Thinking about it now, perhaps he should have handled the situation a little less irritably than he did, but past prejudice prevented him from doing so.
It was, after all, a reminder of what he once was and his previous goals.
Yet now that he found himself in this world without the influence of anything to tie him down, why should it matter anymore?
Thorough and quick-witted as he was, it did not take long before he came to such a conclusion.
Sighing, he couldn't quite dispel the irritation of the previous event, even more so when he realized that he may have to explain his actions.
He snorted.
No one would understand anyway.
His eyes scanned his surroundings of the residential area within Magnolia by the harbour district. It was in one of these buildings that he envisioned himself acquiring for the stability of his siblings.
Just, the prices were daunting.
Astronomically higher than what he thought was reasonable.
Having grown up in the Small Village, currency was not dependant on the amount of money, or jewels as many residents would call it. Instead, it was a combination between resources and the money one had on hand. If a person were short on funds, they could give out something of value that they owned.
He himself had participated in such transactions.
Since the passing of his parents of this world, not much money was left on hand to feed the mouths of four growing children. Aside from himself, what mattered most was obtaining an optimal amount of nutrition in a diet for his siblings. As such, he had traded his own self-made equipment on top of cash. From wood carvings to axe handles, he sold a plethora of miscellaneous things which depended on the buyer's personal tastes.
Regardless though, in the Small Village, everything was straight forward.
Didn't have enough jewels on hand?
Trade something else in replacement.
Here in Magnolia though, Jewels were the sole currency.
Looking at the price of the flyer in his hand and then to the building in front of him, he momentarily lost his irritation regarding the events at Fairy Tail.
The price in front of him was just that expensive.
Scowling, he scratched his head before reluctantly walking on.
The sound of his feet was barely heard within the clamor of the bustling crowd, but it was preferable that way as he fell into silent contemplation. He knew that to be able to make enough jewels to purchase a residence, his best chance was to return to Fairy Tail and ask Makarov about Guild Missions.
Guild Missions were missions specifically undertakable by Mages of legal Guilds across Fiore. They ranged in difficulty from C to B to A, and to S, with S being the most difficult.
In his case, he didn't really care for difficulty, just the pay which increased exponentially with each level of designated rank.
It was just that he had to register himself for the specific Guild Mission, and doing that meant returning to the Guild.
The Guild itself was not the reason for his apprehension, rather, he feared the others there would ignite his anger by reminding him of things he would rather forget. Feelings he had thought that he had long since discarded.
How Foolish.
His hands clenched into fists.
I want to be Hero.
It was like swallowing a bitter pill. One that he refused to acknowledge.
He didn't have to meet anyone, he decided.
"T-Then when will you come home?"
His back stiffened as he walked, recalling the faces his siblings made whenever he decided to venture out on his own, whether for hunting or looking for work. In a way, they weren't any different to how they normally looked, rather it was the misgiving and uneasiness expressed in their eyes that always caused him to look away.
He was a hardened man, with very little able to affect him, but this was somehow different.
Having no recollection of a blood family before, this was his first time experiencing what was perhaps known as familial instinct.
His brows creased.
Moments later he decided to leave a note for his siblings, or drop by before somehow undertaking a mission.
For now, his greatest concern was reaching Makarov to discuss the concept of Guild Missions without running into Erza, Jellal, and the group of other children following them. In this way, avoiding a relapse of the earlier situation.
He did not have the time nor patience to deal with those kinds of people right now.
Estimating the path ahead of him, he closed his eyes and laid down a mental map of his position and the direction he needed to take to return to the Guild. Having previously left the Guild in a hurry, he had a vague image of how far he had travelled.
From his location, Fairy Tail was directly north of him, and he could arrive there within the hour by taking the main road. Clearly though, that was not what he was intending on doing.
The speed of his steps gradually increased before he took a detour in the side alleys and began circumventing around the objects around him. The garbage bags, and the less savoury things generally kept away from the public eye. Of course, that included the less fortunate. All of this was just so that he could circle around Fairy Tail and make his way into the building from the backdoor if the Guild had one. If not, there was always a window he could find or help create.
