The New Partner
Qi Yan approached Makarov, the victory still pulsing through his veins. "Guild Master, I can go do that job now, right?"
Makarov waved a dismissive hand, already distracted by the renewed guild chaos. "Yes, yes, go on, go on! You stubborn little rascal. Just try not to get into too much trouble!" The Master clearly saw a new, powerful headache brewing in his newest member.
Just as Qi Yan turned to leave, Mira spoke up. "Wait a moment! Qi Yan, you're a newcomer and don't understand the mission procedures yet. I'll have Elfman go with you."
She called out, "Elfman!"
The giant mage, who had been watching with his usual intense focus, immediately lumbered over. "What is it, Big Sister?"
"Elfman, Qi Yan is a newcomer. Please guide him through the process and the location," Mira instructed gently.
Elfman pounded his massive fist against his chest. "No problem! Leave it to the Man Elfman! I'm Elfman, the Man Elfman. I'll be leading you on this mission."
"I'm Qi Yan, please take care of me," Qi Yan replied. Though he was theoretically powerful, having a local veteran was invaluable for navigating the Fiore Kingdom's geography and customs.
"Without further ado, let's get ready and depart in half an hour!" Elfman was efficient, which Qi Yan appreciated.
Elfman rushed home to grab his gear. Qi Yan, having no possessions to speak of since his sudden arrival, simply waited. He was, however, deeply hungry.
Mira reappeared a moment later, setting a large, steaming plate of fried rice in front of him.
"This... I didn't order anything," Qi Yan said, staring at the delicious food. His stomach, long empty, betrayed him with a loud rumble.
Mira gave him a playful, angelic smile and a conspiratorial wink. "Eat! It's free! You can't go to work on an empty stomach. Besides, this meal isn't really on me; you earned it by winning against Natsu just now."
Qi Yan stared at her, utterly mesmerized. Beautiful. Kind. Generous. What a pity not to marry her and bring her home as a wife!
From a nearby table, Macao sighed dramatically. "Sigh! Another young man has fallen!"
Wakaba nodded sagely. "That's normal. Who can resist how cute little Mira is?"
Gossip and Grandeur
Fed and energized by the best meal he'd had in two weeks, Qi Yan joined Elfman, who arrived right on time.
As they traveled, Elfman, despite his massive size, proved to be an unexpected chatterbox. He regaled Qi Yan with vivid, colorful stories: Gray the perpetual pervert; Natsu the eternal troublemaker; Cana the legendary drunkard who consumed thirty percent of the guild's annual alcohol supply; and Loki the relentless playboy. He even pointed out that the Master was, unfortunately, an old lecher.
The stories made the distant figures of the anime leap off the page and become real, flawed people. The two mages quickly grew comfortable with each other.
After a long day of travel, they finally reached the outskirts of the mission location. Qi Yan frowned.
"Hmm? What a grand display!"
The target mansion was not a quiet hideout. It was entirely surrounded by the Ancient Knight Order of the Magic Council—an army composed entirely of mages meant to apprehend criminals.
The two were quickly intercepted.
"Stop! What are you two doing here?!"
"We are Mages from Fairy Tail, here for a mission," Elfman stated, gesturing to his guild mark.
The squad leader, seeing the familiar emblems, quickly let them pass. "Go in!"
The S-Class Threat
Inside the lavish mansion, they met the client, a man named Kos, the city's Mayor. He wasted no time with pleasantries.
"Hello. I am the client. Let's get straight to the point." Kos placed a letter on the coffee table.
Qi Yan picked it up. On the envelope, bold text declared:
"Three days later, your life will be taken! — Phantom Bandit Gang!"
"A threatening letter?" Qi Yan asked.
"Yes. They've been terrorizing the city, and many wealthy merchants have already been killed," Kos explained, worry etched deep into his face. "This letter was delivered three days ago, which is why I issued the request."
"What about the Ancient Knight Order?" Elfman demanded, his eyes wide. "Surely they can catch them?"
"No," Kos sighed. "They come and go without a trace. Their actions are swift, and the Knights always arrive too late."
"With so many Knights outside now, they shouldn't be foolish enough to walk right into a trap, should they?" Qi Yan asked, his thoughts turning back to the efficiency of the Espada's power he now possessed.
Kos shook his head grimly. "Alas! I would have thought the same, but recently, I learned the identity of their leader, and I no longer think that way."
"The leader's identity? Who is it?" Elfman leaned in, curious.
Kos dropped the bomb. "The Spatial Mage, the King of Assassins, Camille."
"What?!" Elfman's shock was palpable.
Qi Yan, unfamiliar with the deeper history of this world, turned to Elfman. "Who is that? The title sounds... intimidating."
Elfman's massive frame tensed. "He's a notorious Spatial Mage and the former top ace of the Dark Guild, the God Slayer Association. His magic comes and goes without a trace; he never fails to kill. That's why he was called the King of Assassins. He disappeared when the Council crushed his guild. I never expected him to lead a bandit gang!"
"Such a guy is too dangerous," Elfman continued, his expression serious. "This is not a 700,000 J mission at all."
"700,000 J?!" Kos immediately jumped in, relieved. "Oh! That was the previous request. I have now raised the request's rank to S-class, and the reward is 7,000,000 J!"
"S-class?!" Elfman recoiled in horror.
"7,000,000 J?!" Qi Yan's eyes, however, began to glitter with pure, unadulterated gold. Seven million jewels—equivalent to 350,000 RMB! Enough to fund dozens of ten-pulls if he kept finding lucrative quests.
"I'm sorry, a mission like this..." Elfman immediately started to back away. The trauma of losing his younger sister on an S-Class mission was an open wound.
"We'll take it!" Qi Yan declared, cutting Elfman off mid-sentence.
"Eh?!" Elfman's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Qi Yan sees a mountain of jewels and draws, while Elfman sees only danger. How will Qi Yan convince Elfman to stay, and what is the true threat of a Spatial Mage like Camille?