg and kicked Natsu and Gray, who were still groaning and pretending to be dead on the ground, with two muffled thuds, making them jump up.
He did say "Stand up, stand up now," but he said it with an angry expression that made everyone lose their composure.
"This is completely different!"
Natsu and Gray were dumbfounded. They had just been touched, but they had been completely fooled. Come to think of it, this was Erza, after all. How could she possibly be gentle with them?!
Erza looked embarrassed; she hadn't expected this outcome. Perhaps people unconsciously embellish their own actions in their memories. She had genuinely thought she would encourage them.
On the other side, Erza's anger hadn't subsided. Like an enraged little lion, she waved her little fists and angrily chased after Natsu and Gray, who were running away with their heads in their hands. Her clear, angry voice echoed, "Tell me! Which of you stole my little cake?!"
Gray and Natsu dodged awkwardly while shouting that they were innocent, but Erza didn't believe them at all. The three of them chased and fought their way away, which made the "future visitors" watching from the side smile like doting aunts.
"You guys are so cute at this age."
Lucy remarked that she had only joined the guild the following year, when she was already twelve years old.
At that time, Natsu, Gray, and Erza were thirteen and fourteen years old, respectively. They were already far away from Magnolia to do missions, so they didn't have much time to spend in the guild.
Unlike at this time, when Natsu and Gray had only just gained the qualification to do missions in more distant places, they usually spent most of their time in the guild, like two energetic monkeys, always entangled and bickering together.
"Erza has been berserk since she was a child."
Natsu made a rather stubborn comment, while Gray agreed from the side.
"I'm surprised that you two actually believed what Erza just said. You've just had too little beating."
Moen shook his head. The two who had been beaten up since childhood actually thought that Erza would give them a "heartwarming moment" at this time, which really showed that they had put a lot of filter on their childhood stories.
But in reality, they've always been this annoying since they were kids, and Erza has been beating them up since they were little.
"So who exactly stole Erza's cake?"
Happy fluttered his little wings and hovered in mid-air, his cat face full of curiosity. His focus was always so peculiar; at this point in time, Happy hadn't even been born yet.
"Mira ate it."
Moen provided the answer.
"Now is not the time to focus on these issues."
Then, he changed the subject, his smile faded, and his tone became serious.
"Shouldn't you be thinking about how to get back to our timeline now?"
Moen brought the topic back on track, preventing them from going any further. These guys were being far too relaxed. Was it because he was there?
"Huh? Do we have to think about it?"
As expected, when faced with Moen's question, the group gave almost the same response.
Even Erza, after arriving in this timeline, immediately handed the "Memory of Time" to Moen, which shows their reliance on and trust in Moen. With Moen here, none of them felt that going back would be a problem.
"Moenge...is something wrong?"
Lucy, however, seemed lost in thought, looking at Moen with a worried expression. Moen's strange reminder earlier had given her all sorts of guesses and made her feel uneasy.
Are you familiar with time paradoxes?
Moen spoke with a serious expression, and as soon as he said this, Erza and Lucy also became serious, as they clearly understood the situation.
"I read in a book that the past influences the present and the future. If something was done in the past, it could change the future world and cause changes in the future world."
Lucy spoke seriously, a hint of fear appearing on her face, clearly recognizing the danger of the current situation.
"In other words, if we are indeed in the past world right now, then... it's best if we do nothing, and it's best if we don't interact with anything or anyone from the past!"
Erza also said seriously that what they need to do now is to quickly return to the future, which is their "present".
"That's right, I knew you would understand."
Moen nodded with satisfaction. Two sensible people were enough in the "group of five," and those two were mainly responsible for advancing the "mission."
"Wait a minute, where are Natsu, Gray, and Happy?!"
Although Lucy was happy to receive Moen's approval, she couldn't quite smile because the two people and the cat had already run far away.
"Let's go explore! Remember to call us when we get back!"
Natsu's voice came from afar, sounding very excited. Being able to return to Magnolia six years ago made Natsu very happy. He wanted to see everything from six years ago. Magnolia had changed a lot in six years, but he still preferred the old days.
This child is very nostalgic and dislikes changes in his surroundings. Every time the guild is renovated or the surrounding area is developed, he will mutter a few complaints.