His presence in the alleys went unnoticed by the inhabitants who couldn't care less about the matters of another brat in the area. They were too busy dealing with their own lives to care since not everyone could be a mage, nor be fortunate enough to land a steady income.
With the skills that he possessed, it didn't take him long to arrive back at the Guild.
Yet instead of entering immediately, he surveyed the area first. Of the people present before he left, only one or two remained, and that included his siblings and Jellal. Both Lisanna and Elfman were crowded around Mirajane who was glaring hard at an uncomfortable looking Jellal.
From his discerning eyes, it appeared as if Mirajane was at the point of exchanging blows, but Elfman and Lisanna were preventing her.
Shifting his weight between his feet, he let out a sigh before tracing his black bow and a blunt dagger in which he altered into a projectile arrow. Fiddling with his hands, he then attached a small note to the end of the arrow's shaft and fired it, not even glancing back before he moved to enter a window of the guild, arriving inside an office of sorts.
"Your actions don't appear to be the wisest," Makarov spoke from his position sitting on top of a desk.
He grunted in response. "And I suppose you would be the judge of that? Meddling isn't something an elder should be partaking in," he said.
Makarov took off his hat before speaking. "And neither is troubling others something a child like yourself should be partaking in. You have to understand the circumstances regarding those children. They've already been through more than can be imagined."
He didn't reply back.
After all, he could already picture what Makarov meant. Despite the events Erza and Jellal had described to him about the other 'him' in Fiore, it was still watered down. Parts where omitted to save time, and numerous events were left unexplained and glazed over. For example, the entirety of the place Jellal and the rest were detained in and subject to labour, became just the Tower of Heaven. With the basic question from either of the two, worded like so, 'do you not remember what happened in the Tower of Heaven?'
He did not know the context, but he had deduced a general understanding from the bandages around the other children that had gathered near Erza.
That alone was enough.
More than enough for an Ally of Justice to act.
And the sheer gratitude of such an action, well, the results were apparent.
Just seeing him alone was enough to gather a group so large.
Makarov seemed to see something in him during the silence and spoke with a lighter tone.
"I see you've actually thought it over," Makarov spoke with a brow raised and hands falling to his lap where he placed his hat. "But that doesn't explain your subsequent actions," Makarov stared with a discerning eye, before shrugging moments later. "There are some things that every person doesn't wish to disclose. In this case, I won't pry further, but I expect you to watch your behaviour. Children are emotional, and may take things the wrong way."
"Then so be it," he crossed his arms. "I've actually come here for a different matter."
"And that would be?" Makarov asked, placing his hat back on.
"High level Guild Missions," he said.
The hat Makarov was placing on his head seemed to freeze along with the hands putting it on.
The expression on Makarov's face was one of befuddlement, his eyes wide, and mouth open before the man composed himself.
"You want a High level Guild Mission?" Makarov spoke, coughing into his hand in an attempt to mask his earlier mishap.
However, Makarov's question and reaction were reasonable.
He and his siblings had just joined the Guild hours ago, but here he was now already asking for a high-level mission. It was more difficult, but it provided more pay.
Still, Makarov just did not know how to answer right away.
As time went on, he could tell though from the shifting of Makarov's expression that a refusal was about to come on. Then again, he had anticipated such an action. His physical body was still that of child's, and like most children who unlocked their magic at an early age, Makarov must have thought him overconfident in his abilities.
What made the odds worse was that he had a general understanding of Makarov's personality. The man was too kind, and he knew for certain that after Makarov had heard of what happened in his and his sibling's lives, that the man would attempt to shelter them for a time.
Well, he didn't need it.
It was a caring and understandable approach for his siblings, but it was different for him. He had endured hardships far worse. Alaya had made sure of that.
"I'm afraid that I'll have to ref-"
"What if I can prove that I'm strong enough to handle it?" He cut in.
Perhaps because of the look in his eyes, or the way he carried himself, Makarov did not rebuke him, just remaining silent in contemplation before sighing.
"That depends," Makarov stood up from the desk and walked around it to open a drawer on the other side; taking from it a small parchment and handing it over. Makarov then made his way towards the exit of the room, pausing by the opened door. "How capable do you think you are?"
