"Looks like I still need to get finer control over my strength. Otherwise, someone could easily end up dead one day."
Lu Chongwei silently reminded himself to be careful.
He looked at the ever-growing bump on Gray's head. A faint sense of guilt welled up inside him, but more than that, he was reassessing his own current strength.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the Fairy Tail guild's huge windows.
The air was filled with a faint smell of alcohol and damp wood. It was the guild's distinctive scent, mingled with the aromas of adventure and freedom.
Lu Chongwei arrived at the guild first thing in the morning.
He walked briskly, each step landing with particular force. His face was full of anticipation and excitement.
"The guild master said yesterday that I'm strong enough to start taking jobs."
Lu Chongwei thought it over.
He was curious about the job system in this magical world. Before he'd crossed over, it was something he'd only seen in anime. Now he was finally going to experience it firsthand.
"I wonder what my first job will be like."
Lu Chongwei pushed open the guild's heavy doors.
The hinges creaked, but the noise was quickly drowned out by the even louder din inside the hall.
"I refuse to accept it! I absolutely refuse!"
A voice brimming with indignation and anger rang through the guild hall.
Lu Chongwei followed the sound. Gray was standing there bare-chested, one foot on a table and his other hand pointing at the ceiling as he shouted.
Most eye-catching of all was the bump on his head, which still hadn't gone down.
It was bright red, like a ripe apple perched on his head. It wobbled with every excited movement, making him look both comical and pitiful.
"I wasn't ready yesterday! Really! I just let my guard down!"
Gray's face turned bright red.
The veins bulged in his neck, and spittle flew as he tried to explain yesterday's "crushing defeat" to the guildmates watching nearby.
"If we did it again, there's no way I'd go down from that hit! I could take even one punch!"
Macao leaned lazily against a nearby pillar, a glass of wine in hand.
He looked at the agitated Gray with a mischievous grin, the kind of teasing amusement an adult showed when a kid refused to admit defeat.
"Give it a rest, Gray."
Macao took a sip of wine and smacked his lips.
"Everyone saw what happened yesterday. That punch landed squarely. And Lu Chongwei didn't even look like he was trying that hard."
Gray bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Bull! He just caught me off guard! He took advantage of me not paying attention!"
Gray waved his fists, trying to salvage what remained of his crumbling dignity.
"If I'd put up a defense with Ice Make Magic, that punch wouldn't have hurt at all!"
Just as Gray reached the height of his agitation and was about to swear he'd prove himself,
a calm voice, tinged with amusement, suddenly drifted from behind him.
"Oh? Is that so? So I ambushed you yesterday."
Lu Chongwei walked over at an unhurried pace, his hands in his pockets.
Gray's body instantly went rigid.
It felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over him from head to toe. The anger that had been blazing moments before was instantly doused by that one sentence.
He mechanically turned around and saw the face that had haunted his nightmares all night.
Lu Chongwei looked at him with a cheerful smile.
The smile seemed friendly enough, but to Gray it was more frightening than any menacing expression.
Wakaba sat not far away with a pipe in his mouth, blowing out a ring of smoke.
Seeing this, he immediately stirred up trouble, eager to see what would happen.
"Well, look who's here! Gray, weren't you just saying you'd prove yourself right here and now? Here's your chance!"
Wakaba's laugh was hoarse.
He slapped the table, his eyes shifting between the two of them. He was clearly hoping for another good show.
Gray's face flushed red with embarrassment.
He opened his mouth to say something tough, but the moment he saw Lu Chongwei's half-smile, it felt like his throat had closed up.
Lu Chongwei stepped forward and gently pointed at the bump on Gray's head.
"Does that bump still hurt?"
His tone was teasing.
He meant no harm. He just thought the stubborn boy was rather amusing and couldn't resist teasing him a little.
Gray instinctively covered the top of his head.
A stab of pain made him suck in a sharp breath, but he stubbornly gritted his teeth, determination flaring in his eyes once more.
"Quit nagging! It was an accident!"
Gray shouted.
He jumped down from the table and assumed a fighting stance, crossing his arms over his chest as cold began to gather around him.
"Since you're here, perfect! Let's fight again right now! This time, I definitely won't lose!"
Looking at the eager Gray, Lu Chongwei helplessly waved a hand.
"Probably not today."
Lu Chongwei shrugged, his tone turning a little more serious.
"I'm here on business today. I'm going to take a job, so I don't have time to play pretend with you."
Gray froze.
The cold around him instantly dissipated. He sagged like a deflated ball, his face full of surprise.
"Take a job?"
Gray blinked.
He looked Lu Chongwei up and down as if he were some clueless outsider.
"Don't you know? New members can't just take jobs without the guild master's official approval."
Lu Chongwei paused.
He thought back to what Makarov had said the day before. It seemed the guild master hadn't given him any official badge or paperwork, just told him a few things verbally.
"So that's how it works."
Lu Chongwei stroked his chin.
He didn't seem too disappointed. Instead, he quickly accepted the rule. After all, every organization had its own procedures.
"Fine, then I'll go talk to the guild master first."
Lu Chongwei turned around and waved over his shoulder at Gray.
"Once I'm back from the job, we can fight however you like. Just don't start crying again."
Gray stamped his foot in anger.
"Who was crying? Take that back!"
But he could only watch Lu Chongwei walk away. His retort was ultimately swallowed by the noisy guild.
Lu Chongwei went straight through the crowd to the bar where Makarov was.
Makarov was sitting at the bar with a newspaper in hand and a steaming cup of tea beside him.
"Good morning, guild master."
Lu Chongwei greeted him.
He got straight to the point, directly stating what he wanted without wasting any time.
"I'd like to take a job. But I've also heard that someone needs to accompany me on my first one. I'd like Gildarts to come with me."
Makarov put down the newspaper.
He raised his eyes and looked at Lu Chongwei. The request didn't surprise him much, since Gildarts was the one who had brought him back.
"Gildarts..."
Makarov pondered for a moment.
He stroked his beard, a thoughtful look flashing across his face as he seemed to consider whether the pairing would work.
"Since he was the one who brought you here, it would be fitting for him to see this through. And with his strength, he can certainly keep you safe."
Makarov nodded.
He picked up his teacup again and gently blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface.
"I have no objections. But it depends on whether that fellow Gildarts is free. You know how lazy he can be."
Lu Chongwei was delighted.
As long as the guild master agreed, getting Gildarts on board shouldn't be difficult. The man might not seem reliable, but he did have a good heart.
Before you continue