Chapter 56: Who Is That Girl?
"Thanking someone isn't something to be ashamed of—you should say it loud and clear. Oh, right… Mind if I call you Mira? Lisanna and Elfman seem to call you that."
Moen spoke softly, his tone gentle. At this point, he'd dealt with enough troubled kids that he was starting to feel like a specialist. Honestly, he'd just seen too many like this.
Mirajane looked up at him in surprise, only to quickly lower her head again. Moen's sunny smile was too dazzling—like a little sun radiating warmth that reached everyone around him. To her, it felt like that same light could burn her demonic arm away.
"…You can," she mumbled.
Then, without another word, she turned and quickly walked away.
Her head was low, her body hunched into her cloak, trying to hide herself completely. In her mind, someone like her had no right to stand beside others. Her very existence was a burden—a source of gossip and rejection that she would inevitably bring down on her siblings.
…Seriously? Did I scare her off by being too friendly?
Moen scratched his head as he watched her retreating figure. It wasn't often that even he got this stumped by a troubled kid.
The last time he felt this helpless was with Erza. Honestly, if Erza weren't out on a mission, he would've dragged her over just to show her—"Look, Mira's acting exactly like you did."
The only difference was the armor. Erza had hidden behind cold steel; Mirajane hid inside a tattered cloak. But at the core, they were the same.
She's completely locked herself away…
Moen sighed.
Even without asking, he could guess what she'd been through—chased out of her village, called a demon, treated like a monster. Life on the run probably hadn't been any kinder. She'd been scorned and driven off time and again.
It was no wonder she saw herself as a burden. Someone who only brought suffering wherever she went.
Moen had a sinking feeling—if Mirajane ever became convinced that Fairy Tail was a safe haven for her siblings, she'd vanish in the night. Not because she didn't want to stay… but because she didn't want to drag her family down with her.
I better keep an eye on her…
A few days later, both Lisanna and Elfman had succeeded in sensing their own magical energy.
Moen began guiding them through the basics of Take Over Magic.
He didn't actually know the magic himself—but that wasn't a dealbreaker. As long as he followed the book, it was teachable. No one else in the guild used this magic anyway, so who better to teach it than Moen himself?
Plus, if he needed help, he had the ultimate cheat—Master Makarov.
Naturally, Makarov was more than happy to help out. He also believed Moen's plan had merit.
Anyone who understood Mirajane's situation could see it clearly: she cared too much about her younger siblings. Lisanna and Elfman—they were the key to her recovery.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Go play a bit."
After letting the siblings try out a few beginner steps in Take Over Magic, Moen called an end to the lesson.
Sure, the situation was urgent—Mirajane could try to "disappear" at any moment—but he couldn't have the kids locked in training all day, every day. That would just seem suspicious.
So, he limited their lessons to two short sessions a day. Fortunately, both Lisanna and Elfman were giving it their all in that limited time.
"Take Over Magic is really hard…" Lisanna groaned, collapsing onto the table with a sigh. "No wonder Mira is so amazing. She awakened such a powerful magic all on her own!"
"You're doing great, Lisanna," Moen replied, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair. "Just keep going like this, and I'm sure you'll get there soon."
Actually, this really wasn't Lisanna's fault.
Sure, her magical talent might not be quite on the level of Mirajane or Elfman, but it definitely wasn't bad.
The reason she was struggling so much now was because Moen had cranked up the difficulty from the start—like asking someone who just learned to walk to go run a marathon.
Of course it was hard.
At this point, what Lisanna and Elfman should be doing was laying a solid foundation—taking it slow and steady as they adjusted to sensing and controlling their magic.
They had just awakened to their magical potential, after all.
But there was no helping it. Time was tight. The situation was urgent.
So the only option was to grit their teeth and push forward.
"Okay! Thanks, Moen-nii! I'll keep doing my best!"
Lisanna nuzzled her cheek against Moen's warm palm, then gave him a bright, determined smile.
She cheered herself on with a spirited shout.
She had to learn Take Over Magic—for Mira's sake, and to repay Moen for all the effort he was putting into teaching them.
"Go on. Go have some fun."
Moen smiled and waved her off.
Standing quietly nearby was Elfman, waiting patiently for his sister.
"Mm!"
Lisanna nodded, then ran out to join Elfman. The two quickly became absorbed in the rowdy group of guild kids playing outside.
Unlike Mirajane—who always sat alone, wrapped tightly in her cloak, and had already earned herself the reputation of being weird and antisocial—Lisanna and Elfman had adjusted to the guild in no time.
They blended in effortlessly, soon laughing and running around with the others—Natsu, Gray, Cana, Levy, even little Wendy.
None of the kids rejected them. Everyone was friendly.
After their lessons each day, Lisanna and Elfman would dive right into playtime.
"Looks like there are more and more kids in the guild lately."
A voice rang out from the doorway.
Clad in armor, red hair swaying behind her, Erza walked in carrying her travel pack.
She glanced over the cheerful crowd of children, spotting two unfamiliar faces.
It surprised her a bit—she'd only been at Fairy Tail for less than two years, and already there were four more kids?
"Hm? And another one?"
Her gaze drifted past the crowd—toward a girl sitting alone, draped in a long cloak, withdrawn and silent.
Erza frowned.
Something about that girl's lonely figure bothered her.
It wasn't anger or annoyance, but a vague discomfort… a kind of low-key frustration.
"How was the job, Erza?"
A familiar voice drew her attention away.
Moen stepped in front of Mirajane, blocking Erza's view with his usual sunny smile.
Just as he expected, it redirected her focus back to him.
"Of course. I completed it without any issues."
Erza's brows relaxed, and she answered with quiet confidence.
"Knew you would."
Moen offered a light chuckle, his praise casual but sincere.
He'd noticed her odd reaction the moment she saw Mirajane. That's why he'd deliberately stepped in.
He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but he didn't want Erza being affected by Mirajane's current state—not when she'd come so far herself.
Sure, Moen liked to joke that Mirajane was acting exactly like Erza when she first joined.
But seeing Erza's frown earlier made him cautious. He didn't want either girl being dragged back into old shadows.
Erza blushed slightly at the compliment, then tilted her head, peering past Moen again with barely concealed curiosity.
"Moen… who's that?"