(Heartfelt thanks to Yun Qi Qing Gu, Bing Yue Ying, Xiao h Zhai, Qinxun Luopo, Qi Guanxuanqi, 703's Rabbit, Long Tiani, Er Ci Yuan Wo Men De Meng, Sing Zai, Pokémon, You, Xiong Mao A!, and Diying for their tips!)
(By the way, today seemed to be my birthday on the Gregorian calendar...)
"Mmm... This is good..."
"Brother Elfman, don't eat so fast."
"Mmm... But it really is delicious."
"Honestly."
"Urk!"
"Wah! Water! Water!"
Watching Elfman, who was eating at the same table as him, roll his eyes as he choked, while Lisanna panicked beside him, Noah could not help covering his face.
At daybreak, Noah and the three Strauss siblings returned to a nearby village and checked back into the inn.
After a day had passed, Wendy had already left the village with Jellal, setting out on a journey to find Grandine and stop the activation of "Anima." After spending three or four days surviving in the wilderness, the Strauss siblings had finally returned to a populated place.
However, to Noah's surprise, the Strauss siblings did not have enough money to stay at the inn, nor did they even have enough to pay for food.
That was only natural.
Before they had been driven out of the village, the Strauss siblings had never been a wealthy family. They depended on one another, and the money they had brought from home had long since been completely spent.
That was why, after hearing that the village had posted a request to drive away the ghosts in the nearby forest, the Strauss siblings used the magic item that distorted vision—which they had originally intended to sell—on Mira to conceal her demonic arm. They came to the village to take the job and earn some living expenses and travel funds.
Who would have thought that after the Strauss siblings had made their preparations, arrived at the village, and found the village chief, they would be told that someone had already accepted the request? That was what led to them coming to Noah's door to pick a fight and steal his job.
No wonder the Strauss siblings had been so fixated on that request, to the point that they had spent three whole days searching the forest for Noah and still refused to return.
If they could not snatch that request, the Strauss siblings would not even be able to afford a meal. That was no small matter.
Of course, after learning the whole story, Noah did not know whether to laugh or cry. Still, he did not make any snide remarks. He simply ordered a table full of dishes and let the Strauss siblings, who had been living on game meat in the forest for days, enjoy a proper meal.
After returning to the village, the village chief sent someone to inform Noah that he had acknowledged Noah's completion of their request and paid him the full reward of two hundred thousand Jewel in one lump sum.
Together with the one million Jewel left over from activating Lake of Rituals last time, Noah was not carrying all of it on him, but treating someone to a good meal was no problem. He was not so stingy over such a small amount of money that he would stand by and watch others suffer.
Still, if possible, Noah hoped Elfman could restrain himself a little. Eating more quietly would be nice.
Glancing at Mira, who sat nearby still wrapped tightly in a cloak that concealed her entire body, silently eating with only one hand extended, Noah felt somewhat uneasy.
"Last time, you charged over like some delinquent girl and declared you were going to steal my job. This time, you're being so obedient that it feels strange..."
Mira continued eating silently, seemingly not having heard Noah's muttering. Lisanna, who was sitting farther away from Noah, caught part of it instead. After secretly glancing at Mira, she leaned close to Noah's ear and spoke.
"Actually, ever since she was possessed by that demon... No, ever since she took over the demon's power and awakened her magic, Sister Mira has never smiled again. She rarely speaks, either. Last time, she was so rude only because she wanted to appear stronger in front of outsiders and protect us..."
"Is that so?" Noah smiled faintly and nodded without changing his expression. Unlike Lisanna, however, he did not beat around the bush. "I doubt a demon could have such a delicate side. Only humans would change themselves for their family."
Mira's hand paused slightly in the middle of eating. Then she recovered and continued eating as though nothing had happened.
Lisanna gave Noah a grateful nod, then turned her gaze toward Elfman, who was wolfing down his food. Her expression immediately turned angry, and she began bickering with him.
The meal, most of which ended up in Elfman's stomach, quietly came to an end amid nothing but Elfman's eating noises, Lisanna's curious questions to Noah about all sorts of things, Noah's occasional replies, and Mira's silence.
"Now that you've eaten your fill, what are you planning to do next?" Noah took a sip of his drink and looked at the Strauss siblings.
"You don't have any money left, right? You can't go on like this, can you?"
"Uh..." Lisanna and Elfman exchanged looks, while Mira's eyes flickered slightly as well.
Clearly, the Strauss siblings had no good plans at the moment.
Noah tapped rhythmically on the table, his gaze passing over Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna in turn. After a while, the corners of his mouth rose.
"So? Do you want to come to Fairy Tail?"
"Go to Fairy Tail?"
Not only Lisanna and Elfman, even Mira was visibly tempted for a moment.
It had to be said that a mage guild really was a good destination for the Strauss siblings.
Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna had no fixed home. Aside from one another, they had no one else to rely on. If they wanted to survive, they needed a stable income.
However, even if the Strauss siblings wanted to work and earn money, their age was a major problem. Ordinary jobs would never consider hiring children. Otherwise, the Strauss siblings would not have had such a hard time.
A mage guild, on the other hand, was not so particular about such things.
As long as one could use magic, possessed a certain degree of strength, and could complete the appropriate requests, one could earn rewards. Moreover, the rewards were higher than those from ordinary work.
Mira could use Take Over Magic, and what she had taken over was the power of a demon. She could stand against a Magical Beast that was a giant bull-man, which spoke for her strength. Joining a mage guild would absolutely not be a problem for her.
The issue was Elfman and Lisanna. They had not learned magic yet and were only ordinary children.
"There are plenty of children around your age in Fairy Tail, and they're still learning magic too. So even if you can't use magic yet, you can learn after joining the guild." Noah spread his hands.
"I'm a Fairy Tail mage myself. Personally, I don't think you'd have much trouble joining Fairy Tail. It's a pretty good place to go. Of course, the decision is yours. I'm only making a suggestion."
Elfman and Lisanna hesitated awkwardly. In the end, they both looked toward Mira and waited for her decision.
Mira looked at Noah and happened to meet his half-smiling gaze. She could not help recalling how, in the forest cave, Noah had gently stroked her disgusting arm. Her heartbeat suddenly sped up for no reason, and she avoided his gaze.
Under those circumstances, the atmosphere became strangely quiet.
After an unknown amount of time, Mira raised her head and took a deep breath.
"Let's go to Fairy Tail!"
Elfman and Lisanna looked at each other, then spoke in unison.
"Wherever Sister Mira goes, we'll go too!"
Warmth filled Mira's heart, and she revealed a rare smile.
Seeing that, Noah smiled knowingly as well, and his fondness for the Strauss siblings grew considerably.
Even with such painful memories that no one knew about and that they could not bear to look back on, even while trapped in such harsh and difficult circumstances that they could barely speak of them, the three siblings still never abandoned one another. They depended on one another for survival, never gave up on each other, and never stopped thinking of one another.
The bond of family would surely accompany them throughout their lives, becoming the remedy that would free them from pain, hardship, and the past.
Noah believed that.
Before you continue