Chapter 20: Echoes After the Storm
The sun rose slowly over Clover Town, golden rays stretching across broken buildings and fractured glass. Townsfolk had begun to sweep debris from streets, while Rune Knights arrived to take custody of Erigor and his remaining men.
From the top of a nearby hill, Cael watched it all in silence.
His coat fluttered in the early morning breeze, patched and singed. One of his gloves was still torn from Erigor's final strike. His gadgets lay in a small pile beside him—battered, some half-melted, but all of them salvaged for parts.
"It's quiet now," he muttered to himself.
No more screaming wind. No more death threats. Just birds chirping, and the distant sound of Lucy shouting at Natsu over breakfast.
It almost doesn't feel real.
He flexed his fingers. The faint, controlled hum of magic coursed beneath his skin. No longer overwhelming—just present. Steady.
He was beginning to feel at home in his own body again.
Footsteps approached from behind.
"You're up early," Erza said, her armor replaced with a simple traveling cloak.
Cael didn't look back. "Didn't sleep."
Erza stood beside him, arms crossed. "You held your own. Most rookies would have run."
"I thought about it," he said dryly. "Decided it wasn't worth the sprint."
She actually smirked.
They both stood in silence for a long while before Cael spoke again.
"I've been thinking… I don't want to be someone who only builds things after people get hurt. I want to be better prepared."
"You did your part," she said. "Everyone has their first real mission. This was yours."
He looked at her. "Do you remember yours?"
Erza's expression softened for just a moment. "Yes. I do. And I nearly died."
Cael blinked. "Really?"
"Everyone thinks strength means never struggling. It doesn't. It means surviving the struggle."
"…That sounds like a Mira quote."
That actually made Erza laugh—a quiet, short laugh—but a laugh nonetheless.
"She's been a good influence on you," she said.
"I think she says the same about me. Though I'm not sure she means it."
Back at the guild, Natsu and Gray were already arguing over who had done more damage.
"I melted the guy's tornado!"
"Only after I froze his leg!"
"You're just jealous I got the last hit!"
"Oh, grow up—"
"Both of you shut it," Lucy groaned, thumping her head onto the table. "My head still hurts from the train."
"Good work out there," Mira said, placing a fresh plate of food in front of Cael, who had just returned.
He sat at the bar, nodding. "Thanks. Though I think the wind still hates me."
"You did well," Mira said warmly. "You've come far since you joined."
Cael gave a small smile. "Still haven't blown myself up, so I'm calling it progress."
"I wouldn't jinx it."
They both laughed.
Then Mira leaned in just a little. "And you were brave. Facing someone like Erigor without freezing."
"…I froze," Cael admitted. "I just did it behind cover."
"Still brave."
He looked at her, unsure of how to respond. A rare awkward silence stretched between them before Mira looked away, cheeks faintly pink.
Cael blinked. Was that…?
Before he could say anything, Makarov called from the second-floor balcony.
"Everyone! Good work on the Eisenwald mission. Rest up. New jobs are coming in!"
A cheer rose through the guild.
Cael sipped his tea and smiled to himself. Not bad for a supposed madman.
Later that night, in his modest home on the edge of the city, Cael sat at his desk. Schematics lay scattered around, some half-complete, others just doodles with question marks and exclamation points.
He picked up a sketch of a pair of mechanical boots. Spring-loaded soles, shock absorbers, small lacrima sockets for stability. He hadn't started building them yet—but the idea lingered.
His eyes drifted to the back room—where the ancient tome on Machine Takeover sat, now covered in notes and bookmarks.
"…Not yet," he said to himself, folding the blueprint and setting it aside. "Soon."
For now, rest.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. Erigor's words echoed faintly in his mind.
"Cleverness doesn't beat power."
Maybe not. But cleverness with power? That could change everything.
He closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, he'd dive back into training.
Tomorrow, the next chapter would begin.