Goodbye, My Thirty-Thousand-Word Thesis

At three in the morning, a few lights still burned in the university district, where students were pulling all-nighters.

He rubbed his aching, gritty eyes and hammered out the final punctuation mark of his thesis, staring at the words "30,000 words" on the screen.

He clicked save and let out a long sigh of relief.

"I'm starving. Once I've had some barbecue, I can finally get a good night's sleep..."

The smell of cumin and chili drifted from a late-night food stall on the street. He was planning to treat himself to a meal, but as he walked down the road, an out-of-control pink truck came speeding toward him.

One final thought flashed through his mind.

I haven't submitted my thesis yet! I spent three days and nights on it!

When he opened his eyes again, there was no pain, as he had expected, and he wasn't in a cold morgue. Instead, he was floating in an endless expanse of pure white.

There was no sky, no ground, nothing at all. It was so quiet he could almost hear his own heartbeat.

"Is this... heaven?"

He instinctively reached for himself, but felt only a blur, as if there were nothing solid to touch.

"Am I really dead?"

"Oh dear, oh dear, I'm terribly sorry~"

A girl's voice rang out, sweet and flustered.

He turned to see a girl in a long white dress floating before him.

"You are..."

"I'm the goddess in charge of ferrying souls."

The girl scratched her cheek and stuck out her tongue apologetically.

"I got distracted just now. I was supposed to collect the drunk driver who ran a red light next to you, but I accidentally hit you instead... I'm really, really sorry!"

She hit the wrong person?!

He was completely dumbfounded, and his anger flared.

"You hit the wrong person?! Do you know how many all-nighters I pulled for my thesis? I was about to graduate and start a new life! And now I'm dead because you got distracted?!"

The goddess shrank back at his shouting and hurriedly waved her hands.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry! I'll compensate you! Big compensation!"

A ball of soft golden light gathered at her fingertip.

"How about I send you to an anime world to enjoy yourself? No work, no thesis, and I'll give you super-powerful healing magic too. It can heal external and internal injuries, even curses. It's excellent for keeping you alive! And I'll throw in a perfect character model!"

"An anime world? Sword demon?"

Before he could react, the goddess tapped lightly, and the golden light enveloped him in an instant.

"All right, all right, it's settled. Have fun in your new world!"

"Wait! Delete my browser history and the study materials on my hard drive for me!"

His shout was swallowed by the light, and his consciousness sank again. All he felt was his body drifting downward, falling, falling...

After an unknown amount of time, he felt something cool against his cheek, carrying the scent of grass and earth. A breeze brushed past, bringing a slight chill.

He struggled to open his eyes and saw an impossibly clear blue sky and wild grass swaying in the wind.

He moved his fingers, only to find that his hands were small, soft, and chubby. They were nothing like an adult's hands.

He looked down and saw that he was wearing thin little white clothes. His body had shrunk to that of a three-year-old, and even sitting up was a struggle.

"You've got to be kidding..."

He opened his mouth and heard a soft, childish voice. Lying on the grass, he felt like crying, but had no tears.

Even if that unreliable goddess was sending him to another world, she didn't have to turn him into a three-year-old.

My thirty-thousand-word thesis. At least let me submit it.

The more he thought about it, the more it hurt.

He had spent countless sleepless nights on that thirty-thousand-word thesis, and now it was gone, just like that.

Pouting, he struggled to push himself up with his short little legs and looked around, hoping to find someone.

Just then, footsteps came from a path in the distance, along with an elderly voice humming a cheerful tune.

A short old man with a white beard and a pointed hat—who else could it be but Makarov?!

The master of Fairy Tail! One of the Ten Wizard Saints! A professional child kidnapper!

He really had transmigrated into the world of Fairy Tail, and he had run into Makarov on the outskirts of Magnolia.

His mind raced.

Now I'm a helpless three-year-old with no one to depend on, one of Makarov's kidnapping targets! Nice!

He immediately put on an act. His little face fell, his eyes reddened, and he rubbed them with his chubby hands, putting on a pitiful expression as he spoke in a soft voice.

"Mister, I'm hungwy..."

Makarov had just returned from visiting Porlyusica and was about to head back to the guild. When he heard the soft little voice, he stopped and looked at the child on the grass.

