Beyond the Western Wastes, There Is a Home

Gildarts sat to the side, a jug of wine in his hand, watching him with a beaming smile.

"Eat slowly, no one is going to snatch it from you."

Watching Lu Chongwei wolf down his food, a flicker of pity flashed through Gildarts' eyes.

This child must have suffered a great deal these past few days.

Once Lu Chongwei had eaten his fill, he slowed his pace, staring blankly into the dancing flames.

His gaze gradually grew unfocused.

Although he would be leaving the forest soon, what would happen after he stepped out?

He knew nothing about this world.

He had no family, no friends, and no home.

In this vast world, it seemed there was no place for him.

"What's wrong? You were quite happy just a moment ago, why the sudden gloom?"

Gildarts keenly sensed the shift in Lu Chongwei's mood and asked casually.

"Where is your family? Do you plan to go find them once we're out?"

Lu Chongwei shook his head, his voice dropping low.

"I don't have any family."

He watched the firewood crackling in the bonfire and spoke softly.

"I don't even know how I got here, anyway... now, I'm the only one left."

Gildarts' motion of drinking paused.

An orphan?

No wonder there was always a hint of unease hidden in the boy's eyes.

"Sorry, I asked something I shouldn't have."

Gildarts set down the wine jug, his expression turning serious.

He looked at Lu Chongwei, his gaze sincere and warm.

"Since you have nowhere to go, would you consider joining my guild?"

Lu Chongwei looked up, eyeing him with confusion.

"A guild?"

"That's right, Fairy Tail."

Gildarts spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the entire starry sky.

"It's a place where a lot of guys just like you gather. There are noisy idiots, brawling maniacs, and all sorts of weirdos."

He smiled with pride.

"But there, we aren't colleagues, nor are we superiors and subordinates."

"We are companions, we are family."

"A guild is simply the home where companions gather."

Home... is it?

Lu Chongwei was stunned.

The word felt both familiar and foreign to him.

In this dangerous, alien world, if there could be a place called "home," with a group of companions he could rely on.

That seemed... not bad at all.

Lu Chongwei looked at Gildarts' rugged yet sincere face.

The confusion and loneliness in his heart seemed to be dispelled quite a bit by the warmth of the firelight.

"Okay."

Lu Chongwei nodded, finally revealing a smile from the bottom of his heart.

"Then I'll go with you to take a look, at that place called Fairy Tail."

"Hahaha! That's the spirit!"

Gildarts laughed out loud again and handed over the remaining half of the roasted chicken in his hand.

"Come on, to celebrate your upcoming arrival, eat up!"

"Thanks, Uncle!"

The two then buried their heads, continuing to enjoy this final dinner in the forest.

The next morning.

Sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, scattering across the forest path.

Guided by Gildarts, Lu Chongwei had managed to emerge from the West Wild Forest—which had trapped him for ten days—in just half a day.

As his field of vision suddenly widened and he caught sight of the rows upon rows of houses in the distance, Lu Chongwei was so excited he nearly cried out.

That was human civilization.

That was Magnolia City.

The two continued forward, quickly entering the town.

The streets were bustling with people, lively and vibrant.

The cries of vendors, the rumble of carriage wheels, and the chatter of pedestrians converged into a rich atmosphere of daily life.

Lu Chongwei followed behind Gildarts, looking left and right, his heart filled with joy.

Everything he saw felt fresh and new.

The people here wore strange clothes, and various magical items he had never seen before were displayed along the roadside.

There were even people on the street performing flashy little magic tricks.

Is this the magic world?

It's truly fascinating!

However.

Just as Lu Chongwei was immersed in this prosperity, a piercing broadcast suddenly blared across the entire city.

"Emergency notice! Emergency notice!"

"Gildarts has been confirmed to have returned! Gildarts has been confirmed to have returned!"

"Magnolia City is about to switch to Gildarts Mode! All citizens, please proceed to designated safe zones immediately! I repeat..."

Accompanying the broadcast, the massive bell of the church began to toll.

Clang—clang—clang—

The bell rang urgently and loudly, echoing throughout the city.

"What is going on? Is there an enemy invasion?"

Lu Chongwei was startled by this sudden display and looked around nervously.

But he noticed that the surrounding citizens did not appear panicked or flustered.

Instead, they looked accustomed to it, running quickly and orderly to the sides of the streets.

Immediately after.

Rumble—!

The ground began to shake violently.

Lu Chongwei nearly lost his footing.

He watched in horror as the houses in front of him actually moved!

The entire town seemed to have transformed into a giant mechanical toy.

White steam erupted from beneath the houses, and the sound of massive gears turning rose from underground.

The city was divided into countless movable blocks.

Houses slid to the sides, and the ground rose or sank.

In less than a minute.

The originally intricate streets had vanished.

Replacing them was a straight, wide boulevard broad enough for a giant dragon to pass through.

This road stretched from the city entrance all the way to the building at the end of his sight—the one with the massive emblem: the Fairy Tail guild.

There were no obstacles in the middle; the path was completely clear.

Lu Chongwei's mouth hung open in astonishment.

What... what kind of insane black technology is this?

To welcome one person, they actually reorganized the entire city?

This is way too exaggerated!

"Is... is this what you meant by 'going home,' old man?"

Lu Chongwei turned his head, looking at Gildarts beside him with a face full of shock.

"Isn't this the kind of treatment only a king gets?"

Gildarts was scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, his face turning red.

He awkwardly avoided Lu Chongwei's admiring gaze.

"Cough, cough... Look, it's not what you think."

Gildarts explained, looking slightly ashamed.

"The truth is, I have a bit of a problem. I tend to space out or get lost in thought while I'm walking."

"Before I know it, I end up crashing into someone's house..."

"So, to keep me from wrecking their homes, the citizens set up this system specifically to clear a path for me."

Lu Chongwei: "..."