Walking steadily up the mountain's path, the young man cast a long shadow in the golden glow of the setting sun.
He was eighteen years old, standing at a height of 176cm, possessing a well-proportioned body and an upright posture. Clad in a fitted black suit and a knee-length mage cloak, he exuded a gentlemanly and elegant aura.
His features were handsome, his skin healthy and fair. Behind his humble and gentle appearance lay a pair of black half-rimmed glasses. His shoulder-length purple hair was neatly tied into a low ponytail, each strand meticulously cared for to maintain its smoothness and shine.
With him was a gentleman's cane, and he walked with an unhurried pace.
He went by the name Everit de la Valliere, holding the title of Viscount of Fiore Kingdom bestowed upon him by his adoptive father.
In his previous life, he had been known as Ryan, an ordinary person who lived a mundane existence until his sudden demise due to overwork. There was little remarkable about his past.
In this life, he began as an abandoned infant, left wailing in a trash can with no known origin. However, fate smiled upon him as he was rescued by a kind-hearted yet impoverished old nobleman.
Francis de Valliere, a hereditary viscount whose family fortunes had waned, took the child under his wing. He christened him Everit, meaning "infinite," in the hopes that he would have boundless potential.
Everit also inherited the abbreviation "De" from his grandfather's name, honoring a man known for his admirable qualities.
Just as his father had envisioned, Francis hoped that Everit would embody the same virtues as his grandfather.
The "La" in his name was an homage to his wife, symbolizing Francis's dedication and best wishes for Everit's future.
Everit diligently immersed himself in the pursuit of knowledge, striving to live up to the expectations set before him.
That's how he knew he was in the world of Fairy Tail.
In his previous life, he had always yearned for the magic of the Fairy Tail world.
Ice Make magic, dragon slaying magic, giant transformation magic—how splendid!
Erza's requip magic and Gildarts' crushing magic were also incredibly impressive!
But.
At the age of six.
Francis taught him his family's magic—the Deception magic.
It was a very weak magic.
His foster father had spent most of his life studying it, yet could only scrape together a bit of money by performing as a street magician.
Four years ago, Francis passed away, leaving behind his title and a modest inheritance to Everit.
How could one not join Fairy Tail upon entering Fairy Tail world?
It could heal emotional wounds and provide solace to the lonely.
And so, he joined the Fairy Tail guild.
He didn't stand out as the shining newcomer portrayed in the newspapers.
In the guild.
There was Gildarts, the guild master who was one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
There were S-class mages like Erza, Mystogan, Laxus, and Mirajane.
Below them were Natsu, Gray, and other up-and-coming mages who occasionally wreaked havoc, destroying half the town.
Everit was simply a nondescript member in the guild.
After all, his magic is weak.
"Who are you?"
"How dare you come up the mountain?!"
"Don't you know this is Master Harry's territory?!"
On the hillside, several men stood with dusty clothes and weapons on their waists, yelling at Everit.
Everit raised his head, adjusted his glasses, and asked politely, "Excuse me, is this the place where Harry, the bandit boss with a bounty of 800,000 J, is located?"
"Yes!" a man answered.
Another person asked, "Who are you? What are you going to do?"
Everit walked to the upper platform and saw the view of the bandits' den.
There were about a dozen houses and some common facilities here.
About fifty bandits gathered, looking at him with different expressions.
Everit said, "Excuse me, have you heard of Lullaby?"
"What?"
"What is he saying?"
"Just kill him!"
The bandits were very impatient, some even lifted their guns towards him.
Everit said to himself, "Lullaby is a flute with powerful curse power. When played, a huge demon will appear, and everyone who hears the flute will be killed by this demon."
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
"How can such a thing exist?!"
The bandit who was close couldn't bear it anymore and pulled out his sword, intending to kill the braggart.
Everit raised his left hand, holding a disgusting and terrifying flute carved with a human head.
He brought the flute to his mouth and played it.
"Woo——" An eerie voice came from the flute.
"Stop him quickly!" a bandit shouted.
Although they doubted his words, the fact that this man dared to infiltrate the bandits' stronghold alone indicated he had some form of backup. They couldn't afford to be careless.
The bandit unsheathed his sword, poised to strike.
"Boom!"
The ground trembled.
A monstrous hurricane swept through the mountains, whipping up sand and wind that stung the faces of those present. The setting sun was obscured by a colossal figure, casting the entire mountain into shadow.
"It's not possible!" The bandits gaped in disbelief at the sudden appearance of the colossal entity.
It was a terrifying, grotesque demon!
Taller than the mountain itself!
