(Magnolia)
Magnolia Town. A bustling Merchant city with a population of sixty-thousand inhabitants. A western style Town with medieval like buildings that houses many notable locations, such as Kardia Cathedral; said to be one of the three great churches. Lake Sciliora; a vast beautiful lake that stretches as far as the eye can see. And most notably, the number one Guild in Fiore; Fairy Tail...
"YAHOOO!! FREEDOM!!"
Upon arriving to Magnolia, Natsu had immediately escaped the confines of vehicular torture, jumping up into the air in his joy with a wide grin on his face and cheering, no longer affected by his terrible motion sickness.
The others soon exited after him, sweatdropping at his display.
"Alright you two! Just follow me and we'll make it to Fairy Tail in a flash!" Natsu said as he began marching off towards the central road of Magnolia.
"Aye!" Happy added as he and the group followed after his companion.
"Well, he's sure energetic all of a sudden." Lucy deadpanned. The girl had been surprised when the Dragon Slayer had suddenly collapsed after the train had begun moving. Seeing the pink-haired boy move around with such fervor after arriving was a bit jarring.
"That's what happens with Dragon Slayers. Modes of Transportation seem to be their greatest weakness, haha." Cyril chuckled as he followed along.
The city streets were bustling with people. Various types of shops around every corner, restaurants just down the block. The sun easily spreading it's light throughout the town. Magnolia just seemed to be blooming with life all around.
Lucy turned to the blonde boy, "Can you believe it? We're about to join Fairy Tail! The most popular Guild in Fiore!" she exclaimed excitedly as her eyes sparkled. She was curious as to how the people in Fairy Tail would act. Would they be like Natsu? She hoped not. One hot-headed pyromaniac was enough.
"I'm sure they'll give us a warm welcome. They seem like quite an excitable bunch." He commented, already having a clue as to what they were like.
"C'mon you guys! This way!" Natsu called out to them as they reached the central road that would lead them straight to the Guild building.
Lucy's gaze had wandered to all sorts of buildings as they followed the Dragon Slayer. She was amazed with how much activity Magnolia had, staring at several shops and restaurants as they passed all sorts of citizens going on with their activities.
"Wow...this place really is lively." She commented.
"They are housing the number one Guild in all of Fiore. I'm more interested in how much money they spend a year cleaning up Fairy Tail's messes." Cyril added.
"Sorcerer Weekly does cover a lot of their destructive habits." Lucy smiled as she remembered the articles about Fairy Tail.
"Alright! We're here!!" Natsu announced, halting in his footsteps.
The headquarters of the number one Guild was a large, two-story high, pagoda-like structure, with each floor smaller than the one below. The top of the building held three banners showing off Fairy Tail's symbols.
A sign with the Guild's name was above the entrance, topped with a stylized heart shape and flanked by a pair of carved fairies. The large red doors were in front of them; the only thing keeping them from seeing what was held within the Guild building.
Lucy gazed up in awe at the sign, smiling, her suitcase by her side, "Wah... It's huge." she commented.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy declared.
This was it. Cyril had been waiting three years for this day. As he stood in front of the Guild Hall, he reminisced what he could remember about the place. Recalling their spirit, their valor, their bonds. If this was the place he was joining then he knew he'd be in good hands. The only thing he's worried about this place–besides the incoming events–was that he didn't know when the next table was gonna land on his face. The Guild members could sure be rowdy all of a sudden.
Natsu immediately came up to the door and roughly kicked it open.
"WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!!" He angrily announced upon his entrance.
"We're home!" Happy added.
The colorful bunch of individuals within the Guild Hall turned to the noise, noticing their hot-headed pyromaniac's return, and gave warm smiles with friendly greetings.
"What's up Natsu~"
"Heya."
"Natsu, Happy, welcome back."
A man with buck teeth; Krov, leaned his head towards the Salamander, having heard of the incident that occurred in Hargeon. "So I heard you went all out in Hargeon Natsu. Had to go startin' troub–"
*BAM* "UGH!"
The buck toothed member was cut off as a flying foot came right into his face. Natsu's sandal sending the guy flying away into another table, destroying it.
"You lied about that Salamander! I'm gonna kick your ass!" He angrily pumped his fist, prepping for a fight.
The man got back up from the remains of the table, just as aggravated, "Don't blame me! I was just passing along a rumor I heard!" he retorted.
The rest of the Guild watched the spark of another brawl.
"It was just a rumor!?"
"You wanna fight!? Let's go!!"
Chaos ensued.
Lucy and Cyril watched as the Guild Hall descended into madness, all the members soon joined the brawl. Causing destruction even in their own headquarters with chairs, tables, and all sorts of other props flying around. They'd rather not get involved in all the chaos.
"Woah... We're actually here... Inside the Fairy Tail Guild Hall..." Lucy gazed in wonder at the inside of the building, the fight within getting more heated.
"And the place is getting absolutely torn up right now..." Cyril added as a mug flew by his head. It looked like the members were having fun at the very least.
Nearby, a toned and muscular black-haired young man with a silver necklace and the Fairy Tail emblem on his right pec turned at the commotion, noticing the Dragon Slayer.
He was also naked in his boxers.
"So Natsu finally made it back, huh." The naked boy quickly got out of his seat; planning to fight his rival, and began comically stomping his way towards the brawl in nothing but his underwear. "We're gonna settle our fight from last time, punk!!"
On a stool near the bar, a tall and slim young woman with an ample bust and mid-back length brown hair could be seen drinking a glass of wine.
She wore a light blue bikini that left her stomach area exposed, and a pair of capri pants, with her Guild stamp located on the lower left part of her abdomen.
She looked towards the naked young man who was approaching the battlefield. "Gray, your clothes..." She informed him of his current nudity.
"I don't have time for that!!" He yelled back at her, soon jumping into the group; kneeing the face another person who was in the way.
