"Father…"
"That mage guild called Fairy Tail…"
After Makarov and the others left, August wore a thoughtful expression and looked at Ian by his side, wanting to say something but hesitating.
"If you want to go, then go!"
"You're no longer a fledgling eagle; you should have taken flight long ago…"
"You can't stay by your father's side for a lifetime!"
"Go forward toward the future. You should have friends of your own by now."
Ian lightly patted August's shoulder…
Before he knew it, this child was almost as tall as he was, so patting him on the head didn't feel quite right, and it was also a bit awkward! Children, after all, must be let go at some point. He couldn't keep August by his side forever.
As Ian had said before, August was grown now. He shouldn't remain by his old father's side. When the fledgling eagle grows up, it should take wing and head toward a broader sky. August, go forth!
"Father…"
"I mean, no matter how I look at it, this mage guild called Fairy Tail doesn't bring a bit of good to the Kingdom of Fiore or even the entire continent of Ishgar. I have a feeling that if we let Fairy Tail exist in this world, sooner or later it will bring about great calamity! So, is it really unnecessary for me to eliminate it right now?!"
After listening to Ian, August paused slightly. In fact, Ian had completely misunderstood him. He hadn't intended to join that messy mage guild that didn't pique his interest at all…
What he intended was to completely eradicate that mage guild Fairy Tail, which he had deemed the source of chaos in the world.
At the same time, August had a hunch that if he destroyed Fairy Tail now, the world would be much safer in the future.
"August, calm down…"
"Do you know who founded the Fairy Tail guild?!"
Hearing August's words, Ian's eyelids twitched slightly.
As for August beating up his biological father Zeref, Ian wholeheartedly supported it.
That lunatic Zeref had long been on Ian's hit list.
But Ian absolutely couldn't let August do something unworthy of his mother—Mavis, the first Guild Master of Fairy Tail. Nor could he let him harm Fairy Tail itself.
Besides, if August really did strike at Fairy Tail, Ian, as part of Fairy Tail, would obviously suffer too…
Then everything would end in disaster!
Thinking back, the reason he accepted Precht's regretful commission and traveled back through time—other than saving August and giving him a happy childhood—wasn't the most important task to prevent August from opposing Fairy Tail as he did in the original story?
If, under Ian's guidance, August still ended up standing against Fairy Tail, wouldn't all his efforts have been in vain?!
Well, at least Ian had taught August what love was.
On second thought, maybe it wouldn't be a total loss…
Not a total loss… my foot!
"Of course I know!"
"They were founded by Yuri Dreyar, Warrod Sequen, and that Fairy Tail guild's second Master, Precht Gaebolg, who delivered me at birth and then abandoned me in the forest, hoping I'd be eaten by passing magical beasts, as well as others. Thinking this way, I should destroy Fairy Tail for my own revenge, right?! Just as you taught me: return kindness with kindness, and straightforwardness for grievances."
August narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he uttered the names of Fairy Tail's four founders. He listed Yuri, Warrod, and Precht with full names, but when he reached his birth mother Mavis, he replaced her name with "and so forth."
'Hey, so Mavis doesn't even deserve a name in your eyes?!'
'She's your biological mother, August!'
At this moment, Ian silently took on Lucy's role, ranting in his mind.
On the surface, Ian remained calm, still maintaining a stable fatherly demeanor.
Yes, as an older father, he must remain steady.
At least he must give off a feeling of steadiness.
Ian gripped August's shoulders tightly, lowered his voice, and spoke seriously: "August, I've always known that you're different from ordinary children. You've known who your birth parents are since the day you were born…"
"Father, you're my only father. I have no mother…"
"And if one day I do have a mother, she would have to be your wife."
August's attitude was anxious, as if trying desperately to shake off something.
He resembled a youth with traumatic family issues who, despite growing up successfully, remained influenced by his childhood scars. He might have stress responses, spending his life trying to escape that shadow.
August was persuading himself, and also telling Ian.
He had only one father—Ian.
Nothing else mattered to him.
"August, listen!"
"You must learn to accept everything about yourself, including the imperfect parts."
"Your imperfections will never be your shame. They will only make you stronger."
Ian looked at August, his tone earnest and heartfelt.
"August, I know you've always known who your mother is…"
"In fact, you also know that if your mother knew she had such an excellent, obedient, and sensible child like you, she would do everything in her power to love you!"
"A well-behaved child will always receive more affection—this is an eternal truth. Good parents never harm the heart of an obedient child."
