Half an hour later.
Lucy had finally managed to wake all the women who had been knocked out by magic.
After explaining the situation to them, it took quite some time to calm them down. But at long last, she had completed the task Su Mo had given her.
She let out a breath of relief.
Then, with a nervous expression, she stepped onto the ship and knocked on the cabin door.
"Come in," came Su Mo's voice from inside.
Only then did Lucy open the door and walk in.
To her surprise, there wasn't a single trace of blood or carnage inside the room.
She instinctively patted her chest in relief.
Su Mo could clearly see how nervous she was and smiled faintly.
"There are some things not meant for others to see," he said softly. "I hope you won't find my methods too cruel."
Lucy immediately shook her head. "N-No, not at all! Those traffickers deserved it. I won't pity them for a second."
Lucy knew all too well—if those people had succeeded, the women they tried to treat as merchandise would've met a horrible fate.
And judging by how practiced they were, this wasn't their first time doing such a thing.
Who knew how many people had already lost their lives, how many families had been torn apart, how many wives separated from their children, because of these traffickers?
Compared to the pain and destruction they'd caused, even being torn limb from limb would've been too kind a punishment.
So no, Lucy didn't feel the slightest bit of sympathy for them.
What made her anxious was something else entirely.
With visible embarrassment, she touched her cheek… then bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, her head almost disappearing below the table.
"I'm sorry!" she said loudly. "I was completely fooled by that impostor—and because of that, I misunderstood Fairy Tail!"
"And I said… such awful things…"
"I'm truly, truly sorry!"
She was so ashamed, she looked like she wanted to bury her face in her own chest.
The moment she saw Su Mo's face earlier, she had instantly recognized him as the infamous Tyrant who'd made headlines across the country.
She was a die-hard Fairy Tail fan. She never missed a single issue of Sorcerer Weekly.
So when she realized that the so-called "Fire Dragon" didn't even recognize Su Mo…
Lucy immediately understood she'd been tricked. That blue-haired man wasn't a Fairy Tail wizard at all—he was just a trafficker posing as one.
So when Su Mo erupted in fury over her words and unleashed a merciless punishment on that man…
Lucy panicked.
Sure, it was the blue-haired scumbag—Bora—who had sullied Fairy Tail's reputation.
But the one who blurted out those terrible words, who spoke without thinking because she was deceived… that was her.
And yet, despite all that, Su Mo still stepped forward to help her.
That fact alone moved Lucy deeply.
At the same time, she was incredibly nervous.
Tyrant Su Mo wasn't just a powerful wizard—he was her favorite idol.
What if… because of what she said earlier, he now hated her?
That would be too heartbreaking!
So, with a mix of dread and hope, Lucy had come to offer a formal apology—praying she could earn his forgiveness.
Hearing Lucy's sincere and guilt-ridden apology, Su Mo couldn't help but chuckle softly.
He, of course, had no intention of holding a grudge over something like that.
It was Bora who had damaged Fairy Tail's reputation—Lucy was just another victim in the mess.
Sure, she hadn't seen through Bora's lies.
But expecting someone to do so under those circumstances would be far too harsh.
Still, Su Mo wasn't planning on letting Lucy off that easily—not just because of her body.
As a Celestial Spirit Mage, Lucy's identity—and the legacy she carried from her mother, Layla—was too important to overlook.
Celestial Spirit Mages would go on to play a significant role in future events.
Even if he only saw her as a tool, she was a tool worth keeping.
After thinking for a moment, Su Mo spoke up.
"If you're going to apologize, you should at least show a little sincerity."
"Eh?"
Lucy blinked, a little flustered.
"I… I don't have much money left," she admitted awkwardly.
Though she came from a wealthy family, she'd run away from home. All the money she had was from strict budgeting and saving. There really wasn't much.
"I'm not talking about money," Su Mo said, waving his hand.
"If you really want to apologize… at the very least, show your chest—ah, no!"
He caught himself just in time, nearly blurting out his real thoughts.
"W-What I meant to say is, if you fulfill one condition, I'll forgive you."
"One condition?" Lucy asked, blinking again, her cheeks flushing pink.
Was it that kind of condition?
Even if Su Mo was the person she admired the most… wasn't that moving a bit too fast?
Shouldn't there at least be a confession first?!
While her mind wandered into all sorts of weird places, Su Mo stated his condition plainly:
"You must join Fairy Tail."
"Eh?!"
Lucy froze for a moment—then her entire face lit up with joy.
"I can join Fairy Tail?!"
This wasn't a punishment. This was her dream come true!
It was a reward!
"Of course," Su Mo replied with a smile, casually making up a reason.
"I want you to see for yourself that Fairy Tail is the number one mage guild in this country. You won't be disappointed."
"Mhm!"
Lucy took his words at face value and beamed with a dazzling smile.
"If it's a guild you admire, then I know I'll love it too!"
The two shared a smile.
Just then, Natsu and Happy finally managed to fly back to the ship and landed on the deck.
The ship gave a slight lurch.
And—
Natsu immediately collapsed on the floor and threw up everywhere.