"Those three idiots! I've only just finished speaking!"
Erza was furious at the actions of the two people and the cat. She was about to chase after them. She had told them not to have any contact with the past, but these three were still running around!
"No need to chase them, I've already sent crows to keep an eye on them."
Moen stopped Erza. He had deliberately let Natsu, Gray, and Happy go. Their behavior seemed uncontrollable, but in reality, it was the most controllable because their actions were completely predictable. The two of them and the cat had been following the direction that Natsu and Gray had left in.
"Are you really sure it's okay? Are you just going to let them get away with this?"
Lucy and Erza both looked worried. Clearly, they were very concerned about Natsu, Gray, and Happy, especially considering Natsu's impulsive and unpredictable nature. If he did something rash in a moment of anger, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Actually, they have always been very reliable in critical moments."
Moen’s tone carried a strange certainty, and a faint smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth. Although they were usually silly, they had never disappointed people at the crossroads of fate. Moreover, this time, what the plan needed was precisely Natsu’s “unreliable” variable.
"They are not reckless people and will not cause trouble on purpose, so don't worry. Right now, the two of you have a heavy task."
Moen's serious expression drew the attention of Lucy and Erza.
"The two of us?"
Lucy and Erza exchanged glances, somewhat confused about Moen's meaning. Were they really going to rely on the two of them to solve this problem?
"That's right, it should be said that it was me at this moment, me at this moment, who helped you return to the future world."
Moen continued speaking, which left Lucy and Erza somewhat bewildered. After a moment of reaction, they both opened their mouths wide.
"You...you...you mean...."
Erza stammered, a rare occurrence for her, her eyes wide open, her prosthetic eye almost popping out of its socket.
"When you were a child, did you know that we all came from the future? Did you know our identities?!"
The sheer volume of information overloaded Erza's brain instantly. One second she was emphasizing the need to avoid contact with people and things from the past, and the next she was going to actively seek out Moen from the past?!
"That's right, that's how it is."
Moen nodded calmly and continued to deliver even more shocking information.
"In my childhood memories, the only people who came this time were the two of you, Natsu, Gray, Happy, and myself. I wasn't there."
Moen's words caused Lucy and Erza's minds to completely shut down, leaving them blank and their logical chains broken.
"So, I will stay behind the scenes and not show my face at all. Just pretend I don't exist. Remember that. Just pretend I was never here. I will go back with you in the end."
Faced with the silence of Erza and Lucy, Moen then spoke up to share his thoughts.
"good...
Erza and Lucy nodded with difficulty, both feeling the heavy pressure. They had thought that Moen would solve the problem directly, but now all the pressure was on the two of them.
"Erza, if I hadn't been there in the first place, how would you have arranged things?"
Moen then spoke up, asking Erza about her next plans. As he spoke, he handed Erza "Memories of Time," clearly not joking.
Taking the "Memories of Time" book, Erza frowned and pondered for a moment before replying, "I'll keep this book to study myself, and then I'll have Lucy go find Natsu, Gray, and Happy."
Erza's answer was very much in her style: she chose to take on the heavy responsibility of "finding a way back" herself, giving Lucy a relatively simpler task.
Furthermore, the reason for this allocation is that Lucy is not at the guild at this time. Even if she is running around in Magnolia, Lucy will not reveal her identity.
"This arrangement is absolutely correct, so Lucy will be going to the guild in a little while. She will be warmly received by everyone, and I will help her out of the predicament. After that, she will run away in the chaos and come back to find you. After that, the younger version of me will help you solve the problem."
Moen meticulously recalled everything he knew, and he roughly estimated that it wasn't time for Lucy to go to the guild yet.
"Is...this how it is?"
Erza and Lucy looked at each other in disbelief. It seemed that Moen had already written the script for them, and all they had to do was perform according to this plan.
"Remember my words, Lucy, don't call me Master, and don't be too intimate with me. It's like... meeting your idol as a child. That shouldn't be too difficult for you, since you don't call me Master anyway."
Moen reminded Lucy again. Thinking about it, Lucy had never been used to calling him "Master" since she was a child, which actually made it convenient for her to act at this moment. If she had always called him that since she was a child, she might have accidentally let it slip.