She sighed, "...You see? I don't date the men here because they have no class." She soon picked up a large barrel of alcohol and began downing it after she said that, causing Lucy to stare in shock. That much alcohol could not be healthy...
"HEYY!!! NATSU!!! FIGHT ME!!!" Gray called out to the Salamander as he kicked away another member.
The pink-haired young man turned to him as he was pulling the arm of Krov. "Not until you put some clothes on!"
A large and tall muscular tan-skinned man in a Japanese high school jacket and a red undershirt walked in.
His long white hair was styled upwards in long, wavy spikes, as his right eye had a stitched scar running down the side of his face, and had no visible eyebrows. His Fairy Tail stamp could be seen on the left part of his neck.
"It's only noon and you're all yapping like spoiled brats..." He came up to the brawl with his fists clenched in the air, "SO FIGHT WITH YOUR FISTS TO SHOW YOUR MANHOOD!!!" he preached.
"GET OUTTA THE WAY!!"
*BAM* "GUAAHH!!"
He was promptly sent flying away by a double fist attack from Natsu and Gray, crashing into the nearby wall.
Lucy and Cyril sweatdropped at the sight of a large and muscular man get sent airborne that easily without any resistance. Surely he'd be okay, right?
"Geez, it's so noisy in here..."
A handsome man with mildly short spiky orange hair, wearing azure-tinted sunglasses with a thin frame, and a green coat with a wide, spiky, brownish-white collar, over a light red shirt. He had a girl around each arm.
"I'm gonna go join their fight. But only to protect you two." He says as he gives a wink and a thumbs up to the two girls he's with, causing them to swoon.
Lucy fell on her face, quite literally being floored, as her image of the number four ranker of 'Mages you want as your Boyfriend' by Sorcerer Weekly, was officially corrupted.
"What's with this place? Is there not a single sane person here...?" She says as she lays on the floor.
"Does that count us too?" Cyril crouched down to her. This place really was ridiculous. It was as destructive and happy-go-lucky as he thought.
"Geez...I hope not..." She replied while sitting on her knees.
"Why hello there~ Two newcomers?"
Lucy perked up at the voice, soon shooting up to see the person she was hearing, Cyril standing up with her as they both spotted the miraculous beauty of a woman in front of them.
A curvy, voluptuous, young woman with long white hair, curling slightly at the ends, with two bangs framing her face, a distinctive part of her hair was a short upward ponytail above her forehead.
She had a maroon dress with a pleated skirt. And her chest was adorned by a large, pink, bow.
"So glad Lancer isn't here right now..." He said as he remembered the Servant's tendency to flirt with young women. And what Lancer called 'Flirting', he called 'Harassment'. The beauty of Mirajane would definitely catch the spearman's attention.
"Mi-Mirajane!!! The real one!!!" Lucy began fangirling. "...! *Ahem*, Shouldn't you be stopping them or something?" She asked as she pointed towards the brawl.
"Ah, don't worry about them. This happens all the time." She waves it off with a smile as Natsu accidentally bashes Loke and Happy with a table, while Gray came at him with a chair leg.
*BONK*
A wine bottle came flying in, hitting Mirajane on the side of her forehead, causing her to fall over on her face. The action left the two blondes in shock.
"Ouch..." Cyril commented with a raised brow as he looked down at her prone body.
"IYAAA~!! MIRAJANE!!!" Lucy shrieked to her, horror-struck at the attack done on her favorite model.
Mirajane suddenly stood back up with a wide smile on her face. Blood trickling down her head as she continued smiling at the two. "It's kinda fun this way, right?"
Cyril slowly leaned in towards Lucy's ear. "I'm pretty sure she's not as sane as you think..." He whispered to the shocked blonde girl.
Lucy only had her mouth ajar at the sight. 'Scary...!'
*CRASH* "Oof!!" "IYAH!!"
Gray had crashed into the table next to them, knocking Mirajane away and leaving the table crushed and in splinters.
He was also naked without his boxers.
He got back up, noticing something was wrong. He looked down towards his lower body, realizing that his boxers were currently missing. He quickly turned to a certain pink-haired boy.
"Gimme back my underwear you jerk!!" He yelled to his snickering rival who was twirling his boxers in his hand.
"UWAAHH!!" Lucy covered her face at the sight of a completely naked Gray, causing the boy to turn to them.
He needed underwear, now.
"Excuse me Sir, may I please borrow your underwear...?" He politely requested and held out an open hand as he slid up to the blonde boy.
"Aha...haa...uhh... No." Cyril sweatdropped at the question as his eyebrow twitched. Obviously he wouldn't comply with the request, but it still left him a bit shell-shocked at how sudden it was. Seriously, what the hell goes on through this guy's head?
*WHACK* "OOF!!" "ACK!!"
Gray and Cyril were knocked away as Loke slid in where the two originally were, and picked up Lucy who was beside the whole spectacle.
"Ah geez... People with no elegance are really troublesome, don't you think? By the way, which modeling agency do you belong to?" He flashed a charming smile to Lucy as he carried her.
*BAM* "OUEGHH!!"
Loke was knocked away as well from a manly uppercut by Elfman.
"Real men speak with their fists, Loke!!" He preached with his arm still upright.
*POW* "GUAAGHH!!"
Natsu came around, giving a high kick to Elfman's cheek, sending him flying away again.
"I said you're getting in the way!!" He mentioned his earlier words, annoyed at the manly man coming back.
"Aahhh... So noisy. I can't even drink in peace." An angry vein appeared on Cana's forehead, "Alright you guys... I think it's time–" She held up a Magic Card between two fingers, magical light emanating from it. "–to end this..." A Magic seal formed in front of her.
Gray brought a fist to his open hand, vapors of frost beginning to come out. The very air around him began dropping several degrees. "Oh yeah!? Well I've had it with you punks!!!"
