Cian walked up to the bar and faced the Master. "Master Makarov, can I go do that job now?"
Makarov waved a dismissive hand, not even looking up from his ale. "Yes, yes, go on, get out of here!"
This kid, he thought, shaking his head. He's strong, I'll give him that. But he's another stubborn, headstrong brat. Definitely going to be a handful.
"Wait a minute!"
Mira stepped out from behind the counter, wiping her hands on her apron. "Cian, you're brand new. You don't know the first thing about mission protocols or navigation. You can't go alone." She turned to the crowd. "Elfman!"
"Yeah, Sis?"
The large, white-haired man lumbered over immediately.
"Cian needs to learn the ropes. Since it's his first job, can you accompany him and show him how things work?"
Elfman grinned, slapping his massive chest. "No problem! Leave it to me! A real MAN helps his comrades!"
In guilds, it was standard practice for veterans to mentor rookies on their first outing.
"I am Elfman!" he bellowed, extending a hand the size of a dinner plate. "A real MAN! I'll be your guide on this quest."
"I'm Cian. I appreciate the help."
Cian shook his hand. Even though he had watched the anime, actually navigating the geography and customs of Fiore was a different beast entirely. Having a local guide was a smart move.
"A real man doesn't waste time! We leave in thirty minutes!"
Elfman was efficient. He turned and marched out to pack his gear.
"Got it," Cian nodded.
While Elfman went home to pack, Cian sat at the bar. He had nothing to pack. He had transmigrated with the clothes on his back and nothing else.
Suddenly, a steaming plate of fried rice slid in front of him.
"Uh... I didn't order anything," Cian stammered. His stomach growled loudly in response. The smell was intoxicating.
Mira winked, her smile radiant. "Eat up! It's on the house. You can't work on an empty stomach." She leaned in slightly, whispering, "Consider it a reward for beating Natsu. That was impressive."
Cian stared at her, feeling his heart do a somersault.
Beautiful. Kind. Thoughtful. She's literally an angel. I have to marry her.
Nearby, Macao sighed, shaking his head. "Ah... another young soul claimed."
Wakaba puffed on his pipe, nodding sagely. "It's inevitable. No man can resist Mira's smile."
By the time Elfman returned, Cian had devoured the meal. It was the best thing he had tasted in two weeks.
Cian and Elfman set off down the road.
Despite his intimidating appearance, Elfman turned out to be a massive chatterbox. To pass the time during the long journey, he filled Cian in on all the guild gossip.
He told Cian that Gray was a chronic exhibitionist who stripped subconsciously. That Natsu was a walking disaster zone. That Cana had started drinking at thirteen and single-handedly consumed thirty percent of the guild's alcohol supply. That Loke was a playboy with more ex-girlfriends than brain cells.
He even complained about the Master, calling him a "dirty old man" who spent too much time ogling young women.
Cian laughed along, finding the stories hilarious. Hearing about the characters from someone living with them made them feel real in a way the anime never quite did.
After a full day of travel, they finally reached the destination town.
"Hmm? What's going on here?"
"What a grand display!"
The area surrounding the client's mansion was in lockdown. Dozens of uniformed soldiers stood guard, forming a perimeter.
"That's the Rune Knights," Elfman noted. "The Magic Council's enforcement army."
The Rune Knights were essentially the military police of the magical world, tasked with arresting criminal mages. Seeing them out in force meant the situation was serious.
Cian and Elfman approached the cordon but were immediately blocked by two guards crossing their spears.
"Halt! Who goes there?!"
"We are Mages from Fairy Tail," Elfman stated, puffing out his chest. "We're here for the job."
"Fairy Tail..."
The squad leader eyed them. He spotted the guild mark on Elfman's neck and the red stamp on Cian's hand. He lowered his weapon.
"Let them through."
Escorted by a knight, they entered the mansion and were led to the drawing room. A middle-aged man with a weary expression rose to meet them.
"Hello. I am Cost, the mayor of this city and your client," he said, skipping the pleasantries. "Let's get straight to the point."
He placed a crumpled letter on the coffee table.
Cian picked it up. The message was short and written in jagged, aggressive handwriting:
"Three days from now, your life is ours. — Phantom Bandit Gang"
"A death threat?"
Mayor Cost nodded grimly. "Yes. For weeks, the Phantom Bandit Gang has been terrorizing this city. Several wealthy merchants have already been murdered. The citizens are in a panic; many are fleeing."
"But what about the Rune Knights?" Elfman asked, gesturing to the window. "You have an army outside. Can't they catch them?"
Cost shook his head. "They are useless. The bandits come and go like ghosts. By the time the Knights arrive, the deed is done and the enemy is gone." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "This letter arrived three days ago. That is why I posted the request."
Cian frowned. "With this many Knights surrounding the place, they'd have to be suicidal to try and break in. Unless..."
"Unless they know they can get away with it," Cost finished. "If this was a week ago, I would have felt safe. But I recently received intelligence regarding the identity of their leader."
"The leader's identity?" Elfman leaned forward.
"Yes. It is the Spatial Mage, the 'King of Assassins'... Camille."
"What?!"
Elfman stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His face had gone pale.
"Who's that?" Cian asked. He didn't recognize the name from the anime, but the title sounded impressive.
"The King of Assassins, Camille," Elfman explained, his voice grave. "He's a notorious Spatial Mage. He used to be the ace of the assassination guild, 'Skull Mill'. His Magic allows him to bypass physical barriers, making him impossible to catch. He's never failed a hit. The Council eventually destroyed his guild, but he vanished. I had no idea he was running a bandit gang now!"
Elfman looked at the mayor. "Sir, if Camille is involved, this changes everything. He is an incredibly dangerous criminal."
"I know," Cost said heavily. "That is why I updated the request this morning. This is no longer a standard job."
He looked at the two mages seriously.
"I have upgraded this to an S-Class Mission. The reward has been increased to 7,000,000 Jewels."
"S-Class?!" Elfman choked.
"Seven... million?" Cian's ears perked up.
Cian's brain did the math instantly.
1,000,000 Jewels is roughly 50,000 RMB ($7,000 USD). 7,000,000 Jewels is... 350,000 RMB ($50,000 USD)!
Three hundred and fifty thousand!!
Cian's eyes practically turned into dollar signs.
"Mr. Mayor, I'm sorry, but..." Elfman began, shaking his head. "An S-Class Mission is strictly regulated. It requires an S-Class Mage. We aren't qualified to—"
"We'll take it!"
Cian cut him off loud and clear.
"EHHH?!?!"
Elfman whipped around, his eyes bulging out of his head.