["First Pot of Gold!" complete. Please claim your reward!]
Of the three quests listed, two had dimmed, leaving only the S-class job unfinished.
But something felt off to Aurel.
"How did I complete that one?"
He hadn't even accepted a job—he'd only crushed Laxus.
While he puzzled over it, a Shadowkhan appeared at his side without a sound, dropped to one knee, and respectfully offered a small pouch of coins.
"This is…?"
Aurel took the pouch, face blank.
They didn't steal this, did they?
He hadn't given any order to steal.
"I paid them," Mira said as she set a glass of orange juice before him with a smile. "Your shadow magic really saved us a lot of trouble."
"And they need rest or food too, right? In a way, it's a lot like Celestial Spirit magic."
Not even close…
He swallowed the urge to explain that Shadowkhan could work a hundred years without food or sleep. Mira's gentle smile made the truth feel… antisocial.
He quietly stowed the coins and took a sip of the chilled juice. Sweet and tart cold blossomed across his tongue.
"By the way, Mira-nee—does the guild hire servers?"
Watching the Shadowkhan hustling around the hall, Aurel asked, thoughtful.
He could summon plenty, and distance didn't matter. Leaving two or three here to earn pocket money sounded great.
"Eh? You want to work part-time?" Mira blinked, clearly not expecting that.
With the power he'd just shown, he could pick S-class requests at will. Those paid at least seven or eight million J—an average person's yearly salary.
"Right now it's just me and Laki. On holidays or for banquets we really can't keep up."
Confused as she was, Mira answered seriously.
"It's only a part-time gig. My magic suits this kind of work," Aurel said with a light laugh.
"That's true…"
She glanced at the diligently working shadows, then held up a finger in warning. "But the pay is low—only 200,000 J."
After rent, that barely covered daily expenses—forget buying magic tools.
"No problem. Also—could I get one month advanced?"
"You could, but… are you that short on cash?"
"Someone scammed him yesterday morning," Levy murmured over her juice.
"A scam?" Mira's eyes flew wide. Then a thought struck her, and she glanced between them, voice trailing, "Then where did Aurel stay last—"
"Ahem—"
Levy, realizing where this was going, panicked and choked, covering her mouth as she coughed.
Seeing the reaction, a wild guess bloomed in Mira's mind. She gave them a delicate, unreadable look, then simply smiled at Levy.
So the timid Levy could be bold about this!
Bringing a boy she'd known less than a day to her room—at the girls' dorm, no less.
What is that smile supposed to mean!?
"Mira-nee!"
Levy's face flamed as she glared at the chuckling barmaid.
"Alright, alright. I'll go advance your pay, little Aurel," Mira said, heading for the counter.
Once she left, Levy slumped over the table, burying her burning face in her arms.
Aurel couldn't help a small laugh at the sight.
"…"
Hearing him, Levy peeked up with watery eyes.
"Want some xiaolongbao? My treat."
"Xiao…long…bao?" she asked, puzzled. "What's that?"
"A staple from my homeland. Think… stuffed buns. Kind of like your filled bread here."
"Do you have to cook them yourself?"
"No. It's a magic tool I picked up on my travels. It can generate all kinds of food." Aurel shook his head.
Levy's curiosity ignited at once.
Under her expectant gaze, Aurel produced a pristine white napkin with a mirrored pattern and laid it over the table.
"Just tell the Gourmet Napkin what you want to eat."
"Then… strawberry cake!"
Levy said it shyly—and a huge strawberry cake popped into existence on the cloth.
"No way…" she whispered.
But one bite of cream erased all doubt.
"Delicious! It's as good as the best bakery's cake—taste and texture both!"
Popping a strawberry into her mouth, Levy shone with genuine praise.
"If Erza finds out about this, she'll demand cake every day," Aurel said, propping his cheek on one hand.
Erza—the Fairy Queen.
"Yo, Levy! We found a good job—coming?"
A lively voice rang out.
Aurel looked up to see a man in a cowboy hat and long coat with orange hair strolling over, a tall, thin companion behind him.
"That's Jet and Droy. We're on the same team," Levy said, quickly wiping a dab of cream from her lip and explaining—nervous, as if afraid Aurel would misunderstand.
(End of Chapter)
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