Their visitor arrived right on schedule. Noel had seen him before: it was Makarov, who was just as short as ever…
But there was a surprise this time. Makarov hadn't come alone; with him was a blond-haired boy who looked a bit older than Noel.
"Hello, Grandpa," Noel greeted politely.
"Hello to you too, Noel. It's only been a few days, but it looks like you've grown taller and stronger," Makarov praised, and it wasn't just empty words. Thanks to the water of life, Noel had indeed grown a bit.
"Really? I didn't even notice. Maybe it's something you can't tell yourself," Noel replied, embarrassed.
"Oh, and who's this?" Noel pointed to Laxus.
"This is my grandson, Laxus. He's a bit shy, so don't mind him," Makarov explained.
"Uh, hello, I'm Laxus," Laxus said shyly.
"Nice to meet you. I'm an alchemy apprentice here, Noel Manchester. You can just call me Noel," Noel introduced himself politely.
"So, what's Mond up to? I'd like to see him," Makarov asked.
"Master is preparing for an experiment, and I'll be assisting him today," Noel answered.
"Then I'll go check on him." Makarov, understanding the situation, left the space to the two of them, perhaps knowing they might have more to talk about.
Laxus stood by the door, too shy to look up, a boy clearly uncomfortable around strangers.
"Come on in! Don't feel burdened, just make yourself at home. Just don't touch anything you're not supposed to," Noel said.
"Some things in here are very dangerous. If you accidentally cause a chemical reaction, it could explode, and burns would be no joke," Noel continued, speaking like a teacher, explaining these basics to Laxus because, indeed, nothing here could be touched carelessly.
Especially by a child who was still young, whose curiosity could easily lead to disaster if he started fiddling with the wrong things.
Noel brought Laxus into his room, which had gathered some dust—clearly, Mond hadn't cleaned thoroughly.
Master is still as lazy as ever, Noel thought.
Noel pulled out a chair in front of the desk for Laxus to sit, while he himself sat on the bed, carefully observing this older yet shy "big brother."
Laxus fidgeted with his fingers, clearly not knowing what to do with himself and still very tense.
"Um, can I call you 'big brother'?" Noel leaned in closer, curious about Laxus and wanting to see how he would react.
"Why are you getting so close…?" Laxus stammered, flustered.
"It's just that I've never seen someone your age be so shy. I'm a bit curious, you know!" Noel said with a smile.
"Just curious?" Laxus looked disappointed, maybe thinking Noel was just mocking him.
"No, really! I think you're special, Laxus. But your body is a bit weak, so you should get out more, see the world outside." Noel immediately took on the role of a life mentor.
Laxus listened quietly. This person was actually willing to talk to him. He usually stayed home, with almost no one to talk to, let alone any playmates. The person in front of him felt warm, and Laxus found himself drawn in.
"I was a child picked up by Master Mond from the slums, but even then, I got to see many different things…" Noel spoke emotionally, sharing his experiences.
Laxus listened in silence. For someone who had spent most of his life at home due to his health, the outside world was an unknown place.
As he listened to Noel's stories, it felt like he could see that world—a world that might not be beautiful, but wasn't entirely dark either.
"Laxus, why don't you tell me about yourself too?" Noel asked expectantly. After all, he had heard that Makarov was one of the Ten Wizard Saints, so his grandson must have seen many kinds of magic.
"Because of my health, I usually just stay at home…" Laxus mumbled.
"Your health isn't a problem. Master Mond is an amazing alchemist, and with his methods, your condition will definitely improve," Noel encouraged.
"So, you're the client this time, right? Don't be afraid, everything will be fine, and I'll be assisting with the experiment." Noel said with confidence.
Laxus gradually became more relaxed, "You're already helping with experiments at your age? Are you sure you're not unqualified?" Laxus questioned, a hint of teasing.
Noel pulled out the medal Mond had given him. "See this? This is the official certification of the Mond Alchemy Workshop. It's my treasure!"
Laxus leaned in curiously. It was the first time he had seen a medal like this. "Can I… touch it?"
"Go ahead, just don't lose it." Noel generously handed over his alchemy workshop certification.
Laxus held the medal carefully, its golden shine and fine craftsmanship unmistakable—it was clearly something only an alchemist could earn.
No way, this kid can't be that much younger than me, right? Yet he's already a certified alchemist?
Born into a prestigious magical family, Laxus understood the significance of this. Alchemists were highly respected, and many would work at a workshop for over a decade just to earn an apprentice certification, with some even spending twenty years without success.
He couldn't help but admire it, staring at the medal intently.
"Do you want it?" Noel asked, curious.
"N-no…" Laxus stammered, unable to take someone else's precious item.
"Then I'll give it to you. I'll just ask Master Mond for another one. But remember, you can't use it to show off, and you definitely can't use it to buy things," Noel reminded him.
"Remember, this is a symbol of our friendship. If you lose it, we're not friends anymore." Noel added childishly.
"What did you just say? We're already friends? Isn't that a bit fast?" Laxus said, bewildered.
"Of course we're friends now. This medal is proof. Unless you want to give it back…" Noel pretended to reach for it.
But Laxus hugged it tightly, "I promised you I'd take care of it, so I won't let you take it back."
"That's more like it!" Noel laughed.
"Well then, please take care of me from now on, my friend."
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