Cleaning the Warehouse

Watching the subtle shift in Noah's expression, Makarov coughed. He felt that if he didn't speak up soon, Noah would keep heading further down the wrong path.

Being a barmaid was a perfectly respectable profession, alright!

"Mira working as a barmaid was my request, as punishment for her recklessly dragging Elfman and Lisanna into danger."

Noah nodded. Making a hot-tempered delinquent girl take on a service job that demanded high patience—Makarov was probably trying to temper Mira's personality this way.

Just then, a male mage about twenty years old, wearing a patterned vest and a skull necklace, came up to the bar and complained, "Hey Mira, why hasn't my drink come yet? I'm heading out on a job soon."

"Really? Nobu?"

"I've been watching you wander around the job board for almost the whole morning. Did you actually find a job only you can complete?"

"If you dare lie to me, your fate will be pretty miserable, you know~"

Mira's eyes held a smile, but to Nobu, it looked like a demon issuing a death threat.

So scary!

"Sorry, I still haven't found a job."

Even though he knew Mira wouldn't do anything outrageous in front of the guild master, Nobu wisely backed down and stopped being stubborn.

"Oh my, then how about working as a barmaid here? That's a job you could definitely handle alone, Nobu."

His spirit thoroughly crushed, Nobu slunk away.

Noah couldn't stand it anymore. "Mira, saying that to him... won't it hurt his pride too much?"

"Hurt his skull!"

Mira explained to Noah, "Nobu's magic is 'Possession.' It's a bit like Elfman's Take Over: Animal Soul. He can attach the 'spirit' of a dead animal to himself, gaining a boost in a specific ability."

It sounded like a lesser version of Elfman's magic. "Take Over" could achieve full-body possession, while "Possession" only enhanced one aspect of power.

Nobu came from the "Wild Tribe," who lived deep in the forest. This tribe was naturally close to animals, and everyone could use the "Possession: Animal Spirit" magic.

After turning fifteen, some Wild Tribe members would leave home to complete a challenging task alone, proving their growth.

Nobu was one such Wild Tribe member on a self-challenge.

Unfortunately, in the five years since joining this guild, Nobu hadn't found a high-difficulty job he could complete alone.

Over time, Nobu had developed the habit of lingering in front of the job board, and his "dream" remained out of reach.

Noah turned to look at the figure standing still before the job board again. A man bound by his dream—but in the end, it came down to insufficient strength.

Pity, Noah couldn't help much either. Right now, aside from his physical combat skills and the newly acquired Flame Resistance (Strong), Noah's use of magic was limited to his proficiency with magical tools.

And even for magical tools, Noah only had the war weapon "Dragoon" given by his old father before the teleportation.

Still, he had nearly nine million in funds on him, enough to consider buying one or two magical tools.

But for now, Noah wanted to clear out the warehouse first. According to Makarov, the guild's books were mostly magic and theories carefully compiled by Fairy Tail's second master, and they were very beneficial.

However, as the dignified Second Prince of Edolas' humans, how could Noah personally do the cleaning? Besides, he couldn't manage it alone.

But Makarov's "punishment" for Mira gave Noah an idea.

Turning to face the guild hall, looking at the scattered members sitting around, Noah cleared his throat and spoke loudly.

"Everyone!"

"There are books I need in the warehouse, but I can't clean it up alone, so I need some help."

"It won't be for free—5,000 per person as a thank-you fee."

"Only ten spots. If you don't mind sweeping and organizing supplies, come sign up."

Noah thought only a few people would respond—after all, 5,000 was a pittance, easily earned from any random job.

But to his surprise, the moment he finished speaking, the hall's atmosphere exploded like oil hitting a blazing fire, and the bar was swarmed.

After some confirmation, Noah settled on the ten spots. Because of the warehouse-cleaning reason, he remembered their names.

First was Macao, one of the two older men who had teased Mira yesterday.

Next were Wakaba, Droy, and a petite girl named Levy—they were a three-person team.

A girl named Cana, dressed lightly, but she reeked of alcohol and was clearly drunk, making it hard to tell if she was even conscious.

Nobu came back. Dreams were important, but a man had to eat.

A mage named Warren, who looked very ordinary.

The siblings Elfman and Lisanna also came.

Last was a boy named Gray, who clearly didn't get along with Natsu.

"Wakaba, you've got the 'God Speed' magic for speed, and you still lagged behind old man Macao? What's wrong with you..."

Droy teased his friend, and Wakaba frantically explained, "What do you know? A middle-aged man with a wife and kid—his stress is enough to make him burst out faster than 'God Speed'!"

Caught in the crossfire, Macao gave a bitter smile but couldn't argue. Though the pressure of family finances weighed on him, thinking of his beautiful wife and adorable son made it all worth it.

Warren stepped forward to talk to Noah. "If you need anything conveyed while organizing the warehouse, let me handle it."

Warren's magic was "Telepathy," allowing him to send his thoughts to people within a certain range, and in battle, he could even read enemies' minds.

"Alright, hurry up and get to work in the warehouse, or Cana's going to fall asleep soon." Gray supported the bleary-eyed, reeling Cana, the smell of alcohol on her making him somewhat uncomfortable—just how much had she drunk to get this wasted?

Lisanna had already prepared the cleaning tools, while Elfman carried a bundle of brooms over one shoulder and a bucket in his other hand. "A real man works hard at cleaning!"

Noah watched Elfman, who was brimming with fighting spirit. Just as Mira had said, he could no longer sense any cowardice in him, though that "real man" catchphrase of his probably wasn't necessary...

"Everyone, I'm sorry for putting you through the trouble."

The warehouse was at the back of the hall. Noah grabbed a stool and prepared to follow his companions, but just as he was about to cross the hall, the feeling of being watched made him look up.

A yellow-haired man with spiked earphones was leaning against the railing on the second floor, staring at Noah without any attempt to hide it.

When he saw that Noah had noticed him, the yellow-haired man curled his lips into a sneer, then disappeared from Noah's sight.

Noah was completely baffled, having no idea how he had offended that yellow-haired man. In the end, he could only sum it up with one sentence.

"What a psycho."