"Thank you and please come again!"
I walked out of the store with unhurried steps, my rucksack bag slung across my shoulders and now filly brimmed with whatever I needed after my latest purchase. I adjusted my cloak out of habit, making sure that the hood covers my face from view.
This world is not a kind one. It is an era where lives can be cheaper than livestocks and worth less than the dirt in someone else's nails. People wouldn't even blink if they witness murder taking place in broad daylight and the most that you could hope for is a passing glance.
To be fair, that observation can most probably be attributed to the kind of places that I would visit, where laws are lacking and rarely enforced. I do hope with all my heart that such practices are not the norm in other places.
I kind of lost track of time ever since I escaped from my birthplace. That period of time is like a bad dream straight out of a nightmare and memories from then are starting to get a little hazy now. A large part of my memories from back then is traversing through great stretches of land and crossing the sea to arrive at where I am now. Maybe the subconscious part of my mind refuses to let me recall that period of time with great clarity to protect whatever is left of my sanity.
It doesn't matter what one experiences in their lives, be it great fortunes or tragedies. In the end, the world continues to spin on its axis and life carries on as per usual.
Now, it is time for me to work for a living.
My senses are enhanced even by the standards of the magical community. It was laughably easy to track down my targets who were dumb enough to not cover their tracks. A rain of holy arrows later, I turned on my heels and left, bringing along with me a handful of bandits and leaving behind an utterly obliterated building that was once their base of operations.
'Kill.'
"No. Now shut up."
It didn't take me long to arrive at an outpost belonging to the Rune Knights who oversees this particular area of Fiore. As usual, Gariff was the one who greeted me.
"Ah, it's you again! Who have you got this time?"
"Crimson Raiders. Reward of 150,000 Jewels for their subjugation."
"Gimme a moment… Let's see, that's the leader Kren alright, his right hand man Kollor…" Gariff continued to verify the identities of the subjugated bandits I had brought over and it wasn't long before he passed to me the promised reward.
"Staying here for any longer, Argus?"
"No, I don't think so." I replied softly as I pocketed the Jewels after confirming the amount received. "There's nothing else here for me to cleanse."
"Can't argue with that." Gariff guffawed as he gestured to the board that was once filled with wanted posters or bounties that the Rune Knights or Magic Council have put up. Now, it is empty with me being the reason for it. These are jobs that for some reason, had never made their way to the legal guilds or have never been completed. This makes it the perfect place for independent mages like me to source for income, even if by doing so makes me a mage not legally recognised by the Magic Council. To be a mage recognised by the Magic Council one has to register themselves with a mage guild, something which I am not exactly keen on doing.
"Are you leaving?" Gariff asked as I was about to leave. I paused in my tracks and gave a curt nod.
"Yes, I am. Thank you for your help all this while."
"It should be me thanking you, lad. So, running off to the next outpost to search for jobs?"
"Not like I have anything better to do."
"You really should go join a legal guild. Heck, even the Rune Knights will do, we sure could use someone with abilities like yours!" Gariff tried persuading for what is possibly the ninetieth time or so in the period that we had known each other. "Independent mages are also seen as dark mages, you know?"
"And the Magic Council turns a blind eye to this issue anyway. I'll be fine," I answered. "Thank you for your concern, Gariff, but I have no wish to join a guild. See you, and take care."
With that, I left. I took out a map and rolled it open, my mind already trying to plan for where my next destination will be. I took out a red marker and marked an X on the known Rune Knight outposts that I have already visited and cleared out their job requests, most of them being located on the western end of Fiore since that was where I had started out ever since I arrived in this country.
I guess it is finally time to head eastwards.
I looked up at the sky and squinted my eyes a little in order to determine my relative position based on the sun's current positioning in the sky. After confirming the generic direction that I should be heading to, I continued to follow the dirt path before me.
"You guys realise that I do know that you are there, right?"
The rustling of leaves on my right told me enough. My ears picked up a familiar voice whispering 'I told you' and it wasn't long before three people emerged from their hiding spots.
"Are you certain that you guys aren't stalking me?"
"This is a coincidence, I swear," Meredy held up her hands, fingers crossed. My eyebrows rose ever so slightly at the answer, conveying my disbelief to them extremely clearly.
