Cheese and Snowy

Back in Magnolia.

The moment Nobu completed his first official job as a wizard, it spread through every corner of the guild as "big news."

"Everyone, I propose a toast!"

"A toast to Nobu finally getting his start!"

Fairy Tail could always find a reason to celebrate from any angle, but this time Makarov's toast for Nobu didn't get much support.

Because the guild members were all crowded around Noah—or rather, the two little animals he'd brought back—hogging all the attention.

A cute little snow-leopard-colored cat, with a round white hamster perched on its head. Neither cat nor mouse showed any nervousness about being in a strange place, just curiously looking around on the table.

"Hi there! My name's Cheese, and this is Snowy. We're good friends with Noah."

The little snow cat Cheese's adorable looks and childish voice instantly melted the hearts of the female members, who scrambled to feed the pair.

"Wow! What a cute cat!"

"She talks just like Happy, huh."

"Cheese looks so fluffy. With fur that thick, petting her must feel amazing."

"Snowy doesn't even eat meat? Aren't hamsters omnivores?"

"Noah, you're so lucky. Go out once and come back with two cute pets."

"..."

Amid the envious chatter of his companions, Noah just gave a slight pout. Pets? Wait until you find out that hamster can take on half the guild—then you'll see who's really in charge.

On the way back, Noah had found Cheese and Snowy among the gift bundles the villagers of Mount Hakobe had given him.

They'd come to make friends with Noah.

Because Noah had dealt with the scumbags trying to capture Snowy, his sincerity had even triggered a "make friends" wish request from the pair.

Looking at the rewards called "Malice Perception" and "Life-Magic Symbiosis," Noah was more than happy to have two animal friends—definitely not because he was greedy for those two powerful abilities.

"Malice Perception" came from the little snow cat Cheese. No matter who the malice was directed at, she could clearly sense any "malicious" emotions within ten meters.

"Life-Magic Symbiosis" was Snowy the hamster's ability. The stronger one's vitality, the more their magic power would be amplified; conversely, the stronger one's magic, the tougher their life force.

No one would ever guess that this cute, gluttonous vegetarian hamster had a growth talent like stepping on its own left foot to spiral into the sky.

And even fewer would know that the legendary "Snow Beast," said to be twice as strong as the "Beast King," was just a hamster monster.

No wonder no one had ever seen the Snow Beast's true form. Trying to find a white hamster in a snowy mountain? Unless Snowy showed itself on purpose, there was no chance.

Through Cheese's rodent-language translation, Noah also understood why she and Snowy were grateful to him.

Even though Snowy was a powerful monster, it was a vegetarian and didn't like fighting. And Cheese was just a few-month-old Exceed with no combat ability at all.

A Dark Magic Cult squad had controlled twenty Vulcans to come to Mount Hakobe and capture Snowy. Thanks to Cheese's Malice Perception, the pair had easily dodged them.

But the villains throwing their weight around on Mount Hakobe, acting like they'd already bagged the Snow Beast, had even gotten on the nerves of Snowy—a kind hamster that had never killed before.

It was just that Noah's appearance had stopped this kind-hearted mouse from showing its power.

To thank Noah, the pair decided to befriend him. But the little glutton Cheese got lured by the smell of meat halfway, dove straight into the bundle to feast, and after eating her fill, fell right asleep.

By the time Noah found them, the carriage had already left Mount Hakobe far behind. After getting the pair's consent, Noah brought them back to Magnolia.

The carefully prepared ten-page speech and two-page thank-you note went unused. Nobu, whose thunder had been stolen by two animals, was dumbfounded.

When he wasn't doing jobs, everyone spent all day teasing him. Now that he'd finished a job, he was still less interesting than two animals.

Then what the hell was the point of doing the job?!

Am I not human?!

Am I even human or not?!

Nobu sank into self-pity and habitually wandered back to the request board.

Seeing that Cheese and Snowy got along well with everyone, Noah left them in the guild hall for now and went to the bar himself, where he confessed Snowy's identity to Makarov.

Makarov's expression didn't change. As a seasoned veteran, he'd spotted the white hamster's unusual nature at first glance, though he hadn't expected the mysterious Snow Beast to be a vegetarian hamster.

As for whether Snowy would bring danger to the guild, Makarov couldn't care less.

A powerful monster? Just something to flatten with a single punch of Giant Magic. As an old-guard Saint-level wizard, there were only a handful of wizards on this continent who could threaten Makarov.

Seeing that Makarov agreed to let him keep Snowy and Cheese in the dorm, Noah moved on to the next topic.

A pitch-black color quickly covered Noah's right arm, gleaming with a hard, steel-like luster.

"This is..."

Makarov narrowed his eyes. Because he himself used "Life Magic: Giant" and had been a close-combat mage with strong physical skills in his youth, he immediately noticed the change in Noah's right arm's toughness.

That black luster that appeared and covered his arm in an instant had raised Noah's right arm's defense by several levels—like a shift from flesh to steel.

"Guild Master, never seen this before, right? It's called 'Armament Haki.' A power derived from extending one's willpower."

"Will, huh? Interesting."

Seeing Noah suddenly reveal a power he'd never seen before, Makarov perked up, staring intently at Noah as if he'd seen through the boy's intentions.

"You're not telling me you want to teach these brats that 'Armament Haki,' are you?"

Noah curled the corner of his mouth and dispelled the Haki. "As expected of the Guild Master, you saw right through my little scheme."

If Haki spread, Fairy Tail's strength would undoubtedly skyrocket, but Makarov had always prioritized the safety of the guild members.

The old man acknowledged this power, but he wanted to know if learning Haki carried any risks.

"It depends on willpower—I'm not sure."

Noah shook his head. He didn't know either, after all, the way he had mastered Armament Haki was as a reward for completing an Otherworld Commission.

He could teach based on the principles of Armament Haki, but he couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be unexpected complications.

Makarov let out a thoughtful hum.

"Fine, but we must confirm that learning this power holds no danger."

"So let's start with me first."

Noah was momentarily stunned, then broke into a gentle smile.

To have a Guild Master willing to experiment on himself for the sake of the children—Fairy Tail was truly the luckiest guild in the world.