"HRAAAAAAGHH!!!" A Magic circle went through Elfman's arm as bits of stone began to form around it, creating a rock-like arm.
Loke twisted a ring on his index finger, light began shining out of it, "You guys can be such a nuisance..." a Magic seal appeared in front of him.
Fire circled and engulfed Natsu's fists, "I'm ready for ya! Come and get me!!" he released a cocky grin as he raised his fists in the air.
"THEY'RE USING MAGIC!!!?" Lucy screamed out. They're really gonna use magic inside the Guild Building for a stupid brawl!?
Cyril limped over to her, "Y'know... You should've expected this... Also, don't worry about it too much..." he groaned to her.
"Huh? Whaddaya mean don't worry about it!!? They're about to take down the entire place!!" Lucy yelled at him.
A huge foot came stomping in, destroying the floorboard and causing a shockwave to spread throughout the Guild.
"CUT IT OUT, YOU FOOLS!!!"
A giant of a man that shouldn't have been able to fit into the Guild Hall stomped in and ordered for the fighting to stop. He towered over everyone in the building, his true appearance shadowed.
Cyril and Lucy stared up at the behemoth with jaws dropped and eyes wide open with it's a wide shadow covering them.
"Holy crap! He's a lot bigger up close!!"
"HE'S HUGE!!!"
They said respectively.
Everyone had frozen in place, their positions showing that they were either ready to launch an attack, or were already in the middle of one; Gray and Elfman about to release their moves, Cana holding out a card with a blank look on her face, Nab in the middle of chucking someone.
Mirajane had gotten back up from a pile of rubble, turning to the giant with a smile still on her face. "Oh my... I didn't know you were still here Master."
"He's the Master!?" Lucy exclaimed in surprise.
"Yep...sure is..." Cyril groaned out in confirmation.
"DAAAA HA HA HA!!!" Natsu stood tall with a big smile as the rest froze up. "You're all scared stiff like a bunch'a babies! Guess this match is my Win—GACK!!" Natsu was cut off as the foot of the Titan flattened him.
The hulking behemoth looked in the direction of the two blondes, "Hm? It seems we have some new recruits." he noticed.
Lucy was still shaking in fright. Even worse as the giant turned to them. "Y-Yes Sir..." she replied with a stutter.
"You should really calm down." Cyril said to her.
'How can you stay calm when there's a two-story tall monster in front of you!?!?' Lucy screamed at Cyril internally.
"HHHRRRUUUAAAGGGHHH!!!!" The Titan roared as the air itself split as he began shrinking. Gales and shockwaves sent out all over the place. He became smaller and smaller with each second.
"EEEPPP!!" Lucy yelped at the display.
After he finished shrinking and the steam was blown away, his true appearance had been revealed.
Before them was an extremely short elderly man with grey hair and a thick mustache.
He wore an orange hoodie with a white undershirt; the Fairy Tail logo displayed on the front, and had orange shorts and an orange and blue striped jester-like hat.
He waved at them with a small hand, "Nice ta' meet'cha." he greeted them with a friendly tone.
The two blondes looked down at him with differing amounts of shock, as one had expected this and the other did not.
"And smaller up close too..." Cyril remarked.
"He's tiny! He's really the Guild Master?" Lucy asked.
Mirajane came over, her smile still on her face, "Yep! Allow me to introduce to you Fairy Tail's Guild Master, Makarov." she informed them cheerfully.
Before any questions could be asked, Makarov swiftly turned around and leapt up to the second floor railing, bumping his head as he landed, but quickly recovered. "*Ahem*" He cleared his throat.
"You all have gone and done it again! You bunch'a fools! Look at how many complaints the Magic Council sent this time!" He held up a stack of papers, and began listing off incidents.
Incidents that were caused by many Fairy Tail members.
"First off... Gray."
"Huh?" The naked man looked up in confusion.
"Good job wiping out the smuggling organization. But you walked around town naked afterwards. And ran away after stealing underwear that was being dried!"
The black-haired teen couldn't help but feel irked at the complaint. "But...wouldn't it be worse if I were still naked?" He made up an excuse about the theft.
"Then don't be naked in the first place." Elfman retorted.
Makarov moved on to the next person. "Elfman!! You had a mission to escort a VIP, but you assaulted him during the mission."
The manly man turned his head down in shame, "He said 'Men are all about Education,' so..."
"Cana Alberona. You drank fifteen large barrels of alcohol, and charged it straight to the council."
Cana looked away, sweatdropping, "They found out..."
"Loke... Flirting with council member Elder Leiji's granddaughter. A certain talent agency charged us for compensation too."
". . ." The playboy had a drop of sweat going down his cheek.
"And Natsu..." He paused before reading the entire list of the Salamander's incidents. "...You destroyed the Devon thief family, but also destroyed seven other houses that belong to the townspeople... Leveling a historical clocktower in Tuly Village... Burning down a church in Freesia... Damaging parts in Lupinus Castle... Nazuna Ravine Observatory collapsed and thus stopped it's operations... And causing massive destruction all across Hargeon!"
The Dragon Slayer that was still laid on the ground held a confused and irritated expression on his face. Surely things weren't that bad, right? Those Sorcerer Weekly and Council guys really liked to ruin his image.
"Wow... Most of the articles covered in that magazine you gave me were done by Natsu, huh..." Lucy whispered to Cyril.
"Not really all that much of a surprise to be honest..." He whispered back. He knew very well how destructive the Dragon Slayer was. He'd experienced it the hard way too.
Makarov listed more members who've cause trouble, "Alzack. Levi. Krov. Reedus. Warren. Bisca. Etc..." he began shaking in what seemed to be anger. "You guys... All you kids are good for is getting the council mad at me!"
All members seemed to be looking away in shame, unable to keep their heads held up high. Lucy turned to them with worry as Cyril continued to watch the Guild Master.
