Back at the campsite, everyone was already busy preparing dinner. Laxus spotted Noah returning and walked over to him.
"Where did you run off to just now? I didn't see you anywhere," Laxus asked.
"You'll have to become an S-Class wizard to find that out," Noah replied.
"I'm not curious. I'll be an S-Class wizard soon enough," Laxus said, and without waiting for an answer, turned and walked away.
"Then you'd better work harder!" Noah called after him. Hearing that, Laxus picked up his pace and walked off even faster.
Just then, Cana approached Noah.
"Thank you, Noah. If you hadn't said anything back there, I don't know how long it would've taken me to finally acknowledge my father."
"It's nothing," Noah replied. "If it were me… after not seeing a man for six years, I'd feel conflicted about calling him 'Dad' too. Especially if he was standing right in front of me and didn't recognize me."
Then Noah glanced over at Gildarts, who was raising his glass proudly and telling the guild members how adorable his daughter was. "But isn't it nice now?"
"Yeah… it's nice now," Cana said, her gaze softening as she looked at Gildarts.
"Don't think too much about it. Come on, let's enjoy the banquet!" Noah took the lead and headed toward the lively center of the feast. Cana watched his back for a moment before following.
The night was full of laughter, music, and warmth. Everyone played and celebrated until late, then eventually drifted to sleep in the tents that had been prepared. The next day, they packed up their belongings and began the journey back to the guild.
Once they returned, Noah went to see Makarov and asked for photos of the first and second Guild Masters Mavis Vermillion and Precht. His excuse was simple: since he had become an S-Class wizard, he wanted to know what the past masters looked like.
Makarov, not suspecting anything unusual, handed the photos over without hesitation. Noah studied them carefully, memorizing every detail of their faces, then returned the photos and immediately took a new job request before heading out again.
He finished the commission in a hurry, then returned to Hargeon Port, where he rented a small boat and set out to sea. His destination was Tenrou Island, where he hoped to learn magic directly from Mavis herself.
Once the boat was anchored near the island, Noah stepped ashore and began searching.
He started near Mavis's grave, but when that yielded nothing, he gradually widened his search until he came upon a lone building.
It was a quaint little place this must have been where Mavis lived alone for seven years as a child. The shelves inside were lined with books, all kept remarkably clean. A subtle, gentle flow of magic lingered in the air, protecting both the building and its precious contents.
Leafing through the collection, Noah discovered many rare books that weren't even in the guild's archives. Deciding this was worth studying, he pitched his camp nearby so he could read while keeping watch for the person he sought.
But when he returned from setting up camp, he froze for just a moment. Standing there was a petite, barefoot girl with long, light-golden curls, bright green eyes, and small, delicate wings. A tiny tuft of hair curled by her ears, and a long cloak draped over her shoulders. She looked just like a fairy stepped out of a legend.
She was none other than one of Fairy Tail's founders and its very first Guild Master Mavis Vermillion.
Noah's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly composed himself. After all, she was exactly the person he had come here to find. Stepping forward, he asked politely,
"Excuse me, are you Mavis Vermillion, the first Guild Master of Fairy Tail?"
Mavis tilted her head slightly as she looked at him.
"Yes, that's me. You've been looking for me on the island, haven't you?"
"Well, the reason I came back that day was because I felt someone searching for me. After all, this island is the guild's sacred ground.
The voice you heard when you obtained Fairy Glitter… that was mine, wasn't it?"
"That's right," Mavis replied with a gentle smile. "I saw your resolve to protect the guild, so I entrusted Fairy Glitter to you."
"Thank you, First Master. The guild is my home, so of course I'll protect it," Noah said firmly.
Mavis was pleased to see such determination in his tone and eyes. After all, it had been her dream from the very beginning to build Fairy Tail into a true family.
"First Master, have you always been here?" Noah asked.
"I was mostly asleep before. I only awoke when you came to the island. I even saw you fight Gildarts you fought well."
"It was nothing, First Master. Actually… I came because I want to learn magic from you."
"Learn magic from me?" Mavis tilted her head, puzzled. "But aren't you already very strong?"
"I want to learn even more. I've read almost every book in the guild. I had planned to visit other libraries, but since I've met you, of course I'd rather learn from you.
I just wonder… would it trouble you, First Master?"
Mavis's expression softened even further. She loved books herself, and hearing that Noah shared that passion made her happier than she expected. After thinking for a moment, she nodded.
"Alright. It would be lonely for me to stay here with nothing to do now that I'm awake."
"Thank you, First Master!" Noah said, his eyes lighting up as he began asking her all sorts of magic-related questions.
Mavis truly lived up to her title as the creator of Fairy Tail's three great magics. Her knowledge of magic was vast and profound, and under her explanations, countless puzzles that had long lingered in Noah's mind were finally solved.
Because Noah had come prepared to stay on the island, he immersed himself completely in their studies. Time slipped by without him realizing it, and a week passed in the blink of an eye.
Only then did Noah remember that he hadn't reported back to the guild about his completed job. Reluctantly, he bid Mavis farewell and hurried back to Fairy Tail.
After finishing his commission report, he told Makarov about meeting the First Master. Makarov was stunned, then quickly followed Noah back to Tenrou Island to meet her in person.
Mavis had already observed the guild during the last S-Class Exam, and she was clearly pleased with what she saw.
"You've built this guild into something wonderful, Third Master," she said warmly.
Hearing that, Makarov was so overjoyed that he spent the entire day laughing.
He asked if Mavis wanted to return to the guild, but she shook her head. "I'm a ghost, so I can't return. But could you bring me books to read instead?"
Noah readily agreed. He and Makarov decided they would visit Tenrou Island once a week. To make the journey easier, Noah even learned teleportation magic.
From then on, every week after completing his missions, Noah would instantly travel to Tenrou Island with a new book in hand, which Mavis would receive with eager anticipation.
While Mavis read, Noah continued his own magical studies. Once she finished a book, she would join him in research and discussion.
Noah had many ideas he wanted to bring to life, and the first was to create a large-scale detection magic. He knew there would be many times in the future when he would need to locate people, and the greater the range, precision, and concealment, the better.
After much discussion with Mavis, the two began developing it. It took time and effort, but eventually, they succeeded.
The result was a magic whose detection range, accuracy, and ability to remain hidden all increased in proportion to the user's magic power a technique that relied entirely on the caster's strength.
Noah tested the new magic and quickly discovered its potential. With his current strength, he could effortlessly pinpoint a person's exact location anywhere within Magnolia and the surrounding region. The accuracy was razor-sharp, and the concealment of the spell was exceptional not even the most sensitive mages would notice they were being tracked.