He looked at the information recorded on the parchment given to him in his hand, a strange gleam appearing in his eyes.
"For something like this-" he folded the piece of parchment and pocketed it, his expression neutral. "The results may turn out differently that what you can expect."
By the time he had gotten back to the lodgings he had rented with his siblings previously, he was certain that he was being watched. No matter how many detours he took, it appeared impossible to identify everyone who had an interest in him.
Thus, he didn't mind it much anymore, already having an idea on the individuals who would even care to look his way. Yet none of them approach him, which was completely fine with him.
In fact, he preferred it.
Releasing a breath, he walked back into his lodgings where his siblings vacantly stared at him without saying anything. After sending the note to them through the arrow he fired, he had told them to wit for him back at the lodgings.
He stared back, and it was they whose expressions broke down first like he expected.
Mirajane pursed her lips, turning her eyes away while Lisanna and Elfman appeared to be in the process of deciding whether or not to run up to him.
In the end, the both of them did after Lisanna ran over bawling and clung to his arm, leaving only Mirajane who was hesitating. She would be a strong woman in the future, of that he was sure.
It was clear though that they were just concerned about him, and were shaken after he had left without telling them a word. It was perhaps the first time he had ever done so.
And perhaps the only time he would ever do so if his siblings had anything to say about it.
And they did.
Well, Mirajane mostly. Eflman was never too outspoken and Lisanna was to busy hugging him to care.
They obviously didn't take his actions well, even Mirajane.
They didn't say anything, but all of them refused to leave his side even if they didn't voice it. Mirajane lingering in the corner of the room, and Lisanna and Elfman playing at the center, yet they continued to glance at him sporadically. He himself was in another corner of the room staring out the window.
There was no way they were letting him out of their sight for the time being, so with a sigh, he then turned his attention to the lodgings bill he had in hand.
He and his siblings would only be good for a couple days longer, give or take a week, or two if they were frugal.
This only set up his resolution more. He would not allow his siblings to live in the streets once their remaining funds depleted. Of course, Makarov had offered them a place to stay at the Fairy Dormitories, but other than himself, his siblings had refused adamantly. They were repulsed solely on the fact that they would be separated due to gender, a male's dorm and a female's dorm respectively. He had reasoned that they weren't actually separating and could meet at anytime, but his words fell on deaf ears.
After all, his siblings were sadly used to sleeping next to each other to draw comfort, he being in the middle to wrap his arms around them and pull them close.
He knew that it would take them years to get out of the habit, and it was enough motivation for him to get a Guild Mission as soon as possible to buy their own lodgings. They could start small with separate rooms.
He took the parchment Makarov had given him earlier and re-read the contents.
It was an assessment. Following the normal procedures of Guild Missions, a mage must first be assessed to determine what difficulty of mission said mage can undertake. Should he not be able to meet any of them, then Makarov would surely prevent him from taking any mission.
Yet it was because this was assessment that he was so confident that he could pass and excel. No matter what form of examination he will have to endure, he didn't worry for he was simply experienced enough.
His assessment would begin at the dawn of the next morning at the forest located a short distance behind Fairy Tail.
Till then,
He smiled wryly as Lisanna approached him holding her toys.
He would just have to do his job as an older brother.
He arrived early on the next morning.
The sun was just peaking above the clouds, and the air was still thick with the smell of early morning dew.
Aside from himself, no one else was present in the area which was a clear patch of grass surrounded by forest on all sides. The Fairy Tail building could be seen just beyond the trees.
He began stretching, recalling his morning.
Waking up, it had been a hassle to pull himself away from the grips of his siblings sleeping near him. Even more so to do it without waking anyone up.
His stomach growled in the silence of the early morning, but he simply furrowed his brows and ignored it.
He didn't have breakfast, he never did nowadays. Instead, he left breakfast out on the table for Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna to eat when they eventually woke up. Of course, he had left them a note this time. In which case, he can at least argue that he had given them notice.
A weak excuse by anyone's standards, but regardless, it was what he had done.
Now all that was left was to wait for Makarov and undergo any assessments the man would have for him to see proof of his eligibility to take a Guild Mission.