"...However..." The stack of complaints that the Magic Council had sent was lit on fire, much to the shock of Lucy, "I say forget about the Magic Council." he threw papers away towards Natsu, who caught in his mouth like a dog.
"Now listen up...
Any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason right?
Magic isn't some kind of Miraculous Power..."
Cyril sorta doubted that part... There were plenty of Magics that could cause Miracles, such as the True Magics from the Fate Universe. Those practitioners of true magic sure are freaks of nature... But he still agreed mostly with what the elderly man is saying.
"It is a talent that only works when the flow of energy inside of us...and the flow of energy from the natural world are in perfect synchronization...
To perform Magic, one must have a strong mind, and the ability to focus. It should take over your being and come pouring out of your soul."
More and more members began to raise their heads, listening to the Guild Master's words and engraving it within their hearts.
"If all we do is focus on rules then our magic will never truly progress.
Don't let those blowhards in the council scare you. Follow the path you believe in!"
He raised his hand to the air with only it's index finger and thumb splayed out with it's back facing them.
"Cause that's what makes the Fairy Tail Guild, Number One!"
"YEEEAAAHHH!!!"
The rest of the Guild cheered and copied his movement, giving the sign as well. The Guild Master's very words inspired them and uplifted their moods, bringing back the warm cheerfulness of the Guild Hall.
Cyril remembered the origin of that sign. It was created by a young Laxus. The sign being a message to other members meaning that even if they can't see each other...and no matter how far apart they are...they'll always be watching. They're practically family after all...
Soon after, all the Guild members returned to their normal schedules and boisterous banter.
Makarov jumped down from the second floor, and settled himself in a cross-legged position on top of the bar counter.
He looked towards the two newcomers, "So you two wanted to join the Guild, right?"
Lucy quickly nodded her head, "Yes! I'd love nothing more than to be a part of this wonderful guild!" she affirmed with plenty of excitement and stars in her eyes.
"Is there some sort of test we'll have to go through first?" Cyril asked. He doesn't remember how Lucy was able to join in the first place. It probably wasn't shown.
"Hm? Well I guess there would be if you two hadn't been invited already." Makarov revealed.
"Invited? By who?" The Celestial Wizard questioned. She doesn't remember meeting any other Fairy Tail Wizards before Hargeon.
Mirajane came over behind the counter with the Guild stamp already in her hands. "By Natsu of course. He was the one who brought you two here after all."
The two blondes looked to each other in surprise at how easy it was to join. "Wow. Looks like that pyromaniac really came in handy, huh." Cyril remarked.
"Mhm. We really lucked out, didn't we?" She looked to her fellow blonde with a smile, thankful to the pink-haired boy she met at Hargeon. They were getting into Fairy Tail without any hassle!
He bristled at the question. "Yeah... Totally lucked out..." Cyril didn't enjoy talking about his luck, the subject irked him when it came up. He increases it, but it never really seemed to matter. He always finds some way to get screwed over.
He didn't expect on having to skip the exam, but he guessed it made sense since Natsu and the others were taken in without doing one. Probably because they were kids though... Does this mean Natsu was adopting them into the Guild like Makarov did for him? How strange... This place is more of an orphanage than a Guild.
Lucy received a pink stamp on her right hand, and began fawning over her Fairy Tail mark; happily dancing and twirling excitedly while she held her hand up in the air.
'She can be quite dramatic sometimes...' Cyril thought to himself.
He came up and took off his left glove, asking Mirajane to put a red stamp on his left hand. His right hand was already marked with Command Seals, so he'd put it on his left instead. Afterwards, he put back on his glove and began to think of what he should do next. After several seconds of pondering, he decided...
He needs a House. One big enough to fit him and his Servants when he summons more. This seemed like a good enough task for right now.
He turned to Lucy, "Well congrats to the both of us to joining Fairy Tail."
"Yeah! We're totally gonna go on great adventures and make lots of money!" She was still fawning over her Guild mark.
Cyril chuckled, "Well then, I guess this is where we part ways again for now." he declared. Lancer was probably reaching Magnolia soon, so he'd need to go meet up with him somewhere.
She turned back to him in surprise, "Huh? You're leaving already again? But we just got here. Don't you wanna look at some jobs before you go?" she asked. He had just received his Guild mark and he wants to leave already?
"I probably will another time, but I've gotta find a place to stay. My old home was destroyed, and I'm sure my 'roommate' is gonna want a new location to stay at." He reasoned.
"I didn't even know you had a roommate." She remarked. He never talked about his roommate before.
"See you later Lucy. Tell Natsu and Happy I said bye as well." He gave his farewell and began making his way to the door.
"Bye. See you later." She said back. Maybe she should go find a place too later. She should have enough Jewels to get a good home.
Cyril passed through the doors, walking by a young boy who made his way inside the Guild Hall.
. . .
. . .
~Hours Later
(Strawberry Street)
"Here ya go."
Cyril caught a set of keys the old man tossed to him.
He had been looking for an appropriate place to settle down in. Most of the buildings that matched his requirements weren't for sale, so he had to keep looking for a while. Eventually, he found a perfect house right on Strawberry Street, right next to the canal. He bought it for 200,000 Jewels with the 500,000 he had saved up in his inventory. It was a big hit to the funds but it was worth it.
It was a two-story tall building with white walls and a light-brown sloping roof with four chimneys on top, and four windows on each floor. It overlooked the canal with the bridge in front of it.
The place contained several rooms for people to stay in, including a Master bedroom for himself. It had a large kitchen that could hold everything a chef could ask for, a dining room that could fit a large group of people at the table, the large living room was quite sparse with furniture; having only a couple tables, couches, and sofas, also three bathrooms throughout the building. Plus he had a basement for whatever he needed that for.