The boy had soft, light golden hair, fair skin, and emerald-green eyes. His face was pale with hunger, making him look both pitiful and adorable.

"Oh, whose little darling is this? Why are you here all alone?"

Makarov's heart instantly softened. He hurriedly crouched down to meet his eyes, his voice unbelievably gentle.

"How did you get so hungry? Where are your mommy and daddy?"

The boy pressed his little lips together and shook his head gently, continuing to play a helpless child.

"I don't know... Riyao can't find Mommy and Daddy. Riyao is so hungry, and it hurts..."

Riyao had given himself a new name that sounded like it fit here. As for a surname, he couldn't think of a meaningful one on the spot, so he would just pretend he didn't remember it.

Looking at Riyao all alone, Makarov felt even more pity for him.

He had lived in Magnolia all his life and had never seen such a heartbreaking little child. It was clear at a glance that the boy was lost or abandoned.

Fairy Tail was a home for wanderers to begin with. Adults or children, the guild welcomed them all.

"There, there, good boy. Don't cry."

Makarov's large, rough hand gently stroked his hair, and warm magic enveloped the boy, instantly putting him at ease.

"How about I take you to get something tasty? From now on, you can stay with me."

Riyao's eyes lit up at once, and he breathed a great sigh of relief inside. On the surface, he still looked timid as he reached out a chubby little hand.

"Thank you, mister..."

Makarov smiled and picked him up. Riyao was soft and light as a cloud.

He could clearly sense a gentle but exceptionally pure stream of magic flowing through the child. He was naturally cut out to be a wizard.

"What a blessed child."

Makarov murmured, then turned and walked toward town with Riyao in his arms.

"Come on, I'll take you back to Fairy Tail. There's lots of good food there, and lots of big brothers and sisters to play with you."

Riyao leaned against Makarov's warm embrace, smelling the faint blend of tobacco and herbs on him. His taut nerves finally relaxed.

He looked toward Magnolia, growing clearer in the distance, and its distinctive, bustling guild building. A jumble of feelings filled his heart.

He had lost his old world, lost the thesis he had stayed up until his hair fell out writing, and even become a three-year-old.

But luckily, he had come to his favorite world, met the gentlest Makarov, and gained rare healing magic.

That unreliable goddess might have been careless, but her compensation wasn't bad.

His stomach was still growling with hunger, but Riyao's heart was already full of anticipation.

Fairy Tail, this guild full of bonds, passion, and warmth, would be his home from now on.

Riyao nestled obediently in Makarov's arms, his little hand clutching the old man's clothes as he felt the magic flowing slowly through his body.

"Mister, I'll be good from now on."

"Haha, good, good!"

Makarov laughed heartily, his voice carrying across the outskirts.

"Our little Riyao is a member of Fairy Tail from now on!"

Riyao blinked, looked at the old man's kindly smile, and thought to himself.

My thesis is gone. Oh well.

In this world, I don't have to stay up late or write a thesis. I have food and drink, and so much family. Maybe... it's pretty nice after all.

The healing magic flowed quietly through his body, warming him from head to toe and soothing the unease brought on by transmigration and death.

Magnolia's breeze was gentle and warm, and the faint clamor of the guild carried from the distance. It was the sound of home.

Three-year-old Riyao had embarked on a brand-new beginning in this strange yet familiar magical world.

Before long, Makarov carried him into town.

The streets were bustling, with vendors calling out their wares, wizards chatting, and children playing. The place was full of life.

Riyao looked around curiously, gazing at the novel magic items by the roadside and the wizards in all kinds of outfits, his eyes shining.

"Mister, where are we?"

He deliberately asked in a childish voice, pretending everything was unfamiliar to him.

"This is Magnolia. Our home is right here."

Makarov smiled and pointed ahead at the conspicuous, enormous building bearing the Fairy Tail emblem.

"Look, that's Fairy Tail. From now on, that's your home, Riyao."

Riyao looked in the direction he was pointing.

The guild building he had seen countless times in the anime stood right before him, its flag fluttering and lively noise spilling out from inside.

No one would have imagined that the three-year-old about to join Fairy Tail would one day make the whole world understand one thing.

Never make a healing wizard angry.

Because he only heals you so he can beat you up again.