"So go to the guild your mother created—Fairy Tail—and see it with your own eyes! This mage guild that she poured all her heart into—what is it really like?!"
"Then accept your heritage! Accept your imperfections! Accept your past and everything! Reconcile with yourself, August…"
"On the path of magic, you will one day be crowned king! You'll become a permanent, indelible mark in the history of the magical world of Earthland—the most significant one."
Ian patted August's shoulder with force, speaking from his heart
"I understand, Father."
August was moved. His eyes reddened, and tears fell in streams, one drop after another.
"August, why are you crying?"
Seeing August silently weep, Ian couldn't help but smile. He reached out, trying to wipe away the tears at the corners of August's eyes, just like he did when August was little. However, as Ian extended his hand, he realized his hands were turning transparent, becoming stardust drifting into the sky.
"Your time is up, Father," August said, tilting his head back to keep the tears from falling. He choked and sobbed as he spoke: "Don't worry, from now on, I'll think thrice before doing anything. I won't let you worry. I'll stay alive, grow up healthy, until I reunite with you in the 'future.'"
"Eh, August, you even know about that?!"
Ian felt a bit awkward. This kid knew too much.
"I got it out of Asuna and the others…"
"After all, whenever you have free time, you always like to stare at the clock on the wall."
August explained how he learned that Ian was from the future.
"So those three turned traitor, huh?"
Ian chuckled softly. He didn't mind Asuna and the others telling August about his time-traveling.
August was his child, raised by him. He trusted August absolutely. There were no secrets he couldn't share with him—
Well, aside from the mind-boggling matter of transmigration.
But even if August truly knew, he wouldn't say much. He'd probably just assume Ian's past life was a parallel world without magic.
As for the "Fairy Tail" manga, August would assume it was just another form of recording this world's events.
"Father, can you pat my head like you used to when I was little?"
While Ian was lost in thought, August lowered his head, making a request to Ian.
"Of course."
Ian smiled. He could at least do this for August.
Ian reached out and gently patted August's head.
Time stood still at that moment.
August never looked up. He knew his father had already returned to the time where he belonged.
But it didn't matter; soon, they would reunite.
After Ian left, August followed his father's instructions and traveled alone to Magnolia Town's Fairy Tail guild—the legacy of his mother.
However, August set a cognitive barrier so that the Fairy Tail members wouldn't notice him. With his power, even Precht was deceived.
In the days that followed, August lived among the Fairy Tail mages, always observing these rambunctious people in secret.
In this guild, there was a kind and gentle woman with a sharp tongue—Porlyusica—who always used her skills to heal injured guildmates. Whenever she focused wholeheartedly on healing, she shone brightly.
There was Goldmine, with sunglasses and a mohawk, dressed like a delinquent but claiming to be a noble Western cowboy. He looked like a bully, yet never once harmed a companion. Time and again, under the banner of brotherhood, he lent out the money he earned through hard work and never asked for it back.
According to Goldmine: "A man must be wild! The money you give away is like water poured out—no taking it back."
Yet August often saw him go hungry because he had no money.
Then there was Bob, whose venomous tongue was no weaker than Porlyusica's. Always impeccably dressed in suits, he looked handsome and stood out awkwardly from Fairy Tail's style. He constantly complained about his guildmates' tastes, saying they embarrassed him and hurt his public image.
But in reality, most of the guild's funds came from Bob's efforts. Although how Bob made money sometimes made August blush with shame.
August once followed Bob out of curiosity about how he earned so much alone. He came back with a red face, having learned more than he bargained for.
These Fairy Tail mages…
Each one evoked different feelings in August's heart.
All except one.
Makarov, the guild's troublemaker.
August couldn't understand Makarov's purpose in the guild.
Even without Makarov, Fairy Tail would carry on just fine, wouldn't it?
No, without Makarov, the guild might be even better, right?
At least that's what August believed…
Until one day:
"Move aside, quickly!"
Several Fairy Tail mages carried a stretcher holding a white-haired youth. They ignored their own wounds and bruises, rushing him inside the guild to Porlyusica. "Please, Porlyusica, save him!"
"This might be…"
Porlyusica looked at the youth with a gaping hole in his chest. Her forehead beaded with sweat. She desperately wanted to save him, but his internal organs were destroyed. Realistically, he was beyond saving. That he even lived this long was a miracle.
"Am I…done for?"
The youth murmured, face pale.
"Don't talk nonsense! Hang in there!"
"You won't die here."
