Roland sat quietly at the table, finished the last half of his toast, and cast a wry glance at the quest panel only he could see.
The third quest slot—he'd known since their first meeting that Mira had been influenced by the tear mole.
It was, after all, a power granted by the God of Love…
But more than the quest itself, the reward this time was the real prize.
Mini-Dora—
A cat-type robot from the 22nd century, basically a scaled-down Doraemon; its pocket gadgets and functions were all mini versions too.
Even so—pull out just a few of those gadgets and you could change this world.
"I just don't know if the reward Mini-Dora comes with its own gadgets."
If it did, that'd be fun.
With that thought, Roland closed the system panel and went to the full-length mirror to straighten the clothes he'd bought yesterday.
Soft, lustrous black hair; calm, gentle eyes; strikingly handsome features—and that tear mole at the corner of his eye lent him an unusual allure.
…Better wear glasses before heading out.
Remembering how random women kept hitting on him on the street yesterday, Roland exhaled and put on the black frames Levy had carefully picked out.
The frame just covered the tear mole beneath his eye.
He still looked like someone who drew women's gazes, but at least without the mole showing, he wouldn't get flirted with by pregnant ladies again.
He could still picture Levy grinding her teeth when that expectant mother threw him a wink.
"Alright then, the housework's on you lot."
He snapped his fingers. A few ninjas rose from the shadows and deftly started tidying up the place while Roland headed downstairs.
"Here's hoping I run into Natsu at the guild today."
He murmured to himself.
Whether it was Hiken: Tsubame Gaeshi (Secret Sword: Swallow Reversal) or Mini-Dora, he wanted both of those rewards.
As for the wand that did nothing here besides having collector's value…
With the time it'd take to do five jobs, wouldn't talking about "knowledge" while holding little Levy be nicer?
"Morning, newbie!"
Just as he stepped out, a rough voice sounded behind him. Roland turned on reflex.
First thing he saw was a striking shock of white hair, then a hulking frame, and a face that looked fierce even without the scar across it.
"Elfman?"
Roland called his name, though he couldn't help wondering:
Are he and Mira really blood siblings?
Aside from the white hair, they looked nothing alike.
"Hold up—how do you know my name?"
Elfman gave him a surprised look.
He remembered that he and this frighteningly strong newcomer hadn't even greeted each other yesterday.
"Mira told me. Pleased to meet you, Elfman-senpai."
Roland kept his gentle smile.
That modest, polite attitude won Elfman a few points of goodwill.
"Oh, sis told you?" He scratched his head, realizing he hadn't introduced himself yet. "I'm Elfman Strauss—Mira's brother."
"I'm Roland. No family name."
Roland chuckled.
"Roland—now that's a manly name. I'll remember it. You heading to the guild?"
Elfman was used to people without surnames; the guild already had several.
"Yeah. I'm working the floor like Mira today."
Puzzled how his name was "manly," Roland decided not to ask.
In the anime, Elfman was the guy who said "man" every other sentence—probably just a verbal tic.
"Wanna walk together?"
Shaking off the random memories, Roland extended the invite.
"Sure. I was just gonna grab a job—if you're a real man, you gotta earn to support the family!"
By the end his fist was clenched with feeling.
So… how exactly do these siblings look alike?
Squinting slightly as he walked ahead, Roland thought.
—
By the time they reached the guild doors, it was past nine.
You could feel the noisy buzz of the hall even just standing outside.
These people sure were lively.
He pushed the doors open and first saw a dozen or so guild members.
Some were drinking from wooden mugs first thing in the morning, some were poring over job flyers at the board, and others were slumped on tables, yawning listlessly.
"What's wrong? Didn't sleep last night?"
After greeting Elfman, Roland slid into the seat beside a drowsy girl with practiced ease.
The instant he sat, four shadow ninjas stepped out of his shade and started handling odd jobs around the tavern on their own.
"…After I got home, I couldn't sleep."
At the familiar voice by her ear, Levy lifted her head with a grumble; faint shadows smudged beneath her eyes.
She hadn't said two sentences before the blue-haired girl covered her mouth and yawned, tears welling at the corners.
"That's why I told you to stay at my place," Roland shrugged.
"…Pervert."
"You're the pervert here—don't forget, last night you were the one who—"
Before he could finish, Levy sprang up and clapped a panicked hand over his mouth.
"Don't say stuff like that out here!"
Cheeks puffed in anger—clearly, the girl still had a sense of shame.
If people heard she'd forced a kiss on a boy she'd known for only two days, she could forget living in this town.
Bang—
Just then, a violent crash echoed as the guild doors were booted open.
"Yo! I'm back, everyone!!"
A pink-haired boy strode in, his voice bursting with energy.
"Natsu, don't be so loud first thing in the morning," Macao said helplessly.
"Zip it, Macao!"
Unbothered, Natsu plopped into a chair. Behind him trotted a blue cat with wings and a little bundle on its back.
"You're all too noisy."
A familiar, low male voice drifted from the second floor, making Roland glance up.
There, wrapped head to toe in bandages, Laxus sat by the second-floor railing, glowering down at the hall.
His gaze finally settled on Roland, fists clenching, the frustration plain on his face.
"Laxus, you're just in—"
Natsu cut off mid-sentence, blinking in confusion at the bandage-wrapped blond on the second floor…
"Huh? I could've sworn I heard Laxus's voice."
"That is Laxus," Mira said, setting a beer in front of him with a kind reminder.
"Haaah—that's Laxus?!" Natsu gaped. "How'd he end up looking like that wreck!?"
(End of Chapter)
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