Fairy Tail: This Healing Mage's hits hurt so much!

When the group arrived at Hajiruong Port, the sea breeze, carrying a salty and damp scent, mixed with the smell of fish and the aroma of grilled squid, hit them. The dock was bustling with noise, with vendors' cries, shouts, and the whistles of fishing boats all blending together.

From a distance, the port was bustling with activity, with fishing boats densely packed on both sides of the dock.

The fishermen on deck were busy tidying up their nets and moving fish boxes. Their bare upper bodies were tanned dark and shiny by the sun, and their rough laughter carried from the boat to the shore.

Lucy felt a bit overwhelmed by the huge crowd. Her steps slowed unconsciously, and she covered her forehead with one hand, her brows furrowed in a knot.

"Wow, are they all here to catch Dream Pearl Fish?! There are so many people!"

She stood on tiptoe and peered into the crowd, but the crowd was so dense that she couldn't see the end of it. Her expression changed from shock to despair, and her lips drooped down.

"No, it's peak fishing season now. Most people are fishing at sea. Ordinary people don't specifically go out to catch the Dream Pearl Fish."

Riyao spoke up to explain, and while he spoke, he bought two skewers of grilled squid from a roadside stall and handed one to Mirajane.

"There aren't many people who actually come to catch the Dream Pearl Fish, since it's a rare find. Most people just try their luck and make money mainly from ordinary catches."

Mirajane rode on Sunshine's neck, her legs dangling in front of his chest, taking a bite of a grilled squid, some sauce on her lips, chewing as she looked into the distance, her gaze casually sweeping across the crowd.

She patted Riyao's head, her palm striking his forehead twice with a soft slap.

"I saw someone I know over there."

"Oh? Which unlucky guy is it?"

Sunrise looked up at Mirajane, a wicked smile playing on his lips; his expression clearly indicated he was about to cause trouble again.

"It's Princess Emerald and that black-faced knight."

Mirajane pointed with the grilled squid in the direction of the other side of the harbor, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, his smile carrying an expectation of "something fun is coming".

"Hey, they're here too."

Riyao raised an eyebrow, and before he could even swallow the squid in his mouth, he burst out laughing, almost choking. He coughed twice, but his eyes lit up.

The two stealthily approached Princess Emerald from behind, their steps light and slow. Sunlight even went around to the back of a wooden post to put Mirajane off his neck. The two of them moved close to her from the left and right, like two cats poised to pounce.

"Wow!" ×2

Sunrise and Mirajane jumped out from behind Princess Emerald at the same time. Sunrise cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone, while Mirajane leaned close to her ear. Their voices overlapped and exploded in the quiet corner of the harbor.

Princess Emerald was startled and jumped up as if she had been electrocuted. She stumbled and fell to the ground, her hands flailing wildly in the air but grabbing nothing. She landed hard on her bottom on the stone floor.

Arcadios remained expressionless and motionless, not even lifting an eyelid, clearly not wanting to acknowledge the two.

He simply gazed silently at the distant horizon, as if there was something there worth pondering.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Sunrise! Mira! You scared me again!"

Princess Emerald stood up, clutching her bottom and rubbing it with a grimace. Her eyes were glistening with tears, but mostly with anger. Her cheeks were puffed out as she pointed at the two of them, both angry and wanting to laugh.

Mirajah laughed so hard he was doubled over, his laughter as clear and crisp as a wind chime, that passing fishermen couldn't help but turn around to look.

Princess Emerald was furious and rushed over to pull Mirajane away, her fingers accurately poking at her side, tickling her.

Mirajane's laughter instantly turned into screams, and her body twisted and turned like a slippery fish.

"Hehehe... Run, Sunrise!"

Mirajane laughed as she nudged Sunrise's shoulder, circling around Arcadios, with Emerald Princess chasing after her, her skirt fluttering in the wind and her heels clicking on the stone pavement.

Arcadios stood still, like a silent pillar, as the three people circled around him again and again.

The sea breeze carried their laughter far away, but his expression remained unchanged, only the veins on his temples throbbed slightly.

Lucy looked at the four people, habitually making sarcastic remarks, crossed her arms, a helpless smile on her lips, and shook her head.

Why does Riyue like to go in circles so much?

"I guess they feel that going in circles is more ceremonial."

Gray shrugged, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

The three of them stopped laughing after they had had their fill. Princess Emerald was panting, her cheeks flushed, while Mirajane, leaning on Sunshine's shoulder, was still laughing and her shoulders were swaying.

"What brings Your Highness here?"

Riyao took a breath and casually straightened Mirajane's collar, which had been ruffled by the wind.

"I came out to observe the people's conditions."

Princess Emerald straightened up, put her hands behind her back, and raised her chin slightly, trying to adopt a dignified posture, but her flushed face and still-breathing breath completely betrayed her.

