Magnolia, central street—the newly rebuilt Fairy Tail guild stood proudly.
Surrounded by tall, ochre stone walls and dense iron railings that gave off a strong metallic scent, the guild's main gate was massive: five meters wide and nearly ten meters tall, spacious enough for five or six burly guys to walk through side by side without feeling cramped. Above the stone pillars hung a huge wooden sign with the words FAIRY TAIL written in ornate script. Higher up, a silver-white metal floral carving added a touch of elegance—wait, are those bunny girls on either side?
Inside, the area was bustling with various stalls selling everything from figurines and clothes to daily necessities, merchandise, and fancy decorations. A few larger spaces were still empty—those were shops Kira had reserved for himself.
Further in was an open-air café with wide wooden tables and chairs scattered under a few parasols. Several people were already there, chatting and drinking. The second gate was still the same old wooden door, unchanged from before.
The guild itself had four and a half floors, designed in a tower-like structure with a massive clock hanging at the top, giving it an imposing vibe. Below the clock, on the fourth floor, a large red flag with gold trim proudly displayed the guild's white emblem.
The overall style was like a European castle, but the embedded magic crystals added a fantastical flair.
"Now this is what the top magic guild should look like!" Kira said, nodding with satisfaction at the guild's entrance, barely containing his excitement. The land deed had his name on it, meaning the guild was technically renting his property. He'd gone from shop owner to landlord in one fell swoop.
With that thought, Kira eagerly rushed inside. The interior was much larger than the old guild, with neatly arranged tables and chairs and nine massive stone pillars supporting the structure in a three-by-three grid.
The first floor was still a bar, with a guild-emblem flag hanging prominently across from the entrance. Below it was the counter, flanked by a stage for performances and the guild's mission board. Two staircases led to the second floor.
Behind the bar was everyone's favorite feature: a swimming pool. Plenty of good-looking folks were splashing around, but the real highlight was Bisca and Alzack, the "Gunshot Duo," who were in the middle of some very heated—er, wholesome—fun.
The second floor had lounges and another mission board. Thanks to Kira and Erza's persistent requests, Makarov had approved a rule allowing non-S-Class members to take on S-Class missions if led by an S-Class mage. Erza pushed for it because she was teamed up with Natsu and the others, and doing regular missions wouldn't cover the rent for her five dorm rooms. Kira's reasoning was simpler: How can I profit if my cash cows don't grow?
The third floor was for administrative work—handling guild applications, mission requests, and handovers. The fourth floor had rest areas and a medical room, while the basement housed a recreational area.
It took Kira nearly an hour to tour the entire guild. Afterward, he plopped down at a first-floor table, sipping a drink while watching his guildmates chat and drink, mentally noting things that could be improved.
Dispel ignored him, busy chatting and joking with others. Though he wasn't a Fairy Tail member, his connection to Kira and his role in defeating Jose to save the guild had earned him everyone's acceptance.
Despite looking identical, Kira and Dispel had distinct vibes. Kira radiated a laid-back, carefree aura and spoke in a quirky, offbeat way. Dispel was more grounded, with sharper eyes and, most notably, two swords always at his waist.
"I'm thinking I should put my personal recliner here," Kira mused. "No, wait—if Natsu and the others wreck it, what then? They probably couldn't afford to replace it. Eh, forget it…"
After a while, Kira noticed the guild was quieter than usual. Asking around, he learned that the usual lively crowd was out on missions. Even Mirajane, who was typically a guild fixture, had taken a modeling gig for a magazine, which pleasantly surprised him.
"Nice, nice. Everyone's figuring out how to make some cash," Kira said, genuinely pleased.
As for the guild master, rumor had it he'd been called to tea with the mayor.
"Hiss… hope the old man didn't do something crazy," Kira muttered, then waved it off and headed out. "Eh, whatever. Not my problem. Time to go home!"
The new guild was several times larger than the old one, with its open-air café, stalls, pool, and rec area all super appealing. But what Kira loved most? It was close to home. The new guild and his Hope Cottage were on the same street, less than a ten-minute walk.
"Man, rich people have it good—oh, wait, I'm the richest guy in the guild!" Kira chuckled. Even after all these years, he hadn't fully shaken his old "broke" mindset. Those days as a penniless nobody were tough to forget.
Seeing Kira get teary-eyed, Dispel shook his head. What's this guy getting all emotional about now?
Back at his familiar cottage with its cozy decor, Kira felt the warmth of home. The moment he walked in, he flopped onto the soft, warm sofa—a perfect moment of bliss. The bed? Nah, he hadn't changed clothes yet.
"Hey, since you're home, shouldn't you start working on those magic items?" Dispel asked, following him in. "How do you even make those? Honestly, I'm kinda curious."
No response. Kira was in his ultimate chill mode, completely untouchable—not even by the lure of money.
"Hey, you're not dead, are you? 'Cause if you are, I'm claiming your stuff," Dispel teased.
Still nothing. In this state, Kira wouldn't move a muscle, say a word, or even blink. Too much effort.
Twenty minutes later, Kira sprang back to life. "Alright, up and at 'em! Time to talk about Hope Cottage's big money-making plans!"
But now Dispel was engrossed in a novel, in his ultimate chill mode. No one could disturb him—not even the promise of a swordmaster duel.
Tit for tat, huh?
In the end, Kira dragged Dispel up off the floor. It was his house, after all—and the book was his too.
"Listen up," Kira said, sitting at a small table. "Hope Cottage is going on a temporary hiatus. I'm shifting our sales focus to the guild!"
He laid out his business plan. "We'll keep selling magic items, but make sure to play up our products' unique features!"
"Features? Wait, you're making those kinds of items?" Dispel asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm talking about toys with time-limited magic!"
"Oh, got it. You mean stuff like daily items with [Speed], [Endurance], or [Recovery] spells, like those 'Elf' brand things, right? I'm following."
"You idiot! You're not following at all! This is a legit magic item shop!"
They're totally marketable, though… Dispel muttered under his breath. "So, what, items with [Hardening], [Vibration], or [Shape-Shifting] spells?"
"Shut it! I'm not making those!"
After nearly an hour of back-and-forth, Dispel finally accepted that Kira wasn't selling those kinds of items.
Ahem. "So why tell me all this?" Dispel asked.
"Why? Because you're my employee! I'm going into seclusion to work on new items, so you're in charge of sales. You can read your novels at the shop, but if I come out and the sales don't meet my expectations, you know what'll happen, right?"
Dispel wasn't fazed. "Sales? That's like daily breakfast—nice to have, but not a big deal if it's missing. You cover food and lodging, so I'm not worried about starving."
Kira flipped the table in frustration. "How can you have zero work ethic?!"