Everyday life

Some time had passed since Blanc took over Mahoraga, and his life had gradually settled down again.

Magnolia was bustling in the early morning.

People streamed through the streets, shopkeepers called out from either side, and the aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air.

Blanc strolled down the street, looking this way and that as he focused on finding his three meals for the day.

A cake shop displaying a dazzling array of desserts caught his eye and whetted his appetite. Before he knew it, he had walked inside.

After agonizing over his choices for quite a while, he finally picked out a whole bag of desserts, including strawberry cake, cream puffs, and tiramisu.

Blanc went to the counter to pay.

Meanwhile, outside the shop...

Erza passed by on her way back to the guild after finishing her morning training.

The moment she glimpsed the exquisite strawberry cake in the window, her eyes lit up.

She instinctively swallowed and stood rooted to the spot, as though someone had cast a spell on her.

But before long, images of her companions still suffering in the Tower of Heaven abruptly surfaced in her mind.

A crushing sense of guilt welled up again-with her companions' lives weighing on her shoulders, she had no right to indulge in the happiness cake brought her.

The light in her eyes slowly faded. Erza clenched her fists slightly and withdrew her gaze, looking downcast.

"What are you doing, Erza?"

A somewhat familiar voice came from ahead.

Erza looked up, momentarily startled.

She watched Blanc walk out of the shop and stop in front of her.

Erza's expression stiffened, and she stammered out an excuse:

"...N-nothing. I was just passing by."

She had not expected to run into Blanc here, so she turned the question back on him.

"What about you? What are you doing here?"

Blanc shook the bag in his hand. "Isn't it obvious? I'm buying desserts."

"What about you? Aren't you going to get something? Strawberry cake is your favorite, isn't it?"

"No." Erza turned her head away, her voice low.

"Indulging in the happiness cake brings makes people weak."

Blanc's smile froze.

"...Was that a jab at me?"

"Ah, no, um..."

Erza immediately flustered, wanting to explain that she had not meant it that way.

But before she could finish, Blanc took a small cake from his bag, unwrapped it, and held it right in front of her.

"Did you know, Erza? This shop has the most famous cakes in Magnolia. The sponge is soft and fluffy, and the cream is sweet without being cloying. It melts in your mouth. The slightly tart strawberry jam in the filling complements the sweet cream perfectly, blending into one seamless whole. One bite, and the taste... well, words can't do it justice..."

Erza stared fixedly at the cake. As Blanc's words slipped into her ears one by one, her mouth watered uncontrollably, and she could not help swallowing.

Blanc tilted his head slightly and stared straight at Erza, his voice soft but utterly tempting.

"Come on, Erza. Will you eat this wonderfully delicious strawberry cake yourself, or will you just stand there and watch it go back into my shopping bag?"

Faced with the irresistible lure of the dessert and Blanc's tempting words, Erza stopped thinking. Almost involuntarily, she snatched the cake from his hand and took a bite.

Munch, munch, munch!

Only when the happiness brought by that delicious taste filled her mind did Erza realize what she had done. Her face flushed bright red, and she froze on the spot.

She looked up, only to meet Blanc's smiling gaze.

People who said one thing and meant another would instinctively choose what their hearts truly wanted.

"That's more like it! Forget being weak. The happiness you feel when you eat something delicious is what matters most!"

"Hold on tight to every bit of happiness within your reach, Erza!"

Erza stuffed the rest of the cake into her mouth in a few quick bites, leaving her cheeks bulging.

After forcing down the cake in her mouth, Erza wiped the cream from her lips.

Her cheeks were still faintly red, but her eyes had cleared, and she gave Blanc a broad smile.

"Sorry. You're right. I should be honest with myself." Erza turned around.

"Wait here for a moment. I'll buy you another one to make up for it."

"No..."

Before he could finish saying there was no need, Erza had already rushed into the shop. Pointing at a strawberry cake on display, she said to the owner behind the counter:

"Fifty of those strawberry cakes, please!"

"That many?" The owner's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you having a party, young lady?"

"No." Erza shook her head solemnly. "Forty-nine of them are for me."

Another day, outside the guild's front doors.

"Slant-eyes!"

"Droopy-eyes!"

"Shut up!" ×2

Before Blanc even entered the guild, he saw Natsu and Gray dueling outside. They traded blows, darting from side to side and leaping all over the place.

A punch from one, a kick from the other-they were evenly matched, and it was quite entertaining to watch.

To an expert, it might have looked like two amateurs flailing at each other, but to an ordinary person, this was already a fairly high-level fight. If the two agreed, perhaps they could hold exhibition duels someday. It would satisfy their urge to fight, and they could collect admission fees on the side.

Ignoring the busy pair, Blanc went around the spectators and entered the guild.

Erza approached him with a dark expression. Blanc stepped aside to let her pass. Those two outside were in for it again.

Paying no attention to the commotion outside, Blanc headed for the request board. He had lazed around enough; it was time to take a job and get some practice.