Makarov pressed hard on the boy's gushing wound, anxiously calling to Porlyusica: "Hey! Think of something! We can't let him die!"
"Why are you so emotional, Makarov?"
"You and I aren't that familiar…"
The boy looked at Makarov in confusion.
The boy's doubt was August's doubt as well. If August remembered correctly, this boy and Makarov had no real connection. The boy was reclusive and barely interacted with anyone in the guild. August didn't even know his name.
"Ghost, what are you talking about?"
"When a guildmate is hurt, of course I'd be upset!"
"We're all family!"
As Makarov said this, he wept in pain.
Because in his arms, Ghost seemed to have stopped breathing.
"Damn it!"
"If only we got him here sooner…"
"If only I'd destroyed all the nearby monsters beforehand…"
"Then Ghost wouldn't have died!"
Makarov wept bitterly, tears falling like rain. He stared blankly at the guild's ceiling, howling in sorrow.
A companion, a family member of Fairy Tail, had just died in his arms. How could he ever come to terms with that?!
"Makarov, let me try!"
At this moment, as Makarov held Ghost's corpse, a gentle voice sounded beside him.
Makarov looked up and saw a smiling youth by his side, who had appeared without him noticing.
"O-Okay…"
Makarov didn't know why, but he felt he should trust this youth.
He wanted to move aside, but the youth shook his head, signaling him not to move.
Then the youth began using magic on his own.
"Enchantment! Heart!"
Yes, the gentle youth was August. Seeing Makarov's grief and the guild's sorrow, he was moved. He stepped forward to the dead Ghost, using high-level Enchantment Magic to give him a conceptual heart. Such a feat likely only August or Irene could achieve in the entire world.
"Hah… Hah…"
In an instant, the boy named Ghost, who died with a smile because someone remembered his name, opened his eyes. He gasped, greedily breathing fresh air.
"Porlyusica, come quick! His heart seems restored!"
Seeing this, Makarov quickly called Porlyusica over for follow-up treatment.
"Y-Yes!"
Porlyusica nodded and hurriedly began healing Ghost further.
"Ha…"
Having done all this, August smiled quietly. He didn't know why, but even though he never considered himself a Fairy Tail mage, nor did he bear their guild mark, he felt happy that a Fairy Tail mage had come back to life.
"Maybe it's time to leave."
August felt as though Fairy Tail's mages had cast some spell on him. He decided to leave the guild and see the outside world.
Yes, even August didn't notice that his earlier intention to destroy Fairy Tail had completely vanished.
"Hey! August, thank you so much!"
Just as August turned to leave the Fairy Tail guild, Makarov suddenly stood up, calling out to August's back and thanking him loudly.
"Hmm?!"
August froze slightly. Had his magic failed?!
In theory, no matter how many times August introduced himself, everyone in the guild would forget him within thirty seconds or disregard him completely…
"Heh, Makarov, is it?"
"I get it now, you're no troublemaker."
"You're the soul of Fairy Tail."
"I'm confident leaving Mother's guild to you."
August laughed radiantly and strode away.
At this moment, the knot in his heart about Mavis and Fairy Tail was completely resolved. He would begin his own life now, doing what he believed was right.
After August left—
In the Fairy Tail guild:
"Makarov, who were you thanking?"
The other members looked at Makarov, puzzled. They didn't recall anyone named August.
"August is August! He's our companion, our family."
Makarov was confused as he saw their skeptical expressions. August was the one who greeted everyone daily, even if ignored. Makarov always tried talking to him, though August never responded.
"Makarov, you must be mistaken."
"In Fairy Tail, we've never had anyone who uses a month's name as their own…"
Goldmine and the others were perplexed. They remembered no August.
"That's impossible! I never forget the names of any of my guildmates!"
"I'd never mistake a family member's name."
"Just now August was here. He saved Ghost!"
Makarov spoke anxiously, and he wasn't lying.
As Makarov said, the heart can overcome magic.
Even if Makarov was much weaker than August, he remembered.
"Didn't Ghost heal himself?"
At this, everyone including Precht looked at Makarov with confusion. They had no idea what he was talking about.
"What's wrong with you all?"
Makarov shouted in frustration.
That day, Makarov secretly vowed that no matter how long it took, he would find August's whereabouts and prove to Precht and the others that someone named August existed and saved Ghost.
"Heh."
Already on a road to another country, August chuckled softly. He'd played a small joke on his family. Then he looked up; the person who once lacked family now unknowingly had so many of them.
It felt great.