Arriving in Magnolia Town

After climbing mountains, crossing ridges, wading through rivers, fording streams, sleeping through... In short, under Hughes's "wise" leadership, the group arrived in Magnolia Town half a month later than expected.

"I'm so tired! But we've finally made it to Magnolia Town!" Lisanna stopped in front of the stone marker bearing the town's name and sat down, exhausted.

"Yeah! If you'd let Mira and me lead the way, we would've been here ages ago!"

Hughes was immediately displeased. "Hey, dark-skinned brat, count it up yourself. How many times did I save you on the way here? If I hadn't cleared the path, those magic beasts would've eaten every last bit of you and turned you into fertilizer!"

"But Hughes, we didn't have to run into any of those dangers. You were the one who insisted on provoking them."

"That's right, Elfman's right. Last time, we ran into two magic bears sleeping in a cave! You insisted they were called Briar and Bramble, then picked a hornet's nest and threw it inside. They chased us across three mountains because of you."

Hughes shook his head in rebuttal. "Lisanna, that's where you don't understand. Two adult male bears living in the same cave, sleeping one on top of the other-they could only be Briar and Bramble!"

"Then why did you throw a hornet's nest in there?" Lisanna asked, puzzled.

"Obviously, if I didn't throw a hornet's nest in to test them, how would I know if they really were Briar and Bramble?"

He was a transmigrator who had rarely encountered a species resembling one from his memories. What was wrong with testing them?

The Strauss trio: ≡(▔﹏▔)≡

Angered by Hughes's shamelessness, Lisanna glared at him with wide, indignant eyes. "Then what about the time before that? You saw that monkey wearing a leaf skirt and leaping across a waterfall. Why did you catch it and put an iron circlet on its head?"

"Come on, Lisanna, it was a monkey with golden fur! It even knew how to wear a leaf skirt and could leap across a waterfall!"

This time, Hughes's rebuttal was even more self-righteous. He didn't believe anyone could have resisted being curious about that monkey.

"That monkey was going home! Hughes, its home was behind the waterfall!"

Hughes nodded. That was exactly why he had to catch it!

Although the entire troop of monkeys had chased them for two days afterward, it had all been worth it to him.

As for putting the iron circlet on it, that was simple. Hughes thought it had the makings of the Great Sage, so he had it undergo its tribulation early... All right, truth be told, the monkey was too carefree, and he was jealous.

"Then the time before that..."

"All right, stop it. Magnolia Town is right ahead. Let's go in!"

Mira hurriedly interrupted them. If she let them keep arguing, they could go on until dark.

"Oh, oh! Let's go! Mira, your illness can finally be cured!"

"Hughes, Mira isn't sick. Besides, her hand is better too. You're the one who's sick!"

"Then we're all sick!"

In Magnolia Town, the four of them crowded into the entrance of a rather shabby clothing shop.

All four needed a change of clothes. Going to the Fairy Tail guild dressed like this would be far too embarrassing!

The little money they had only allowed Hughes to bring Mira and the others to a place like this.

Hughes looked down at the pants Lisanna had sewn for him. They were a hodgepodge made from Elfman's vest, the left sleeve of Mira's cloak, and the pants from his hospital gown.

Ugly as they were, they were brightly colored, with patches here and there, and had a certain fashionable look.

All right, he couldn't keep that up. These pants had redefined ugliness for him. If Lisanna weren't so young, he would have buried her already.

"Hughes, I think the pants I made look pretty good. Why buy new ones?"

Hughes shot her a sideways glance. "I don't care what you think. What I think is what matters!"

"Ew! Hughes, you're so greasy!" Lisanna moved away from him in disgust, afraid she'd get something dirty on her.

Elfman, who had learned from Mira and become an excellent cook, hurriedly corrected her. "Oyster sauce? Oyster sauce is for cooking! You don't use it to describe people, Lisanna."

"Are you four buying clothes or not?" The shopkeeper's head ached from their noise. Rubbing his forehead, he spoke irritably.

The one adult and two children exchanged glances, then pushed Mira forward in perfect understanding. "Her first!"

Mira: ...She had only been spacing out!

At the shopkeeper's enthusiastic recommendation, Mira took a pink dress to the back to change into it.

A moment later, another moment later... After countless moments, Hughes finally exploded. He knew girls took a long time to change clothes, but surely not this long.

It had already been more than ten minutes!!

"Go see if Mira slipped in the changing room and urgently needs a toad to save her."

"You're awful, Hughes! You're the toad!" Lisanna skipped over to the changing room.

Hughes spread his hands at Elfman. If he wasn't a toad, who was?

With the shopkeeper's permission, Lisanna pushed open the changing room door and immediately saw Mira standing in a corner. "Mira, you're already changed. Why haven't you come out? Hughes is getting impatient!"

"Lisanna, I feel so strange in a dress. I don't even know how to walk."

"Oh, right, Mira, I don't think you've ever worn a dress before. Don't worry, it's always embarrassing the first time. Once you've embarrassed yourself a few more times, you'll get used to it!" Lisanna pulled Mira over to the mirror to show her how pretty she looked, sharing what she had learned.

Mira looked at herself in the mirror and felt inexplicably shy, but she still gave Lisanna a punch. "How many times have I told you not to talk like Hughes?"

"Huh, Mira?"

"Hmm~"

"Oh, I mean, I'll hold your hand and take you out!" Faced with Mira's authority, Lisanna backed down in an instant.

Hughes had waited in the shop so long the flowers were almost wilting. He yawned several times before he finally saw the sisters come out.

"Ta-da! Here comes the beautiful girl! Hughes, doesn't Mira look good? Let me tell you..."

"Move, you're in the way!"

Before Lisanna could finish, Hughes, already holding his new clothes, darted past them.

He had made up his mind. From now on, no clothing store with only one changing room would earn a cent from him.

"Huh? Mira, what are you doing? We can't beat Hughes. Elfman, quick, help me hold Mira back!"

"Mira, move. Hughes told me to go in and change with him!"

"Bang!"

Stars danced before Elfman's eyes. He couldn't understand why Mira had beaten him up when he clearly hadn't done anything.

He wasn't happy about it, but without Hughes there to help him, he decided to put up with it.

"What? You're saying these four outfits cost 40,000 J?" Hughes stared at the shopkeeper in disbelief. Worried he wouldn't have enough money, he had bought only a pair of pants and hadn't even been willing to buy underwear.

Even so, the shopkeeper had somehow calculated the exact amount of money left in his bag. It was hard not to suspect he had fallen into a trap.

A rip-off shop. This had to be a rip-off shop!

"Sir, the dress this young lady is wearing is worth 30,000 J! Look how cute she looks in it!"

The shopkeeper pointed at Mira, and Hughes looked back at her. Mira in the pink dress did indeed look a little cuter than she did dressed like a young delinquent.

After paying with trembling hands, Hughes left the place of heartbreak with a heavy heart. He was broke, without a single penny left.

He urgently needed kind villagers from another village to sponsor him without asking for anything in return.

"Hughes, are we going to the Fairy Tail guild now?" Lisanna, who had also changed into new clothes, asked with her big eyes shining.

"Yeah, let's go now!"

"By the way, Lisanna, that little old man Makarov has a huge pension. Remember to talk sweetly when you meet him."

"Are you going to rob him of it?"

"Borrow! Borrow! Why does a kid like you have such a nasty mind?"

"Then will you pay him back?"

"I, Hughes, borrowed it with my own ability. Why should I... I'll definitely pay him back."