Even though Levy had explained the process of joining the guild beforehand, it wasn't until the moment he actually joined that Roland realized how truly simple it was.
"—What type of magic do you use, Roland?"
Looking at the golden emblem on his left shoulder, Levy blinked and asked with curiosity.
Mirajane, who was handling the registration nearby, heard the question and also looked over, equally curious.
"My magic is a bit peculiar; it's related to shadows."
Noticing their gazes, Roland, who had just claimed his reward, smiled and answered naturally, "The Shadowkhan."
The next moment, all the shadows in the guild began to twist and grow, spreading wildly across the walls like tentacles. Dozens of pairs of glowing crimson eyes gradually appeared within them.
One by one, pitch-black ninjas slowly emerged from the shadows. They were dressed in black ninja attire, their faces wrapped in hoods with only a pair of red eyes showing, looking extremely eerie.
These Shadowkhan knelt on one knee, bowing their heads in Roland's direction, silently awaiting their master's command.
"..."
Levy stared at the figures in the corner of the guild, her mouth agape.
"Hey, hey, hey, what are those things!?"
"Don't tell me a dark guild is attacking!?"
The sudden appearance of the Shadowkhan startled the other people in the guild as well, and they all cried out in alarm.
Seeing the commotion growing, Roland waved his hand at the Shadowkhan, silently giving the command to retreat.
Upon receiving the order, the Shadowkhan ninjas didn't hesitate for a moment and melted directly into the shadows on the ground.
Mirajane, coming back to her senses, explained the situation to everyone present, so it didn't cause too much of a disturbance.
"Whew, Mr. Roland, your magic is truly unique."
Seeing the shadows in the guild return to normal, Mirajane couldn't help but say in surprise.
"I've never seen magic like this before..." Levy murmured softly.
She was confident she had never seen similar magic in any existing ancient books—as an avid reader, she had faith in her own knowledge.
"So that's it! Those strange people just now were your magic!"
Just then, an old yet very energetic voice came from behind.
Roland turned around, and his eyes fell upon a short old man wearing a circus clown hat, with a kind smile on his face.
"Yo, nice to meet you, newbie!"
Noticing his gaze, the old man smiled and extended a hand in greeting.
"This is the Master of Fairy Tail—Makarov," Mirajane introduced with a smile.
"Good morning, Master," Roland greeted with a light laugh.
Although his memory of the Fairy Tail plot was a bit fuzzy, he remembered the identity of the old man before him clearly.
Makarov Dreyar, the third Guild Master of Fairy Tail, and also one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
At that moment, Levy told Makarov of his identity.
"You've been traveling alone since you were a child?" Makarov gave him a surprised look, then nimbly hopped onto a high stool nearby.
With a kind smile on his face, he reached out and patted Roland on the shoulder, laughing heartily.
"That must've been tough. But now that you've joined the guild, just think of this place as your home. No need to be so formal."
Seeing the guild master, who was as kind as a grandfather, Roland's mood relaxed a bit.
Then, in the next moment.
Bang—
A wooden bench flew over without warning, smashing the laughing Makarov directly behind the bar.
"..."
Roland subconsciously turned his head, then fell silent.
At some point, the guild hall had erupted into a brawl.
Broken tables and wooden barrels flew everywhere, colorful magic circles flashed one after another, purple smoke burned, and clouds of smoke rose...
"No, it's not like that!" Seeing the silent Roland, the smile on Levy's face became strained. She stammered, trying to explain, "Everyone is just... having a daily exchange..."
Before she could finish, a muscular figure suddenly flew from the distance.
Just as it was about to hit Levy, Roland, who was standing beside her, sighed and pulled her into his embrace.
Makarov, who had just jumped back up, wasn't so lucky. He lost his footing and was smashed down again.
"That's enough—you damn brats!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Makarov activated his Giant Magic. A huge arm tossed Elfman, who was pinning him down, aside, and he roared as he charged into the crowd.
"Mmph!"
Pulled into his embrace, Levy's cheeks instantly flushed red. Her small, cute body suddenly felt weak.
I'm... I'm being held!?
"Um... are you okay?"
Looking at the girl breathing rapidly in his arms, Roland couldn't help but stroke her head.
Her blue hair was soft and smooth, very comfortable to the touch, and there was even a faint fragrance that tickled his nose.
Just like petting a cat.
But unlike a cat, which would purr when petted, Levy—
Seeing the girl's eyes gradually glaze over, Roland felt a strange sense of guilt and stopped stroking her head, turning to look away.
He ended up seeing Mirajane staring at the two of them with a curious expression. Realizing she had been noticed, she put a hand to her mouth, coughed lightly, and whispered, "Ahem, I wasn't looking at all!"
Liar.
Fortunately, thanks to Mirajane's interruption, Levy also realized the situation was inappropriate. She quickly got out of his embrace and stood to the side, her face bright red, fidgeting with her index fingers behind her back.
"Mira, may I take a quest now?"
Ignoring the girl's blush, Roland asked with a serious expression.
Because after completing the guild joining quest, the system had also unlocked the remaining two quest slots.
[Quest 2: The First Pot of Gold!]
[Quest Description: Earn your first sum of money in this world. You can work, beg, steal, or rob!]
[Quest Reward: Gourmet Tablecloth (From the world of 'Doraemon')]
[Quest 3: S-Class Quest!]
[Quest Description: Complete one S-Class quest. Be careful not to go out at night!]
[Quest Reward: Zoan-type Devil Fruit (From the world of 'One Piece')]
Right now, I should only be able to complete the first one.
"Of course you can, but as a newcomer, I'd recommend finding a temporary teammate!"
Mirajane glanced at Levy beside them and smiled sweetly.
"Is that so? Then could I trouble you, Mira—"
"Wait, I can team up with you!"