Wendy's First Job

A few days later, one afternoon.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows high up in the guild hall, casting warm, dappled patterns on the wooden floor, while the air was filled with the faint aroma of ale and toast.

Wendy and Carla stood in front of the commission board, their little hands tracing the commission forms one by one, their brows furrowing more and more as they looked at them, and finally they both sighed.

"Carla, there are no medical requests in the guild."

Wendy tiptoed and reached up again, her fingers tracing the top row of service forms, flipping through them one by one, but not a single one had the word "medical" in it, her little face filled with disappointment.

"That cunning guy must have accepted them all."

Carla put her two little paws on her hips, raised her chin slightly, and flicked her tail behind her in dissatisfaction.

Upon hearing this, Lisanna walked over from the bar, holding a glass of orange juice. She walked briskly to the task board and explained to them with a smile.

"My brother-in-law is always staying in the guild's infirmary waiting for people to come to him. Nobody comes to the guild to post medical requests anymore, unless it's something serious or a curse."

Wendy nodded in sudden understanding, then gently tapped her palm with her little fist.

"So that's how it is! Riyao is amazing!"

Lucy and Levy both came over.

"Speaking of which, Wendy has been a member of the guild for a while now. Is it time to start doing quests?"

Lucy tucked the magazine under her arm, bent down slightly, and leaned closer to Wendy, her tone filled with the concern of an older sister as she looked Wendy up and down with a smile.

Wendy blushed a little at Lucy's sudden closeness and instinctively shrank back, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, but still nodded earnestly.

"Yes, I also want to do something for the guild."

Levy shoved the grimoire into Lucy's arms, raised her fists above her head, and jumped up excitedly, her boots making a crisp clattering sound on the floor. She then leaned close to Wendy, her eyes sparkling.

"Wendy, how about considering joining the Shadow Gear Squad? Hehe, my squad is really strong!"

She made a muscle-flexing gesture with her hands, though her slender arms couldn't quite achieve the desired effect, but her expression was incredibly serious, and she even deliberately puffed out her chest.

"Hey, Levy's too cunning! She beat me to it! Wendy, come join my team."

Lucy immediately threw the magazine and the book Levy had shoved at her onto the table next to her, grabbed Wendy's hands with both of them, leaned forward, and shook them urgently, her tone filled with a defiant spirit.

"Wasn't Lu-chan just complaining about how much destruction your team caused?"

Levy tilted her head, a smirk playing on her lips. She tapped her temple with her index finger, giving a mischievous look that said, "I remember everything."

Lucy's imposing aura instantly diminished, her shoulders slumped, and her lips twitched, but she quickly regained her composure, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and looked at Wendy with a pleading expression.

"That's why I'm thinking of bringing Wendy into the team. I hope someone can help me stop them."

As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a mumble. Her eyes darted around, and she drew circles in her palm with her fingers, clearly aware of the "glorious record" of her team's wreckers.

The others noticed the commotion and came over to join in, each wanting to team up with Wendy.

Wendy felt a little flustered in front of so many people. She gripped the hem of her dress tightly with both hands, shrank her shoulders, and unconsciously took a half step back.

Surrounded by enthusiastic members, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked at Carla with pleading eyes.

Carla her arms over her chest, slightly raised her chin, and swept her gaze around with a look that seemed to say, "I knew it would happen."

Makarov then walked over, his short legs moving with steady steps, his hands behind his back, a kind smile on his face.

His gaze swept over Wendy and Carla, then around at the crowd that had gathered around him. He coughed lightly, and the surroundings immediately quieted down.

"According to guild practice, the first quest is usually completed by a veteran player leading a newcomer. Wendy, Carla, do you have someone you'd like to help you with that?"

Wendy and Carla exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but think of Riyao.

"Is it okay Riyao- ge?"

Wendy's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a firm expectation in it. She clasped her hands to her chest, as if making a small wish.

Makarov stroked his beard, rolled his eyes, nodded, and pulled his small hand out from under his beard to gesture.

"He certainly can. Many members of the guild have completed their first quests under his guidance."

Erza stepped out from the crowd, her armor reflecting a faint metallic sheen in the afternoon light.

She crossed her arms over her chest, raised her chin slightly, and nodded in agreement.

"Although Riyao is usually unreliable, he's actually quite dependable. He was the one who handled my first commission, though the process was a bit bumpy."

She paused, as if remembering something, then smiled slightly.

Gray scratched his head and thought for a moment, running his fingers through his hair, his brows furrowing, his lips pursing and then relaxing, clearly trying to rummage through the corners of his memory for that experience.

