Encounter

The doctor took the test report handed over by his assistant and read down it line by line. Blood protein levels normal... bones normal... mental condition normal...

"All the indicators are normal, so what was going on with Subject 115 before? Was he faking it?"

Recalling what he had seen on the surveillance footage, that expression of agony was not something a seven-year-old could fake. Just as the doctor was about to set the matter aside for the time being, he suddenly noticed the magic power index on the report.

His gaze sharpened slightly as he said to his assistant, "Bring me Subject 115's previous test report."

The assistant quickly pulled Cain's earlier test report from a thick stack of files and handed it to the doctor.

The doctor took one look and said, "Just as I thought."

"Doctor, did you find something abnormal?"

"Yes. Subject 115's magic power index has risen significantly compared to before."

Hearing that, the assistant looked at the report in his hands. Sure enough, Subject 115's previous magic power index had only been 677. Though it was somewhat higher than an ordinary person's, it was not exceptionally so.

After all, there was a little girl in the Magic Development Bureau whose magic power index had reached an astonishing 100,000-plus.

Yet on the latest report, Subject 115's magic power index had risen from 677 to 6,521, nearly a tenfold increase in magic power.

That index was already comparable to that of the lowest-ranked Mage. The assistant could not help wanting to ask why, but seeing the doctor devote all his attention to the experiment, he held himself back.

He could only suppress the doubts in his heart.

Meanwhile, after returning to his room, Cain looked at his clenched fist and wondered, It seems like I'm stronger than before?

But without anything to compare it against, Cain could not tell whether it was really as he thought.

Lying on the bed, Cain began considering what he should do next. Since he had been given another life, he certainly could not muddle through it as he had in his previous one.

He had been reborn in another world—and one that was Fairy Tail, with so many beautiful women. It would not be too much for him to marry one, two, three, or four wives, right?

Hehehe.

He had decided. His long-term goal was to build a strong body. What? You asked what that had to do with his earlier plan to build a harem?

Too young. Far too young. Without a powerful physique, how were you supposed to build a harem?

As for the Black Dragon and all that, he could leave it to the protagonist's group. He only needed to enjoy life.

His short-term goal? Did that even need saying? Leave this damned place alive.

"Eh, I wonder what point in time this is. Has Ultear been sent to the Magic Development Bureau by Ur yet? I remember that after Ultear was sent here, the Magic Development Bureau got blown up once."

The reason Cain could confirm that this was the world of Fairy Tail, and that this place was the Magic Development Bureau, was because he had seen Brain in his earlier memories. That was how he had confirmed it.

"Later, Brain deceived Ur and told her Ultear was dead? I think that was how it went. Damn it, I can't remember clearly."

Cain irritably slapped his head, then took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

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"Looks like I need to prepare for the worst. First, I need to learn as much as possible about the Magic Development Bureau's layout and the movement of its personnel."

After listing the things he needed to do early on in his mind, Cain's lips curved slightly upward. His eyes shone brightly, as if they could pierce the white walls and see the world outside.

Cain abruptly sat up, his expression turning solemn. He had realized that he had overlooked something extremely important: what he looked like in this life.

If he wanted to build a harem, his character model was very important. With a good model, building a harem might not be easy mode, but it would be close.

If his model was a complete disaster, heh. Wanted to build a harem? Did he have overwhelming strength, towering authority, or inexhaustible wealth? No? And he still wanted a harem? Just restart.

He scanned the room but found no mirror or anything similar, making Cain curse inwardly without end. Damn it, why is a research institute this stingy? Fuck.

Four days had passed since his memories awakened. During those four days, Cain had discovered that, as high-grade experimental material, he was treated rather well.

At the very least, he never lacked food or drink. Cain could not help sighing that, given the current situation, his start was not bad. At least he had not been captured and forced to build the Tower of Heaven.

Moreover, every two or three days, he would be taken to a huge room. The room's facilities were simple; apart from a few basic recreational items, there was nothing else.

There were also many children Cain's age in that room. Cain guessed that they were all high-grade experimental material like himself.

While casually fiddling with the building blocks in his hands, Cain covertly surveyed his surroundings. Suddenly, he noticed a little girl with black twin-tails sitting silently by herself in a corner.

Like a porcelain doll, the little girl sat there quietly. Her eyes held sorrow, hatred, and a trace of longing.

Ultear sat quietly there, memories of the time she had lived with her mother, Ur, occasionally surfacing in her mind. But those happy days had been far too brief.

Before long, her mother had sent her here. Every day in this place had terrified her, and she had hoped that her mother would come soon to take her away.

She did not know how long she had waited, but Ultear never saw her mother come for her. So she decided to go find her mother herself.

It was impossible to imagine how a six- or seven-year-old girl had escaped the heavily guarded Magic Development Bureau and crossed mountains and rivers all the way home.

Yet what awaited her was not her mother's warm embrace, but the happy smiles of her mother and two children. In that instant, her world collapsed.

Ultear did not know why she had returned to the Magic Development Bureau. Perhaps she believed that she no longer had a home.

Remembering Ur's cheerful smile with her two disciples, Ultear felt a sharp pain in her heart, and the gloom in her eyes visibly overflowed.

"What's wrong?"

The sudden voice startled Ultear. She had been so immersed in her memories that she had not noticed someone approaching her.

Looking up, she found a cute golden-haired boy staring at her curiously. The concern in his black eyes made her young heart tremble slightly.

"D-Don't... mind me."

Watching the little girl stubbornly turn her head away, Cain could not help laughing. He really wanted to tell her that tsunderes were out of fashion now.

But Cain did not turn and leave because of her attitude. Instead, he sat beside her and looked at her flawless profile. "My name is Cain Saint-Ciris. What about you?"

Ultear had no intention of speaking, but Cain kept staring at her, making her a little embarrassed. She could only answer, "Ul... Ultear Milkovich."