Overall, it had what he needed for a large group of individuals that would stay in one place of residence. This reminded him a lot of the Emiya estate, but Cyril's place was smaller.
"Thanks." He waved his farewell as the old man left.
He sighed and began to move on to his next step of action.
He needed to go grocery shopping...
In his old home at Hargeon, Cyril was the one who had to prepare most of the meals. Lancer definitely wasn't bad at cooking, but the man preferred to go eat out with ladies rather than an average home-cooked meal. That Servant really did go outside a lot. You'd barely be able to see him at home since he's always somewhere around the town, either working a part-time job, fishing, or going on dates with ladies. The guy really wasn't a home person, but he still appeared there sometimes.
Speaking of Lancer, his Servant hadn't yet contacted him of his arrival. He didn't know what was taking him so long, but he hoped the spearman would get here soon.
Cyril made his way to the shopping district, looking for a store that would sell him some groceries. Even though he was a Mage now, he still had to do mundane things such as this. What a pain...
"Yo, Master. Hope I didn't make ya wait too long." A familiar voice called out to him from behind.
'Perfect timing.'
Cyril turned around to see the Servant himself in a black jacket with a white undershirt and black pants. It was Lancer's casual attire whenever he wasn't working or fishing.
Lancer had just arrived in Magnolia after trekking through forests upon forests while dematerialized. He had managed to reach the town in several hours, while the train took an entire night.
"Lancer. Took you long enough." He greeted the spearman. "I've already gotten us a place of residence." He said with crossed arms.
"That's great Master, knew you could do it." He says with a carefree grin. "So where is it?"
Cyril shoved a finger towards his Servant's face and wagged it, "Nuh-uh, Lancer. You weren't here to help find a home, so you'll help with groceries." the blonde boy nagged.
Lancer looked at him and sighed with an annoyed expression, "Seriously... Making a Hero do 'Shopping' of all things. You really are quite the Master." he shrugged his shoulders with a huff. Who the hell makes Heroes do shopping? His Master, that's who.
Cyril looked back with furrowed brows, "Shut it Lancer. What the Master says the Servant follows along. And I said you're helping with the groceries so you're gonna help." he pulled the Servant along with him down the street.
"Yes, yes...you're the boss..." The spearman apathetically voiced out. He'd rather go out and find a new fishing spot than go get groceries. Hopefully there'd be a pretty lady there to distract him.
The blonde Master wanted to get this shopping trip over with already. Since Lancer's here now he might as well have him carry most of the stuff home.
The street began to become more and more scarce with citizens walking around, since the sun had actually started setting a little while ago with most people having gone home already. It would soon be night time, and Cyril would like to get back home before ten.
Just as they were about to reach the market that was around the corner, they were stopped when Cyril had bumped into someone.
"Sorry about that." He apologized.
"You should watch where you're go–" The female voice paused in her speech as she recognized who the blonde boy was. "Hey! You're one of the newbies at the Guild, right?"
Cyril looked to her and finally noticed who it was, "Cana Alberona? What are you doing here?"
The brunette gave an easy-going grin with a hand on her hip, while she carried a bottle in the other. "I was just making my way back to Fairy Hills before you bumped into me. How's it going Newbie? You left the Guild Hall as soon as you got your stamp. What was that about?" She had noticed the blonde boy leaving immediately after his recruitment.
Cyril rubbed the back of his head and gave a soft chuckle, "Haha, sorry about that. I had to go find a place to live before I went off on a job."
"Ah, no problem. Was just curious." She waved him off.
"Friend of yours?" The blue-haired man asked his Master as he began checking out the Fairy Tail alcoholic. She was quite the beauty.
Cana eyed the man who seemed acquainted with one of the newest members of the guild. "Gonna introduce us Newbie?"
The Newbie rolled his eyes. "Right," Cyril first introduced Cana to Lancer, "Lancer, this is Cana Alberona. She's a member of the Guild I joined." then introduced Lancer, "Cana, you can call this guy Lancer. Feel free to ignore him." he nonchalantly disregarded the spearman.
"Oi! Oi! Ain't that a bit too cold-hearted!?" Lancer complained to the blonde boy with a surprised look.
"Ice-cold, Newbie." Cana added with an amused grin. "So what'cha boys up to?"
"We were actually just about to go buy some groceries." Cyril wasn't expecting to bump into Cana here. And unfortunately...
"And maybe with a lovely lady, it could make the trip a whole lot more enjoyable." Lancer winked at her.
Cyril mentally sighed. Whenever a girl caught Lancer's eye the Servant would always lock onto the target and commence operation "Catch a Fish". The blonde teen would always find it irritating whenever Lancer would be distracted from a task the young man gave him just so he could go pick up a girl.
"Hmm? You asking me to keep you company?" Cana asked with a sly smile.
"Maybe I'm asking you to a drink." Lancer offered and leaned in with a smirk.
Oh crap... Cyril knew just how much Cana liked alcohol, so he knew she'd most likely accept the offer. And even more troublesome was that she was gonna drink Lancer out of money! The spearman seriously didn't know what he was getting into.
"Hohh? That's an enticing offer. But if it's a date you're looking for, sorry. I only go out with guys who can keep up with my drinking." She brushed back a lock of hair as she turned away from the blue-haired man.
"Confident in your alcohol tolerance, ain'tcha?" Lancer remarked.
"Of course. I'd be surprised to see anyone in this town to be able to match me. I doubt you'd be any different." Cana provoked the Servant.
"Lancer, don–"
"Don't underestimate me miss. I can show you just how much different I am from the rest." Lancer put a hand on his hip and raised his nose up at her, and grinned. "Whoever you've been drinking with must'a been lightweights." He shot back.
"And you're saying you aren't?" Cana leaned in with a defiant smile. It was a while since someone decided to challenge her.
"Of course not." Lancer leaned in as well with a confident grin.
