Chapter 87: Guild Interview
The next morning, everyone gathered at the guild bright and early, dressed in their best clothes. The entire hall buzzed with excitement.
"Master! Please tell us about the guild's recent performance!" a reporter called out.
"Mm! We keep love and justice in our hearts and strive to make Fairy Tail even stronger!" Makarov declared proudly.
"OH! COOL!! COOL!! The living Fairy Queen, the beautiful Cinderella! Erza! COOL!! Can I get your autograph?!" Jason, the overly enthusiastic reporter from Sorcerer Magazine, immediately abandoned Makarov mid-interview and rushed toward Erza, shouting excitedly.
"Hey…I wasn't finished with the interview yet…" Makarov raised his hand weakly, a sweatdrop forming on his temple.
Erza's cheeks flushed pink. "I'd rather not be called Cinderella anymore—it's so embarrassing!" Although she'd enjoyed the acting at first, looking back on it now made her feel self-conscious.
"But Cinderella is a beautiful love story that every girl dreams about these days! Though personally, I loved the Queen you played even more—it was simply COOL! I was absolutely stunned!"
"I even bought the same magic mirror!" He whipped out a small ornate mirror with intricate patterns carved around its frame. "Mirror, Mirror, who is the best reporter in the world?!"
Jason's reflection appeared in the small mirror and replied: "It's you! Mr. Jason!"
Erza blinked in surprise. "They're actually selling those now?"
"Of course! It's the hottest magic item on the market right now—COOL! Can I do a quick interview with you?"
Erza nodded graciously. "Sure, why not?"
Jason proceeded with an exclusive interview with Erza, scribbling notes frantically.
After finishing with Erza, Jason bounced around the guild like an overexcited puppy. When he spotted Levy and Lucy, he practically teleported to their side. "OH! Isn't this Snow White and the Mermaid Princess?! COOL! I'm so lucky—I get to meet three of the leading ladies in one day! COOL! Please, please give me your autographs!"
Jason also conducted separate interviews with Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Cana, and other well-known mages in the Fairy Tail Guild.
When Dino arrived at the guild, Jason rushed toward him like a crazed fanboy meeting his idol, which startled Dino considerably.
"OH! COOL! COOL! COOL! I can't believe my eyes! Do you know who I'm seeing right now?!"
"One of the Ten Wizard Saints himself! A super mage as powerful as a natural disaster! A brilliant storyteller! The prince from those fairy tales! The man who ranks number one on the 'Ideal Wizard Boyfriend' list! COOL! COOL! COOL!"
Dino grimaced. When did he accumulate so many titles? And why was he number one on some boyfriend ranking?
"Can I kiss your shoes?!"
A chill ran down Dino's spine as he immediately stepped back. "Absolutely not!"
"COOL! How does it feel to become one of the Ten Wizard Saints?"
"…Normal, I guess."
"COOL! How did you create three such excellent theatrical productions?"
"I just wanted to complete the mission request."
"COOL! Do you have any new works in development?"
Dino had been about to say no, but reconsidered. "Actually, yes."
It was actually quite entertaining to adapt stories he'd read in his previous life for this world. He'd thought of several possibilities before, but since Erza and the others weren't professional actors, the rehearsals had been exhausting. He'd set the idea aside and nearly forgotten about it—until Jason brought it up again.
"You do?!" Before Jason could respond, several guild girls shoved him aside and crowded around Dino excitedly, pushing away many interested (and disappointed) men in the process.
Ever since Dino became one of the Ten Wizard Saints and played the prince in those performances, he'd become wildly popular among women across Fiore.
Powerful, mysterious, romantic, talented—countless words of praise had attached themselves to his name.
The girls in the guild all dreamed of becoming the heroine in Dino's next story, even Erza, Lucy, and Levy—who had already played leading roles.
"Levy," Dino said, catching her eye. She immediately understood and cast her Solid Script magic.
Dino's words soon materialized one by one in glowing letters, all transcribing themselves onto Jason's interview notebook.
"How COOL!! I'm witnessing the actual moment of creation! COOL!"
It wasn't a particularly long script, so it finished quickly. Several girls immediately scrambled for it. Fortunately, Erza's presence was intimidating enough that they all settled down to read obediently, passing it around to those who hadn't gotten a turn yet.
As the plot unfolded, the girls' expressions shifted—sometimes happy, sometimes sad, all completely absorbed in the story.
"That's amazing!" Lucy exclaimed when she finished reading.
Ever since she'd acted in one of Dino's stories, it had helped her own novel writing immensely. But now she realized there was no comparison between what she wrote and what Dino created. Were there really geniuses like this in the world?
"Dino, I want to be the heroine!"
"No, me! I'll do it!"
"Pick me!"
The voices overlapped in a chaotic chorus.
Dino held up his hands placatingly. "Don't fight over it this time. Look at the title—the protagonist has already been decided."
Hearing this, all the girls quieted down. Indeed, when they looked at the title again, a very specific image of the protagonist formed in their minds.
"Hmph! Dino, you're playing favorites!" one girl pouted.
Gray snatched up the script at that moment and read the title aloud. "Beauty and the Beast'? Well, if we're talking about the beauty, it's gotta be Mira. And the beast would naturally be Elfman."
Mirajane's heart skipped a beat. Although she was already famous as Fairy Tail's poster girl, the thought of playing the heroine in such a wonderful story was genuinely exciting.
Of course, there was another reason—this story had been created specifically by Dino for her and her younger brother.
"Me?! Really? Can I even do it? It's such a good story, but I've never acted before!" Elfman looked shocked, his usual confidence wavering. "What if I mess it up?"
Makarov stood up on the counter and declared loudly, "There's nothing to worry about! Next week is the Harvest Festival—it's the perfect time to show everyone that Fairy Tail's mages are multi-talented, not just a bunch of brawlers!"