"What's so troublesome about this? If a guildmate has a problem, everyone in the guild would be more than happy to help. And besides, this isn't anything dangerous—it's just helping to build a house."
Moen spoke seriously, trying to dispel Mirajane's concerns.
"Besides, you can even turn the work into a paid request. If it's a formal request, then it's just a normal employer–worker relationship, not a burden."
Seeing Mirajane still wearing her "I don't want to trouble anyone" expression, Moen changed the angle of persuasion. Once it becomes a posted job, it no longer counts as 'bothering' the guild. Whoever accepts it is doing proper paid work.
"About how much would it cost?"
Mirajane asked, unable to completely suppress her interest. Buying a house inside the city was practically impossible—it required a huge sum. It really might be better to build one out in the outskirts or the forest.
"That depends on how big a house you want. But building a small two-story home shouldn't cost too much… at most a few million J."
To be honest, Moen wasn't fully confident about the pricing. But building in the outskirts or the forest meant no land purchase costs, and if they were willing to gather the lumber themselves, even the building materials didn't need to be purchased. The main expense would be labor.
Chopping trees and preparing lumber on their own would raise labor costs a bit, since it's truly starting from zero—everyone would have to go into the forest to gather what they needed.
"Only a few million J?"
Hearing that number, Mirajane's eyes immediately lit up. That was far cheaper than buying a house in the city!
The key point was—buying a house in the city didn't just require money. Even if you wanted to buy one, there weren't necessarily any available. But outside the city, you could build whenever you wanted, wherever you wanted. No one cared.
"But I don't even have a few million J…"
Her excitement deflated into a long sigh. Even "only a few million J" was far beyond what she had.
Right now, she was essentially supporting her entire family alone. Although Lisanna and Elfman were still receiving guild welfare benefits, Mirajane didn't want that to go on forever. She wanted Lisanna and Elfman to learn independence—they couldn't rely on guild relief forever.
This girl truly had a fiercely strong personality.
"I'll lend it to you first. When you earn money later, pay me back then. I believe you, Elfman, and Lisanna will all become excellent mages. Earning a few million J will be easy for you."
Moen brought up lending her the money again. In truth, for powerful mages, earning a few million J wasn't hard. The higher the risk, the higher the reward. Dangerous missions naturally paid well.
Most ordinary people had no way to earn that kind of money. They could only do farmwork or labor just to make ends meet.
"…Moen, don't you need money?"
Mirajane looked at him, genuinely tempted. If they started building now, the house might even be finished in one or two months. They could save a lot of rent.
Living in Magnolia was no joke—space near the Fairy Tail guild was incredibly expensive. And Fairy Tail's official dorms weren't cheap either.
But admittedly, Fairy Tail's official dorms were extremely luxurious and safe, with fewer restrictions. You could renovate freely. 100000 J a month was absolutely worth it.
Renting outside might be cheaper, but forget about renovations or extra protection.
Fairy Hills—the girls' dorm—was so convenient mainly because the landlord, Mr. Ruchio, had a daughter, Chico C Hammitt, who was a member of Fairy Tail. Their family also ran a popular café in Magnolia, frequently visited by guild members.
"I don't have much to spend money on anyway. If it's just sitting there, it might as well be used to help someone. Anyone who needs it, I'll lend it to them. They can pay me back slowly."
Moen raised his eyebrows and glanced at Master Makarov, signaling Mirajane not to worry about his finances. He was Fairy Tail's little prince, after all—he really didn't have many expenses.
"…Thank you, Moen. I'll pay you back very soon!"
In the end, Mirajane couldn't resist. She really wanted a home of her own, and Moen's plan was far too appealing—it opened a new path she had never considered.
In fact, building a house in the outskirts or forest was something only mages had the ability to do.
No ordinary person would dare live in the forest—magical beasts and wild animals could kill them instantly.
Saving this much money meant taking on risk and if there were no risks, the outskirts and forests would've been developed long ago.
"Don't be so polite, Mira. Guildmates helping each other is how it should be."
Moen stood up with a smile and walked to the bar counter, submitting the request to Airo. The contents were very simple.
"Job Request: Build a two-story house for Mira's family in the outskirts.
Reward: 5,000,000 J if completed within 2 months. 4,000,000 J if completed within 3 months. 3,000,000 J if completed within 4 months."
In Magnolia, this price could never get you a two-story house. But in the forest, it was perfectly normal.