Sparks began to clash between the two as they stared dead on at each other. The two were practically butting heads, an aura of fighting spirit beginning to form around them.
"Well then, let's make a deal." Cana crossed her arms with a cocky grin. She was ready to milk this guy for all he's worth. "You versus me in a drinking contest. Whoever drinks the most or is the last one standing in the end wins." She challenged the spearman.
Lancer crossed his arms as well, closing a single eye as he tilted his head, "And the reward?"
"The winner gets the loser to do anything they want." She offered.
Lancer chuckled at her words, "You sure that's something you wanna offer miss? Cause who knows what I'd do to ya." Lancer sounded as confident as ever.
"You make it sound like you've already won." Cana remarked.
"That's cause I know I'll win." Lancer confirmed.
Sparks clashed yet again between two.
"Alright tough guy. The bar just around the corner. We'll settle this there." Cana pointed to the bar nearby, the location of their contest having been confirmed.
"Hmph, don't come crying to me when ya lose." Lancer smirked as the two went off towards the bar.
" . . . . . "
Cyril stood there dumbfounded at what had just happened, a gust of wind blowing by his feet as he continued his imitation of a statue. His Servant had just challenged Fairy Tail's heaviest drinker to a drinking contest... Not even a few hours had passed since Lancer had arrived and he was already causing trouble. Looks like he'll have to save the shopping trip for another time...
(Nearby Bar)
The two challengers sat across from one another, the bar empty; having been reserved for the two. The bartender stood behind the counter with a wide smile, already having multiple barrels of alcohol beside him for the two to drink with. He knew he struck gold with this one.
Cyril stood by their table with crossed arms as sweat ran down the side of his head. He had been hoping to talk Lancer out of this, but it looks like it's too late. He didn't doubt his Servant's fortitude, but he was a lot more confident in Cana's. Their battle would soon commence as they made him the referee.
The two contenders stared at one another, sparks flying as their massive auras of fighting spirit clashed, causing Cyril to furrow his brows at the sight of them just staring at each other. Neither were gonna back down from this now.
Cana was the first one to speak up. "Not too late to back down tough guy. I've had plenty of contests like this before and I've never lost a single one." She offered him a chance to give up. There wasn't anyone who had managed to beat her yet. She was confident that she would keep that streak going.
Lancer scoffed at the offer. "A Knight of the Red Branch never backs down from a challenge. You may as well be the one to give up while you still can." He retorted with a cocky grin.
The two narrowed their eyes at each other, prepared to outdrink their opponent. There would only be one winner in this duel of drinks, and neither one intends to be the loser.
Cyril's eyes were closed as his brows were furrowed. He gave a sigh with a sweatdrop and began counting down.
"Get ready in, 3..."
The two combatants' hands neared their mugs like a western quick-draw duel as if they were their guns. An alcohol barrel for each of them for refills when they finished it.
"...2..."
They both could feel the fighting spirit the other had. They would have to take this seriously. Their eyes narrowed at each other during the countdown.
"...1..."
Cyril raised his arm in the air as the two were just about to grab their mugs.
He swung it down, beginning the match.
"Begin!"
The two contestants swiftly grabbed the handles of their mugs and downed the alcohol that it held. The bitter taste of booze filled their mouths, the cold beverage smoothly going down their throats with each gulp, causing the buzz to come to them.
After one drink came the second. After the second came the third. After the third came the fourth. They began their battle strong, and without any hesitation for each drink. They both finished their barrel of alcohol in just a matter of a couple minutes with the slam of their mug on the table.
"Need a refill! / Get me another one!"
They both yelled to the bartender at the same time. A barrel was swiftly deposited next to them, beginning their second round of drinking.
The sounds of gulping and refilling filled the bar, both fighters constantly drinking the alcohol held within the barrels. They soon finished their second barrel.
"More! / Another one!"
They called out again.
After the second barrel came the third. After the third came the fourth. After the fourth came the fifth! They kept on going, neither backing down to one another. After they finished their tenth barrel they looked to one another to check how they were doing.
Cana had a light flush to her cheeks, the buzz of the alcohol beginning to take effect. "Look at you! Looks like you weren't all talk after all! Maybe you might just have a chance." She grinned at her opponent.
Lancer who also began to have a small flush and a buzzing feeling looked back to her with the same cocky grin. "Of course. I ain't gonna drop from just a few barrels of alcohol. My comrades would be laughing at me from the grave if they heard about it!"
They both continued grinning as another barrel of alcohol was dropped by them, and continued their duel.
Cyril watched in awe at the two drinkers. How in the hell were they able to down that much alcohol without ruining their insides? Lancer he could somewhat understand because he's a Servant. Cana though? She was a regular ol' human who was keeping up with the Irish Hero. She really was a monster when it came to alcohol tolerance.
They both just finished their seventeenth barrel, slamming their mugs onto the table as they wiped their mouths with their forearms. They looked to one another again, both noticing the flush that was becoming more prevalent on each other's face.
"Looks like you're starting to redden up there pal! Don'tcha think you should go ahead and throw in the towel? I can keep this going all day!" Cana exclaimed to the man.
Lancer scoffed at her statement, "Aren't you the one who should be throwing? I see yer cheeks reddening up like a tomato, don't try that on me!"
They continued with a refill and began their next round of liver destroying alcohol consumption, the two still going strong.
"Uhm, guys? Who's gonna be the one to pay for this?" Cyril asked as he sweatdropped. They're burning through a lot of alcohol. All those barrels must not be cheap, as each contained gallons of the poisonous beverage.
They promptly responded with another refill, a series of gulps, a breath of relief, and a slam to the table, repeating the process over and over again. The barrels getting replaced over and over again as well.
The bartender kept his smile going strong, watching the two freaks of alcoholic nature going at it. Those two really are something else...
