Initial Mission, I'm Just Lucky*2!

After a day of travel, the two arrived in Magnolia.

Ed and Makarov entered the town and soon reached the entrance of Fairy Tail.

Looking at the tavern-like building before him and the flag hanging above it, Ed could not help saying, "So this is Fairy Tail..."

"Does a fairy have a tail? Do fairies even exist? Nobody knows. That is why this name represents eternal mystery and eternal adventure!" Makarov said with a smile.

"Now that you put it that way, the whole name feels elevated," Ed remarked.

"Of course. This is the guild I am proud of." Makarov smiled and pushed open the door.

As the doors slowly opened at Makarov's touch, Ed grew excited as well. He was about to officially join this guild.

Once the doors opened, the scene inside came into Ed's view, making his eyes widen.

An incredibly noisy clamor spilled out from the guild. A group of people inside were hurling insults at each other, and after only a word or two, they started fighting.

Then cups, plates, and stools began flying everywhere, while people were occasionally sent flying into the corners.

"This is the guild you're so proud of..." Ed said as he looked at Makarov, who had gone slightly stiff.

Makarov's face darkened, a vein bulging on his forehead. He charged straight inside, his body gradually growing larger. "You little bastards! Stop this right now!" he roared as he suppressed several of the most energetic troublemakers with one hand.

He had just been bragging about the guild, only for these people to make him eat his words the very next second. This was intolerable!

At Makarov's roar, everyone in the noisy guild stopped. "Master, welcome back," said a little girl wearing armor.

"Ah, I'm back," Makarov replied, then turned to Ed. "Ahahaha, I'm telling you, don't let how noisy this guild is fool you. Everyone here is actually very easy to get along with."

"This is just... well... one way of building camaraderie." After thinking for a moment, Makarov came up with a lousy excuse.

"R-Really?" Ed looked doubtful. "Old man, you're not setting me up, are you?"

"Ahahaha, of course not. Come, I'll put the guild mark on you." Makarov decisively changed the subject.

As he spoke, he led Ed to the guild counter.

"What color do you want? And where do you want it?" Makarov asked, holding up a stamp.

"Let me think... Gold. Put it on the back of my right hand." Ed held out his right hand, and soon, a golden Fairy Tail emblem appeared on its back.

With everything settled, Makarov leaped onto the bar and shouted, "You brats! Welcome our new family member! Ed!"

"Yeah!"

"Hello, newbie! Welcome aboard!"

"Another newcomer? Why's he a kid too? Is our guild really turning into a daycare?"

"A newcomer is always a good thing. At least the guild is getting livelier."

Listening to everyone's cheers and looking at the mark on the back of his hand, a surge of joy rose in Ed's heart.

"Well? Everyone in the guild is great, right?" Makarov said cheerfully.

"Yeah. I think things will be a lot of fun from now on." Ed smiled as he replied.

"Newbie, your name is Ed, right? I'm Gray, Gray Fullbuster. Do you already know magic?" Ed followed the voice and saw a kid wearing nothing but underwear, holding a glass of milk. "So, what kind of magic do you use?"

He took a sip of milk, then asked Ed again.

"Yeah, I'm Ed. My full name is just Ed. As for magic, I guess it's spatial magic. I call it Flying Thunder God. By the way," Ed said, turning to Makarov, "does your guild already have naked weirdos running around at this age? I really feel like you tricked me, old man."

"You little bastard! Go put your clothes on!" Makarov said to Gray with a pained expression.

Gray seemed to only realize then that he was not wearing any clothes. "Where did my clothes go?! When did I take them off?!" He hurriedly ran off to find them.

"Don't let his appearance fool you. He's actually quite capable," Makarov told Ed. "That kid Gray has mastered Ice-Make Magic, and he's already highly proficient with it. He can handle some missions on his own now. Speaking of which, you said your magic is spatial magic, right? What exactly can it do?"

Ed thought for a moment before saying, "Simply put, I can place one of my marks on an object, then teleport to wherever that mark is at anytime."

"Instant teleportation, huh? That sounds like it has plenty of potential. But what did you use when you killed that beast in the forest? Simple teleportation shouldn't have been enough to take down something like that, right?" Makarov said, stroking his beard.