"We were trying to recover this," Jellal spoke up as he idly tossed a goblet up and down with a hand.
"Another artifact of Zeref?" I cannot help but ask. Crime Sorciere is a guild dedicated to eradicating the darkness brought about by dark guilds and most notably, Zeref, so that was the first thing to come to my mind upon spotting the goblet.
"Not anymore," Ultear answered with a yawn. "Goodness, trying to undo the curse on it took me all night."
"I see. Goodbye."
"We haven't seen each other for so long and this is all you have to say? Goodbye?!" Meredy exclaimed with mock anger and her hands on her hips. I simply waved a lazy goodbye at them without even bothering to look back.
"We already met last week. Ciao."
A flash of light later, I was gone.
"Once we pass Peace Village we will reach Hargeon! I'm telling you, the seafood there-"
To travel between the western and eastern regions of Fiore, the most common route one would take is to take the route down south of the country. The main reason for it is because the middle of Fiore is a mountainous region that is not easy to traverse and at its northern end lies the Forgotten Desert. Hence, circling down south is the most logical way to travel between east and west of Fiore.
I had hitched a ride from a travelling merchant along the way who, like me, is heading towards the eastern side of Fiore. His destination is Hargeon, a port town that I remembered had appeared a few times in the series when this world was a fictional one that I read about. In return for his help, I will escort and guarantee the merchant's safety until we reach our destination.
It took us about two weeks by carriage, but we are finally reaching Hargeon and boy, does Hargeon really live up to its name as one of the most beautiful towns in Fiore.
My first stop after reaching Hargeon is the Rune Knight outpost that I know is located just right at the edge of the town. However, things are not going as planned.
"No… requests? Bounties? Wanted posters? Not even one?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but our request boards have always been rather empty. We haven't put up a single request in the past two months."
I massaged my temple with my knuckle upon hearing those words. Well, it actually makes sense after I put some thought into it. Hargeon is unlike the places which I had visited till now where there is barely any enforcement of the law. The Rune Knights stationed here are actually capable enough in their jobs to deal with most magical threats.
I guess I will have to move onto the next town.
"I see. Thank you," I replied while trying my best to hold back the sigh that was threatening to escape my lips. I was about to leave when the Rune Knight on duty that I was talking to ask me a question.
"If I may ask, are you Shine?"
"No," I snapped back irritatedly the moment I heard the stupid moniker some idiot decided to give me. Shine? What a goddamn stupid name.
'I concur.'
'Nobody asked for your opinion.'
"Huh? But that outfit… there's no way-"
I didn't bother to listen to whatever he was saying next because I am already out of the door.
The only thing that didn't go wrong was that the merchant was right. Hargeon's seafood is to die for.
And so, here I am, sitting on the pier with a stick of barbequed squid in hand while admiring the beauty of the vast sea. Seeing the sea once more does take me back to the days where I had spent countless days and nights drifting aimlessly out there. Not an experience that I would recommend to anyone.
The shouts of sailors and workers filled the air as they went on with their work to load and unload goods on and off the ships that have docked here. The sounds of running feet and childish laughter could be heard every now and then as children ran around to play their games and to admire the kind of ships that could be found here.
My thoughts were disturbed when I heard a splash not far from where I was. My eyes drifted to see what had caused that unnatural sounding splash and I saw it, a child that is probably no older than five struggling to stay afloat in the water.
I flicked my wrist in the direction of the child and a string of light reached out to the child immediately, wrapping itself around her chest. I tugged on the rope and pulled the child out of the water in one swift motion, catching her with my free hand.
"You alright?"
The young girl nodded mutely, probably still in shock from her earlier experience. Her wet dark green hair sticks to her face as her big eyes with a slight hint of purple continue to stare at me.
"Mister? Why are you hiding your face?"
"Because I like it," I replied. "Where are your parents?"
The girl looked down after I asked that question.
"Um… I… We walked… and I saw a cute teddy bear that I really like and then when I looked up Daddy and Mummy were not there anymore and…"
So basically, I have a lost child on my hands.
"Do you know your Daddy or your Mummy's name?"
