The Scheming Little Doctor

The thin morning mist had yet to fully clear from the streets of Magnolia Town. The air was filled with the scent of earth and the fresh fragrance drifting from the distant forest.

In the backyard of the Fairy Tail guild, a layer of sparkling dew covered the green lawn, refracting the faint light of the rising sun.

Riyao stood in the middle of the yard in loose clothing, his feet apart in a relaxed stance. He slowly raised his hands and began practicing a martial art that looked slow and soft to outsiders—Tai Chi.

It was the same kind of martial art he had often seen retired old men practicing in parks in his previous life.

To earn enough credits, strengthen his body, and relieve his neck problems, he had taken several elective Tai Chi classes.

He had never imagined that this martial art, which in his previous life had only been good for limbering up and had even been jokingly called "old people's calisthenics" by the young, would produce such an incredible effect when combined with healing magic.

Riyao bent his knees slightly and quietly used healing magic in conjunction with Tai Chi. He lowered his center of gravity and held his hands as though embracing a Tai Chi sphere, slowly tracing a smooth arc in front of his chest and generating a surge of force.

Unfortunately, he hadn't learned any other martial arts in his previous life. If only he had learned a few more, like Bajiquan, Baguazhang, Palm Lightning, Nine Heavens Thunder Court Double-Foot Kick, and Rasengan. He put those jumbled thoughts aside.

Riyao turned and looked at the two hungover drunks, a gentle yet chilling smile immediately curving his lips.

He leisurely pulled two glass test tubes filled with a strange purple liquid from his wide sleeve.

"Good morning, Macao, Wakaba." Riyao walked over with a smile, his voice dripping with sweetness.

"Looks like you had a wonderful time at last night's party. As the guild's personal doctor, how could I bear to watch you suffer from a hangover? Come, try the 'Sobering Potion 3.0 Enhanced Edition' I stayed up all night developing for you."

Macao and Wakaba's pupils instantly dilated. Though their heads still weren't clear, their bodies' survival instincts had already alerted them to extreme danger.

The pungent smell rushed straight up their noses, making tears stream from their eyes.

"N-no thanks, Riyao. I think I'm fine, urgh..." Macao retched as he tried to back away, but his legs, weak from the hangover, refused to obey him.

"Refusing treatment because you won't admit you're sick is a bad habit, you know."

Riyao moved swiftly, grabbing Macao by the chin and forcing his mouth open. Without hesitation, he poured the tube of purple liquid down his throat.

Immediately afterward, he used the same technique to pour a tube down Wakaba's throat in one fluid motion.

"Gulp!"

The instant the potion went down, Macao and Wakaba's faces changed dramatically, from deathly pale to ashen, then purplish red, and finally a strange liver color.

Their bloodshot eyes bulged, and they clutched their own throats as though someone were searing their esophagi with hot coals.

An indescribably intense bitterness and spiciness exploded in their mouths and stomachs at once. It felt like swallowing a whole live poison toad, which was still frantically spraying venom inside their bellies.

"Aaaah!!! Water! Give me water!" Macao let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered and rolled wildly across the lawn.

Wakaba dropped to his knees, tears and snot streaming down his face as he pounded the ground with both hands. He couldn't even spare a thought for the pipe that had fallen from his mouth.

"See? The effect is immediate. Don't you feel full of energy and not sleepy at all now?"

Riyao looked at his handiwork with satisfaction while quickly jotting notes in his notebook.

"After taking the potion, the test subjects struggled violently and became extremely agitated. Their hangover symptoms disappeared completely. Side effects may include temporary loss of taste and psychological trauma... Hmm, next time I could consider adding a little coptis to offset the spiciness."

While this "human tragedy" played out in the backyard, a dormitory window on the second floor was gently pushed open.

Cana, who had just gotten up, wore slightly oversized pajamas. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she poked her little head out to look down.

She had still been a little groggy, but the sight of Macao and Wakaba rolling wildly on the ground frightened her wide awake. Her little face turned pale as she looked helplessly at Riyao, who stood nearby taking notes with a smile.

Riyao keenly sensed someone looking down from upstairs. He raised his head, and the scheming smile vanished from his face in an instant, seamlessly replaced by that of a gentle, dependable big brother next door.

He waved at Cana and called softly, "Good morning, little Cana. Did you sleep well last night? Come down and wash up. I've prepared warm milk and freshly baked butter bread for you. Don't mind those two idiot uncles doing their morning exercises."