"The princess threw a tantrum, demanding to come out, and His Majesty, annoyed, had no choice but to agree."

Arcadios's voice was deep and steady, like reading an official document, without the slightest ripple in his tone, but every word struck the Emerald Princess with precision.

Princess Emerald kicked Arcadios, the tip of her shoe striking his shin guard with a clang. She winced in pain, but her momentum didn't diminish.

"Hey, how dare you undermine me as my knight?"

Arcadios looked down at the shoe print on his calf armor, raised his eyebrows expressionlessly, the subtle curve of which seemed to say, "I'm used to it."

Lucy's brain finally caught on; her eyes widened, her mouth formed an "O," her finger trembled as she pointed at the Emerald Princess, and her voice rose eight octaves.

"Hey! You're a princess? The Emerald Princess of the Kingdom of Fiore?!"

Her expression shifted back and forth between shock and confusion.

"How come you're so familiar with the princess?"

Harpy looked disappointed and frustrated, patted his forehead with his little paws, shook his head, and let his tail hang down helplessly.

"Lucy is so oblivious, in every sense of the word."

Wendy blinked, her hands clasped in front of her chest, her little face filled with wonder and admiration, her mouth slightly open as if she were looking at some rare treasure.

"Wow, this is the first time I've ever seen a real princess!"

She couldn't help but steal a few more glances, but then felt it was impolite and quickly lowered her head, though her eyes still couldn't help but drift towards Princess Emerald out of the corner of her eye.

Xia Lulu maintained her disdainful expression, crossed her arms, raised her chin slightly, and scrutinized Princess Emerald with a critical gaze, letting out a soft snort.

"He seems like he likes to fool around too."

Upon hearing this, Arcadios sighed deeply, his shoulders visibly slumping.

A rare look of weariness appeared on that usually expressionless face, as if he were carrying a heavy destiny.

"Every time Lord Sunlight passes through the capital, he takes Lord Mirajane to the palace to play with the princess. Over time, his personality has been influenced by this. Sigh."

He paused, his gaze distant, his voice carrying the vicissitudes of someone who had been through it all.

"Your Highness used to know what it meant to be reserved, but now you throw tantrums at the drop of a hat. The day before yesterday, you even tried to climb over the wall to leave the palace. After I stopped you, you sat on the ground and cried for an hour, saying, 'Sunshine and Mira can run around everywhere, why can't I?'"

Riyao chuckled twice, showing no remorse whatsoever, and even puffed out his chest proudly.

"This shows that Her Highness has an adventurous spirit, which is perfect for our guild."

Arcadios glanced at him, his eyes containing too much that could not be expressed in words, which ultimately turned into a longer sigh.

Xia Lulu frowned, trying to pull Wendy away, and tugged at Wendy's sleeve with her little hands.

Wendy smiled helplessly, staggered a couple of steps after being pulled along, but still couldn't help but look back at the lively crowd.

Juvia held Gray's clothes with obvious delight, cradling the shirt in both hands, her cheek pressed against the fabric, a blissful smile on her lips, as if she were holding some priceless treasure.

Who knows when Gray casually took off his shirt again, and now he's standing shirtless on the beach, hands in his shorts, looking at the fishing boats in the distance with an indifferent expression, just like Nezha.

Erza glanced around, her gaze quickly sweeping across the crowd. Her brows furrowed, and she subconsciously counted the heads. Suddenly remembering something, her expression changed.

"Where's Natsu?!"

When everyone turned around, there was no one there. Natsu was nowhere to be seen. The place where he should have been standing was now just a wisp of air blown away by the sea breeze.

"That idiot should have gotten off the bus by now, right?"

Gray scratched the back of his head, his tone uncertain, his brow furrowed as he tried to recall when he last saw Natsu, but his mind went blank.

"Juvia didn't see Lord Natsu get out of the car..."

Juvia lifted her head from Gray's shirt, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then buried her face back into the clothes. Clearly, Natsu's whereabouts were far less important than Gray's clothes.

Everyone was only surprised for a moment and then ignored Natsu. Anyway, it wasn't the first time he had lost something, and he would find it himself.

This kind of thing is as commonplace as eating and drinking in Fairy Tail, and Lucy is too lazy to even sigh anymore.

Arriving at the seaside, the original plan was to rent a boat and go out to sea to the islands near the habitat of the dreamy pearl fish.

We'll have to rest for a day and wait for Natsu to be found before setting off again.

Just as they were about to rest at Emerald's estate, Emerald Princess perked up immediately, clapping her hands and saying that her estate was nearby, with hot springs and gourmet meals, her eyes shining like two gems.

Natsu shakily got off the train, holding onto a pillar on the platform with one hand and covering his mouth with the other.

His face was ashen, his lips were bloodless, and his knees trembled like mushy noodles.