After completing the chaotic but ultimately successful Rabian Theater mission, Ankh and the others finally returned to the guild hall in Magnolia.
This was one of the rare occasions where the "Strongest Team" received their full payment without any deductions for property damage.
Thanks to Ankh's immense popularity and the unexpected fan turnout, the theater's business flourished more than ever.
Rabian didn't hold their performance mishaps against them. He even added a little extra bonus to their reward as a token of appreciation.
Everyone was overjoyed.
"Rent money!" Lucy cheered, hugging the bag of jewels.
With this hard-earned payment, she could finally cover her rent for the month without begging her landlady for an extension.
She felt a weight lift off her shoulders.
However, it wasn't long before reality set in again.
Barely a day later, she began worrying about work for the next month.
Life at the guild was truly joyful and fulfilling for Lucy.
She had friends, adventure, and freedom. But the only downside was... time passed too quickly!
The days flew by in a blur of excitement, and her earnings couldn't keep up with the relentless pace of rent payments in Magnolia's expensive housing market!
The others didn't share Lucy's financial predicament, as their situations were vastly different.
Gray, for instance, lived in the Fairy Tail dormitory for men.
It cost a modest 100,000 jewels a month, which included utilities. Since he had a bad habit of stripping, he saved money on clothes, and he had no other significant expenses.
He didn't have to worry about making ends meet like Lucy did.
As for Natsu, he actually had a decent amount of savings.
Natsu owned a small, run-down house in the forest outside of town. He didn't trust banks, so he literally buried his savings under a tree in the backyard like a squirrel.
Furthermore, he practically freeloaded meals and drinks at the guild every day, making him the epitome of a shameless survival.
Erza, on the other hand... was a mystery.
Despite her status as an S-Class Mage who earned millions per job, she was a classic spendthrift.
Every month, she not only had to pay for the maintenance of her magical armor but also couldn't resist purchasing new equipment and cute outfits.
The moment she received her payment from the theater job, she walked past a clothing store window.
"Oh! A limited edition teacher's uniform!" Erza gasped, her eyes turning into hearts. "It would be perfect for... discipline training!"
She bought it immediately.
Consequently, she still relied on occasional "financial support" from her brother, Ankh, to cover her food bills.
No one really understood why she bought such outrageous outfits or when she planned to wear them.
As for Ankh, there was no need to mention him—he had more money than he could spend.
Between his S-Class jobs and his general lack of expensive hobbies, he was the guild's unofficial bank.
However, shortly after returning to Magnolia, Ankh had business to attend to.
He went with Mirajane to a high-end café in the city center to meet the agent she had mentioned.
Fortunately, the agent introduced by Mirajane was highly professional.
She arrived early, dressed in a sharp suit, and quickly demonstrated her capabilities by laying out a comprehensive marketing plan before Ankh even sat down.
The only awkward part was that Ankh already knew her.
And the way they knew each other wasn't exactly... proper.
With a forced smile, Ankh leaned closer to Mirajane beside him and whispered, "Mira... why is she here?"
He turned to the woman across from them. "Miss Frey, aren't you the owner of the Love Luck Pavilion? The fortune-telling shop? How did you end up working as a talent agent?"
That's right—the agent introduced by Mirajane was the very person Ankh had "interrogated" when he went to apprehend Lisanna's fake "boyfriend" a while back.
She was the tomboyish woman who ran the divination business.
Miss Frey, still looking cool and tomboyish with her short hair and sharp eyes, crossed her legs casually.
She gazed calmly at Ankh, unbothered by his surprise.
"The Love Luck Pavilion is just a hobby business I personally enjoy," Frey replied smoothly, taking a sip of her coffee. "I have other professions as well. A woman needs multiple income streams in this economy."
As she spoke, Frey, clearly well-prepared for his skepticism, pulled a silver, flexible card from her leather bag and slid it across the table.
"This is my professional certification as a Level 1 Talent Agent," she said. "It is officially stamped by the Royal Capital, Crocus. You can check the registration number."
Ankh took the silver card skeptically.
He channeled a bit of magic into it to verify the seal—it glowed with the authentic royal crest.
He hesitated before asking, "You can hold multiple jobs like this? Fortune teller, agent... what else do you do? Lion taming?"
Mirajane explained with a beaming smile, "Of course! Frey has taken on many part-time jobs over the years to gain experience. She excels at almost any commercial profession involving buying, selling, or negotiating. She's a genius!"
Ankh was taken aback.
That impressive? Is she boasting, or is Mira just biased?
Seeing the doubt lingering in Ankh's eyes, Frey shrugged. "It's necessity. Because my family has quite a few businesses, I've been required to take on a lot of responsibilities since I was a child. I learned to manage assets before I learned to walk."
Hearing this, Ankh began to understand a little, but his curiosity was piqued.
"Your family has 'quite a few' businesses—how many exactly?" Ankh asked directly.
It was somewhat impolite to ask about family finances so bluntly, but Ankh was genuinely puzzled.
After all, even a wealthy family like the Heartfilias only managed to raise a Lucy with limited business talent.
This woman seemed to be on another level.