Cana froze for a moment. She looked at the "idiot uncles" foaming at the mouth and twitching on the ground, then at Brother Riyao smiling brightly in the sunlight. Though she had a vague feeling that something was wrong, she obediently nodded. "Okay, Brother Riyao, I'll be right down."

And so, in the Fairy Tail guild, a place full of eccentrics and oddballs, the first day of Cana's everyday life began in this strange yet homely atmosphere.

Riyao put away his notebook and stepped over the two "corpses" on the ground. Humming an unfamiliar tune, he turned toward the guild kitchen, ready to enjoy a peaceful, pleasant breakfast.

The guild kitchen was filled with the aroma of baking wheat. Riyao expertly took two plates of golden, crispy butter bread from the oven and warmed a whole pot of fresh milk on the stove.

Before long, soft footsteps sounded on the stairs. Cana had changed into clean clothes and combed her hair neatly, though her large eyes still showed a trace of reserve in her new surroundings.

"Come, sit here." Riyao pulled out a wooden chair and pushed a steaming cup of milk and a plate of bread thickly spread with jam in front of Cana. "It's fresh from the oven. Eat it while it's hot."

"Thank you, Brother Riyao," Cana said softly. She cupped the warm mug in both hands and took a small sip of milk.

The rich flavor spread through her mouth, chasing away the last of the morning chill.

She stole a glance at Riyao, who was leisurely cutting his fried egg across from her, and finally couldn't help asking, "Brother Riyao... are Uncle Macao and Uncle Wakaba really all right?"

Riyao swallowed a bite of fried egg and picked up a napkin to elegantly wipe the corners of his mouth, smiling innocently.

"Don't worry, they're perfectly fine. My potion tastes just a tiny bit unusual, but its effects are absolutely immediate. See? Haven't they already gone to the guild hall full of energy?"

Just then, a vigorous roar came from the direction of the guild hall.

"Riyao! Get your ass out here, you bastard! My sense of taste is completely gone! I just took a bite of salted fish, and it felt like I was chewing wood!" It was Macao's voice.

Wakaba's tearful wail followed immediately after. "My pipe... all I can taste when I smoke it is your damn bitter melon! I'm going to kill you!"

Cana's hand trembled slightly around her bread, and she looked at Riyao with some alarm.

Riyao, however, acted as though he hadn't heard their angry cries. He calmly picked up his coffee, took a sip, and winked at Cana.

"Listen to how loud and strong their voices are. That shows their lung capacity and energy have completely recovered. That's the miracle of medicine."

Cana gave two awkward chuckles and decided to lower her head and concentrate on the bread on her plate. She felt she still had a lot to learn in this guild.

"Hey, Riyao, are you tormenting people with those strange potions of yours again?"

An aged yet energetic voice came from the kitchen doorway.

Riyao turned and said cheerfully, "Old man, I'm doing it for their own good. Without my Sobering Potion, they'd be sprawled over their tables like limp shrimp all day. I'm improving the guild's overall work efficiency."

"Spare me."

Makarov took a big gulp of water, then turned to Cana, his expression instantly becoming utterly kind.

"Little Cana, did you sleep well last night? Was the bed comfortable? Did anyone bully you?"

Flattered by the attention, Cana put down her bread and nodded quickly.

"I slept very well, Grandpa Master. The bed was soft, and nobody bullied me."

"That's good, that's good."

Makarov smiled and patted Cana on the head. "In Fairy Tail, we're all one family. If anyone dares bully you, tell me, and I'll use giant magic to squash him into a meat patty!"

"Mm!" Cana nodded vigorously, her eyes growing slightly warm.

Though they hadn't acknowledged each other as family, she felt a warmth here that she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Brother Riyao, can you really make lots of amazing potions?"

Cana looked curiously at the seemingly endless supply of test tubes in Riyao's sleeve, admiration shining in her eyes.

"Of course."

Riyao lifted his chin proudly.

"In Fairy Tail, if you're ever hurt or sick, you can come to me anytime. But..."

He deliberately paused, lowered his voice, and leaned close to Cana's ear.

"If you want to play a prank on someone, you can come to me too. I have lots of 'interesting' little inventions."

Cana's eyes lit up, as though the door to a new world had opened before her. She nodded vigorously, unable to keep a mischievous smile from curling her lips.

From that moment on, she knew she had truly become part of this eccentric, noisy, yet incomparably warm family.