Chapter 74: The Meaning of Life (Please Subscribe!)

No matter what others said, Natsu remained utterly convinced that this egg was a dragon’s egg—even if it wasn’t laid by Igneel, it could still have come from some other fire dragon!

“But how do I hatch this egg?”

Natsu looked at everyone with hopeful eyes, hoping someone might offer him an idea.

“I think Itachi should do it like a mother chicken hatching her eggs.”

Lisanna raised her hand and proposed her idea with serious sincerity.

“A mother chicken hatching eggs?”

Natsu stared blankly, glancing at the “dragon egg” that stood half his height, and fell into deep thought—how exactly was he supposed to hatch it?

Natsu tried to straddle the “dragon egg,” but Mo En grabbed him by the collar and yanked him away with a look of utter disbelief.

“Itachi really aren’t afraid of cracking it open.”

Mo En muttered—even if this were a real “dragon egg,” Natsu’s antics might just kill it before it hatched.

“The magical aura inside this egg is extremely dense—it’s definitely Yunyu a magical creature.”

Mo En patted the egg; in his perception, the life within was already highly mature, its magic tightly condensed and stable.

“If my guess is right, the creature inside should hatch very soon.”

Mo En made his judgment: if he were to speak plainly, no extra methods were needed to hatch this egg—just wait. It would mature on its own.

“Use fire? Really?”

“Of course! Eggs need high temperatures to hatch! A mother chicken incubates her eggs precisely to raise their temperature!”

“Then let’s try it! I’m the best at this!”

Just as Mo En had made his judgment, the other kids had already come up with a new idea—Mirajane smirked and offered a terrible suggestion, and Natsu actually prepared to try it.

“Wait—if Itachi’re not using magical flame to burn the egg, how is that any different from my original idea of just roasting it and eating it? So Itachi’re really just going to eat it after all?”

Seeing Natsu’s eager expression and flames already flickering at his lips, Mo En shielded the egg and retorted.

It was truly the world turned upside down—now Natsu was the one trying to burn the egg, while Mo En became its protector.

“Can’t I?”

Natsu looked crestfallen—he truly wanted to speed up the hatching. For the past year, since the other Dragon Slayer joined, this was the closest he’d come to finding a dragon!

“Absolutely not!”

Mo En glared at Mirajane for suggesting it; she stuck out her tongue sheepishly—she hadn’t expected Natsu to believe her so easily.

“Is there any magic that could speed up its maturation?”

Under Mo En’s intervention, Natsu abandoned the idea of heating the egg with fire. He gritted his teeth, eyes bright with hope, looking at Mo En—what if magic could directly accelerate its growth? That would be perfect!

“Natsu, that’s impossible. It would be a desecration of life. Life is born of love; interfering with life through magic is wrong. We must hold reverence for life.”

Mo En spoke solemnly to Natsu—these were the words Master Makarov had taught him, and now he passed them on.

Gray, Cana, Rebby, Elfman, Lisanna, Mirajane, and Erza all nodded seriously, their expressions grave—only Natsu stood there dumbfounded.

“What are Itachi talking about, Mo En? I don’t get it at all.”

Natsu grinned foolishly, speaking carelessly.

“Bang!”

Before Mo En could say another word, Erza had already slammed her fist down hard.

“Oof!”

Natsu crashed to the floor, stars swirling in his eyes.

“What Mo En means is Itachi must hatch it through your own effort—naturally, not by relying on magic.”

Erza explained—Natsu had only entered civilized society a year ago, and his understanding of many things was still forming.

Thus, his grasp of many concepts truly differed from normal people’s—not because he was stupid, but because his worldview simply didn’t align with theirs.

“All Itachi ever think about is destruction. This time, Itachi’ll hatch the egg yourself—and truly feel the meaning of life!”

Erza scolded Natsu with righteous authority; though young, she already carried the air of a strict headmaster, making Mo En feel as if he were seeing the grown-up version of her.

“Fine, I’ll hatch it myself.”

Natsu pouted, looking defeated—between Mo En and Erza, he was completely cowed, too scared to even breathe loudly.

Seeing this scene now, it wasn’t so strange to imagine the future Natsu suddenly turning wicked when facing little Mo En—he’d probably feel the same way seeing little Erza. Taking revenge by bullying the small ones?

“Itachi don’t have to hatch it alone. Everyone can help, and witness the birth of this new life together—it’ll be a meaningful experience.”

Mo En stopped Erza from harshly suppressing Natsu—he believed that collectively hatching a magical beast’s egg was a worthwhile experience, far more meaningful than roasting and eating it. This moment would stay with them all for a long time.

“Yay! Let’s all hatch the egg together!”

The children cheered—they were all genuinely curious about this strange egg.

“Better off just roasting it and eating it...”

Mirajane muttered—she had no interest in hatching eggs. Lately, she’d been considering moving out of the girls’ dormitory with Lisanna and Elfman to build their own home.

“Itachi guys have fun—I still have a mission to take.”

Mirajane said, turning to leave. Though she’d only just joined the guild, she’d already been granted permission to take on missions—her strength had been fully recognized. Lisanna and Elfman still weren’t allowed.

“Mirajane, why not stay and play with everyone today?”

Mo En looked at Mirajane, urging her to stay. Dressed in a cropped top and blue shorts, with black knee-high boots, she looked vibrant and youthful—aside from being a bit too thin, there was nothing wrong with her.

“...No, thanks.”

Hearing Mo En’s plea, Mirajane hesitated—but ultimately refused firmly. She had no time to enjoy happiness.

Mirajane felt a heavy burden on her shoulders. Her family of three couldn’t keep relying on the guild for free support—it made her uneasy. She had to shoulder the responsibility for her family, taking on her brother’s and sister’s share as well.

Seeing Mirajane insist on leaving, Mo En sighed helplessly. This child carried too much on her mind—she was the kind deeply affected by emotion, more easily swayed by feelings than most.

(End of Chapter)