"Yes, you're right." Ed replied, "What I used should count as a technique. I gather magic power in my arms or legs, then release it in a burst to generate tremendous force. But I'm not very skilled with it yet. My arm still hurts even now, see?" Ed raised his arm, which had not finished swelling down, and sighed.

"Oh? You've already started figuring out how to use magic power? You might even be a genius, kid." Makarov pulled out a pen and began writing and drawing in the air.

"Magic is generally divided into Holder Magic and Caster Magic. Holder Magic relies on tools for combat, while Caster Magic relies on one's own magic power to produce all kinds of effects in battle. Your Flying Thunder God should be a type of Caster Magic. As for this power-bursting method of yours, it should be the early form of a strength-based magic. You can keep developing it. Maybe you'll even master a second type of magic."

Ed thought for a moment and asked, "Then do you have any advice, old man? Like a training method?"

Makarov sat on the bar with his legs swinging as he casually said, "As for advice, don't release too much magic power at once, and don't try to produce too much force either. Gradually find the point that suits you best, and you should be able to master it."

"Oh, Ed, you're already going to master a second type of magic? That's really impressive. Want to spar and see who's stronger?"

Gray, now wearing a pair of pants, appeared from who knew where.

"Sure, but at least wait until this arm of mine is mostly healed." Ed waved his arm. "Besides, I'm still lacking a proper means of attack. If it's convenient, how about waiting a little longer?"

"No problem. Once you're ready, I'll accept your challenge anytime." Gray grabbed Ed and pulled him over. "This is your welcome party. Now let's enjoy the feast to the fullest."

Night fell, and the party gradually neared its end. Chairs were scattered everywhere, and more than a dozen people lay sprawled all over the floor. During that time, Ed had met many guildmates, such as a stripping pervert, a quiet little girl named Levy, an uncle who loved smoking named Wakaba, and an uncle who loved drinking named Macao.

There were many others as well. Looking at the scene before him, Ed smiled. "I'm really looking forward to the days ahead~"

"Come to think of it, Ed, you don't have a place to stay yet, right?" Makarov suddenly said. "The guild has dorms prepared for you all~ There are beds and everything, and it's only 100,000 J a month~"

Ed suddenly felt stabbed in the back. "But I don't have any money right now... Don't tell me I have to sleep on the streets?" "Don't worry. You can borrow a month's rent too. After that, you'll have to start working and earning money."

"I've been looking forward to it for ages!"

"You've got plenty of motivation, kid. Alright, it's getting late. Let Gray take you to the dorms, pick an empty room, and get some rest. Tomorrow, come take on your first mission!"

"Good night, old man!"

The next morning, Ed arrived at the guild and went straight to Makarov. "Old man, are there any missions I can do?" "Hmm... This one should suit you quite well." Makarov thought for a moment, jumped up, tore a request sheet off the mission board, and handed it to Ed.

"Really? Let me see... Hmm, help a farmer in the east of town deliver crops to a shop in the west, reward: 50,000 J. That's pretty generous~ I get it, it's a delivery job!" No one was more suited to this mission than him. "Leave it to me. I'll finish it in minutes. I'm off~" "Have a safe trip, kid." Makarov sat at the bar and waved.

After leaving the guild, Ed thought for a moment and decided to go to the shop in the west first. He planned to set a mark there in advance and teleport directly with Flying Thunder God. Other than that red-clad running guy, I refuse to believe anyone is more suited to this job than me. Ed thought happily, leaving a Flying Thunder God Mark at the guild entrance along the way.

Following the directions, Ed arrived at the shop that sold crops. "Is the owner here? I'm a mage from Fairy Tail. I'm here for the vegetable delivery mission."

A bald middle-aged man came out of the shop. "Oh, I'm the owner. Young man, are you here to make the delivery? Why don't I see any goods?" The owner looked around repeatedly.

"I'll bring them over in a moment. I came first to confirm where the vegetables should be stored once they arrive."

The owner led him to the warehouse door at the side of the shop. "Here will do. Once you deliver them, call me over to check them, then we can put them into storage."

"This spot is fine?" Ed held out his hand toward the wall. Magic power covered it, and when he pulled his hand back, a black mark appeared where his palm had been.

"What's that?" The owner leaned over and saw the black mark. "It looks like a little person? Holding a fish and touching it?"

