章 92: Chapter 92: Seven Years Have Passed! Ian's Strength Surges to Shield-Level!
A few days later.
"Ah~"
"Finally, I have arrived at this place I've dreamed of, also beside the deep blue sea…"
"But this time, it's a new city, a place where Gildarts will no longer disturb me~"
Cornelia, wearing a white dress, stood under the scorching sun, looking at the beautiful, tranquil new city before her with a joyful expression.
However, that smile quickly faded.
After leaving Gildarts, the first enemy Cornelia faced was finding a good job to support herself and the child in her belly!
"Watch, Gildarts…"
"I can live just fine without you."
Cornelia gritted her teeth, her eyes full of determination.
She didn't believe for a moment that she couldn't have the child on her own and raise it properly.
Thus, in the following week, Cornelia was like someone running on adrenaline, hopping from one job to another.
"Hey! Can't you even wash the dishes properly?!"
"If you break another plate, you're fired!"
"Our shop can't afford a pampered lady like you!"
Cornelia's first job was as a dishwasher in a restaurant.
Sadly, her delicate hands, which had never touched anything menial, had no experience with washing dishes. She soon realized just how troublesome washing dishes could be. After breaking more than ten plates, she was finally dismissed by the shopkeeper.
"Ha?! You want to be a carpenter?!"
"Hahaha! You've got to be kidding…"
"A lady like you, can you even lift the tools?"
"Just go home to your mom and dad!"
"Oh, and give my regards to them!"
Cornelia's second choice was carpentry, but she was eliminated during the interview itself. The craftsmen mocked her mercilessly.
Of course, these carpenters could tell from her refined attire that she wasn't ordinary. In such chaotic times, having good judgment was an essential skill for any worker to survive.
"Deliveries are already full…"
"By the way, besides the regular deliveries, if you want to work in this city, you must be capable of operating a Magic Four-Wheeler."
The courier service under the Magic Council rejected Cornelia politely once they realized she had no skills with the Magic Four-Wheeler. They were even unusually courteous, not daring to make fun of her.
These couriers could tell that Cornelia's outfit wasn't just expensive, it was enchanted—a magical garment offering protection.
That kind of thing wasn't easily acquired, even with money.
Thus, Cornelia failed yet again.
The ideal was rich, but the reality was harsh.
After truly leaving Gildarts, Cornelia finally understood just how different the world was from what she had imagined. It was a cruel world, and no one would look after her.
Cornelia also realized just how useless she was on her own.
"Finding a job is so hard?!"
"But I absolutely won't give up…"
"Just watch me, Gildarts! I will never admit defeat."
Cornelia sat in her rented room, constantly reflecting.
Actually, when Gildarts learned that Cornelia had decided to leave him and that she could not be convinced otherwise, he gave her a large sum of money for her future, nearly all his earnings over the years.
It was more than enough for her to live comfortably in any city in Fiore. After all, a "Ten Saint" level mage's savings were considerable, even if Gildarts himself was a bit reckless with debts.
But Cornelia refused to use the money Gildarts gave her.
Maybe it was a matter of pride or stubbornness, but she wanted to stand on her own two feet in this town.
As for Gildarts' money, she planned to pass it on to their child when the child came of age…
And say, "Look, this is the inheritance left by your irresponsible father, who died from overdrinking."
At the same time Cornelia clenched her fists and vowed to prove herself against Gildarts.
Elsewhere, that same scoundrel king lay on a hospital bed, crying out in pain.
"It hurts! It hurts so much!"
"Of course! If I had the love of the nurse, it wouldn't hurt anymore~"
With no sense of impending fatherhood, he eyed the beautiful nurses moving around, grinning.
"Ugh! Even with all your bones broken, you're still not behaving…"
The nurses collectively rolled their eyes at him.
Gildarts had thoroughly earned his bad reputation in Magnolia. Even if he tried to continue his scoundrel ways, no one would give him a chance.
In fact, many parents in Magnolia now warned their daughters with, "Beware of fires, thieves, and Gildarts!"
"Sigh…"
"I wonder how Cornelia is doing now…"
"I miss you so much…"
Looking towards the sky, Gildarts whispered. His gaze soon wandered back to the young nurses around.
Yep, this guy was beyond redemption…
On the other side, Cornelia was running through the city, tirelessly looking for work.
"Sorry, you're not suitable for this job."
"Sorry, I can't hire you for this position…"
"Hey pretty lady! Want to be a hostess here?"
"Your looks are perfect for it!"
"Many patrons like someone just like you!"
"Sorry, I'm not suitable for this kind of job."
A month passed in a flash.
Cornelia roamed the entire town, applying for every hiring position but without luck.
As for those jobs that came to her, they were always related to exploiting her looks—jobs she could never accept.
Not to mention those questionable jobs, even just serving drinks was too much for her as a lady.
Not to mention she was pregnant; how could she possibly drink?!