By the time Makarov arrived, the sun had finally passed over the clouds and was sitting idly up in the sky, illuminating the patch of land he was waiting in with golden rays.
By this point, he had already been sitting in the clearing for well over an hour, and it was soon reaching the time his siblings would normally wake up at. By then, he wondered what their reactions would be when they woke up and found out he was gone. He could only hope that they wouldn't neglect the small note he had left by the fridge in their worry.
With how long Makarov had made him wait, he probably could have told them in person of his whereabouts just so they wouldn't worry. Though he wouldn't divulge the specifics of why he was there. They didn't need to know that he was signing himself up to undergo potentially life-threatening missions. Or, on another thought, perhaps he could have had even finished the assessment before his siblings even woke up.
Now if only he hadn't had to wait for so long.
To be fair, Makarov appeared embarrassed having realized he had not specified a specific time to meet in the morning.
Makarov had several items in his hands, the first of which appeared to be a paper test of some sort while the others were magical tools.
Placing the items in his hands down, Makarov then began explaining how this assessment was going to work.
To be able to send out mages on Guild Missions, there were really only three things that needed to be tested on.
The first of which Makarov explained to be a test of practicality. Of the three it was basically just a formality. It was a test of Common sense if one were to dumb it down. After all, Guilds had to at least make sure that their mages sent to fulfill a mission would not do something too detrimental such as attack the client.
The first assessment was handled fairly easily, Makarov handing him a stack of papers that required worded answers. The Questions were mainly about what one would do when faced with various situations. He would then have to answer them in the best way possible.
Most of the questions he handled easily, answering in a way a child, like his appearance suggested, should not be able to answer. Thereby elevating the idea that he was far more mature for his age.
This caused a great deal of surprise for Makarov, but he kept quiet, showing approval to most of the answers given.
It was only near the end of the first assessment that Makarov showed any disapproval. The question in itself was whether to fend of a beast of sorts attacking a group of individuals near the borders of an established settlement or not when one is too weak. The question then went into details about the personality of the beast and its vindictive nature, and the inability of the person who would attempt to save the group of individuals. At best, this person could only fend off the beast while sustaining heavy injuries, and in a slim margin, even potentially slay the beast.
When it came time for him to answer this kind of question, in the end, he had chosen to not save them. This is what caused Makarov to frown, and even more so when Makarov read the entirety of his answer.
He did not deny saving the group of individuals just because he did not have the ability, but reading into the answer, he didn't save the group of individuals in order to save a greater number of people.
As the question had explained, the beast was vindictive. Should he, as a weak person, be unable to save the group, then everyone would die; the beast potentially moving to attack the nearby settlement due to its nature. Similarly, if he just fended it off but got injured in the process, there was no way that the beast would not retaliate in some way. In this case, running in the direction of the nearby settlement was another potential outcome that was unfavourable. The only one that was worse being the situation in which he died, the group of individuals died, and the beast still attacked the settlement after growing enraged from the efforts of a meddler.
All these situations were simply potentials. Archer with his mind had simply come up with the most practical answer that could save the most lives. Don't help, and instead notify the nearby settlement of the beast and help fortify it, or even evacuate it. Thus, saving a greater number of people rather than risking everything on a slim chance alone.
Makarov could accept the answer, but it didn't mean that he like it.
Yet, even if Makarov didn't like the answer to the final question, it didn't mean that Archer couldn't pass the assessment. After all, a mage's abilities were more important in regards to Guild Missions. It just showed that perhaps his reasoning was a bit skewed if not tactical. Instead of taking the chance of defeating the beast, it was more practical to use a method that guaranteed at least saving the majority.
Still, common sense, to a certain degree, didn't really have much weight when compared to the other last assessments. The Second one was much the same, but had a tad more importance.
Reluctantly, Makarov moved on with the next assessment which didn't take long at all as he had already passed it.
The Second assessment had to do with a Guild's reputation. A representation sort of assessment as each mage participating in a Guild Mission completely represented their home guild. As such, before a Guild Master could send a Guild Member on a mission, they had to make sure that the mage sent would not harm the reputation of the guild.