"Daddy is Daddy and Mummy is Mummy," The girl responded with a serious look on her face and I cannot help but palm my face at the response. Alright then, a change of tactics it is.
"What's your name?" I asked as I finished up the last of my barbequed squid.
"Asuka!" The girl answered cheerily with her arms raised into the air. I frowned a little at the name. Her name does seem to ring a bell or two but for the life of me I just could not remember if that name had meant anything.
Deciding to just forget about it, I reached out a hand towards the little girl.
"Well then, Asuka, shall we go and look for your Daddy and Mummy?"
Asuka may not be old enough to remember her parents' names, but she did manage to describe what her parents are like. She said that her father has short black hair while her mother has long green hair, that her father has slightly tanned skin while her mother's complexion is a lot whiter, and that both her parents are mages and can use guns.
We started to look for Asuka's parents after I returned to the Rune Knights outpost for their help to have a female Rune Knight dry Asuka to make sure that she would not catch a cold. A female Rune Knight had even helpfully bought a new dry set of clothes for her. We spent an entire afternoon walking through Hargeon and asking around if anyone had seen Asuka's parents or anyone close to the description that Asuka had provided. It was then I started to appreciate just how big Hargeon is. Trying to find two people within the town is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Asuka couldn't walk for very long due to her young age so I ended up carrying her for most of the journey. We kept searching and searching and soon even the sun was starting to set.
"I want Daddy and Mummy…"
"We will find them, promise," I tried my best to reassure the girl and prayed with all my heart that she wouldn't cry. She is already on the verge of tears for being separated from her parents for so long.
"Are you hungry? We can go grab a bite first and then continue to look for your parents later, okay?"
"I don't want to eat, I want Daddy and Mummy."
Someone, save me.
By now we had almost circled the entire town once. We are already back at the harbour where we first met and the glow from the setting sun isn't exactly helping to assure Asuka that we will be able to find her parents. If anything, it is reminding her that she had been separated from her parents for an entire day.
Activity at the harbour is slowly dwindling as the workers start to head home one after the other, their job for the day done. I wasn't paying much mind to my surroundings because I was too busy trying to pacify Asuka, until her eyes suddenly widened and she pointed towards the sea.
"Squid! Squid!"
I turned my head in the direction which she was pointing at, only for my jaws to drop at the sight of a humongous squid the size of a castle making its way towards the town from the sea. People are fleeing as their screams punctuate the air, not wanting to be here when the squid inevitably arrives.
I gave my surroundings a sweeping glance. From the looks of it, there's no way the Rune Knights will be here on time because the squid's appearance was too sudden. There are too many ships here and I cannot even begin to imagine the scale of destruction when the angry squid finally reaches the harbour. To top it all off, there are still people at the harbour that I know wouldn't be able to get out of here in time.
"Asuka, I need you to hold onto me very tightly, okay?"
"Okay!" Asuka chirped, now weirdly excited for some odd reason and not even the slightest fazed at the sight of the squid. Wasn't she about to cry just seconds ago?
I can never understand children.
"Hey mister! Mister! Are you going to defeat the squid?"
"I'm going to make an all-you-can-eat squid buffet," I answered with a grin as I secured my grip on the child with a hand, supporting her entire weight with just my left arm. "What do you prefer? Teriyaki? Boiled? Barbequed?"
"I want squid!"
"Yeah, me too. Do you want to see Light Magic?"
"Yes!"
I held up my right arm towards the rampaging squid that is about to reach us anytime now as I gathered my magic right at my outstretched palm.
"Holy Cross."
A powerful surge of light exploded from my palm in the shape of a gigantic X and obliterated the squid in an instant. The bright glow from my spell briefly illuminated the evening sky and I can hear Asuka's happy cheer at the sight of my magic being invoked.
"One more time! One more time!"
"You just like to see things go boom, don't you?" I cannot help but remark as Asuka clapped her hands in excitement, obviously not listening to a thing that I am saying right now.
"It's pretty!"
"Yeah, Light Magic is," I gave a half-lie, knowing very well just how lethal my magic can be. I took another look at the sea, already spotting the corpse of the squid and already partially roasted from the heat given off by my spell. It smells good from here.