"Mira, you're moving out of the dorms?"
Seeing the request, Airo looked at Mirajane with surprise.
"Yes! Sis Airo, we're going to build our own house!"
Mirajane nodded excitedly. Even if the house was built using borrowed money, it was still the start of a new life.
"You've only been working for such a short time—how did you save up this much money?"
Airo asked as she processed the paperwork.
In her understanding, Mirajane's missions couldn't possibly earn this much. As the front-desk staff, she had a pretty good idea of most people's finances.
"I borrowed it from Moen."
Mirajane said softly, embarrassed.
She herself was a little shocked at how easily she agreed to borrow so much from Moen. If it were anyone else, she would have refused instantly—debts were complicated and burdensome.
But with Moen, she didn't think that way. Maybe because their families were too close.
Lisanna and Elfman had learned their first magic from Moen and were always taken care of by him. And it was thanks to Moen's help that Mirajane accepted her own power. Their family already owed Moen far too much.
'Maybe I just thought… since we already owe him so much, what's a little more?'
She gave herself that excuse in her mind. To her, Moen was obviously no longer just an ordinary friend.
"…You brat, you're willing to spend big, huh!"
Airo first looked at Moen in surprise, then at Mirajane, her gaze turning more and more meaningful. Even her tone was beginning to sound suspicious.
And the moment Airo said that, Mirajane heated up like a furnace. She opened her mouth to explain, but Moen spoke first.
"…What are you talking about? Sis Airo, if you needed money, I'd lend it to you too."
Moen shook his head helplessly, smiling as he answered.
"No way. For this much money, a weak mage like me would have to work for the guild for a lifetime to pay it back. Are you trying to trap your Sis Airo here forever?"
Airo said jokingly, bursting into laughter.
"You're exaggerating, Sis Airo. It wouldn't take that long. And honestly, that might be better. Without you, the guild wouldn't even have food! If someone else took over, I'd never get used to it."
Moen said seriously. Airo was practically a pillar of the guild—trusted by Master Makarov, and her cooking was adored by everyone.
"One day it'll happen, little Moen. When I fall in love and get married, maybe I'll go home and become a housewife. Someone else will eventually take over this job."
Airo smiled warmly, shaking her head. Only children believed everything stayed the same forever. Life was full of unexpected changes.
"If that day really comes, maybe Mira could take your place. Lisanna and Elfman always praise her cooking."
Moen joked, looking at Mirajane.
Honestly, imagining Mirajane wearing an apron, holding a frying pan, and acting like a perfect housewife was… difficult.
"I could never be as amazing as Sis Airo. I couldn't do that job."
Mirajane's embarrassment faded as the topic shifted, and she responded seriously.
She meant every word. Airo was one of the few people in the guild she truly respected. Airo managed the entire guild's affairs almost single-handedly—it was incredible. Mirajane didn't believe she could handle that job.
Laki helped sometimes, but mostly as Airo's assistant. Airo ran everything.
As for Master Makarov? He was the ultimate carefree boss—drinking all day and only stepping in when serious matters arose.
"Don't say that, Mira. Who knows what the future holds?"
Airo smiled gently and ruffled Mirajane's hair. In her eyes, Mirajane did have the potential—even if Mira didn't believe it herself. Someone who raised two younger siblings since childhood would naturally have organizational and practical skills.
Mirajane didn't reply aloud, but in her heart she was certain—she would never do Airo's job. She needed to go outside and earn money.
"A big job! A big job! A five-million-J job! You don't need strong magic—only construction skills! No limit on participants! Anyone interested, come sign up!"
While Mirajane and Airo were talking, Moen had already posted the request on the bulletin board and was loudly calling for volunteers. A crowd formed almost instantly.
"Huh? Mirajane's request?"
"So much reward? Didn't think she was rich."
"Me! Me! I'm great at carpentry!"
"Count me in! I'm all muscle—perfect for chopping trees!"
"I can handle the blueprints."
"How could I miss this? I repaired the boys' dorm myself!"
Before long, a whole group had gathered: construction worker Reinhardt, artist Reedus, muscle freak Joey, even Wakaba and Macao showed up to join the fun.
"Wakaba's smoke magic is at least useful for something. But Macao… what can your flame magic do?"
Moen looked suspiciously at Macao.
Trying to freeload? No chance.
The Fairy Tail Construction Squad does NOT accept freeloaders!
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