A character test was what the assessment was.
However, for most Guilds including Fairy Tail, the Guild Master had already considered once's character from the moment one was accepted into the Guild. Which was why Makarov only briefly touched over the second assessment and directly moved into the third.
The third assessment was magical power and capability.
This was obviously the most important with the other two being more closely associated with formality.
As stated before, ability was often the deciding factor with guild missions. If one was not strong enough, it didn't matter how well a mage represented their guild, or how careful and thought out a mage was, they would still be unqualified to take a difficult mission.
"These items are the magic tools I ended up borrowing from the Magic Council," Makarov explained as he set one down in the middle of the clearing.
It was odd in shape, like a dumbbell attacked to a vice-clamp with either side having a small sphere of glowing magic energy.
"This first one is just one that tests the magic output of a mage," Makarov explained.
He nodded his head. He figured that out from the moment he laid eyes on the tool. Thus, before Makarov could even tell him how to operate it, he was already stepping forward to place his hands on it. One on top of the device on one sphere, and the other on the bottom as he closed his eyes and channeled his magic.
Almost immediately, the tool began to emit a static like noise while an image of a gauge could be seen filling up from the mist produced.
This gauge measured the magic output present within a mage's body and functioned by sampling the potency of the mage's magic circulated through the hands. The higher the potency, the more likely the mage possessed larger reserves.
However, what neither he nor Makarov expected occurred.
His magic was somehow different in quality from other mages in the world. Rather than give a reading, the gauge remained somewhat steady at zero, just barely reaching the minimum margin for one.
He was momentarily at a loss, realizing that nothing he could do could alter this result. Makarov may very well prevent him from taking any missions at all at this point if he didn't even have enough reserves to fuel his magic. Yet he knew he had enough, it was just that this tool wasn't picking it up.
Makarov stood in silence, his face still showing surprise, but it quickly shifted to a calm neutral.
It was then that Archer narrowed his eyes and stared hard at the tool in front of him. If this tool couldn't detect his magic, then he would have to do something about.
Trace on.
A burst of his magic instantly travelled into the sphere, where he immediately began a form of magecraft he was proficient in, Alteration. It was magic ability that allowed him to alter the components and functions of objects. For example, like twisting a sword to become more arrow like to be launched from his bow. In this case, he attempted to alter how the magic tool detected magic reserves, syncing it with the same properties as his own.
This process took around a minute, and only ended just when Makarov was about to call an end to the assessment.
A loud ringing sound resounded in the clearing, the gauge displayed by the magic tool seeming to shimmer before fading to be replaced by a transparent gem. From the bottom of this gem, a deep red began to crawl up.
Makarov was confused with the sudden changes, but it seems that he had calmed down quickly enough to determine what was going on.
Although the appearance of the gauge had changed, the magic tool was still doing its function. The crawling red colour of the gem being an indication of the magic reserves Archer possessed.
The only thing that threw Makarov off though, was the difference in measured units. For some reason, there were only a few specific lines of reference. The lowest being rank E, and the highest, Rank A.
Slowly the red continued to creep up until stopping a tad above the B-rank line. The magic tool then proceeded to stop functioning, turning off as Archer released his grip on the tool.
Makarov wasn't quite sure what the B-rank entailed, but it was a single letter down from A so it must be equivalent to a high enough magical reserve.
"With your reserves, it should be enough for you to undertake some B level or A level missions assuming you have optimum control of your magic. In which case, the last thing for this assessment to conclude would be magical power. So long as you pass this next assessment, I will allow you to begin undertaking higher level Guild Missions at your age just as you've wanted. After all, you don't need to go through any assessments just to take some of the less difficult Guild Missions."
Archer nodded his head to Makarov's words.
"Then let's get this over with," he said.
Makarov walked to the center of the clearing and first picked up the initial magic tool to replace it with another. This new magic tool was shaped like a box with a hole shaped opening on of its flat sides.
With the hole facing up, Makarov activated the magic tool, and a thick magic barrier emitted from it. Large magic circles hovered in the air, fueling the barrier.
