Whether Rufus genuinely hadn't mastered the magic or was deliberately hiding something, Kira didn't care too much. What really piqued his interest was how that Memory-Make Magic came about.
"Pretty versatile magic!" Kira remarked.
Rufus didn't catch the underlying curiosity in his tone and assumed it was pure praise. Now it's my turn to take the lead! he thought smugly.
"Mr. Kira, what was the name of that magic guild you mentioned?" Rufus asked, his expression turning serious. The subtext was clear: If it's some no-name guild, I'm not interested!
Kira wasn't surprised by the shift in attitude. It was only natural to clarify things—choosing a guild was like picking a job. You'd treat a small startup differently from a major powerhouse.
Sipping his tea, Kira replied casually, "Our guild's called Fairy Tail. It's got a bit of a reputation in Fiore. Ever heard of it?"
"What?!"
Rufus nearly dropped his teacup in shock, his body snapping upright.
Heard of it? Oh, I've more than heard of it!
Fairy Tail wasn't just "a bit" famous. With over a century of history, it was undeniably Fiore's top magic guild!
Is this for real? This guy's actually from Fairy Tail? Wait a second… Kira! Could he be that Kira, the famous 'Sage' of Fairy Tail? I heard he's got red hair and blue eyes…
Rufus stole a quick glance, then hurriedly looked down. It's really him! A guy like that came to recruit me personally?
A whirlwind of emotions hit Rufus—three parts pride, three parts confidence, three parts arrogance, and one part worry. His whole demeanor shifted in an instant.
Nearby, Ika, Rufus' little fanboy, smirked and exchanged looks with his friends Akas and Sanmaru. "Check this guy out," Ika's glance seemed to say. "One mention of Fairy Tail, and his attitude does a complete 180. Fairy Tail's the best, no question!"
Sanmaru shot him a look back: Dude, tone it down…
Akas, pulling her red hood lower, ignored them both.
Their silent exchange went unnoticed by Kira, who was focused entirely on Rufus. Seeing the boy's eyes flicker and avoid his gaze, Kira couldn't help but grin inwardly. That's the reaction I was going for!
Trying to play mind games with me? This kid's still too green!
Breaking someone's pride was a simple three-step process, as far as Kira was concerned:
1. Start with some flattery to puff them up, making them believe the hype while showing respect and boosting their confidence.
2. Let them bask in their moment of glory—don't interrupt, let them show off to their heart's content.
3. Casually reveal your own strength, shattering their pride. The higher they climbed in step two, the harder they'll fall, feeling like a clown for their earlier bravado.
After that, it's easy. Toss in a bit of encouragement, say a few kind words, and they'll be eating out of your hand, ready to follow you anywhere.
This tactic—known as "PUA" in Kira' previous life—had burned him before. Of course, he'd only picked up the basics and was using the simplest version here. His goal wasn't to manipulate but to teach this kid a lesson: the world's a big place, and being cocky won't cut it.
His intentions were good, his approach gentle, and the outcome was meant to be positive.
"So, Fairy Tail—heard of it?" Kira asked, finding the situation amusing and deciding to lean into it.
Rufus' face turned beet red, too embarrassed to meet Kira' eyes. His earlier smugness had evaporated, replaced by burning shame. "Y-Yeah… I've heard of it…"
"It's not beneath you, right?" Kira' smile was warm, his tone caring, but it only made Rufus more flustered.
"I-It's… fine…" the blond kid stammered. Realizing that sounded rude, he quickly looked up and corrected himself. "I mean, it'd be an honor to join Fairy Tail!"
"Hm."
Kira' smile faded, his face turning serious as he nodded subtly and sipped his tea. The silence that followed stretched on for a full minute, leaving Rufus squirming with unease. It felt like an hour of torture, his mind spiraling.
Did I mess up? Was I too arrogant? Did I offend Mr. Kira? Of course, a guy like him has seen all kinds of geniuses—why would he care about my magic? My old teacher said elemental modeling magic is too scattered, not refined enough to go far. He must've noticed that and now he's hesitating! What do I do?
Rufus' anxiety spiked as he glanced at the three kids nearby. Those kids have been giving me weird looks. The black-haired one's smirking—he's definitely mocking me! The tall one's ignoring me, probably used to seeing way more talented kids than me. And that girl in the hood won't even look at me—she must think I'm not worth her time…
Sweat beaded on Rufus' palms, forehead, and upper lip. Oh no, Mr. Kira is frowning! I must've disappointed him! I'm such an idiot! My stupid pride just cost me a shot at joining Fairy Tail! I'm so screwed!
Kira finally spoke, his voice calm. "Little mage…"
Rufus practically shouted, "Yes! Just call me Rufus, Mr. Kira! Do you have any questions?"
"No questions from me. Do you have any questions?"
"Huh? Me? Questions…?"
Rufus was thrown off. Isn't this supposed to be an interview? Aren't you testing if I'm good enough for Fairy Tail? Why are you asking me to ask questions?
After racking his brain and coming up empty, Rufus mumbled, "Uh… no, I don't have any questions…"
Kira nodded. "Alright, then we're done for today. Rufus, we've got some things to take care of, so we'll head out. If you're interested, come by Magnolia sometime. The scenery's pretty nice!"
Rufus replied stiffly, "Uh… okay… sure!"
What does he mean? Did I get in or not?
As Kira walked away, Rufus faintly heard him grumble, "This place's tea is awful!"
Rufus' heart sank, his face darkening. The sky seemed to cloud over, the tea in his hand lost all flavor, and the noisy chatter around him felt like it belonged to another world.
Meanwhile, Kira was completely oblivious to Rufus' inner turmoil. In his mind, Rufus hadn't yet mastered Memory-Make Magic. If he brought the kid back to the guild now, it might mess with his destiny and prevent him from learning his strongest magic. The "things to take care of" was just about heading to Demisour's reception office before it got too late. And the tea comment? He just genuinely thought it sucked.
"What's with this place?" Kira muttered. "Prime location, fancy decor, high prices, and they serve tea this bad? One-star review!"
Akas, the girl in the red hood, chimed in, "Yeah, it's gross. My juice is way better!"
She casually took a swig from the juice bottle at her waist, as if rinsing her mouth.
Sanmaru, walking beside them, said, "Teacher Kira, I thought you were really gonna bring him back to the guild."
Kira glanced at him. "I do want him to join Fairy Tail. Didn't I just say I'd recommend him? I even invited him to Magnolia—that's basically a green light!"
Sanmaru's eyes lit up. "Oh, I get it now!"
Ika, bouncing with excitement, shouted, "That's our Boss Kira! A few words, and he's already recruiting a genius who can rival me for Fairy Tail!"
Akas, ever the tsundere, huffed, "Guess Cana-neesan was wrong about you. You're pretty cool, Teacher Kira!"
"Of course I'm cool!" Kira grinned, ruffling Akas' hood. "And stop listening to Cana—she'll lead you astray!"
"Don't talk bad about Cana-neesan!"
"Heh heh heh…"
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