"...Use Light Magic for the main offense, Word Magic to amplify its power, and Teleportation Magic to ensure mobility. The idea was good, but Aibo, you were still too naive."
Gildarts pulled Aibo over to sit down and rubbed the child's head.
"This was a very typical academic style of combat. Through precise calculations of magic and magical power, you pursued the ultimate output efficiency—a turret-type mage who treated offense as defense."
"What's wrong with that? I think that's what a real mage should be!"
"Well, I'm not saying you did anything wrong. This is your strength and advantage, and you can keep developing it. But you also need to compensate for your weaknesses. Here's a suggestion—you should work on your body properly."
"Seriously? Mages need physical training too? Isn't using magical power to reinforce yourself enough...?"
"I wouldn't lie to you. Let me put it plainly: that fighting style of yours can only bully ordinary mages. When you run into powerful magical beasts, you'll be out of options. Many magical beasts in this world have strong magic resistance. Against them, physical means are usually more effective than magic."
"Ah, really...?"
"Heh heh, do you know why I learned Crush Magic? Because it deals both magical and physical damage. It's incredibly useful! How about you stop learning all that random stuff and train in Crush Magic with me instead?"
"I don't want to trip and destroy an entire city."
"Um... ahahaha. The more powerful the magic, the harder it is to control. That can't be helped."
Aibo could solve that problem by learning another physical-output spell. Besides, he didn't mind knowing more magic.
"Even if everything you said is right, what does that have to do with physical training? Do Fairy Tail mages have to fight with their fists?"
"Of course not. Training your body is to improve a mage's survival rate."
Gildarts stretched out his muscular arm and showed off his biceps to Aibo.
"You know that healing magic has already been lost in this world."
"That's true. I even studied pharmacy for a year, but the effects of potions seem rather underwhelming..."
"You really are busy, kid... You mean Lady Porlyusica's potions, right? Those are already top-tier magic potions. You won't find a better pharmacist than her anywhere else."
Gildarts shook his head.
"But potions have their limits. You can't expect there to be a potion around to save your life every time you get hurt. So what I'm telling you is this: you can only deal damage if you're alive. Once you're dead, you've got nothing.
In this era without healers, mages basically rely on magical power to heal themselves. The better your body, the better your magical power's self-healing effect will be, and the less likely you'll die easily."
"Ah... then this really is a sad era. Has nobody tried researching healing magic?"
"Well, if you insist that healing magic has been lost, that isn't entirely true. As far as I know, there's still a type of Lost Magic with healing abilities. The problem is that no one can learn it..."
"Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier?"
Aibo's eyes suddenly lit up.
"What magic? Where can I learn it? I want to learn it!"
"Sky Magic... But the requirements for aptitude are too high. Basically nobody has managed to learn it for hundreds of years, so people gradually stopped caring about it. I don't know where any related spellbooks might still be either. If you're interested, I'll keep an eye out for you later."
"Thank you, Gildarts! I'm so grateful!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Even if you really do learn Sky Magic, I'd still advise you not to neglect physical training.
A good body can raise your magical power limit, improve your absorption efficiency, increase your magic resistance, strengthen your self-healing effects, and it can even..."
Gildarts noticed Cana quietly sitting beside them and swallowed the words that had reached his lips.
"Ahem. Anyway, there are just too many benefits. This is all from personal experience!"
[...This kid is still too young. Better not corrupt a child...]
Aibo's eyes lit up as well, his eyeballs darting around. He had "heard" every word Gildarts had almost said.
Come to think of it, Aibo had forgotten about that. For the sake of his future happiness, he decided he would raise the life skill [Body Tempering] to LV3 when he got back...
"You're right! Gildarts, I'll make sure to exercise from now on."
"Mhm, mhm~ And besides that, I should also advise you not to be too impatient."
"Huh?"
Gildarts smiled and scratched his head.
"You're already stronger than most people. When I was your age, I hadn't even started learning magic yet. There's no need to spend all your time on magic. There are many things around you that are more important than magic.
You can always study knowledge again if you miss it, but if you miss certain people or certain things, there may be no way to make up for it."
"...You actually say something human once in a while."
"You brat! Is that any way to talk to the person who saved your life? Show some respect!"
Cana, who had been quietly sitting to the side, watched the incredibly harmonious scene before her with complicated emotions.
[That bastard father can be a good father after all, can't he? Then why is he unwilling to acknowledge us?]
"..."
Aibo noticed that Cana was still wildly imagining things to herself, and he really couldn't hold it in anymore. He looked around and changed the subject.
"By the way, um, Gildarts... do you have someone... very important... whom you haven't visited in a long time? I don't mean guild companions..."
Aibo was out of ideas too. Cana was unwilling to bring up her identity herself, so he couldn't say it directly. That scumbag Gildarts also seemed completely unaware that he had a daughter. Aibo had no idea how to remind him...
"Ahem, what I mean is, look at Cana. Isn't Cana very pretty? Very cute?"
"Aibo? You..."
Cana looked at Aibo with a complicated expression, then lowered her gaze and bowed her head without saying a word.
Meanwhile, Gildarts suspiciously looked left and right before suddenly "realizing."
"Oh! So you like Cana, Aibo? Good kid, you've got a bit of my style from back in the day! But this is still too early for you~ Alright, that's enough for today. Let's head back!"
"..."
It was fucking over! There was no saving this. Just wait for death.
Unable to watch any longer, Aibo slapped Gildarts and sent him back to the guild, leaving himself alone to face Cana with his scalp tingling.
"Aibo..."
"Ahem, Sister Cana, I'm here."
"Did you hear it a long time ago? You knew I was his daughter."
"...Yes."
"So I guessed wrong. He never recognized us at all, and he even forgot that he had a daughter and a son..."
"Ahem, cough cough!"
Aibo interrupted through clenched teeth.
"Um, I'm not Gildarts's son. Really, I'm not! I don't even know who my parents are..."
Aibo had thought Cana would understand after he explained, but unexpectedly, she said,
"But, Aibo, you can't guarantee that Gildarts definitely isn't your father, can you?"
Aibo froze.
Wait? No, fuck, that was actually true!?
He had no memory at all of who his parents were. Even if Gildarts really was his father, it wasn't impossible.
Oh no, how had he really talked himself into this?
"That scumbag father flirted everywhere. He can't even remember how many lovers he's had, so how could he possibly know whether he has children?"
Cana's face darkened as she gritted her teeth.
"Aibo, promise me that you'll never mention in front of him again that I'm his daughter. Promise me!"
"O-Okay..."
Aibo realized this was going in a very wrong direction, but it seemed like there was no way to undo it now.
"I won't indulge in pointless fantasies anymore, and I won't forgive him so easily. Mom never blamed him, but he owes me!
"I'll become stronger—stronger than him. Then I'll defeat him head-on and tell Gildarts that he is a failed father, that he never took part in his children's lives. That will be my revenge!"
"Sister Cana, I don't think that's necessar—"
"Help me, Aibo!"
"..."
"Aibo, right now, you're all I have..."
Faced with Cana's sincere, burning gaze, Aibo simply couldn't bring himself to refuse her.
Ah, Gildarts, look at the sin you've created... It's not that I don't want to help you, man...
"Alright, I'll help you..."
Cana stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Aibo."
"This is enough. As long as I have Aibo, that's enough..."
Aibo carefully comforted her, but inside, his heart had gone ice-cold. He had looked away for only a while—how had his cute Sister Cana started showing signs of going dark?
No! No! This wasn't how it was supposed to be!
It was all that bastard Gildarts's fault!
Before you continue