"So that's it… the wisdom of a Wizard Saint, huh."
Shane nodded thoughtfully. Makarov's view did sound lofty, full of an elder's hard-won sense.
Outwardly he agreed; inwardly he groaned, I get the logic—but the problem is… I can't use magic at all!
If even basic mana control is shaky, how do you "specialize in one system"?
Unlike the helpless Shane, Erza's talent let her grasp the essence of Cana's paraphrase at once—while adding her own angle.
She thought a moment, then said seriously, "My magic's core is 'Knight'—fighting by freely using and empowering all kinds of weapons. Is there a magic that can support that? Something to make carrying and switching gear easier?"
To her, a focused main discipline plus a convenient auxiliary didn't conflict; they'd complement each other.
And she was still smarting over being caught short on weapons.
"There is!" Cana's eyes lit. "Try Requip Magic!"
She explained eagerly:
"It's a kind of spatial magic. You store armor, weapons—even clothes—in a subspace, then summon and equip them instantly. Very flexible—exactly what you want. It's not rare, but it's very practical."
Erza's eyes shone; she nodded again and again. "That does sound perfect for me! Thank you, Cana!"
Shane felt a spark catch, too.
He'd been dreaming of hand-building an 'arrow arsenal' for Arash—turns out there's literally a storage magic.
And from Cana's tone, it's widespread—which means the entry bar might be low. Perfect for him to train mana and take a first real step.
"I want to learn it too," he said at once.
"I'm glad that helps." Cana smiled, pleased.
She led them to a stack, pulled a modest volume titled Basics: Spatial Magic, Requip Magic.
"This is the one. Guild policy: you can borrow books, but better to read them here to avoid loss or damage. If you must take it out, log it."
"We understand," Shane and Erza said together. They took the book, hurried to a reading nook, and cracked it open.
The mechanics of building a personal subspace and stamping coordinates for instant summons drew them in immediately.
…
Night deepened; the moon slid up the window frame.
The hall's ruckus had long died down.
After the revels, Makarov stood in his upstairs office and ended another headache of a call with the Council.
"These brats—always the old man who has to mop up…" He rubbed his temples and sighed.
He picked up the Council's follow-up on the "Hot Spring City Emotion-Demon Incident" and read.
As his eyes moved down, his brows knit. "A demon that grows by feeding on emotions… as suspected, one of Zeref's creations."
He pondered. As eyewitnesses, Shane and Erza should hear this.
He opened the office door, went downstairs, and flagged a member tidying tables. "Seen the two new kids from today?"
"Oh—Shane and Erza? Think they went into the library with Cana. Haven't come out."
"Haven't come out?" Makarov blinked. He glanced at the clock—nine o'clock! "Didn't they arrive this morning?!"
The little master click-clacked off toward the library. He pushed the heavy door; it was quiet inside, only a few mage-lamps glowing softly.
At a glance he found them, backs to the same shelf, shoulder to shoulder, faces intent as they read Requip Magic by lamplight.
"Ahem." Makarov cleared his throat.
No reaction. Both were lost in the book.
"A-HEM!" He raised the volume.
This time they jolted back and looked up together.
"Master?" Erza asked, puzzled. "What is it?"
Makarov came over and first relayed the Council's analysis: what an emotion-feeding demon is, and the dark guild danger—and he warned them sharply: do not touch anything tied to Zeref.
As Shane listened, realization crossed his face—so that tavern was Zeref-adjacent.
Then a spark of irrepressible delight flickered in his eyes:
[Trial: Hungry Curiosity vs. Curbed Curiosity — COMPLETE!]
The Book's fresh inscription rang in his mind.
With Gildarts barging in, he'd stopped expecting a clear finish. But like the Tower of Paradise, the Book tallied only after the dust settled. His sense for it deepened again.
Done, Makarov eyed the book in their hands and softened. "Chasing magic is good—but don't neglect the basics of living. You two haven't even found a place to stay, have you?"
"…"
Shane froze, then fell quiet. He glanced at Erza; she was looking back—with the same blank oh in her eyes.
They'd gone straight to the guild, then buried themselves in the library, and simply… forgot.
"Ahem." Makarov couldn't help a smile. "If you've nowhere, the guild has men's and women's dorms for you. If you're short on rent, pay it back later."
It was warm and human. Grateful as he was, Shane still shook his head after a beat. "Thank you, Master. But we'll try not to trouble the guild—at least for now."
He wasn't used to leaning on others; if he could solve it himself, he would—even if it took longer.
It meant their Requip study plan might slip a bit.
"Time to earn," he thought, kneading his brow. A nuisance—he'd rather stay in the stacks.
Erza had been tempted by the women's dorm, but the thought of Shane being unable to enter made her decline as well.
Seeing how polite they still were after a day, Makarov didn't push. That would come with time.
He just waved kindly. "All right—have it your way. But remember: the guild is your backstop. If trouble comes, say so. It's late—go find a place to settle."
Only then did they realize night had fallen hard. They shut the book, put it carefully back, and headed out.
The hall was empty of Cana and Gildarts. After a quick farewell to Makarov, they slipped into the night.
~~~
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