"Kicked out of the guild by the Master himself?!"
Mira's voice rose sharply, as though she had just heard something unbelievable.
Noah, still fairly new to Fairy Tail, didn't understand why she was so shocked at the mention of someone being expelled.
Kana explained, "I heard Wakaba, Macao, and the others talk about him when I was little.
"Over the years since Fairy Tail's founding, members have come and gone. Some left, some retired. But those departures were always peaceful. Many still keep in touch with the guild afterwards.
"But Ivan was different. He was the first person in the guild's history to be expelled—for violating the guild's taboos."
Mira leaned forward curiously. "What taboo?"
Kana shook her head. "Nobody knows. After expelling Ivan, Master sealed the taboo completely. Not only the younger generation—even the old-timers like Macao and Wakaba don't know the details."
Noah, however, did.
The so-called taboo must be connected to "Lumen Histoire"—the "Lumen Starlight" Ivan had once mentioned. Endless, terrifying magic power that could inspire bloodshed and greed across the world. Only that could drive the gentle Makarov to such a harsh measure.
"But Kana," Noah asked, "you didn't answer my main question. What's Ivan's relationship to Master and Laxus? Are they relatives?"
Kana chuckled bitterly. "Relatives? They're much closer than that. Ivan is Master's son—and Laxus' father."
Noah's jaw nearly dropped. Mira looked equally stunned.
*To cast out your own blood for the guild's sake… Master, that must have been hard.*
Noah recalled Edolas. The Ivan he knew there had been dragged to the guillotine by Noah's father, Faust. Without hesitation, Ivan had betrayed the secret of the "Lumen Starlight" just to save himself.
Cowardice. Ambition without backbone.
Now, Noah understood Makarov's anger better.
If he had been in Makarov's shoes, Noah would have locked Ivan away for life rather than let him escape. Still, given Ivan's nature, perhaps imprisonment in Edolas under Faust's "tender mercy" was punishment enough.
After chatting with Mira and Kana a while longer, Noah excused himself. This *was* the girls' dorm, after all, and overstaying would be improper. But before leaving, he made sure Kana understood: she must keep the "Soul of Resurrection" card safe. Xiaobai's life was tied to it.
If the card remained, Xiaobai lived. If the card was destroyed—the dog would die again.
Returning to his dormitory, Noah focused his mind.
[Local commission completed]
[Reward: Mastery of Card Magic]
Client's comment: *Noah is such a nice guy. Though raising Xiaobai's price to one million just to tease me was unfair…*
Noah smirked. "She has the nerve to complain after trying to trick me into sparing her debt? Hmph."
Still, he accepted the reward.
In an instant, card magic theory and techniques poured into his mind like a flood, neatly ordered.
"So this is card magic… versatile, but…"
He frowned. Card magic, unlike others, fell into an awkward niche.
- Its offensive power was middling, nothing compared to true combat magics like the Star Keys.
- Card users' physical ability was poor, especially compared to "Requip" wizards, who bolstered themselves with re-armed weapons and gear.
- Most card spells were functional—utility, mobility, tricks. Useful, but often with steep costs and cooldowns.
For example, the "Flying Card" Kana had used to cross Ironforge Ridge. A clever tool, but useless after a single activation—its cooldown was a full 30 days.
Embarrassing.
Still, Noah wasn't discouraged.
He had seen the Soul of Resurrection's astonishing power. If such incredible magic came in the form of a "mere" card, then the cards from Yugi Muto's world must be far more dangerous than Fairy Tail realized.
"…I just don't know when the next commission from that 'ordinary high schooler' will arrive."
Setting those thoughts aside, Noah tidied up and returned to the guild. He carried back the books he had borrowed. *Common Sense of Magic* had been insightful; *Amaterasu Style* was still too advanced to grasp. He hoped to find more resources to broaden his knowledge.
After all, as *Common Sense of Magic* had emphasized: understanding an opponent's magic, then adapting a strategy to counter it, was often the key to victory.
And in this world brimming with bizarre and unpredictable magics, ignorance could get him killed.
Noah was about to step into the library when a calm voice stopped him.
"Noah, are you free right now?"
He turned around—and froze.
It was *her*. The "Fairy Queen"—Erza Scarlet. Clad in her signature tight breastplate, a short skirt, and long boots, she radiated composed strength.
Not knowing her intentions, Noah replied politely, "I was just about to read. Can I help you with something?"
Erza nodded. "Master Dolan already told me what happened in Ironforge Ridge. Let's spar in Taijutsu, Noah."
Erza had received her newest armor from Dolan earlier that morning, and during the visit she heard of Noah's impressive combat feats.
Dolan had praised Noah's physical martial ability especially. Knowing this, the Fairy Queen herself had come to test him.
An invitation—
To a spar in physical combat.
From an S-class wizard.
"…Now?"
"Yes."
Noah's lips curved. He welcomed it.
*Perfect. Let's see whether the Fairy Queen's hand-to-hand skill is as fearsome as her legend—or as terrifying as the Commander of the Army in another world.*
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