Mavis's parents were also members of Red Lizard, and now they were both deceased.
It could be said that her situation was identical to Weston's. However, Weston had awakened his magic and was a boy, so the Guild Master valued him more, assigning him the job of being the "Young Lady's Attendant." Mavis, on the other hand, possessed no magic and was a frail girl burdened by the debts her parents had left behind. Consequently, she could only perform menial chores within the guild.
The atmosphere of the Red Lizard guild was far from pleasant. Mavis not only had to perform various chores every day, but her rest time was also pitifully short, and she often went hungry. Weston had no choice but to take advantage of his daily outings to catch fish and bring back some rations for her.
"Thank you, Weston!"
"Hehehe... You're welcome!"
Weston took the broom from Mavis and began sweeping. Mavis sat on a nearby low wooden stump, eating the lukewarm grilled fish in large bites. Weston had eaten this grilled fish too; it was merely cooked over a fire without any seasoning, and the taste was incredibly bland. But Mavis's expression looked as if she were eating a rare delicacy, appearing completely satisfied.
"Weston, you're so amazing. You're about the same age as me, but you can catch so many fish. I can't do that..."
Weston instinctively offered some comfort. "Once you learn magic like me in the future, you'll naturally be able to catch fish."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Weston noticed that although Mavis expressed envy, there was not much disappointment on her face.
"No, it's not just fish. I can catch even larger beasts!" Mavis smiled brightly, full of confidence. "Even without magic, as long as I use the habits of the beasts and set traps in advance, I can still catch large animals!"
Weston was slightly stunned, then a smile appeared on his face. "That's right."
To be able to think of capturing beasts by setting traps at such a young age—and based on her tone, she seemed to already have a mature plan—she truly was Mavis!
"It's just that setting traps isn't an easy task. At least with my current self, I can't do it. If I could learn magic, it should be more convenient when setting traps, and there would be more choices for the types and techniques of traps... Magic really is a wonderful field of study!"
Little Mavis revealed her longing for magic in every word.
Weston stopped sweeping and sat down beside her. "Actually, you don't need to be so envious. Maybe in a few days, I can teach you magic."
"Teach me?"
"But didn't your magic awaken on its own?"
"I've read about this situation in books. It shouldn't be possible to teach it, right?"
"And your magic might not necessarily suit me..."
Despite her young age, Mavis had already read many books related to magic. She knew that magic was not something that could be easily learned or taught. It wasn't because of its value, but because the magic suitable for each person was different. Without professional guidance, rashly teaching magic could result in anything from failure to magic backlash, causing irreversible and permanent damage to the body.
"What I'm talking about isn't teaching you Super Archive, but a magic that suits you better!"
Looking at the confused Mavis in front of him, a gentle smile appeared on Weston's face. Mavis's talent for magic cultivation was not bad; the only thing she lacked was magic skills. In the original story, because the library on Tenrou Island didn't have much magic to study, she lived on the island for thirteen years and only learned "Illusion Magic."
But things were different now. Because of the variable that was Weston, and the fact that Weston had secured a connection with Elefseria!
The magic database Elefseria shared with Weston today contained not only a large amount of magical knowledge but also many cultivation methods for powerful magic. As long as he asked Elefseria for help, he would definitely be able to find a powerful magic suitable for Mavis's cultivation.
Just as Weston was about to say something else, a tall figure walked out of the tavern and came before them.
"Hey, Weston!"
The newcomer was the Master of Red Lizard, Zieself, who was also Zera's father. At this moment, his face was gloomy, and his intentions were clearly not friendly.
"Master, is something the matter?"
Zieself pushed his ugly and fierce old face toward Weston. "My lovely daughter Zera just told me she wanted to increase her allowance to buy new clothes for some brat! This hateful kid even had her lie to me, saying the school teacher needed fees for workbooks! I think you should give me a satisfactory explanation for this, don't you?"
Zieself clenched a fist the size of a clay pot, his body seemingly overflowing with rage.
"Uh... well..."
Weston shifted his eyes guiltily. That idiot Zera! He told her she absolutely couldn't tell her father the truth, yet she was still so careless.
"Lord Master, please believe me, I can definitely give you an explanation!"
"Hehehe... good, good, good..."
Zieself laughed out of extreme anger and glared fiercely at Weston. He then lifted Mavis from the wooden stump and sat down himself.
"Then I am... all... ears!"
Zieself was not an elder like Makarov who cared for his comrades and children. On the contrary, his character was quite vile, and he often used his power and strength to oppress the guild members. If he had any merit, it was that he doted on his daughter, Zera, immensely. Weston's behavior this time—corrupting Zera—undoubtedly touched his "reverse scale."
"Sigh... it happened like this."
Weston struck a pose, pretending to be aggrieved.
"When I went to pick up the Young Lady from school today, her classmates saw me. When they saw my appearance, they were all very shocked. They said, 'Miss Zera is the most noble child on this island, yet her attendant wears such ragged clothes. It truly makes her lose face.'"
As Weston spoke, he spread his arms, generously displaying his tattered clothing.
"These rumors caused Miss Zera a lot of distress. she couldn't hold her head up in front of her classmates."
Zieself took a serious look at Weston's appearance and nodded silently. He probably also felt that such a scruffy kid standing next to his precious daughter was indeed too mismatched.
"A bunch of brats! They don't even think about why their parents can live peacefully on this island. Isn't it all thanks to my protection!"