Frey glanced at Ankh, analyzing him. She hesitated for a moment, then decided to play her cards openly.
"My full name is Frey Cureniar," she stated. "That should make it clear to you."
Cureniar?
Ankh frowned. It sounded familiar, as if he'd heard it somewhere before...
Seeing Ankh's stubborn yet unmistakably confused expression, Frey couldn't help but laugh.
"You really don't pay attention to politics or economics, do you?"
She leaned forward. "The Cureniar Family and Conglomerate have an extensive industrial chain. We own the railways in the south, the shipping lines in the east, and several magic item manufacturing plants. Our assets and company branches are spread across the entire country, especially in the economically developed southern regions of Fiore."
"The company's headquarters is located in the Royal Capital," she continued. "The Cureniar ancestors were once a branch of the Fiore royal family—distant cousins to the current King. So, most family members hold noble titles today, though we're now in business and hold little real political power."
"But in terms of industry and profits alone," Frey concluded with a sharp glint in her eye, "the Cureniar family ranks among the top three commercial groups in the country. We are bigger than the Heartfilias ever was."
Listening to Frey's resume-like self-introduction, Ankh began to feel restless in his seat.
With a background like that, why on earth would she want to be his agent?
Why would she stoop to managing a mage's career? Was she crazy? Or bored?
It was at that moment that Ankh suddenly remembered where he had heard the family name.
A while ago, when Lucy had a falling out with her father, she mentioned that Jude Heartfilia had arranged a marriage for her.
He had tried to marry her off to a young master from the... Cureniar family.
Ankh tentatively asked, "How does the Heartfilia conglomerate compare to yours? Are you rivals?"
Frey showed no trace of disdain, only objective analysis.
"They can't compare to us," she answered sincerely. "The Heartfilia group hasn't been developing for long—only one generation really. Their industry involvement isn't as broad as ours. However, they excel in the railway industry in the west and possess vast land tracts. They can be considered a promising potential stock."
She paused, her expression darkening slightly.
"My brother, Duke Savalu Cureniar, took an interest in them. He wanted to arrange a marriage with the Heartfilia daughter. Though it was called a 'marriage alliance' for business, he really just wanted to take in a beauty for fun and then make use of her dowry to seize their railway assets. In the end... he was actually rejected."
Hearing Frey speak so candidly about her family's ugly internal affairs, Ankh began to trust her more.
She wasn't hiding the dirty laundry.
Thankfully, Lucy wasn't forced into that arrangement by her father.
If she had married into this family, who knows how she might have been manipulated or discarded by that Duke Savalu...
Ankh's mind raced. He now even suspected that the future bankruptcy of Jude's company—which happened in the original timeline—might have been orchestrated by Duke Savalu out of spite after being rejected.
After all, such a large enterprise like Heartfilia wouldn't suddenly collapse unless one of the top conglomerates like Cureniar was pushing from the shadows.
Ankh nodded slowly.
He looked at Frey and asked seriously, "But with a background like yours—money, nobility, power—why do you still want to cooperate with me? Why be an agent?"
Frey met Ankh's gaze directly. Her playful demeanor vanished, replaced by cold ambition.
"Because I want to compete for the position of the Cureniar Family Head," she declared. "And my brother, Duke Savalu, is my biggest obstacle. He is incompetent but holds the birthright. I need leverage. You are the best ally I can find."
Ankh chuckled lightly, leisurely crossing his legs.
He now understood.
Frey hadn't come for the agent position at all. Being an agent was just the method; the goal was power. Everything she'd said since sitting down was paving the way for this very proposal.
"I have neither money nor political power to help with your family affairs," Ankh said with a faint, self-deprecating smile.
"I'm just a mage who hits things."
Frey remained resolute, shaking her head.
"You are wrong. You have terrifying popularity across the continent. Given time to operate, you'll become the undisputed national idol. Public opinion is power you know."
Ankh raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Could an idol, no matter how popular, really get involved in power struggles between major families? That sounds naive."
Frey continued calmly, "That's just influence in the entertainment world. It opens doors. But the most important thing is your status in the Magic Community."
She leaned in. "As an important member of the strongest guild and from my observations, the most likely candidate to become the next Guild Master, you command respect. Not to mention the unparalleled special status of being one of the Wizard Saints."
"The Cureniar family has money, but we lack military might," Frey explained. "The only thing our family lacks is a capable, world-renowned Mage to hold the fort and deter our enemies. An alliance with you gives me the strength I lack."
Finally, Frey seemed to hesitate.
She glanced at Mirajane, who was sipping her tea innocently.
There was one more reason.
Frey always felt that many circumstances regarding the mysterious Council Member Anselion and Ankh were too coincidental.
They appeared in the same places, had similar magical signatures...
She suspected there was a deep relationship between the two, or perhaps they were even the same person.
If she could secure Ankh, she might also be securing a seat on the Magic Council.
However, this was merely Frey's speculation, and she didn't dare discuss Ankh's privacy so directly in front of others.
It was too dangerous a card to play yet.
"In any case," Frey concluded, extending her hand. "For me, aiming to seize power, and for you, aiming to make money... allying with each other is nothing but mutually beneficial. What do you say, Ankh?"
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