Dark, malevolent energy emanated from its entire being.
"Boom!"
Another bandit collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Ah!"
The surrounding bandits panicked, attempting to flee, only to find themselves rooted to the spot, unable to move.
"He's playing the devil's flute!"
Everything he had said was true!
Another bandit dropped to the ground with a thud.
"No, please, spare me!" cried one bandit, trembling and soiling himself.
"No," came Everit's cold voice echoing in his ears. The bandit turned in disbelief to see Everit holding a pistol, shoving it into his mouth.
Wasn't he just playing the flute from a distance?!
Why was he here?!
Everit's tone remained icy as he said, "If you had shown mercy to the pregnant women and children when you razed the village, perhaps I would have entertained your excuses."
He pulled the trigger.
The bandit fell.
Meanwhile, the other bandits remained transfixed, gazing blankly at the serene sunset in the distance. All was calm and peaceful.
There were no towering demons.
No accursed flute.
Everit hadn't been playing the flute at all.
Deceiving their senses, emotions, and desires.
That was Everit's magic.
Deceptive and weak, lacking any true attacking power.
It could only deceive the bandits' senses of hearing, vision, touch, smell, and taste.
They believed they heard flute melodies, saw monstrous demons, felt the forceful winds, smelled the stench of darkness and death, and tasted the tang of demon blood in the air.
It preyed on their minds, magnifying their fears, convincing them they were under the devil's control. But in reality, it was just human instinct—when fear reached its peak, they were paralyzed.
Their senses were deceived, unable to discern the echoes of gunfire reverberating through the valley.
Everit strolled with a cane in his right hand and a black revolver with gold trim in his left, dispatching each bandit with effortless grace.
"Damn it! You deceitful Mage!"
Bandit King Harry emerged from the house, scrutinizing the scene. He confirmed the demon in the sky was an illusion and the mage was using a pistol to kill them.
But he could wield magic too.
As Harry unleashed his magic, the illusion shattered like a fragile mirror, revealing Everit, who regarded him with surprise.
With rage coursing through him, Harry conjured an earth spear from beneath his feet, gripping it tightly as he charged towards Everit.
But it sealed his own demise.
Agonizing pain surged through his upper body from multiple wounds, and all illusions dissolved.
Suddenly, he found himself still within the room, facing a wall adorned with several long knives piercing his body.
Spurting blood, he turned to Everit in disbelief. "When?" he managed to utter.
Everit smiled faintly.
"When indeed?" he replied.
The scene shifted.
Under the cliff near the bandit village entrance.
With a 'click,' Everit captured the final image on the camera.
"Mission accomplished," he declared.
Wiping the imperceptible sweat from his brow with a clean handkerchief, Everit acknowledged the considerable effort required to eliminate the bandit group.
He was, after all, a weak mage.
Fortunately, Fairy Tail embraced even the weak.
Magnolia.
Aware of his physical limitations, Everit arranged for a carriage to transport him from the station to the guild entrance.
Inside, the usual clamor was notably absent.
Glancing around, Everit took in the subdued atmosphere.
Indeed, Natsu was conspicuously absent.
Gray, clad only in his underwear, lay sprawled on his stomach, succumbing to boredom.
Everit strolled over to the counter, flashing a smile at Mirajane.
Mirajane Strauss, the iconic member of Fairy Tail, an esteemed S-class mage once known as the "Demon," possessed a fierier temper than even Erza. However, following a significant setback, she had transformed into the gentle and serene individual she was now.
"Completed the mission without even breaking a sweat, did you? Mr. Everit truly lives up to his formidable reputation!" exclaimed Mirajane.
"It was merely a handful of bandits. Hardly worth commendation," replied Everit modestly.
He raised his left hand, displaying an exquisitely designed poker card with a black background and golden trim.
Continuing, he said, "Nevertheless, your praise is most welcome. I admire your kindness, dear Miss Mirajane. Please accept this small token of appreciation."
With a flick of his wrist, the card vanished, replaced by a paper folded twice.
"Thank you," Mirajane said with a smile as she picked up the folded paper and unfolded it to reveal a supermarket discount coupon.
"This is a picture of the quest completion," Everit stated, producing a photograph.
Mirajane scrutinized the image captured within. There was no sign of environmental damage, and all the bandits lay subdued on the ground.
Notably, Harry, the notorious bandit who had tumbled off a cliff and met his demise with a bullet to the back of his head, likely remained oblivious to his fate.
Internally, Mirajane marveled, *Deceptive magic truly is a powerful magic!*
****
Support me on my patreon and read upto 15 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/AniScout