Erza's arrival didn't change Silas Frost's daily life too much.
But because of his presence, the story that had once left a shadow in Erza's heart slowly began to fade. Influenced by Silas, she quickly warmed to Fairy Tail, and her bond with him grew especially close.
Unlike Gray, Erza was far more disciplined and responsible. Whenever Silas asked for her help in training, she responded with seriousness and care, giving him her full attention.
Makarov watched quietly from the sidelines, noting both Silas's growth and the way Erza was healing. In his heart, the old master nodded with approval.
"Silas, come here."
One morning, as Silas finished his breakfast and prepared to train, Makarov called him over.
Silas walked up and tilted his head. "Grandpa Master, what is it? More training?"
Makarov nodded, then patted his shoulder with a rare, proud smile.
"Not bad. You've gotten much stronger."
Silas scratched his head with a grin. When he had first joined Fairy Tail, his body had been skin and bones. But after a year of grueling training and plenty of meals, his frame had filled out. His muscles weren't bulky, but his physique was lean and balanced, and combined with his handsome features, he could have easily passed for a model.
"These past months, I've watched your progress carefully," Makarov said, his voice warm. "And so, as master of this guild, I'm telling you now Silas Frost, you are qualified to take on jobs."
"Really?!"
Silas's eyes lit up in shock and excitement.
Being allowed to take on jobs meant earning money.
Earning money meant he could invest.
Investing meant he could draw more cards.
And drawing cards meant becoming stronger.
This was it his chance to rise quickly!
Makarov chuckled at the boy's fiery enthusiasm. He reached into his robes, pulled out a request slip, and handed it over.
"I'll let you choose a job that suits you. Think of it as practice."
Silas accepted the sheet and gave it a quick glance.
The commission itself was simple.
On the outskirts of Magnolia, a farm had been suffering attacks from a group of rabbits that had invaded, destroying crops. But these weren't the cute little rabbits Silas Frost imagined.
In the world of Earth Land, these were magical beasts rabbits that could spit gusts of wind strong enough to knock down calves.
Still, they weren't particularly dangerous. For ordinary villagers they were a real threat, but for a mage, unless the rabbits numbered in the hundreds or thousands, they could be dealt with easily.
The reward was generous, too about 50,000 Jewels. For a low-difficulty job, it was an excellent commission.
"Alright, Grandpa Guild Master, I'll be back soon!" Silas said excitedly, before dashing out of the guild doors.
After Silas disappeared down the road, the bartender polishing glasses muttered, "Master, this doesn't follow the rules. That job was only supposed to pay 30,000 J. You added another 20,000…"
"Think of it as his salary."
Makarov waved his hand and took another sip of wine. "That little brat has been training hard for this guild for over a year now. If all he ever got in return was a meal, that would be far too unfair."
"…Alright, I understand." The bartender nodded and went back to serving drinks.
Makarov gazed at the guild's main doors, his expression soft.
Little one… I hope everything goes smoothly for you.
Magnolia's outskirts weren't far. With Silas's daily regimen of ten-kilometer runs, the one-hour jog to the farm was nothing to him.
When he arrived, he was greeted by the farm's owner, an older man in worn work clothes. After Silas handed over the commission slip and proudly showed his Fairy Tail guild mark, the farmer smiled with relief and led him toward the fields.
The farmland stretched only a few dozen acres, but thanks to magic, its harvests were plentiful.
At the edge of the property, Silas quickly spotted a broken fence and ruined crops trampled underfoot.
Examining the bite marks on the wooden fence and the muddy tracks stamped across the soil, Silas Frost crouched down. Judging from the mess of footprints about sixty or so he estimated there were roughly thirty rabbits in total.
Not an overwhelming number, but still enough to cause trouble.
"Uncle," Silas said, turning to the farmer, "I'll reinforce the fence first. That way your remaining crops will be protected. After that, I'll go deal with the rabbits."
Then his eyes gleamed slyly. "But… reinforcing the fence will cost extra. Are you willing to pay?"
"Reinforce it?" The farmer frowned, confused. "What good would that do? You're just going to use Earth Magic to patch it up? That won't help. These rabbits have powerful front teeth, and they're skilled at digging burrows. The fence as it is won't hold. Once they tunnel through, the damage will be disastrous."
"It's not Earth Magic." Silas shook his head confidently. "I'll use the natural metals in the ground to forge you a metal fence. If you'd like, I can even add an underground layer to block off rabbit burrows completely."
The farmer blinked in surprise. "Metal…? You mean they wouldn't be able to chew or dig through it?"
"Exactly. They might be good at digging holes, but they're not going a few meters deep through solid iron."
Silas explained, though he didn't push too hard. He was thinking about the money more than anything.
"Really?" The farmer's interest sparked immediately. If it was true, this could greatly improve the protection of his land.
"How much would it cost?"
"One hundred thousand Jewels."
Silas named the price after a moment's thought. It was fair covering dozens of acres with reinforced fencing would drain a lot of magic, and he'd need proper materials. At best, he could extract thin layers of iron from the soil, but with proper iron ore the results would be much stronger.
The farmer rubbed his chin, calculated the cost against the profits of future harvests, and finally broke into a smile. "Deal."
He quickly sent workers to bring over a batch of iron ore.
For Silas, thanks to the "alchemy bug" ability of Edward's card, it didn't matter whether it was raw ore or smelted ingots. Both worked the same.
With the materials ready, Silas summoned the Edward card. The alchemy circle flared to life beneath his feet, and the reforging began.
Before the farmer's astonished eyes, the iron ore dissolved like soft clay, reshaping under the glow of an alchemy circle.
In moments, the scattered ore fused into sturdy metal railings. At the same time, streams of iron sank into the ground, merging together until they formed a steel plate as wide as a finger that wrapped completely around the farmland's perimeter underground.
What should have been a massive project, one that might take months with ordinary methods, was completed in less than two minutes.
The farmer rushed forward to inspect the fence, knocking on the metal with his fist. It was solid, far tougher than anything he had imagined. And when he checked the ground, he found the underground barrier exactly as Silas had promised.
Overjoyed, he immediately handed over the full 100,000 Jewels without a moment's hesitation.
Silas's eyes lit up as he pocketed the payment.
Yes! Even a simple commission can turn into extra profit.
With the base 50,000 reward plus the 100,000 from the reinforcement, he had made 150,000 Jewels on this one job.
That was comparable to the payout for a bandit suppression mission!
Silas couldn't help grinning. This was a huge success.