"Ahahaha, don't worry about those details. Just wait a moment, and I'll bring the goods over." Ed activated Flying Thunder God and vanished right before the owner's eyes. "H-He disappeared... Mages really are amazing. I wonder whether my son will ever get the chance to learn some magic too..." Startled by Ed's sudden disappearance, the owner shook his head and turned his amazement at the sight into hopes for his son.

With a flash of golden light, Ed appeared at the guild entrance. "Next, the farmland in the east!" Ed casually picked up a stone, ran magic power through it, and threw it ahead. Then, amid repeated golden flashes, his figure continuously vanished and reappeared as he headed toward the farmland in the east.

Very quickly, Ed reached his destination and saw the goods he needed to deliver this time. "Holy crap, that's a lot!" Ed stared at the small mountain before him.

He could only sigh in disbelief.

"Are you the mage who accepted the mission?" An old farmer walked out from behind the small mountain. "These are the goods to be delivered this time: a total of 102,000 jin of potatoes."

"This would take at least two Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to load..." Ed was a little dumbfounded. "So that's why the reward for an in-town delivery mission was so generous. There really was a catch."

"Then I'll leave it to you, young man." The old farmer waved and returned to working in the fields.

"Right, Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!" Ed slammed both hands onto the ground. Magic power surged forth, forming a magic array made of strings of black characters across the earth. It was as though a hollow had appeared beneath the mountain of potatoes, and the potatoes sank toward the center of the array.

At the shop in the west of town, the bald owner thought happily, That young man looks like he's only in his teens, and he's alone. How is he going to deliver over a hundred thousand jin of goods by himself? Still, he's a mage, so he must have some magical method. Ahahaha, maybe they'll fall from the sky... Suddenly, he heard a noise from the warehouse.

The owner hurried over and saw a strange array formed by strings of black characters in the air, with potatoes continuously falling out of it.

"So they really did fall from the sky..." the owner said blankly.

Ed finally managed to transfer the entire mountain of potatoes, but his vision went dark. "That used up a lot of magic power. It must be because there was too much stuff. No, if I run into a mission like this next time, I need to charge more!" After resting for a while, Ed activated Flying Thunder God again and returned to the shop. "Boss, your delivery is here~" "We're still counting it. Wait a bit. Go rest in the shop first." The owner waved him off, directing several workers to weigh and store the potatoes as he spoke.

"Alright." Ed went into the shop to rest. After a while, the owner came in and said, "The count is complete. The quantity is correct. Here's your reward." He handed Ed an envelope. "Young man, that delivery was incredibly fast. Would you consider taking on a long-term job? I have a lot of goods moving through here every month."

"We'll see. I won't always be in Magnolia, after all. I'll eventually have to go out on long-term missions." Ed shrugged. "Alright then. I hope you grow stronger and stronger too," the owner said with a smile before leaving.

With a flash of golden light, Ed appeared at the guild entrance and headed straight for the bar. "Oh? You're back already? Did you finish the mission?" Makarov asked casually, holding a mug of beer.

"Ed took that mission to deliver vegetables to the west side of town, right? That shipment weighed over a hundred thousand jin. How could he have finished so quickly? He must be back to ask us for help." Beside him, Gray said as he took off his pants, "Since you're a newcomer, I can help you carry stuff. Need a hand?"

"No need. I've already finished it. Also, I really don't want to see you naked, so please put your pants back on." Ed complained to Gray with half-lidded eyes.

"I didn't notice at all! When did I take them off?! Wait, you delivered over a hundred thousand jin already? That fast? Amazing! I can barely hold myself back from fighting you. Let me know the moment your arm heals!" Gray's fighting spirit surged.

"Judging by how it feels, it should be mostly healed by tomorrow. How about the morning after tomorrow?" Ed checked his arm. There was still a slight discomfort, but he did not dislike Gray's challenge.

"By the way, I need to have some support tools made. Do you have any Blacksmith's Forge recommendations in town?" Ed asked Makarov. "Blacksmith's Forge? There's one in the west side of town, not far from the shop where you delivered the goods. Go look for it yourself."

"Alright." Ed greeted Gray, who seemed to be thinking up tactics beside him, then activated Flying Thunder God and returned directly to the west side of town to look for the Blacksmith's Forge.