The August sun, like melted gold, streamed through the stained-glass windows into the Fairy Tail guild hall.
The wooden floor was warm from the sun, and the air was filled with the scent of ale and roasted meat.
Ezreal leaned lazily against the bar, his fingertips lightly tapping the oak counter, the rhythm strangely coinciding with the bickering of Gray and Natsu in the distance.
"You flame idiot! You melted my freshly ordered iced juice!" Gray, shirtless, slammed his hand on the table, ice crystals faintly visible in his palm.
Natsu glared, bringing his burning fist close to Gray's face: "Need it heated? Guaranteed to be piping hot!"
"You two—" Erza's voice came from the second floor. She was uncharacteristically dressed in casual clothes today, her long red hair tied in a ponytail. "If you keep fighting, get out of here!"
Ezreal watched this familiar scene, a smile unconsciously forming on his lips.
Two weeks had passed since his last mission injury. Under the protection of Master Makarov's Fairy Sphere and the care of his companions, his body recovered much faster than expected.
Although his Light Magic had not fully recovered, it was already at seventy to eighty percent of its peak. Moreover, the physical enhancements and increased total magic power brought by Life Alchemy allowed him to reach S-Class Mage strength even without the aid of a Summoned Beast.
"Ezreal, you seem to be recovering well." Cana walked over with two cups of honey fruit tea, the golden liquid shimmering with an amber glow in the sunlight.
She was wearing a wide-brimmed hat today, the shadow of the brim covering most of her face, but the concern in her voice was clearly audible.
Ezreal took the glass: "Thanks."
"You have to pay!" Cana rolled her eyes. "I'm helping Mira as a part-time waitress today."
Ezreal swirled his cup. "Then you might as well give me a glass of iced tea; at least that's free for me."
Cana put her hands on her hips, righteous. "Then how will I earn commission?"
Ezreal was surprised. "That straightforward, huh! Aren't you making good money selling magic cards lately? And I've seen you take plenty of requests too!"
Cana lowered her head, took off her hat, and placed it on the table, drinking a mouthful of juice with a bitter expression. "My Fairy is too much of an eater!"
She counted on her fingers, "Frost Spirit needs to eat ice crystal ore, Evil Crow King needs to eat dark magic crystals. Each piece costs at least two thousand, and they need at least two pieces a day. Plus, I recently got one that eats even more. To feed them, I've even sold eight Swamp Crocodiles to the Heartfilia family."
Ezreal gloated, "Good thing my Evil Wolf doesn't need to eat, otherwise I couldn't afford them either."
"Stop showing off!" Cana glared at him, then she lowered her voice. "The soul problem… solved?"
Ezreal shook his head, his golden hair reflecting a soft light in the sun: "Not yet, but I'm using my Summoned Beast as a magic source to power Fairy Sphere."
He swirled his glass, watching the mead leave golden streaks on the inside of the cup. "As long as all my Summoned Beasts aren't killed, I don't have to worry, at least in the short term."
"Hey! Ezreal!" Happy fluttered his wings over, still holding half a fish in his mouth. "Mira says there's special spicy pizza tonight!"
Ezreal reached out and ruffled the blue cat's head: "Sounds like it won't taste good, but…"
He glanced at Natsu, who was arm-wrestling Elfman nearby. "I bet Natsu will like it."
The guild doors were pushed open, and the trio of Levy, Jet, and Droy rushed in with a flurry.
Levy was carrying a stack of books, her cheeks flushed from running, and her glasses were askew.
"Sorry we're late!" Levy gasped, adjusting her glasses. "The publisher made last-minute changes to the manuscript…"
Jet took the stack of books from her hands and distributed them to everyone: "Our great writer is now the 'Youngest Beautiful Female Writer' in the Fiore Kingdom."
The bespectacled girl's face immediately turned red: "That, that's just what the magazine wrote!"
"Come on," Droy nudged her shoulder. "Last week's 'Magic Literature Weekly' sales tripled, all because of your column."
Ezreal raised his teacup: "To our literary girl!"
The guild was instantly filled with the clinking of glasses.
Levy shyly lowered her head, but couldn't hide the Happy smile on her lips.
"Speaking of which," Ezreal casually flipped through Levy's new book in his hand, "didn't you take a request from Lucy's family a while ago? How is she doing?"
Levy's eyes lit up: "She's doing great! Although she's still learning all that business management…"
She made a face, "But she told me that Mr. Jude's assigned coursework is almost finished, and she might join the guild early next year!"
"Really?" Natsu had approached at some point, flames dancing in his eyes. "Are we getting new members again?!"
Gray also squeezed into the crowd, casually picking up a signed copy of Levy's new book from the table: "The Heartfilia family's young lady is coming to our guild?"
Levy and the other two nodded.
Ezreal took a thoughtful sip of his fruit tea. If Lucy joined, it meant the main storyline was about to begin.
But in just a few story arcs, everyone would be facing a big boss like Acnologia; just thinking about it felt stressful.
"Jet," Ezreal changed the subject, "how's your potion shop doing lately?"
Jet proudly puffed out his chest: "Business is booming! I've replicated three ancient potions based on old texts, even Granny Poluchka came to buy some."
He pulled out a small bottle from his pocket, containing a fluorescent blue liquid. "My latest creation—'Moon Shadow Potion,' it enhances night vision."
"Sounds more reliable than that 'Vigor Potion' from last time." Cana raised an eyebrow. "At least it won't make people grow scales all over."
Jet scratched his head awkwardly: "That was an accident! I added an extra zero to the dosage of lizard tail in the recipe…"
A burst of laughter erupted in the guild.
Marcus appeared from somewhere, hooking an arm around Jet's neck: "Buddy, next time you experiment with new potions, remember to find me! I'll always remember the cat ears your 'Transformation Potion' gave me; I thought they were adorable!"
Ikaruga sat quietly in the corner, as always, wiping her long sword.
Hearing Marcus's words, the corners of her mouth slightly curved upwards: "Aren't you going for a tough-guy image? Sandstorm Marcus?"
"A tough guy with a soft heart!" Marcus made a face. "Don't you get it!"
Ezreal watched this scene, a warm feeling welling up in his chest.
This was Fairy Tail: noisy, chaotic, yet full of life.
Mira, with Yuumi and Laki on her head, brought out a large platter of pizza from the kitchen, and the aroma instantly filled the entire hall: "Lunch is ready! Today we have Natsu's favorite extra-spicy flavor, and chilled blueberries provided by Gray…"
Her words were cut short.
The guild doors opened again, and Master Makarov walked in, leaning on his cane.
The old man was wearing his formal guild uniform today, the golden Fairy Tail emblem on his chest shining brightly.
He held a roll of parchment in his hand, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
The commotion in the hall was like a paused button had been pressed. Everyone turned their heads, their gaze fixed on the parchment—every year at this time, the Master would announce the list for the S-Class Mage promotion exam.
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