What? Want a Puff?

Erza herself didn't know why, but when Jiang Bai said, "Choose a color that belongs to you alone," she felt as though something had gently bumped against her heart.

It was a strange, warm feeling that made her cheeks burn.

She looked into Jiang Bai's earnest, gentle eyes and suddenly felt that the boy before her, who was only a little older than she was, seemed more dependable than any adult in the world.

That trust went beyond her simple reliance on him before.

She liked him even more.

Erza nodded emphatically and gave a bright "Mm!"

She turned without a trace of hesitation and said to Xiaomai, who was waiting patiently in front of her, "Xiaomai, I'd like a scarlet one, on my wrist too."

It was the same color as her hair, a color that belonged to her.

"Okay!"

Xiaomai's smile grew even brighter. As she watched the pure, touching interaction between the two children, her heart felt full.

As she deftly stamped the scarlet fairy emblem onto Erza, she sighed inwardly.

Ah, childhood sweethearts really are the best.

Once the mark was complete, Erza raised her wrist and held it alongside Jiang Bai's.

One was silver-white, the other scarlet.

The two fairy emblems bore the same design, and like a silent vow, they bound the two small figures closely together from that moment on.

Now that they had joined the guild, it was time to consider the most practical matters.

Food and a place to sleep.

Jiang Bai led Erza through the guild, which was so noisy it nearly raised the roof. Dodging flying beer mugs and burly men grappling with one another, he headed straight for Makarov, who was standing on a table, guzzling alcohol in the middle of a crowd.

Jiang Bai walked up and tugged on Makarov's pant leg.

"Hmm?"

Makarov looked down and saw the two little ones standing below him with serious expressions. He laughed and jumped off the table. "What is it, kids?"

"Old man,"

Jiang Bai got straight to the point without the slightest embarrassment. "We don't have any money or anywhere to live right now. Could you lend us a little money first?"

He patted his chest and promised earnestly, "Don't worry. Once my magic power recovers, I'll take jobs and pay you back soon."

Makarov was taken aback at first, then laughed even more happily and reached out to rub Jiang Bai's head.

What a joke. Ask children this young for money?

But... once they grow up and become powerful mages, it won't be too late to collect it back with interest. Hehe.

Makarov worked out his little scheme while maintaining a generous, easygoing expression.

He pulled a money pouch from his pocket and stuffed it straight into Jiang Bai's hands.

"Don't worry about money. I'll take care of it! As for a place to live, the guild already has one ready for you!"

Makarov pointed east of the guild.

"The guild has apartments for its members. The men and women live separately, and there happen to be rooms available. You two can move in today."

Men's and women's apartments? Live apart?

Erza's eyes dimmed for a moment. She instinctively tightened her grip on Jiang Bai's sleeve, still wanting to live with him.

But she also knew this was the best arrangement the master could make for them.

Jiang Bai sensed how she felt. He reached back to take her small hand and said softly, "It's okay. We'll only be living apart for now."

"Once we've earned some money, we can buy a big house of our own in Magnolia."

Erza's eyes lit up again when she heard the words "a big house of our own."

She nodded hard, her face full of anticipation for the future.

That was right. To stay with Jiang Bai forever, she had to become stronger and earn lots and lots of money!

And so, during their first three days settling into Fairy Tail, Jiang Bai and Erza began their new lives.

Jiang Bai spent most of his time recovering from his injuries in the men's apartment assigned to him by the guild.

The burst of magic power when he was on the verge of death had allowed him to awaken Space Magic, but it had also been a double-edged sword, leaving the magic meridians in his body in a terrible state.

Fortunately, Granny Porlyusica's medicine truly worked wonders, and with his own extraordinary powers of recovery, his magic power had already been replenished two days earlier.

Only his damaged meridians, like cracked earth, still needed time to heal.

Erza, meanwhile, couldn't sit still for a moment.

Once she was sure Jiang Bai's life was no longer in danger, her desire to protect urged her to seek greater power.

With the money Jiang Bai had "borrowed" from Makarov again, she visited every weapon shop and smithy in Magnolia before finally finding a highly skilled master craftsman to make her a suit of armor tailored to fit her.

As for the price of borrowing the money, all Jiang Bai had done was pat Makarov on the shoulder and earnestly lecture him for quite a while.

"Old man, consider this money an advance on your future medical expenses. Drink less. You're getting on in years, so you should take better care of yourself. It's good for your kidneys."

Makarov bristled and glared at him, but unable to refute him, he could only curse and toss him the money pouch.