"*GLUG* *GLUG*"
"*GULP* PUAH! *GLUG*"
The sounds of their duel clashed with one another, gulps and glugs reverberating throughout the bar as they downed another mug of alcohol. Their faces began to redden a little more and more with each passing barrel that came their way. And with a gasp of relief from a finished drink, they emptied their forty-second barrel.
The two slowly looked up to each other, eyes beginning to become half-lidded, their blushes as apparent as ever.
"*Hic* You don't loOk so good buddY... mayBe you should just give uP already...*Hic*" Cana managed to get out through her hiccups.
"*Hic* Don't...UndereStimate tHe Constitution...of a Celt...! *Hic*" Lancer slurred his words as he still grinned.
Another barrel came and their battle continued. This was no longer a duel for the reward, it was duel for their pride. They've found an opponent who could match them, so they must prove their worth through this skirmish of stillery. Neither were willing to back down, and kept going for the sake of winning. There would only be one winner, and they intend for it to be themselves!
The forty-fifth barrel! The forty-sixth barrel! The forty-seventh barrel! They kept going and going, both unwilling to give up. A slam onto the table, into the sounds of liquid running from the barrels, into gulps and glugs, and repeating this process over and over again.
Cyril began to look more worried with each drink. Neither of them would hold up at this rate, and whoever wins surely wouldn't be able to think with a clear head about their reward. He'd just hope they wouldn't ask for something too ridiculous.
Their faces were completely flushed red, their eyes half-lidded, their visions becoming blurry. Their opponent had not yet fallen, so they would not falter!
Cana looked to Lancer with a wide crooked smile after she finished her drink, "PUAH! I HavEn'T hAD ThiS MUch fuN In a whiLe!! THiS iS GrEaT!! *Hic*" She exclaimed in her drunken stupor.
Lancer slammed his mug into the table and released a feral grin with his droopy face. "*Hic* I HAveN't MeT a WoMAn WHo CoUld hoLD hEr LiQUoR As WeLL aS YoU BEFoRE!! YeR ReaLLy OnE oF A KinD!!" He complimented in his drunken daze.
"AHaHah! I COuLD SaY tHE SaME feR YOu!!" Cana managed to compliment her new comrade back. "BuT I stiLL DOn'T PlaN oN losiNG!! *Hic*"
"*Hic* NeIThEr aM I!!" Lancer exclaimed with a mug at his lips.
Cyril sweatdropped at the display. It would seem a terrifying relationship was being born here. What it was he couldn't tell. These two may very well become drinking buddies after this, running each bar across Magnolia dry of their liquor. He was worried for the future...
This battle of will and alcohol had been going on for a while. The empty barrels having already filled up the bar; creating walls of barrels, with more being added every couple minutes. They had slowed down after their first forty, but more were still being stacked and added. The two booze guzzlers were still going!
The fifty-ninth!! The sixtieth!! The sixty-first!! They just wouldn't stop! They were having too much fun and still didn't want to lose. This contest would only end with one of them getting knocked out.
And after the sixty-fifth barrel...
*Thud*
"*ZZzzzZzz...ZzZzzz...*"
The Celtic warrior dropped to the floor on his back, unconscious from all the alcohol in his system.
The lady of booze shakily got out of her seat and stood over him.
"YYEEAhHHH~!!!" She cheered aloud, stretching her arms and looking up to the ceiling. Cana unsteadily swayed there for another second, before collapsing right on top of the Servant; joining him in his slumber, her bountiful chest landing on his face, her eyes were swirls as she slept. Lancer would suffocate if she wasn't moved.
Cyril stood above the two unconscious combatants, his face bewildered at the result of the match. The win conditions were whoever drank the most or was the last one standing in the end, wins. They had both drank the same amount of alcohol, and he hadn't called the match yet before Cana dropped to the ground, meaning...
A Double Knockout... A Tie!
"You've gotta be kidding me!" He yelled to the two sleeping drinkers. They had gone through all that effort just for a stalemate! But they've also forgotten one important thing about this contest...
Who was gonna pay for all the alcohol?
One-hundred-thirty barrels had been completely dried up and were stacked all over the bar; a fortress of barrels. He thought Cana and Lancer would share the bill since they were the ones drinking, but they were both knocked out from the match, meaning...
"Excuse me Sir... Here's your bill..."
Those words have never been more terrifying than ever before. He was the only one left standing after this battle of booze, meaning he was the one who had to pay up.
He slowly turned around, seeing the bartender and his absolutely wicked smile. The man had an aura of death around him as he held out the bill, the paper held within his hand being offered to the young man.
Cyril began sweating profusely as he looked to the paper. That demonic death note would no doubt be the end of his second life the moment he gazed upon it's forbidden numbers.
The devil of a bartender looked down at him with horrifying abyssal eyes, "You're not going to skip out on the bill, are you?" he tilted his head, his aura of impending doom grew further.
Cyril slowly shook his head and shakily took the bill, his hands trembling as he brought it closer. He turned it around and what he saw truly was the end for him as his face lost color. He had nearly fainted upon spotting the price.
"Sir... Your payment?" The demonic bartender asked.
Cyril shakily took out all his funds from his inventory and handed it over to the demon. He was truly all out of money now...
"Sir...this is not enough. I will put the remaining cost on your tab." The devil bartender told to him with a truly evil grin.
Cyril had begun silently weeping. Those idiots had gotten themselves knocked out and left the entire bill to him! And now he's in debt...
The true winner of this match turned out to be the bartender, with him as the loser.
Oh, how unfortunate his first day in Magnolia truly is...
. . .
. . .
(Home)
「SHOP」
[Items]
[Magecrafts]
[Essences]
(FP: 3,800)
Cyril currently sat atop his bed, looking at the screen that showed the shop. He had just finished dropping off Cana at Fairy Hills, and throwing Lancer into one of the rooms in the house. He finally had some time to go over some options in the Shop.