"Do you want squid for dinner?"
"Yes!"
"Asuka, is that you? Asuka!"
The frantic voice belonging to those of a woman caught our attention and we whipped our heads around, spotting a lady with long green hair running up to us from afar. A man with short black hair is running close behind. Asuka squirmed excitedly in my arms, obviously recognising them.
"Daddy! Mummy! Look, squid!"
I let the girl down and let her run into her parents' arms in excitement. The woman quickly caught her and hugged her close in relief, murmuring something to Asuka that I didn't quite catch.
"Thank you for taking care of our daughter," The man said with a bow that I quickly waved off.
"It's fine, I don't mind it that much." I replied while taking a closer look at the man in front of me whose outfit reminds me a fair bit about cowboys. Somehow, I felt as if I should know the man standing in front of me.
"You are a very powerful mage," The mage commented as we both looked at the roasted squid still floating on the sea near the harbour. A curious crowd of onlookers are starting to gather as well with the roasted squid as the center of attention.
"Is that so? I don't particularly care," I said just as Asuka ran up to me with her mother following close behind. Asuka tugged at my pants excitedly while pointing straight ahead.
"Mister, mister! Let's go eat the squid! It smells really nice!"
"You are allergic to seafood, Asuka," The woman chided with a smile on her face before turning to face me. "I believe my husband would have already thanked you, but allow me to do so once again. Thank you for looking after Asuka. Asuka, come over and say thank you to Mr..."
"Argus," I replied.
"Mr Argus."
"Thank you Mr Argus!" Asuka thanked me with a cute bow. "Hey hey, you are a mage right, mister? Which guild are you from?"
Asuka's question had the couple looking at me in curiosity almost immediately.
"I'm an independent mage."
"Inde...what?"
"I don't belong to any guild, Asuka."
"Huh? Why?!" Asuka looked mortified at the answer given and she immediately clung onto my leg. "B-But Daddy and Mummy said that all mages need to belong to a guild! Or else the Magic Council will see them as bad guys and lock them up! You are not a bad guy, mister! I don't want you to be locked up because you don't have a guild and- I know! You can join our guild!"
"Asuka, you need to let go of Mr Argus' leg," The man reminded Asuka and gently pried Asuka off me before continuing. "It may be impolite of me to say this, but Asuka does have a point. The Magic Council does not discriminate between independent and dark mages. If they deem you to have taken a step out of line, you will be branded as a dark mage immediately. It's always good to have the backing of a guild no matter how small they are. You really should consider joining a guild."
The memories of my childhood in this life briefly flashed across my mind. How I was raised, and then subsequently betrayed and nearly killed by people with the same blood as me. A blink of an eye later, those memories disappeared and were replaced by the faces of the family in front of me.
"Not a fan of crowds. I prefer to work solo," I replied softly before trying to force a smile on my face. "In any case, I have to get going."
"Eh? You are leaving already, mister?"
"Yes. I have to work, and Hargeon doesn't have work for me so I have to leave Hargeon." I patiently replied to Asuka's question.
"B-But I thought only guild mages can work…?"
"If I may ask, will you be leaving by ship?" The man inquired and I shook my head. If possible, I would like to not ride on a ship or boat ever again. Anything to not travel through the sea another time.
"Then it would mean that you would have to leave Hargeon through the north and pass by Magnolia, right?" The woman asked excitedly. "That's where we are heading to as well! We live in Magnolia! We can travel there together!"
Oh great, this family here happens to live in the very town that I want to avoid at all costs where all the world-ending shenanigans will take place.
"I just realised that we haven't introduced ourselves, have we?" The man gave an awkward laugh before extending a hand to me. "Alzack Connell, mage of Fairy Tail. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Argus."
"Bisca Connell, also a mage of Fairy Tail. Well, you have already met Asuka."
"My name is Asuka Connell! Nice to meet you, mister!"
My eyes widened in realisation underneath the cover of my hood, finally understanding why the family that I had been talking to for the past five minutes felt so familiar. No matter what I did, it seems that fate dictates that I will meet the one group of people that I wanted to avoid no matter what.
My journey to the east is definitely not off to a great start.
