The Path of a Man

Early the next morning, Eleven was already ready and arrived at Mira's doorstep, which was the time they had agreed to leave at.

Mira is an impatient person. If Eleven hadn't needed to go home to pack his luggage, Mira probably would have already dragged Eleven on the road last night.

A short while later, the door opened, and Mira and Elfman came out one after the other.

Mira was dressed as usual, lightly dressed, with no change in appearance. Elfman, however, was carrying a large backpack behind them, clearly carrying all the luggage. Lisanna, who was reaching out her hand, smiled and waved goodbye to her older brother and sister, seeing them off at the door.

"Alright, let's go, Eleven!" Mira was in high spirits, her tone tinged with excitement.

Eleven didn't say anything and obeyed Mira's orders. However, they hadn't gone far when Eleven's gaze fell on Elfman, who was following behind. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.

"Elfman, you'd better not go. It's a bit dangerous, and I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of you."

"Huh?" Elfman was a little taken aback.

"What are you talking about, Eleven?" Mira reacted quickly, immediately defending her brother, "Elfman is very capable, he's my brother, he doesn't need anyone to take care of him!"

Eleven shook his head, looking at Mira with some seriousness, and said, "Mira, you have to understand that we're not going on an adventure. We might encounter very dangerous situations, and I don't even know if I can handle them."

"If the information you gave me isn't fabricated, then this Demon God Halphas is likely even more terrifying than a typical S-rank monster. Elfman's strength is far from reaching S-rank standards; going there would only bring him danger and offer no benefit."

Mira pursed her lips after hearing this. She understood the reasoning; it was precisely because she knew the danger that she left Lisanna at home. But Elfman was different from Lisanna; he was the only boy in the family, and Mira still hoped that her younger brother could experience more trials and tribulations so that he could become stronger.

"That's someone I can protect Elfman from; I won't let him..."

"Didn't Mira agree last night that she would follow my orders for today's operation?"

Mira murmured, wanting to say something, but was forcefully interrupted by Eleven. Eleven looked directly into Mira's eyes, his established authority from childhood taking effect. Mira quickly gave in, lowering her head and no longer daring to look at Eleven, effectively acquiescing.

Hmph, this little brat dares to challenge me.

After convincing Mira, Eleven turned to look at Elfman, a hint of apology in his eyes. Although Elfman followed his sister's arrangements, it didn't mean he didn't have his own ideas. Hearing that Eleven and his sister weren't going to take him, the disappointment on his face was impossible to hide.

"I'm sorry, Elfman, this is really dangerous. I can't guarantee I can protect both you and Mira at the same time."

"It's okay, Eleven. I'm just too weak. But I'll try my best to become stronger. I'll definitely catch up with you and my sister in the future." Elfman raised his head and gave a forced, silly smile, a smile that almost made Mira burst into tears.

Oh, my little brother is so sensible! He's so cute!

Eleven thought Elfman was quite sensible and understood immediately. If it were Natsu, who knows how much trouble he would have caused. But if it were Natsu, Eleven might have taken him with him. After all, although Natsu was also weak, he was very resilient and would most likely not die.

After some fuss, Mira finally managed to carry the backpack that Elfman was carrying and obediently followed behind Eleven.

Elfman watched Eleven and Mira walk away, an overwhelming sense of loss welled up inside him.

Although Elfman has never been particularly interested in violence, and he's usually quite happy raising birds and petting small animals, his dislike of fighting doesn't mean he lacks a desire to become stronger. At the very least, he wants to have the power to protect his older and younger sisters.

Elfman has always followed his sister around, whether it was when they were wandering or when he was doing mage quests. Elfman has always felt that he can help Mira.

Only today did Elfman realize that he hadn't really offered much help; on the contrary, he had always been the one being protected by his sister.

If he encounters a danger that even his sister cannot resolve, he doesn't even have the right to stand by her side, let alone step forward to protect her safety.

"Damn it, I'm still too weak. This isn't how a man behaves at all," Elfman clenched his fists tightly, wandering aimlessly through the streets of Magnolia.

Elfman also wants to become stronger and braver, to become a tough guy like Natsu and the others, but he doesn't know how. He has a peaceful personality and finds it hard to be as passionate as Natsu and the others. Moreover, he is afraid of pain and doesn't like fighting. In fact, Elfman may not be much weaker than Natsu and the others, but he can never beat them.

Perhaps Elfman really has significant flaws in his personality.

Hey boy, do you have a moment to say a few words?

Just as Elfman was racking his brains for a way to become stronger, a burly figure suddenly blocked his path, followed by a loud, gruff voice that was as loud as thunder, startling Elfman.

Looking up, he saw a tall, muscular man grinning at him. Elfman was already quite tall for his age, but he looked rather small next to that muscular man.

"Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?" Elfman looked up at the towering, muscular man in front of him, feeling a little intimidated.

The burly man seemed quite pleased to see that Elfman hadn't ignored him, and happily struck a bodybuilding pose, buzzing around.

"Oh boy, you have a body made for muscles! How about joining our Manly Men's Club and experiencing the thrill of building a muscular physique?"

As he spoke, the burly man even took the initiative to show Elfman his body. With a little force, the small vest that was tightly attached to his body tore open with a ripping sound as it was stretched by his bulging muscles.

Elfman's eyes gleamed as he looked at the burly man in front of him. He wasn't particularly interested in muscles, but he was captivated by the man's words.

"Is the 'Manly Men's Club' real? Can joining this club make you a real man?"

"Oh, of course! Boy, when you think of a man, you think of muscles, and when you think of muscles, you think of a man. So, if we work out together to improve your body, you'll definitely become an excellent man."

As the burly man spoke, he kept striking various bodybuilding poses, causing passersby to give him a wide berth. However, Elfman paid no attention to any of this; he was completely captivated by the man's words.

That's wonderful!

I was just thinking about how to become a real man, and now someone wants to train me. I'm so lucky.

"Um, please let me join the Manly Men's Club," Elfman said loudly, bowing ninety degrees.

"Nice boy, come with me! I can't wait to burn with passion with you!"

Then, Elfman followed the strong man to the building that seemed to be moving very exaggeratedly. When he opened the door, a wave of heat hit his face, and sweat boiled in the air like steam. In the room, more than a dozen muscular strong men were banging on the iron. On the wall opposite the door, a huge Chinese character was splashed on the wall.

"Welcome to the Manly Men's Club, boy!" The burly man grinned at Elfman. "Come on, et's..."

Elfman's eyes lit up as he looked at the room before him; it was as if he had found his path to manhood.