Today was the early morning of the third day.

Jiang Bai sat up in bed and let out a long breath.

He slowly closed his eyes and could clearly feel that his broken, damaged magic meridians had reconnected and healed under the nourishment of the emerald-green potion, becoming tougher and wider than before.

An unprecedented feeling of strength filled his entire body.

"Finally... I've recovered."

Jiang Bai clenched his fist, feeling the newborn power surging in his palm, woven from mental power and space magic power.

He leaped out of bed and loosened up, a series of crisp cracks sounding throughout his body.

It was time to visit the guild.

He walked to the door, but just as his hand was about to touch the handle, he stopped.

A thought flashed through his mind.

The corners of Jiang Bai's lips curled up slightly. An invisible telekinetic force spread out from his body and slowly lifted him up, leaving him hovering in midair with his feet off the ground.

He pushed the door open with his telekinesis and floated leisurely down the corridor of the men's apartment like a ghost, flying toward the guild hall.

The guild hall was as lively as ever.

Although it wasn't noon yet, quite a few people were already sitting by the bar.

The old buddies Macao and Wakaba were gathered around a table, drinking early and shooting the breeze.

"I'm telling you, Macao, if I hadn't used my smoke to confuse that magic beast on yesterday's job, its tail would've sent you flying!"

A cigarette hung from Wakaba's mouth as he smugly blew a smoke ring.

"Bullshit!"

Macao took a huge swig of beer and slapped the table as he argued back. "My purple flames scared it off! What use is your smoke except for choking people?"

Just as the two were arguing until they were red in the face, the guild's massive wooden doors slowly swung open under an invisible force.

They both instinctively turned to look.

Then their eyes went wide.

The little boy named Jiang Bai, who had joined the guild three days ago, floated straight in through the doorway, his feet more than a meter off the ground.

He moved without a sound, as smoothly as if he were strolling through his own backyard.

The guild fell silent for a moment.

"Hey... Wakaba, have I had too much to drink? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

Macao rubbed his eyes, his face full of disbelief.

"No... your eyes are fine..."

The cigarette nearly fell from Wakaba's mouth. He swallowed, his voice full of envy, jealousy, and resentment. "The master said this kid's magic was special, but he never said it was this kind of... flying magic!"

"Exactly! Just like the master."

The two exchanged a glance, each seeing deep envy in the other's eyes.

Why him?!

One played with fire and the other with smoke. Both sounded cool, but neither of them could fly!

Look at him! How old is he? And he can already fly through the air looking so carefree! Is there no justice?!

Jiang Bai, the center of everyone's attention, didn't notice the complicated looks from the two middle-aged men at all.

He floated over to the bar and landed steadily.

From the moment he entered the guild, his gaze had been fixed on one thing.

It wasn't some glittering magic item, nor was it the delicious, fragrant food behind the bar.

It was the... burning cigarette in Wakaba's mouth.

The wisps of bluish-white smoke curling upward, the slightly pungent, utterly familiar smell spreading through the air—it was like a key, instantly flipping a switch deep in his soul.

Jiang Bai couldn't tear his eyes away.

In his previous life, he hadn't been much of a drinker, but he had been a long-time smoker through and through.

He could skip a meal, but he couldn't go without a smoke.

Jiang Bai had been a loyal taxpayer, contributing a hefty sum in tobacco taxes every year to the nation's prosperity!

After transmigrating to this world and ending up in a child's body, he had almost forgotten the pleasure of puffing out clouds of smoke.

But now that familiar smell had entered his nose again.

The "soul of a nicotine addict" within him was instantly awakened!

Wakaba was muttering to Macao when he suddenly felt a burning gaze fall on him.

He turned and met Jiang Bai's unblinking stare.

That look... how could he put it?

It was full of longing and nostalgia, with even a hint of the excitement of someone approaching home after a long absence.

A little brat only a few years old was staring like that at a grown man's... cigarette?

Wakaba felt creeped out under his stare. He instinctively took the cigarette from his mouth and waved it uncertainly.

"Kid, why... do you keep staring at my cigarette?"

Jiang Bai's gaze followed the cigarette, and his throat bobbed involuntarily.

Seeing him like that, Wakaba suddenly burst out laughing.

It dawned on him: he thought the child was simply curious about adults smoking.

He grinned, revealing teeth stained slightly yellow by smoke, then held the cigarette out to Jiang Bai and asked jokingly,

"What? Want a puff?"