He currently had 3,800 FP he could spend. In the past several months in Hargeon, he had managed to scrape up FP through side Quests that he'd sometimes get. Main Quests seemed to give the most since 2,500 of the points he had, came from the one he completed after Hargeon.
He frowned at the number. He still hadn't gained enough FP for an Essence. Though, with the addition of Main Quests, that'll probably change soon.
The one he was planning to buy was still the Bazett one. He's already practiced with runes for quite a while now, and he's been basing his fighting style off of Bazetts to become something akin to a juggernaut. If he buys that Essence then his current skill would jump several fold.
Or, he could buy Shirou's instead, the main reason being Tracing and Unlimited Blade Works. Tracing was a pretty powerful ability that would allow the user to Project an object with its history and abilities. He would be able to produce degraded Noble Phantasms.
But he didn't think it was a good idea to get this yet.
He doesn't have enough Mana to consistently Trace powerful Noble Phantasms, or even manifest the Reality Marble, making the versatility of Unlimited Blade Works very hindered. There were other benefits, but they wouldn't make up for the cost of the Essence, so this option was a no-go for now.
But there was a third Essence that caught his eye. He looked at the Essence that had appeared after he reached Fate Level 3 a while back.
An Essence that had the portrait of Kirei Kotomine.
「Essence of the Executor」
Requirements:
–Spiritual Healing
–Baptism Rites
–Fate Level 3
Receives:
–Memories of Kirei Kotomine
–Black Keys
–Knowledge of Spiritual Healing, Baptism Rites, Black Keys, and Super Bajiquan
–Equipable Item: Black Heart
Cost: 5,000 FP
The "Essence of the Executor" was something that had appeared in the shop along with "Baptism Rites" and "Spiritual Healing" in the Magecrafts section; both costing 1,500 FP. The system had told him the gist of the things related to this Essence, though he won't be able to use them if he doesn't buy them.
He had actually been planning to buy the Spiritual Healing Magecraft, believing in its use for if anyone got injured in the upcoming events. The Magecraft heals through a spiritual medium, as in healing through the soul rather than the flesh. It is a "curse" that can remove the infected part without using a single surgical knife on the body. Something akin to spirit surgery. And of course, he was no surgeon, so he doubted he'd be that efficient at first with the Magecraft when he buys it.
The Baptism Rites are Sacraments taught to members of the Church to fight spiritual beings. It's pretty weak against physical beings, but overwhelming against spiritual bodies. The Sacraments will be most effective against Demons and Wraiths, capable of exorcising and damaging them.
The Black Keys are magical blades that are emphasized to have the ability to "intervene spiritually against evil". It is a weapon with low physical attack power, mainly used for throwing and pinning targets down. An important aspect of the weapon was that if the key hits the shadow of a target, then their body will freeze, leaving them at the mercy of the wielder, unless it is neutralized by an outside force.
And Bajiquan is a chinese martial art that takes the shortest route to the opponent without showing any initial movement to damage the inside of the body instead of the outside. Kirei had enhanced the technique using magecraft to fight against Dead Apostles, calling it Super Bajiquan. Cyril thought it would be nice to learn the thing if he could.
He thought well of this Essence, as he would not only gain profiency with the related magecrafts, he'd also gain knowledge on how to use the Black Keys, and Bajiquan. Though, that Black Heart item does seem a bit intriguing.
The Black Heart was a fake heart given to Kirei Kotomine by Angra Mainyu to ressurect the man. The system had told him that the properties of the Black Heart, when equipped, would allow him to resist curses. One feat Kirei had with it was when the Noble Phantasm of Cursed Arm Hassan–an ability that would allow Assassin to create a mirror image heart of the target, and by crushing it would cause the real heart to be crushed with it–was rendered ineffective against the Fake Heart. So moves that targeted the heart that wasn't an actual hit would be nullified.
This Essence could come in handy later on, but he still isn't too sure. It's as expensive as the others and requires two other expensive magecrafts. He doesn't know how useful it would be against this world's spirits and demons, but he may consider getting it in the future if he is able to afford it. Right now he'll stick with trying to get The Enforcer and buy Spiritual Healing, he'll make the points back through Main Quests.
Cyril sighed and swiped away the screen, finished going over Essences. Today had really been a handful, with joining the Guild, to finding a house, to him losing all his saved up funds in a drinking contest that he didn't participate in. As he looked out the window into the night sky, he couldn't help but feel like things were only going to get more troublesome in the future.
He laid down onto his bed, drowsiness starting to take over his being. He'd need to find a job tomorrow that paid well enough so he could buy groceries and other necessities for the house. Hopefully he'll be able to find one.
He closed his eyes, his body relaxing and still. After a couple more breaths, one could hear the soft snoring of the young Master in his room, his chest slowly moving up and down as he succumbed to his slumber.
Tomorrow would be his first day as a Fairy Tail Wizard. He hoped it wouldn't be too troublesome.
Author's Note
So yeah, turns out I lied about the First Job thing. I wanted to get it in with this chapter but it was already getting a bit too long and I didn't want a repeat of Chapter 3.
Members of the Guild have been introduced just like canon with Cyril and Lancer having just moved into Magnolia. Unfortunately for the young Master, his Guildmate and Servant ended up drinking him out of money. So the next chapter is definitely going to be the Everlue Mansion job and lead up to the Lullaby arc(I think).
I finally had to write the first real Servant and Fairy interaction, so I hope it wasn't too bad. I was racking my brain to think of who should be the first Fairy Cú interacts with, and eventually decided Cana Alberona. Cú as a Demigod and Celtic warrior had to have a high alcohol tolerance, right? I hoped I was able to show Cana and Cú in character here, though it was mostly just her drinking and trading words with him. Tell me if you liked their interaction or if I did something wrong.
Thanks for reading this so far, I hope you enjoyed it. See you in the next chapter I guess.
