Shane still went to the guild.
Even though Ultear had given him a key lead, "the Zodiac" and "Celestial Spirit Magic" were still far too unfamiliar to him.
He needed more solid information, and the guild library was the obvious best place.
Levy wasn't there yet, so Shane went straight to Master Makarov.
With the master's guidance, he pulled a heavy, dust-covered tome from the top shelf: An Overview of the Celestial Spirit World's Biological Lineages.
Hugging the book, he sat at a table by the window and eagerly flipped to the Zodiac section.
The contents were even more detailed than he'd expected.
As the pages rustled, the forms and abilities of spirit after spirit came alive on the page—Leo, Pisces, Libra…
"Leo the Lion, hailed as the leader of the Zodiac Twelve, capable of unleashing a destructive Light Magic—Regulus…"
"Scorpio the Scorpion, with a massive tail, wielding Desert Magic…"
"Gemini the Twins, possessing the eerie ability to perfectly replicate another's appearance, abilities, and even thoughts…"
Shane skimmed quickly. Setting aside how strong they were, the sheer variety and weirdness of their traits was genuinely interesting.
He had to admit: this world's magic system was far more entertaining than he'd first imagined.
Then his page-turning fingers stopped.
His gaze locked onto the entry for Virgo.
[Zodiac Twelve: Virgo]
Trait: Its form changes according to the contract holder's inner expectations, typically transforming into the form the holder most prefers—or subconsciously cares about most.
Skilled at tunneling and stealth; capable of moving freely through underground layers—
…Good at digging?
That line ran through Shane's mind like a small electric jolt.
A strange sense of familiarity rose in him.
I've seen something like this before… where was it?
In the next moment, Shane snapped the book shut and stood up quickly, heading back to the bar.
"Master, I want to look up the commission record for the 'Soul of the Dead' job."
Makarov frowned at the thoughtful look on Shane's face, but still rummaged under the counter and pulled out the record book.
Shane flipped to the right page at once and went straight to the client information.
Client: Duke Everlue
Note: Celestial Spirit Mage
So it was true.
Shane didn't hesitate another second.
He closed the record book and said to Makarov, "Master—if Erza comes by later, tell her I went to Hargeon."
Before the sentence even finished, he was already a gust of wind heading for the door.
"Wait! Shane!" Makarov reached out, but grabbed only a fading afterimage.
He stood there with his hand in the air, then rubbed his temples helplessly.
"That brat… guild rules explicitly forbid privately contacting clients," he muttered, already envisioning yet another written self-reflection on his desk. "And it's Lunar New Year! Can't he behave for one day?!"
…
Hargeon, Duke Everlue's estate.
Unlike the festive bustle filling the streets, the gates of the luxurious mansion were shut tight, radiating a deliberately staged quiet.
Shane knocked for quite a while. Only silence answered.
"No one home?" Shane raised an eyebrow, puzzled. By noble standards, a show-off like Everlue shouldn't be this quiet.
He couldn't be bothered to wait. His figure moved like smoke as he slipped around to the back of the estate.
His eyes swept the ornate balcony. He tapped the wall lightly with his toes a few times, climbed with ease, and silently slid into the second-floor corridor.
Inside, however, was a completely different scene.
The first-floor hall was brightly lit. The fireplace blazed warmly. A gramophone played lazy jazz.
Duke Everlue, wearing a velvet robe, sprawled on a plush sofa, his face still carrying lingering fright.
He pinched his carefully groomed little mustache and confirmed to a servant beside him, "That—that Fairy Tail bastard… he's gone, right? No shadow at the door?"
"Yes, Your Grace. He knocked for a while and no one answered. He appears to have left," the servant replied with a bow.
"Gone? Good. Good…" Everlue exhaled hard.
Just now, when his servants reported that the Fairy Tail brat had come again, Everlue had nearly wet himself from fear.
The memory of having a blade pressed to his throat—and being terrified half to death by those explosive magic crystals—was still a vivid nightmare.
Worse, he'd tried to complain to the Magic Council afterward, only for it to vanish like a stone dropped into the sea. In the end, all he got was Makarov's painless little "reflection letter," which didn't even mention the threats and intimidation Everlue had endured.
That was when Everlue truly understood: the boy named Shane was a lawless menace.
Living by the creed of "if you can't afford to offend them, avoid them," Everlue swore he'd never deal with Fairy Tail again in his life.
He didn't know what that little demon had come for this time, but it couldn't be anything good.
So Everlue made up his mind: no matter what, he wouldn't meet him.
Once he relaxed, his mood returned. He stood and waved at the "alluring" maids in the hall.
"It's fine now! Keep playing, keep dancing!"
He even turned toward the burly maid beside him, forcing a smile. "And you, Virgo, don't just stand there—go dance with them—"
Before he could finish, a cold, indifferent voice—one that haunted his nightmares—came from behind.
"Your Grace… I didn't realize you disliked seeing an old friend so much."
The music cut off instantly.
The crackle of firewood in the hearth suddenly sounded painfully loud.
Every maid and servant froze, eyes snapping toward the source of the voice in terror.
Shane was leaning casually on the staircase railing, wearing that same half-smiling expression that made Everlue grit his teeth in hatred.
He even had the leisure to dust off a bit of grime, as if he'd just climbed in through a balcony.
"Y-you—you—!"
Everlue pointed at Shane, finger shaking, his face draining from rosy to paper-white. His lips trembled, and for a long time he couldn't form a complete sentence.
How did he get in?! The gates were locked!
Shane ignored his shock. He sauntered down the stairs, his gaze sweeping over the maid called "Virgo," lingering for an instant on her abnormal build and the faint, inhuman aura she gave off.
"Looks like you're having a good Lunar New Year, Your Grace," Shane said, sitting himself down on the sofa opposite Everlue as if he owned the place. "Just seems you're not very welcoming to an old friend."
"Who's an old friend of yours?!" Everlue finally recovered enough voice to squeak. "This is illegal trespassing! I'm filing another complaint with the Council!"
~~~
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