"Just attack it with your strongest magic," Makarov said. "The magic tool will resist it by using an equal force, and in turn, the power will be ranked numerically based on the power of the recoil."
The magic tool was exactly as Makarov had said.
It was fairly straight forward.
Closing his eyes, and then opening them, he stretched out his hands and promptly began the assessment.
Makarov's eyes remained glued to the scene in curiosity. During the conversation, he had with Archer just before Archer and his siblings joined, Archer had glazed over the part where he took his siblings away from the village. It was also the part where Archer claimed to have had awakened his magic. In this case, how strong of a magic was it and what type?
Mirajane had Take-Over Magic based on what Archer had explained. Could this mean that Archer possessed a similar Take-Over magic? Yet that didn't seem to be the case, instead, something else was happening.
A weapon gradually began to form within Archer's hands.
Seeing Archer's magic, Makarov didn't give away his thoughts, rather he appeared to be contemplating deeply about something. It was only when Archer completed his weapon that Makarov voiced any opinion.
"A magic weapon?" Makarov said in surprise, a bit of doubt in his tone as he watched a spear appear.
It was red in colour, and had a sharp point that could easily pierce through steel given enough force. From the murderous intent coming from the spear, Makarov's expression turned increasingly grave as the idea of a cursed weapon filtered into his mind. However, Makarov didn't voice this.
Instead, it was more likely that the spear in Archer's hand had a magic effect of some sort. Still, a single magic weapon would not be enough to qualify a mage for higher ranked guild mission, but perhaps a combination of them could.
Archer could detect the doubt in Makarov's tone as he lined himself up with the magic device in front of him. Yet, he could only smirk at that moment.
He crouched low, and immediately pounced forward and into the air before aiming the spear in his hand.
A red vortex seemed to form around him.
This wasn't a weapon he used frequently.
It wasn't his strongest either.
But it would suit the situation well for now.
"Gae Bolg!"
The spear of the hound of Ulster took flight once more.
Moments later,
Numerous explosion tore apart the very area in front of him into ashes. Piles of wood, timber, and debris were still falling towards the ground in piles of pale smoke similar to the colour now on Makarov's stiff face.
Just a magic weapon?
No, this was a Noble Phantasm.
The next day had him waking up early yet again due to leaving his sibling behind to prevent them from worrying about him taking a Guild mission.
Unavoidably, he left just a note and breakfast for them for a second time, fully knowing their thoughts about the matter.
That is, they hated it. They having voiced it to him the previous day when he returned from Makarov's assessment.
He would probably be in for it when he returned, but he could cross that bridge when it came.
For now, he was making his way towards the Guild Missions board to look for an adequate job to make enough jewels.
Makarov had yet to get back on him with permission to enter the second floor and have access to the S-rank missions, but he was sure that it was because some other process was involved. As for why he couldn't find the man at the moment, it was probably because the man was still recovering from his shock.
Magic weapons and Noble Phantasms could not possibly be put to test on the same field.
It was like comparing the fire power between a pistol and an RPG.
By the end of Makarov's assessment, the man didn't even have the energy to reply let alone realize the testing equipment he had loaned from the Magic Council was destroyed.
Perhaps he was dealing with the repercussions of that now actually? It didn't matter.
What did, was that he was certain that Makarov had told him that he qualified for A and B-rank missions. Which is why he now stood where the Guild missions where posted.
Namely, the board by the bar counter of the guild.
He didn't expect a surprise for him though.
Looking up at the Guild Missions board, he stood rooted in place, staring at a single mission flyer that no one was even glancing at.
It was a search and rescue mission for a single individual with a labeled difficulty that wasn't even close to a B-rank, more of a C, but it still held his unfaltering attention.
The number of jewels offered was meager.
The paper the mission was printed on was also in tatters.
Numerous thoughts filtered through his mind as he reached out and stared at the mission advertisement, most of which caused him to frown. He looked at it repeatedly, but the mission's contents didn't change.
All the mission paper had was three lines.
Missing: Shirou Emiya
Client: Erza Scarlet and Jellal Fernandes.
Jewels: One-Thousand.
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Next update: Fate in Time (Around Wednesday to Friday)
The next story update after that: Sunday