"It's been a whole month now…"
"And I'm still stuck in this rented room, unable to move forward!"
"What should I do?!"
Blow after blow shattered Cornelia's confidence. She seemed anxious, grasping at her long brown hair and letting out pained cries in her empty room.
"Ugh…"
Just as she was on the verge of breaking down, she suddenly felt pain in her abdomen.
Her face paled, and she once again steeled her resolve.
"I will never give up."
"If not for myself, then for my child…"
Cornelia stood up, splashed her face with cold water, and renewed her resolve.
For the sake of her child, she would not give up.
Meanwhile.
After a month in the hospital, Gildarts finally recovered and immediately set out to find Cornelia.
Even though finding one person in a country as large as Fiore—a place the size of Australia—seemed impossible, Gildarts would not give up…
He had also been smart enough to realize that Cornelia did not have much cash. If she used the magic card he had left her, he could locate her through the Council's bank.
"Cornelia, don't worry. I'm coming for you~"
Gildarts was feeling more confident than ever. Not only had his strength finally reached the rank of "Heavenly King," but he also finally understood he wanted to win his woman back.
Three months later.
He hadn't found any sign of Cornelia.
He slumped over the bar counter of the Fairy Tail guild, grumbling drunkenly, "It's impossible! I've checked all the cities she talked about wanting to travel to! How could she not be in any of them?! By now, her money should've run out; why hasn't she used the card?! What's going on?! It's not supposed to be like this!"
"Hey! Pull yourself together, Gildarts!"
Makarov shook his head, urging him on.
"Master, did I really mess up?"
Gildarts turned to Makarov, asking desperately.
"I think even if Cornelia were here, she wouldn't want to see you like this!"
Makarov glared at Gildarts.
"You're right! I need to pull myself together…"
Gildarts downed his drink, grabbed a few carefully selected S-class missions, and left once again. If he didn't start working, he'd drown in debt soon.
Meanwhile.
"Phew…"
"Work is finally done for today."
Cornelia wiped sweat from her brow and changed out of her work clothes.
After tireless effort, either due to persistence or luck, she finally found a job arranging flowers.
Though it didn't pay much…
It was enough for her to barely make ends meet.
"Ugh…"
However, as time passed…
Cornelia felt increasing pain in her belly, realizing the small life growing inside her.
"Right now, I'm fine on my own!"
"But when the baby is born, expenses will multiply. What should I do then?!"
Cornelia pondered, understanding that her current job wasn't sustainable in the long run.
"If it doesn't work out, I'll have to find another part-time job…"
"And if I want to raise this child properly, I'll need even more money."
"If one part-time job isn't enough, I'll find two!"
"I, Cornelia, will never be inferior to anyone."
Cornelia was undoubtedly a strong woman.
If she weren't, she wouldn't have been able to raise Cana on her own in the original story, pushing herself until she eventually broke down.
As Cornelia stood tall, eyes full of determination, a raspy voice suddenly reached her ears: "Miss, I have a job offer. Would you consider it?"
"Sorry! I already have a job…"
Cornelia responded with irritation without even looking up, immediately refusing. To her, jobs that came looking for her weren't good ones. No way would she believe in something falling into her lap for free.
"Oh? That's unfortunate…"
"Looks like this 150,000 Jewels a month librarian job will have to go to someone else."
The old man sighed and turned away.
"Wait! Sir, I apologize for my rash behavior earlier!"
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm Cornelia Alberona, twenty-three years old! My greatest passion in life is reading…"
"Please, let me take this librarian job."
Cornelia darted in front of the raspy-voiced old man, her face full of excitement.
"Heh…" The old man smiled faintly, just like an NPC offering a quest, handing over the job to Cornelia, whose appearance greatly resembled Cana: "Since you love books so much, I'll leave the job to you. Report to the largest library in town tomorrow! I have high hopes for you!"
"Understood! Thank you!"
Cornelia bowed deeply.
"Now then…"
"Finally."
The old man sighed with relief after giving the job to Cornelia.
Yes, that old man was Ian…
The truth was, Ian had been in the town where Cornelia lived for three months now, secretly watching over her.
Ian had also checked Cornelia's health and found that aside from slight anemia, she was doing well.
In the original timeline, Cornelia's early death was likely due to fatigue and stress.
In this harsh world, it was incredibly challenging for a single young woman to raise a child, let alone raise one well!
Thus, Ian spent three months building the largest library in the town…
And disguised himself as an old man to give Cornelia an easy, low-stress job.
Ian considered it perfect—Cornelia wouldn't find any flaws.
"Now it's time to resume training."
Apart from leaving behind a Thought Projection to regularly pay Cornelia, Ian's true self had arrived in the forest outside the town...
Next, Ian only had one thing to do...
That was to sprint towards the realm of the "Twelve Shields" with all his might!