"I guess I guess I did too. That time it was me and Cana together. He led us on a medical mission, and we ended up dealing with a dark guild along the way. What was their name again?"

As he spoke, he tapped his temples with his fingers, muttering to himself as if flipping through a catalog, his expression growing increasingly conflicted.

Cana finished her drink, slammed the glass down on the table with a thud, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, pondered for a moment, and raised an eyebrow.

"I think it's some kind of Skull Society. I remember they're a group that uses bone magic and can combine to become a giant skeleton."

She held up her fingers and made a large skull shape in the air, shook it, then picked up the bottle and poured herself another glass, the movements fluid and graceful.

Gray clapped his hands, suddenly realizing what was happening.

"Yes, yes, yes, it's Skull Society! That guy even complained that their bones were too brittle after he beat them up, saying they weren't enough for him to make soup."

Makarov looked around, turning his head left and right, searching the crowd, but couldn't find that familiar figure. His beard twitched.

"Where's Riyao? Why isn't he here to join the fun?"

"My brother-in-law is in the infirmary, and my sister is there too; she's probably taking a nap."

Lisanna pointed to the infirmary at the end of the corridor and then gestured in the direction of the corridor.

A sign hanging on the door read "Do Not Disturb Unless Necessary," the handwriting crooked and illegible, clearly written by Riyao himself. Next to it was a drawing of a snoring little figure, the drawing skills of which were questionable.

"That sign was put up by my brother-in-law last week. The previous one said 'No Disturbance During Lunch Break,' but Natsu kicked the door and knocked it down. My brother-in-law was so angry that he hung Natsu up and whipped him all day."

Wendy gently pushed open the wooden door, peeked her little head in, and moved very carefully, as if afraid of disturbing something. The door hinges made a slight creaking sound, and she held her breath as she peered inside.

Carla swaggered in, her tail held high, acting as if she thought, "This young lady can come and go as she pleases." Her footsteps were particularly clear in the quiet infirmary.

Riyao lay on the wooden recliner, Mirajane nestled in his arms, their breathing even.

The afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the blinds, casting long, thin shadows on them. A faint herbal scent filled the air, creating a scene of tranquility, like a painting.

Mirajane's head rested on Riyao's shoulder, one hand rested on his chest, fingers slightly curled, his breathing soft and long.

"Carla, they're taking a nap. Let's come back later."

Wendy lowered her voice, almost whispering, her little hand resting lightly on the doorframe, her body shrinking back as if afraid her voice would wake them, her face full of caution.

Carla jumped up and tapped Riyao on the head. Her little paws clenched into fists and landed precisely on his forehead with a crisp thud. The force wasn't great, but the precision was excellent.

"Get up, you scheming man!"

Wendy's eyes widened like a startled fawn. She quickly covered her mouth with both hands, silencing the scream that almost escaped her lips, and froze on the spot.

"Carla... don't do this..."

Riyao smacked his lips, frowned and then relaxed, snuggled his head closer to Mirajane, and found a more comfortable position to continue sleeping.

She showed no sign of waking up, and even mumbled something incoherently, instinctively tightening her grip on Mirajane.

Mirajane groaned at his movements, her brows furrowing slightly. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest before drifting back to sleep.

Wendy came in and hugged Carla, gently wrapping her arms around her, afraid that she would jump out and cause trouble again, and whispered in her ear.

"Let's wait a bit, Riyao must be tired."

"Fine, let him go for Wendy's sake."

Carla adjusted her position in Wendy, resting her head on her front paws, glancing sideways at Riyao, snorting, and reluctantly flicking her tail.

"What did Riyao do to you?"

Carla's fur bristled instantly, and she slammed her front paws on Wendy's arm, her little face puffed up with anger, and even her whiskers twitched.

He gave me a biscuit dipped in wasabi, saying it was a test to see if a cat's tongue was sensitive to spice.

Her voice was shrill and urgent, and she grew angrier as she spoke, her tail standing straight up.

"And he was even taking notes in a little notebook, all serious! Saying things like, 'The experimental subjects reacted violently; a mere 3% concentration of mustard can trigger a strong rejection reaction,' it's infuriating!"

"..."

Wendy's lips twitched. For a moment, she didn't know whether to pity Carla or laugh helplessly. In the end, she could only silently pat Carla's back again to comfort her.

With nothing else to do, Wendy's gaze began to wander around the infirmary, finally settling on the medicine shelf against the wall.

Rows of glass bottles were neatly arranged, filled with liquids of various colors. Some were emerald green, some were deep purple like the Hisui, and one bottle was pale gold that shone slightly in the sunlight. The bottle was covered with the crooked handwriting of "Riyao".

She couldn't help but move closer and look at it curiously.