"Woooahhh!!!" After a moment of stunned silence, a tidal wave of cheers erupted, sweeping through the entire guild!
Music blared instantly, accompanied by the clinking of glasses, hearty laughter, playful teasing, and warm congratulations. The atmosphere lit up like a fire spell gone wild!
Miro, wearing a gentle smile, wheeled out a beautifully decorated two-tier cake from the kitchen. He approached Roger and Erza, chuckling, "And here's a delicious cheesecake! The guild master ordered it in advance."
On the cake's pristine white frosting, vibrant jam spelled out: "Congrats to Roger & Erza on their first mission's huge success!"
Reading those words and soaking in the rowdy but heartfelt enthusiasm around her, Erza felt a warm, almost overwhelming emotion swell in her chest. Her nose tingled slightly.
Halfway through the celebration, in a quieter corner near the bar, four "underage" guild members sat in a row, happily munching on sweet cheesecake.
Roger took a bite of his cake, but his gaze kept drifting to Kagura's head—where a vivid purple exclamation mark hovered faintly.
He sighed inwardly: So it really is color-coded with purple and gold. Typical game system logic.
"Kagura," Roger said casually, swallowing his bite, "did you learn some magic?"
"Huh?" Kagura's head shot up, a dab of cream still on her lips. "How'd you know, Roger? I just learned it yesterday! I was gonna surprise you guys when you got back!"
She waved her little fork excitedly. "It's gravity magic! The guild master says it'll make my sword swings even stronger!"
Noticing Roger's eyes flicker to the top of her head, Kagura had a sudden epiphany. She slammed her fork on the table, nearly leaping out of her seat in excitement.
"No way…! Does that mean I can form a contract with you, Roger?!" Her face practically glowed with enthusiasm.
When Roger nodded with a smile, Kagura shot up from her chair like a spark, spinning around their little table like a joyful top.
"Yesss!! I can form a contract too!!"
"I'm gonna be a super—awesome—mage!!"
Watching her new friend bounce around like a hyperactive fairy, Cana blinked curiously. "A contract? What's that?"
Kagura screeched to a halt, nearly crashing into Happy, who'd swooped in to play. After calming the little Exceed, she launched into an animated explanation, hands flailing.
"It's like making a special bond with Roger! When you beat enemies, it boosts your magic power! Plus, you can get awesome magic tools outta nowhere! It's so cool!"
"Magic tools?" Cana's eyes lit up like she'd spotted a pile of gold coins. "You mean stuff drops? Like… could you sell them for money?" Her brain was already calculating profits.
Thud! Thud!
Roger and Erza nearly choked on their cake, while Kagura stumbled, three black lines sliding down her forehead.
She wiped imaginary sweat from her brow and hurriedly clarified, "That's not the main point! The real deal is boosting your magic power, Cana!"
"With strong magic, we can become truly powerful mages!" She clenched her tiny fists, eyes blazing with determination. "When you're super strong, no one can push you around!"
Cana nibbled on her fork, her legs swinging under the table. "I still think money's more important. With money, you can buy yummy food and not have to deal with anyone's nonsense."
Roger scooped up another piece of cake. "They're not mutually exclusive. Money's important, sure, but so is strength. As for selling magic tools…" He shrugged. "We'll figure that out later."
"Cana," Kagura leaned closer, eyeing the cup in Cana's hand. "Why's your juice different from ours?"
"Huh? Is it?" Cana held up her cup, peering at the pale yellow, fizzy liquid inside.
"Wanna try it, Kagura? It's really good—kinda sweet, with a… uh… planty taste. And little bubbles that pop on your tongue!"
"?" Kagura's curiosity piqued at the odd description. "Okay, lemme try!" She took the cup and cautiously sipped.
The moment the liquid touched her tongue—
"Pfft!!"
Like a cat with its tail stepped on, Kagura spat it out, her face scrunching in disgust as she stuck out her tongue. "Ugh, gross! It's so bitter, Cana! You lied!!"
"There's no sweetness at all—just this awful bitter taste, like wake-up flowers!"
"Huh?" Cana blinked, baffled. "Bitter? I didn't taste anything bitter."
Roger's brow furrowed. That description screamed alcohol. He stepped over, grabbed Cana's cup, and sniffed it. A faint, familiar fermented scent hit his nose.
"This isn't juice—it's booze. Someone must've mixed it up," Roger said, setting the cup on the bar. "No drinking for minors."
"What?!" Cana's face fell, like someone had stolen her favorite toy. "No way! This tastes way better than juice! Can't I have just a tiny bit?"
"Nope!" Roger's tone was firm, the words "no alcohol for minors" practically glowing in his mind from a past life. "Drinking at your age messes with your brain. Wait till you're older."
"Ugh…" Cana puffed out her cheeks like a deflated pufferfish, slumping onto the table.
Her gaze slid sideways, landing on Erza's plate, where a huge chunk of cake had vanished. Three black lines appeared on Cana's forehead.
"Erza," Cana said slyly, "if I'm not mistaken, you just polished off an entire layer of that two-tier cake by yourself, didn't you?"
Cough! Erza froze mid-bite, her whirlwind cake-devouring spree grinding to a halt.
Switching to "elegant mode," she delicately cut a tiny, nail-sized piece of cake, popping it into her mouth with exaggerated grace, her eyes darting nervously. "W-What? No way. You must've seen wrong. How could I eat that much?"
Cana sighed dramatically, mimicking her mom's lecturing tone. "My mom always said eating too many sweets gives you cavities."
She shot Erza a mischievous glance. "And with cavities, every bite of something sweet hurts. That means no more sweets—ever."
"C-Cavities?!" Erza looked like she'd been hit by a thunderbolt, her eyes wide with horror.
No more sweets? What kind of evil curse is that?! Her mind waged war with itself before she heroically pushed her half-eaten cake plate away, turning her head with a pained expression, as if bidding farewell to a dear friend.
"I'll… I'll eat it next time!" she declared, her voice brimming with the resolve of a warrior facing sacrifice.
[Ding! Quest officially completed. Congratulations to the host for exceeding expectations. Reward: 500 Magic Points, Voodoo Doll item obtained.]
[Voodoo Doll: A crude doll made of cloth, cotton, and other rough materials.]
[Requires a target's hair, blood, or pure magical essence as a medium to establish a one-way curse link through a specific ritual.]
[Once linked, physical damage to the doll (stabbing, burning, breaking, etc.) bypasses standard defenses and directly affects the corresponding part of the target's body.]
[The caster can also force the doll to move, compelling the target to mimic simple actions (e.g., raising a hand or stepping forward). If the power gap is too large, the target's willpower may resist, and the process consumes significant energy.]
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