"no problem!"
Lucy took a deep breath. She was naturally intelligent and had a strong understanding of things, and this was actually a natural fit for her, as Moen had been her idol since childhood.
"And me?"
Erza pointed to herself, seeking her own "role setting".
"Just play yourself."
Moen spoke frankly, and Erza's attitude made him feel there was nothing to adjust; they were meant to be close and familiar with each other.
"oh."
Erza nodded. She couldn't act it out herself, but she was actually quite looking forward to seeing Moen from when he was a child again.
"That's it, let's change. It's about time to leave."
Moen glanced at the sky; it was almost time, and the actors could take their positions.
"Huh? Do I need to change clothes again?"
Lucy pointed to herself in surprise. No one in Magnolia knew her at this time, so there was no need for her to change her clothes, right?
"It needs to be changed."
Moen shook his head, indicating that Erza should change her clothes immediately, and Erza did not hesitate and immediately used the change magic.
"Buzz!"
After a burst of magical energy, Erza and Lucy changed into new clothes.
"Wait a minute! What is this?!"
Lucy looked down and gasped in surprise, her cheeks flushing bright red.
Her ordinary clothes were replaced with an extremely sexy bright red bunny girl outfit, with black stockings tightly wrapping her legs, revealing the girl's figure curves.
"Feel sorry."
Erza's voice was visibly embarrassed, and two red clouds rose to her cheeks. Her gaze was somewhat evasive, and she dared not look at Moen beside her. At this moment, she was wearing a pure white catwoman outfit, which also had a fluffy white cat tail that swayed gently behind her with her movements. The main reason for her embarrassment was that Moen was watching right next to her.
"Actually, I've always wanted to ask this."
Moen immediately spoke, his tone laced with a mischievous smile, his gaze lingering on the swaying tail.
"Why do you even have these two pieces of clothing...?"
Moen deliberately dragged out the last syllable of his words.
"!!!"
Erza blushed even more, feeling extremely embarrassed.
"I just bought it out of curiosity! Stop asking!"
Erza practically growled, her embarrassment and anger making the air around her seem to heat up several degrees. If Moen pressed her for answers any further, there was no doubt that he would unleash a magical attack fueled by his rage.
"Can I set off now?"
Seeing this, Lucy cautiously raised her hand, not caring about being shy, and decided to make a quick getaway. She didn't want to be caught in the crossfire of Erza's embarrassment.
"It's about time, go ahead."
Moen smiled and nodded, indicating that Lucy could set off.
Upon hearing this, Lucy felt as if she had been granted a pardon and immediately ran away, leaving only Moen and Erza behind.
With Lucy gone, only Moen and Erza were left alone. Erza was much calmer, and the relaxation she felt when facing Moen replaced her previous embarrassment.
"Speaking of which, what exactly is this tail...?"
Moen's gaze once again fell curiously on the fluffy white cat tail behind Erza, which was swaying gently on its own. He subconsciously reached out, as if he wanted to grab it and study the workings of this realistic magical creation.
"It's magic! It's magic!"
Erza, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, spun around to avoid Moen's outstretched hand, simultaneously clutching her tail tightly behind her, and shouted in a mix of embarrassment and anger, "How can you just grab someone's tail like that?!"
"Alright, fine."
Moen smiled and withdrew his hand, no longer teasing her.
He straightened his expression and gave his final instructions: "You should start studying this book too. I'll hide first. Don't worry, I'll keep track of the overall pace from the shadows. You just need to follow the steps I took as a child."
After giving his final instructions, he changed into the Aries Gold Cloth, and with a surge of magical energy, his figure vanished.
"snort!"
Erza huffed angrily at the spot where Moen had disappeared, her cheeks still flushed, but her eyes blazed with a defiant spirit.
"Am I really incapable of solving this?"
Erza looked down at the heavy "Memories of Time" in her hands and murmured to herself.
According to Moen, she knew she couldn't crack the book's secret, but she was determined to try. At worst, she could act out a scene with the younger Moen and pretend she had no clue.
Erza smiled. Who knows? Maybe Moen was too stupid when he was little and couldn't tell that I had already cracked the code.