A way to recover

"Guild Master, the mission went smoothly."

"Ho ho, glad to hear it."

Makarov set down his enormous beer mug and wiped the foam from his mustache with the back of his hand. His kindly gaze passed over Blanc and settled on the three slightly nervous children behind him. "Oh? Who are these three little ones behind you...?"

"This is Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna." Blanc stepped aside, his expression growing a little more serious. "There's a problem with Mira's magic we'd like you to look at."

"Oh? What sort of problem?"

Makarov set down his mug, his previously casual gaze turning deep and sharp in an instant as he quietly looked at Mira.

Faced with the Guild Master's question, Mira instinctively bit down on her bloodless lip. Her eyes were full of hesitation and inner turmoil. Her feet seemed rooted to the floor, and she couldn't bring herself to step forward, only clutching her roomy cloak tightly around herself.

Sensing her sister's fear, little Lisanna stepped forward on her own and gently wrapped her warm little hands around Mira's waist. She tipped her face up, her eyes full of silent encouragement.

Feeling her sister's warmth, Mira took a deep breath and finally made up her mind. She slowly extended her right hand, fully exposing the arm she had kept hidden beneath her cloak to the guild's lights.

"Ever since I took over a demon, my arm has stayed like this." Mira kept her head lowered, her voice barely a whisper.

"Hmm... I see."

Makarov stroked his beard. Rather than looking disgusted or surprised, he smiled in understanding.

"Ho ho, don't worry, little lady. This is just a lingering rejection effect caused by forcing a Take Over when your magic had only just awakened and was still unstable. Once you've fully mastered the knack of Take Over Magic and can activate and release it at will, you'll be able to turn it back whenever you like."

"Deliberately... take control of this power?" This power that only brings disaster. Mira murmured, a flicker of resistance crossing her eyes.

Standing nearby, Blanc keenly noticed the revulsion deep in Mira's eyes.

He knew that what Mira rejected now wasn't magic itself, but the "demonic power" that had destroyed her peaceful life. Yet power itself was neither good nor evil. Those emotional barriers and knots in her heart clearly wouldn't be easy to unravel overnight.

Mira was still wrestling with herself, but Lisanna and Elfman beside her could hardly wait. The two little ones went straight over to the counter, gripped its edge with both hands, and craned their heads up, their eyes brimming with hope.

"Grandpa Guild Master, you really can help Mira, right?"

"Please, Grandpa Guild Master!"

Seeing the two little ones fret so desperately over their sister, Makarov couldn't help throwing back his head and laughing.

"Ho ho ho! Of course! This is a mere trifle for me. Leave it to this old man!"

"Thank you so much!"

The two children cried out in unison, their voices ringing clear and bright.

With the mood just right, Makarov naturally extended an olive branch to the three siblings and invited them to join the guild. Lisanna and Elfman immediately nodded in excitement, their eyes full of dreams for the future.

Mira, however, looked down at her transformed arm and shook her head, her eyes dim. "Thank you for your kindness, but I... I'd like to think about it some more."

Seeing that their sister was still downhearted, Lisanna and Elfman exchanged a glance, deep concern and heartache welling in their eyes.

That evening, while Mira rested alone in her room, Lisanna and Elfman quietly sought out Blanc.

"Hmm? You want to learn Take Over Magic from me?" Blanc raised an eyebrow as he looked at the two children standing before him with solemn faces.

"Yes!" Lisanna and Elfman answered loudly, almost simultaneously. Their faces were resolute, and their eyes held a determination unlike anything they had shown before.

Naturally, Blanc was more than willing. After all, he rarely had the chance to play the teacher, and he even felt a little thrill at the prospect of teaching characters from the original story.

Still, remembering the Guild Master's guidance when teaching him Take Over Magic, he felt he ought to put on a suitably imposing air.

So the smile instantly vanished from Blanc's lips. His expression turned utterly serious, even taking on a measure of authority rarely seen in him.

"Lisanna, Elfman!"

"Y-yes!" Intimidated by Blanc's sudden change in demeanor, the two little ones instinctively stood up straight.

"Do you know that, unlike ordinary magic, Take Over Magic is extremely dangerous?"

Blanc clasped his hands behind his back, his voice low and solemn.

"When taking over the soul and power of another powerful creature, a wizard needs both profound mastery of Take Over Magic and tremendous mental fortitude to suppress its wild instincts or malice. Without those, their body may mutate at best. At worst, the powerful creature could seize their consciousness and turn them into its puppet."

Blanc's voice reached their ears clearly, carrying a hint of pressure. "Are you prepared to face that?!"

Hearing the words "mutation" and "erased consciousness," the two children began to waver. But then they thought of Mira's lonely figure as she silently shed tears every night...

So their sister wouldn't have to bear that pain alone, so they could earn the right to stand beside her-

"We're ready!" The two little ones gritted their teeth and shouted in unison again, their eyes bright as sparks.

Seeing the fire blazing in their eyes, the seriousness in Blanc's gaze melted away instantly. His expression changed in a flash. He clapped his hands together and returned to his usual smiling self, turning instead to bolster their confidence.

"But there's no need to feel too pressured. Advanced Take Over is difficult, but taking over ordinary animals as a beginner is actually quite easy. There's basically no risk in taking over weak creatures. At most... you'd just end up with a pair of cat ears, Elfman."

"Huh?! C-cat ears?!" Elfman hurriedly covered the top of his head in fright, making Lisanna and Blanc burst into laughter beside him.

The evening breeze swept past, and the youngsters' bright laughter echoed through the guild's backyard. In this "warm" guild, the bonds quietly planted out of their desire to protect one another also began to sprout.