Another Collector's Edition, and This One Has Toys!

"Master, Master Makarov!" Hughes walked up to the bar and shook Makarov, who had passed out. The old man reeked of alcohol; there was no telling how long he had been drinking.

Ah, that's what happens to lonely old men nobody wants!

"Master, wake up! Granny Porlyusica came to see you in a skirt~"

"Huh? Where?!" The groggy little old man sprang up, swaying so badly he could barely stand, but his half-closed eyes darted around.

Hughes stood quietly beside Makarov, his face calm but his eyes full of contempt. "Pfft! Scumbag, pervert!"

"Ahem! Hughes, you didn't hear anything just now, understood?" With some of his drunkenness wearing off, Makarov put a fist to his mouth and coughed a few times.

"I've prepared the books you need on changing the form of flames and dealing with sealing magic. They're in the guild library. You'll see them as soon as you go in!"

Hughes continued to look at him in silence. His meaning was clear: that wasn't enough to make him forget what had just happened.

"There's a collector's edition at the very back of the middle shelf on the second level! It's even better than the one Gildarts gave you!"

"Ah! Master, did something happen just now? I seem to have suddenly lost some of my memo-"

"No. Get lost!"

"Sure thing!"

Hughes arrived at the legendary Fairy Tail guild library, where the densely packed books nearly set off his trypophobia.

The Fairy Tail guild library was a peculiar place. It contained every kind of magic book imaginable, and one could even find precious super magic inside, yet guild members rarely came in.

Hughes spotted the materials Makarov had prepared for him at a glance. They were impossible to miss, sitting right by the entrance with a wooden carving that looked exactly like him propped on top.

Just how afraid was he that I wouldn't see them? Hughes couldn't help grumbling to himself.

Hughes passed them by for the moment and found the middle shelf on the second level. He pushed aside the books in front that served as a screen and took out the collector's edition. After flipping through a few pages... he closed it with trembling hands.

This is too bold, too exciting... they're actually using toys!!

He quickly tucked it into his clothes. He happened to be wearing some today, so everything worked out perfectly. Satisfied, Hughes walked to the entrance, picked up the materials the master had prepared for him, and found a quiet spot.

Before long, Hughes gave up and closed the book. Damn it, it's all text. I can't read it.

Why can't they learn from others and use pictures? They're easy to understand and refreshing.

"Mira, Mira, I need a favor!"

Hughes rushed out and dragged Mira, who was still scolding Lisanna, into the library.

Poor Lisanna was nearly an ostrich by the time Mira was done scolding her!

Mira looked puzzled as Hughes dragged her along. Hughes actually visited places like the guild library?

"Mira, can you read?"

Mira nodded. Very few people were illiterate these days; even magical beasts that could talk could write a few human characters.

"I can't read. Translate this for me!" Hughes sat down openly and handed Mira the book.

Mira stared at Hughes for a long time as though he were a rare species. There really were illiterate people these days...

Oh! I almost forgot, this illiterate guy came from another world...

"Which part can't you read?"

"Any of it!"

"That's quite a lot of work. You'll have to start by learning the letters!"

Hughes patted his chest confidently, signaling for Mira to go ahead. Then he wrote down a few phrases he had often come across lately.

"Mira, what do these mean? Teach me these first!"

Mira frowned at the phrases Hughes had written on the paper: "Please stop," "It's wet," and "I can't take it anymore."

She fell into thought for a long time. Is Hughes trying to hint at something?

"Hughes, have you been looking at things you shouldn't lately?"

Faced with Mira's serious question, Hughes hurriedly shook his head. "I just hear the master and Gildarts say them a lot!"

Having shifted the blame, Hughes felt a little less nervous.

"I can see what you're hiding!" Mira pointed at Hughes's chest.

Hughes looked down... Fuck! My clothes are a little see-through today...

"Hughes, how can you look at this stuff?!" While Hughes's guard was down, Mira snatched it away and flipped through it for a moment. Then she threw it straight in his face and shouted at him.

Who would use that thing to stick it in... no, what kind of pervert would look at this?

"Hey! This is the guild library. Keep it down!" Their commotion had annoyed a blond boy wearing the magic item known as a Sound Pod.

Hughes looked toward the voice and was a little surprised. Laxus was in the library? Was this guy the studious type?

Hughes raised a hand and casually greeted him. "Yo, Laxus! Sorry, sorry. When did you get here?"

Laxus didn't want to answer. He had been there reading before Hughes sat down. They were only a few tables apart, yet Hughes had acted as if he hadn't seen him.

No... Hughes hadn't seen him. As soon as he came in, he had hurriedly opened that dirty picture book with a lecherous expression.

Laxus's intensely contemptuous gaze made Mira lower her head awkwardly. She was easily embarrassed, and since she and Hughes had just been discussing something rather indecent, she really did feel a little ashamed.

Hughes hurriedly put his treasure away to keep Mira from taking it again. This time he hid it lower down.

He got up and adjusted his junk, then walked over to Laxus. Looking down, he saw a magic book on the table identical to his own. "Yo, you're reading this one too?"

It was a magic book devoted to sealing magic and ways to break it, and the master had recommended that Hughes read it too.

"Wait, you're not learning this stuff to deal with me, are you?"

Laxus made no attempt to hide it and nodded outright. In all his years as a mage, it was the first time anyone had beaten him so badly. It wasn't his style not to pay Hughes back.

For that reason, he had stopped taking jobs and spent all day buried in the library, looking for magic he could use against Hughes.

"Hehe, we're in the same guild. We're all fucking buddies. I only beat you so badly you couldn't fight back. There's no need to go this far!" Hughes put an arm around Langsasu's shoulders and tried to persuade him in a friendly tone.

As for whether those words were well-intentioned or malicious, even Mira, who didn't know what had happened, could tell.

She stood up, pulled Hughes back, and made him sit down. "Don't start trouble, Hughes..."

Hughes patted her shoulder and motioned for her to sit down. He was deliberately starting trouble; he had to test his current strength somehow.

At present, the only people in the guild qualified to be his opponents were Gildarts, Makarov, and Laxus.

He couldn't beat the first two. As for Laxus, he was tough enough that Hughes wouldn't have to kneel down and beg him not to die.

Enraged, Laxus immediately stood up, a fierce look on his face. "Hey, Hughes, fight me again. If you win, I'll even give you that house on the outskirts!"

"I don't want the house. The loser pays a million J!"

"Deal!"

"Then let's do it the morning after next. I'll give you some time to prepare. I hope you can make it fun for me this time. Don't go down in two punches like last time!"

Laxus let out two angry huffs. He acknowledged his crushing defeat last time, but this time he would never allow himself to lose again, even if it meant exposing the power of a dragon.