When Lin Yuan entered the guild, the hall was unusually quiet.
Natsu was slumped over an overturned table, half a loaf of bread still clutched in his hand. Gray was asleep against the bar, and Cana was resting her head on a barrel of liquor. Dozens of people were sprawled out, and even Lisanna, who had just reached the top of the stairs, was sitting on the steps with her eyes closed.
A faint layer of magic hung in the air.
It was not aggressive; it merely suppressed consciousness upon contact with the human body. However, the moment the magic approached Lin Yuan, it was directly repelled by the Campione's physique, leaving not even a moment of drowsiness.
A strange young man was standing in front of the bar.
A dark cloak covered his entire body, a mask concealed his face, and several different shaped True Magic were crisscrossed on his back. The magic did not flow naturally from his body, but was stored separately within the wands.
Makarov sat at the bar, clearly unaffected by the sleep True Magic.
The unfamiliar young man looked at Lin Yuan first. "Sleep True Magic doesn't work on you?"
"It didn't work."
Mystogan's grip on his True Magic tightened slightly. He was certain that Lin Yuan hadn't used any dispelling True Magic; the sleep spell hadn't even been applied to him, as if it had been rejected by the body from the very beginning.
Lin Yuan didn't explain further. He bent down and helped Lisanna, who was about to slide down the stairs, to lean against the wall.
Makarov tapped his wooden cane. "Since you're here, listen in. This guy wants to join Fairy Tail."
"Name?" Lin Yuan asked.
" Mystogan."
It clearly doesn't sound like her real name.
Makarov had already inquired about his origins, but the only answer he received was "I can't say." Mystogan refused to remove his mask or explain why he possessed so many True Magic, only stating that he traveled extensively and needed the identity of the Mage's Guild to accept commissions.
"The guild crest isn't a work permit," Makarov said. "Having it on means you're part of this place. If you get into trouble, others will come to you; if they get into trouble, they might need you back."
Mystogan was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand."
"You're not even going to tell them what your face looks like."
"This has nothing to do with whether I helped my companions."
Makarov stared at him for a while, then suddenly took out the guild seal from behind the bar.
I hope you remember what you said today.
Mystogan stretched out his arm. The emblem landed where it was hidden by his cloak, and no one could see what color he had chosen.
Even after the induction process was completed, the magical energy that filled the hall had not yet dissipated. Natsu, Gray, and the others remained asleep, unaware that a new member had joined the guild. Mystogan also showed no intention of dispelling the True Magic.
Makarov, however, did not let him leave immediately. "A new guild member must have someone accompany them on their first mission."
I don't need protection.
"This is not your decision."
The old man took a request marked with a red warning from the top of the task board on the first floor and slapped it on the bar.
The commission comes from the Luowei Town in the northern valley. The town relies on a large flood control True Magic array to regulate the reservoir, but the central core suddenly stopped working three days ago. The snow in the mountains is melting, and in two more days, the water level will overflow the dam.
"No monsters, no enemies, why is it marked in red?" Lin Yuan picked up the commission.
"Restarting the True Magic circle requires powering all six sub-arrays simultaneously," Makarov pointed to the end of the quest description. "Local calculations indicate that at least eight to ten high-level mages are needed. We haven't been able to gather enough people, so we sent the request to various guilds."
The mission itself did not reach S-Class, but the consequences of failure were enough to flood downstream farmland and half a town.
Mystogan glanced at Lin Yuan, then looked at Makarov: "There are only two people here."
"So he's in charge of the magic," Makarov pointed to Lin Yuan, "And you're in charge of the True Magic circle."
How did you know I'm good at True Magic circles?
"Carrying so many True Magic, I can't just use them to hit people."
Mystogan did not deny it.
Lin Yuan flipped the commission over to the other side. The six sub-arrays used different runes, and forcibly pouring in massive amounts of magic power might indeed destroy the parts with weaker resistance first.
"When do we leave?" he asked.
"The sooner the better."
Lin Yuan signed his name below the client's name and handed the pen to Mystogan.
The other party did not answer immediately.
Do you really think two people are enough?
"Let's examine the formation first."
Mystogan finally wrote down his name.
After the two left the guild, the sleep True Magic that had enveloped the hall was dispelled by Mystogan. Natsu's shout came from behind them soon after, indicating that someone had only just woken up.
An hour later, the northbound train pulled out of Magnolia. Mystogan sat on the other side of the carriage, his True Magic still on his back, and his mask still on.
This was the first request he received after joining Fairy Tail.