"Hey, Nab. Still picking out a job?"

"Yeah. I have a feeling the job meant for me will show up soon!"

"Uh, well, I hope you find it..."

Fairy Tail's younger generation had gradually begun joining the guild. Nab, Levy, Jet, Troy, and the others had arrived one after another. All three members of Shadow Gear were here now, so the Thunder God Tribe probably would not be far behind. He just wondered where Laxus would find those three gifted followers.

As for Laxus's approaching rebellious phase, the first signs were already showing. Whenever people in the guild praised him, they always ended with, "Just what you'd expect from the Guild Master's grandson," and it had begun to rankle.

But for now, he was looking forward to becoming the guild's second S-Class Mage and making everyone see him in a new light, so he did not take those remarks too seriously yet.

Should he intervene? After thinking it over, Blanc decided against it. The guild members' remarks were only part of the trigger; Ivan was the real issue, and that was beyond Blanc's ability to intervene. Unlike Laxus, who was merely prickly, Ivan was genuinely a bad person. But he was also the Guild Master's son, which made any interference from an outsider awkward.

Better to see what new jobs had been posted.

All sorts of request sheets were pinned haphazardly to the wooden board, looking thoroughly disorganized. Sometimes, Blanc's mildly compulsive streak made him want to sort and categorize them himself, arranging them neatly in order. But no one else cared, and they would just get messed up again immediately, so he did not waste his time.

Looking through this messy board one request at a time to find a job he liked was quite a hassle.

These days, Blanc preferred extermination jobs. They were straightforward and paid well. Investigation requests, saving villages, and jobs like that could easily involve complicated situations. If the pay was the same, he naturally preferred the option with fewer headaches.

[Exterminate the magic beasts appearing on Mount Hakobe-500,000 J]

This one looked pretty good. Blanc nodded in satisfaction and reached out to take the request sheet, mentally calculating how long the reward would last him. He completely failed to notice the figure charging up behind him.

"Blanc, let's settle who's stronger!"

Under Erza's discipline, Natsu and Gray had been forced to end their fight. Still unwilling to accept it, Natsu entered the guild fuming and resolved to fight again.

"Damn it, that monster Erza! She just loves sticking her nose in other people's business! And that underwear freak Gray-one of these days, I'm gonna flatten him!"

"Hahaha! You've still got a lot of training to do, then. You know, Blanc beat Gray in just two moves when he first joined the guild. You've got a long way to go."

Macao, who was nearby, overheard Natsu's complaints and could not resist teasing him with a laugh. He thought highly of the single-minded, fire-breathing boy; Natsu was just his kind of kid.

"Seriously? Blanc? Is that guy really that strong? He looks pretty weak."

Macao bent down toward Natsu and shielded his mouth with one hand, as though sharing some juicy gossip.

"Don't let the way Blanc usually acts fool you. He just doesn't like pointless fighting-that's his personality. He might seem unremarkable around the guild, but guys like that are the sneakiest. When it really counts, they'll spring something on you that'll give you a real shock."

"They've never fought, but I'd guess Blanc is even stronger than Erza."

At that, excitement inexplicably spread across Natsu's face. He sprang to his feet, looked at Blanc in front of the request board, and charged over.

"Oh, I'm fired up! I'll beat Blanc first! Then I'll be stronger than Gray and Erza!"

"Hey! Don't do anything stupid, Natsu!" Macao hurriedly called out to stop him, but it had no effect.

"Man, that Natsu never learns. He's just asking for a beating!"

Then Macao watched Natsu run up behind Blanc and leap into an attack, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Blanc seemed to be thinking about something and had not heard a word Natsu said. He stood there, his hand still slowly reaching toward the request board, then a punch sent him flying straight into it.

The request board shook twice from the impact, and several sheets fluttered down. Blanc slid off the wooden board.

"..."

Macao's jaw dropped at the sight. "...Huh? He actually landed it?"

Natsu jumped up excitedly. "Oh, yeah!!"

Blanc, dazed for a moment by the blow to his head, first shook his muddled head. A trace of confusion lingered in his eyes, as though he had no idea what had happened.

He turned and noticed the excited Natsu.

"Hss..."

A moment later, pain flared in his head, and he finally pieced together what had happened.

Blanc had figured that his peaceful days would gradually slip away after Natsu joined, but he had never expected that prediction to come true so soon! From now on, he would have to watch out for sneak attacks even inside the guild.

Once Blanc came to his senses, his expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth. His fists clenched tight.

Full-body takeover! Blanc transformed instantly and flashed in front of the smug Natsu. Natsu's expression froze.

"My turn, Natsu!!!"

With a furious roar, Blanc slammed a heavy fist into Natsu's face. The punch sent Natsu flying backward into the wall with a violent crash. His eyes spun, and he passed out.

Macao slapped his forehead at the sight. "Sigh... knew that was going to happen..."