The forest path stretched ahead, moonlight spilling through the branches, scattering like broken glass on the ground.
As the faint glow of the forest's edge grew closer, Roger's steps faltered. His body tensed, his pace slowed, and his eyes flicked to the bushes lining the path.
After a moment's thought, his expression stayed calm. He bent down naturally, picking up a green leaf from the damp soil.
The leaf, cool with night dew, rested in his palm.
Holding his breath, Roger pictured a heavy, sharp blade in his mind.
[Enhance: Hardening]
A faint red magic circle flickered over the leaf, its crimson glow swallowing the green.
When the light faded, the soft leaf had turned cold and rigid, sharp as a throwing dart.
Roger stood, his wrist snapping forward. The "dart" sliced through the air, a streak of green light piercing the bushes!
"Ouch—! That hurts!"
A childlike cry of pain rang out, followed by the rustling of the bushes. Erza, who was about to draw her sword, and Roger froze, exchanging a stunned glance.
Erza started forward, but the bushes shook again, and out stumbled a little girl.
A white butterfly hairpin adorned her head. She clutched her arm with her left hand, her right gripping the muddy hem of her dress. Her eyes were red, brimming with tears.
"E-Erza… big sister? Roger… big brother?" Her voice trembled, thick with a sniffle.
"Kagura!?" Erza gasped. "Why are you out here alone? Where's Simon?"
The familiar name was like a key, unlocking a floodgate of tears.
"Waaah—!"
The tears Kagura had been holding back burst forth like a broken dam, streaming down her cheeks.
"Brother… he was taken by bad people!" she sobbed, her little mouth quivering.
"We… we were trying to escape, and there was this huge boom!"
"Brother and I got scared, and he grabbed my hand and ran. But then we turned a corner and ran into a bunch of bad guys."
"While we were running, he hid me in the bushes and went to lure them away."
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her shoulders shaking. "It's my fault… all my fault…"
"If I could've fought them, or if I'd run faster, Brother wouldn't…"
Erza rushed forward, pulling the trembling girl into a tight hug and gently patting her back.
"It's okay," Erza said softly. "It's not your fault, Kagura."
"Maybe Simon got away from them. Maybe he's just held up somewhere and can't come back yet."
Kagura looked up with teary eyes, hiccuping. "R-Really? Brother escaped?"
Roger crouched down, ruffling her hair with a grin.
"Yup, and even if he didn't escape, it's no big deal."
"I heard those bad guys are just capturing people to help build stuff. They won't hurt anyone."
"Plus," Roger added with an encouraging smile, "Simon's super smart. He'll definitely make it back to you, right?"
"Yeah!" Kagura nodded fiercely, her tear-streaked face stubborn with determination. "I'll definitely see Brother again!"
Erza and Roger exchanged a glance. When Roger gave a subtle nod, Erza smiled and said, "So, what's the plan? It's still dangerous here. Wanna come with us, Kagura?"
Kagura's face twisted in worry. "But… what if Brother comes back and can't find me?"
Roger didn't say anything. He walked over to a nearby tree and, with steady hands, began carving into the trunk with his sword.
Wood chips fell as a neat, square symbol took shape.
"Oh!" Kagura gasped, covering her mouth, her eyes sparkling.
"That's the symbol from when we went fishing! Roger, you said it's a word from your hometown—'fish,' right?"
"If Brother sees it, he'll know I left with you!"
Roger sheathed his sword and nodded with a smile. "Exactly. You're a smart one, Kagura."
Reassured that Simon would find her, Kagura took off her butterfly hairpin and carefully placed it in the soil at the tree's base, like sealing a precious promise.
With one last reluctant glance, she turned and followed the others.
The trio pressed on down the road, familiar sights fading behind them. By dawn, the landscape was completely unfamiliar, and they stopped to rest in a forest clearing.
After scarfing down some wild fruit, exhaustion hit hard.
Erza and Kagura couldn't hold out any longer. Like kittens seeking warmth, they curled up on a pile of dry leaves by the campfire and fell into a deep sleep.
The flickering firelight danced across Roger's thoughtful face. He stared into the flames and muttered, "Status panel."
A translucent panel appeared before him.
Name: Roger
Magic Power: 800
Magic: Contract Magic, Illusion Magic, Requip Magic—Knight, Enhancement Magic
Skills: Intermediate Voice Modulation, Intermediate Cooking, Basic Swordsmanship, Magic Missile Creation (Pseudo), Intermediate Disguise
"Intermediate Disguise…" Roger's lip twitched. "Might as well call it 'acting.'"
He waved the panel away, tossing a dry branch into the fire. Sparks crackled and popped.
His gaze drifted to the darkness, thoughts swirling.
"It's like a game," he thought, the fire's warmth sharpening his focus.
"Status panel, monster drops for gear and experience—or magic power—and a system inventory."
"Making contracts with people is like pulling a five-star character, except you can't miss."
Curiosity piqued, he whispered, "Map."
A colorful, semicircular overhead view unfolded before him!
Yellow and green terrain wove together, forming a game-like mini-map.
With a mental command to "zoom out," the map's tiny details blurred, then vanished, leaving only colored planes.
Roger's eyes traced the map's edge, and as his gaze shifted upward, the map scrolled north.
Unfamiliar place names glowed softly: Shadow Wastes, Phantom Moon Town, Mysterious Wind Valley, Lavender Village…
Near the deep blue edge of an ocean, a familiar name caught his eye—
"Hargeon Port!"
"North of the port is Magnolia, the town where Fairy Tail's guild is."
"It's pretty far from here."
His attention snagged on a winding gray line in the town. "That must be the train tracks."
Following the gray line, he spotted a town marked "Nine-Story Tower."
"This is the only nearby town with a station. To get to Fairy Tail, we'll have to head there first."
With their destination set, dawn arrived. Erza and Roger swapped shifts to rest, and by morning, the trio packed up and headed toward Nine-Story Tower.
When they reached the town, an eerie sight greeted them: empty streets, shop windows boarded up tight.
Roger frowned. "It's business hours. Why are all the shops closed?"
They pressed on, their footsteps echoing in the deserted streets.
At the end of the road, they finally spotted a bakery with its door slightly ajar.
Ding-a-ling! The bell chimed as they pushed it open, startling the dozing shopkeeper.
"Welcome—kids?!" The shopkeeper jolted upright, eyes wide with shock and worry. "There are kids out on the streets now? And three of you? Where are your parents?!"
Roger flashed a childlike grin, standing on tiptoe to slide some coins across the counter. "Our dad's looking for a place to stay, so he sent us to grab some food."
He pointed outside curiously. "Why's everything else closed?"
The shopkeeper glanced warily at the door, making sure no one else was around, then pulled a bulging paper bag from behind the counter.
"Here, take it. Extra bread's on me."
He lowered his voice, fear creeping into his tone. "Things haven't been right lately. Several kids in town have gone missing! Their parents pooled money to hire a wizard to investigate."
"That guy swaggered in, bragging he was some C-rank wizard, saying it'd be an easy job."
"And then?" The shopkeeper's voice shook.
"Yesterday, outside town, someone found him… dead! No sound, no struggle—a wizard!"
"Just… gone, like that!" He sighed heavily. "Everyone's terrified. At first light, they pooled more money to post a subjugation quest with a bigger guild to take care of…"
He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper, "…those things."
He looked at the three kids with concern. "I only opened my shop because I didn't want my stock to spoil. You three are too cute for your own good—be careful!"
"Take the food and find your dad. Don't linger out there!"
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