Yes, Ian wanted to solidify his normal state at the level of the "Twelve Shields."
This way, when Ian activated his Dragon Force mode, he would gain power surpassing the "Twelve Shields"!
Of course, there was still a huge gap before he reached the level of the "Twelve Shields".
It was well known that among the so-called Twelve Shields:
The "Scarlet Despair" Irene Belserion and the "Wizard King" August were in charge of protection, while the remaining ten served as mere shields at the front.
Yes, the difference between the other Twelve Shields and Irene and August was immense, like the difference between ants and humans.
To give a reference…
In the Hundred Years Quest, the Dark Dragon Slayer Knights of the Dragon Eaters Guild(Diabolos) were at a similar level to the Twelve Shields.
Among them, White Tiger Dragon was defeated by Wendy under Irene's guidance, even though Wendy's power at the time was a hundred times weaker than Irene's.
And Ian's goal was to close the gap between himself, Irene, and Selene. He wanted to reclaim his standing as a man, to showcase his strength!
Ahem, let's not say more—too many words would only lead to tears.
Thus.
Time flew by…
Seven years passed in a flash.
It was now the year X772.
Ian, deep in his secluded training, reached a critical point…
He had one foot into the Twelve Shield level.
Just as Ian intended to push his magic power to reach Shield-level, his thought projection issued an alert.
"Warning! Warning!"
"Low life signs detected for Cornelia..."
"Main body, please come and investigate."
With the annoying series of alerts, Ian had no choice but to leave his training and rush to his library.
"What happened?"
Wearing a clown mask, Ian entered the library and asked the elderly librarian he'd created using a combination of Thought Projection and Personality Enchantment magic.
Yes, in order to fully focus on reaching Shield-level, Ian had severed memory and vision sharing between himself and the proxy. He entrusted Cornelia entirely to this S-class level proxy.
"Main body…"
"See for yourself."
The librarian seemed disheartened and shared his memories with Ian.
In an instant, countless scenes flashed before Ian's eyes.
It turned out…
After Cornelia started working at the library, she gave up her previous job to dedicate herself to the library.
Not only did she memorize every book's name, but she also organized them, cataloging and indexing them to make it easier for people to find or buy books.
Under her diligent management, the library grew increasingly busy, and in the end, Cornelia collapsed.
"Are you kidding me?!"
Ian was on the verge of a breakdown. Cornelia might have been fulfilling her role in the library, but was this fair to the one who had crossed time to save her?!
If Cornelia died again, wouldn't Ian's effort be wasted? The system's simulation was irreversible!
"Let me see…"
A flustered Ian rushed into Cornelia's recovery room.
In the room, decorated with sunflowers, Cornelia weakly held the hand of a six- or seven-year-old girl dressed like a doll, Cana. She spoke softly: "Go to the Fairy Tail guild. Your father is there. His name is Gildarts."
Seven years had softened Cornelia's resentment towards Gildarts. She even began to understand why he always left her at crucial times back then!
Working and earning money was truly not easy.
After speaking, Cornelia closed her eyes, as if ready to depart this world.
"Mother!"
Tears filled little Cana's eyes. She couldn't accept losing her wonderful mother.
"Don't you dare die!"
Before Cana could think more…
Ian had already appeared beside Cornelia, who was teetering on the edge of death, and shouted: "Enchant—Energy! Enchant—Stamina! Enchant—Vitality!"
"Mmm~"
With Ian's three boosts, Cornelia, who had been on the brink of death, let out a soft groan, feeling suddenly revived.
"What is happening?!"
Cornelia was confused. She had been on the verge of death, and now she felt fine.
"Let me see what exactly is wrong with you…"
"Ah, I see. No wonder you collapsed—it's stomach cancer."
"Gastric tumor. It's advanced, but I can still cure it."
"After all, this is a world of magic."
Using the medical knowledge he'd gained from Porlyusica, Ian took less than half an hour to diagnose Cornelia.
With that, Ian simply cast a high-level separation spell: "Separate—Tumor!"
In mere seconds, Ian eradicated all cancerous cells from Cornelia's body.
"Mother died..."
"...Mother lived!"
Cana was stunned.
Though she couldn't understand the specifics, she was deeply shaken.
"As you can see, I'm a doctor…"
"So Cornelia, do you want to be a mage?"
"Do you want to become an anti-scumbag mage?!"
Ian pulled up a chair, sat beside the bed, and asked Cornelia.
"Huh?!"
Cornelia was dumbfounded. What did being a doctor have to do with becoming a mage?
"Let me put it another way…"
"Do you want to ride Gildarts under you?"
Seeing Cornelia's blank expression, Ian rephrased.
"Please, make me a mage."
Cornelia might not have fully understood Ian's words.
But when he mentioned a way to ride on top of Gildarts, she instantly understood and responded earnestly.
"I will help you!"
Ian smiled with satisfaction.
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