章 3: Chapter 3: The Light in Erza’s Eyes Fades
"Oh! It's so pretty..."
Inside the guild, Erza gazed at the guild mark on her arm with sparkling eyes, whispering to herself. Her face was filled with joy and happiness.
The Fairy Tail emblem looked like a fairy flying freely among the flowers, much like Erza herself.
"Hey, Erza..."
Ian, who had been sitting at the bar, staring absentmindedly at his glass of water while contemplating whether or not to take on an S-class mission upstairs, turned slightly at the sound.
He noticed Erza standing quietly beside him, admiring the magic tattoo on her arm, the mark of Fairy Tail. It was as if an idea had suddenly popped into his head, so he asked, "Do you have a place to stay right now?"
"A place to stay?"
Erza blinked her large eyes, a hint of confusion flickering in them.
"Ah, I figured you didn't," Ian said, smiling at the adorable, somewhat naive Erza. For some reason, this version of Erza felt different from the tough, battle-hardened girl he remembered from the original story.
But Ian didn't dwell on it too much... Maybe Erza had always been this innocent when she first joined the guild? As for Erza's past, Ian didn't pry. He wasn't one to ask others about their painful experiences.
To Ian, asking about someone's difficult past was no different from reopening old wounds.
Once someone joined Fairy Tail, they should look forward to the future, not dwell on the past—a lesson Ian had learned from Master Makarov.
So, the next issue to solve was where Erza would stay...
With Makarov away, Ian, as one of the guild's two S-class mages, naturally had to take responsibility.
Ian smiled at Erza and said, "Our guild has a dormitory specially prepared for female mages. Each room comes with 24-hour hot water, and the facilities are pretty much like a high-end hotel. The prices are reasonable too, definitely a good deal compared to what you'd find in town."
"Of course, you could also choose to rent a place in town if you prefer..."
"Either way, the guild won't pressure you. Just be careful not to get scammed by any shady landlords!"
"And if you ever find yourself in danger or being extorted, don't hesitate to call on the guild for help!"
"Though to be fair, the people of Magnolia are kind and they have a lot of respect for Fairy Tail members. They might even give you a discount if they see you're one of us."
For some reason, Ian couldn't help but worry as he looked at Erza's soft and innocent expression, so he added a few extra words of caution.
"Um..."
Erza hesitated, a bit of uncertainty crossing her face.
"Is it because you don't have any money?"
Seeing her expression, Ian quickly guessed what was wrong.
He gently patted Erza's head, smiling kindly as he said, "If you're short on money right now, how about staying at my place for the time being? Once you've earned enough, you can move out. My house is pretty big, and I've got plenty of spare rooms. It's no trouble at all."
"Live with Father?!"
Hearing this, Erza's eyes lit up.
Originally, when Ian asked her about money, Erza had instinctively reached for her space pouch where the gold coins and belongings that Irene had prepared for her were stored.
But when she heard that she could live with Ian, she immediately let go of the pouch. Erza then put on an expression of soft helplessness, hoping Ian would take her home.
With wide, innocent eyes, Erza nodded eagerly, saying in a pitiful tone, "Yes! Thank you so much... When I've saved up enough, I'll definitely repay you for the rent."
"Hahaha, no rush..."
Completely unaware that he had just fallen into the clever trap set by this little girl, Ian smiled warmly. He couldn't help but think, If only all the kids in the guild were this obedient.
"Oh, by the way, have you prepared any essentials? Like bedding or anything?"
Ian seemed to be in a good mood, and he continued asking Erza.
"No, I haven't," Erza answered weakly.
"In that case, I'll take you shopping! Let me show you around the town where you'll be starting your new life."
Ian smiled as he looked at Erza's excited expression.
"Okay!"
Erza's heart pounded with excitement, her soft body trembling slightly. She could hardly find the words to describe the joy she was feeling.
And so...
Ian spent half the day showing Erza around Magnolia.
They tried the local snacks—though the town wasn't that big, and there were only a few places worth visiting.
Ian also bought Erza a few sets of clothes, some bedding, and other essentials she would need.
With bags in hand, Ian and Erza returned to Ian's house.
Yes, Ian owned a three-story villa in Magnolia, which was almost the size of Fairy Tail's own century-old guild building.
This villa was proof of Ian's hard work since arriving in this world.
It seemed that Ian's determination to earn money and buy a big house was deeply ingrained in his bones.
"So beautiful!"
Erza marveled at the vibrant flowers in the villa's garden.
"Though it's nowhere near as grand as Mother's palace, this is still proof of Father's efforts. I'll take good care of it," Erza thought to herself. "From now on, this will be the place where I live with Father!"
"Come on, let me show you to your room."
Ian smiled at Erza, watching as she admired the garden. She's still just a little girl, after all, still fascinated by flowers and greenery, he thought.
And really, if it weren't for the hardships she'd endured, why would she need to grow strong so early?
Ian felt a tinge of sympathy for Erza. He patted her gently on the head and took her soft hand, leading her into the villa.
"Yes!"
Erza nodded happily, thinking to herself, "I've finally gotten the chance to live with Father! Once Mother finishes clearing away the obstacles, we'll be together as a family, forever."
But then...
When Ian opened the door to the villa, Erza froze.
Standing inside were two familiar brats she'd seen in the guild earlier.
One of them was the pink-haired troublemaker who had challenged Ian and been sent flying.
The other was the shameless pervert who ran around in nothing but his underwear.
In that moment, the light in Erza's eyes seemed to vanish...
"Please... give me back my long-anticipated, well-planned life with Father! You annoying little brats...!"
Erza screamed internally.
This was nothing like the life she had imagined...
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