The kiss-like marks at Aurel's neck weren't hidden at all, so Mirajane noticed them in a heartbeat.
But—rather than "not hidden," she suspected he simply hadn't realized they were there.
She drew her gaze back as if nothing had happened. The same warm smile stayed on her face, revealing no change at all.
Turning her head toward Levy, she found not only the hairstyle but even the clothes different from the usual.
Levy's short blue hair was tied into a ponytail at the back, light curls falling along her forehead. Instead of her familiar dresses, she wore a loose black T-shirt.
It looked very much like a man's shirt—yet there were no matching marks at her neck.
That discovery kept Mirajane's guesses in check. Tilting her head, she smiled. "Levy-chan looks very cute today."
"You're exaggerating. It's just a different hairstyle."
Flustered by the praise, Levy scratched her cheek. She had no idea where her headband went last night.
On top of that she'd been drowsy on waking, too tired to search, so she'd just had Aurel tie her hair into a ponytail.
"You two should get started on work, then."
Elsewhere, Aurel summoned six shadow ninjas and issued orders.
At his word, the ninjas dispersed. One of them, completely naturally, took the tray from Mirajane's hands.
"Nice! Another day I can nap on the counter!"
Laki, who'd been bustling around the hall, let out a deep sigh of relief and cheered at the sight.
After getting used to the newcomer's magic, going back to the old workload really was exhausting.
If you can earn your pay while lying down, who wants to be on their feet?
Turning down Macao's invitation to join the card table, Aurel slipped onto a high stool at the bar and ordered a wheat juice.
On the small central stage, Marcus—with his middle-parted blond hair—was doing stand-up. Some watched intently; others clustered to drink or play cards.
Inside, the guild's lively noise clashed with the lonely patter of rain outside—two opposite worlds at once.
System, show me today's refreshed quests.
Taking a sip of foamy beer, Aurel spoke silently in his heart.
Light flowed before his eyes, and azure letters flickered into being in midair—
[Quest 1: All right, let's play cards today!]
[Description: Win three rounds in any card game. Cheating, bribery, etc., are not required!]
[Reward: Honest Pill (from the world of "Doraemon")]
Surprisingly simple.
And the reward was great.
Propping his chin on one hand, Aurel eyed the first quest with interest and scrolled on.
[Quest 2: "Archenemy? As if!"]
[Description: "Phantom Lord" was built to oppose "Fairy Tail." Crush these weak yet outrageously arrogant ants with absolute power!]
[Reward: Broken Blade—Executioner's Blade (from the world of "Naruto")]
…Yeah, no—the reward didn't match the cost.
He tapped a fingertip on the bar and thought.
Setting aside the fact it was already afternoon, an Executioner's Blade hardly justified wiping out a large, legitimate guild.
Other than regrowing with fresh blood when it breaks, did that blade even have any other special traits?
He shook his head and looked to the third quest.
[Quest 3: Do you like love triangles?]
[Description: Welcome back to the romance track. Have Mirajane personally confess her feelings to you!]
[Reward: Two Tickets to the World of Edolas (note: tickets expire in three days!)]
Tickets to Edolas?
He'd been ready to pass as soon as he read the description—but the reward made his eyes go wide.
After a breath, his gaze drifted to Mirajane, who was chatting and laughing with Levy nearby.
Like Juvia's sunshine charms, these two tickets might as well have Mira-nee's name printed on them…
After all, her sister Lisanna was alive in Edolas's "Fairy Tail."
"Now that's a lucky pull."
Aurel's smile turned sunlit, and his tapping fingers slowed to a stop.
The quest was a bit tricky… but paired with the first quest's reward, it should be doable.
His eyes returned to Quest 1's "Honest Pill," and a plan formed.
"Mira-nee, want to play some cards?"
A shadow ninja appeared at his side and respectfully presented a deck. Aurel riffled the cards with smooth hands and asked lightly.
No cheating, no bribery—if they played enough rounds, even the worst luck would still net three wins, right?
"Eh? Cards?" Mirajane blinked, then nodded. "Sure, I'm not too busy right now."
Thanks to the Shadow Legion's tireless hustle, Mira-nee had been reduced to minding the ledger at the counter.
"I'm in too!"
Levy let go of her straw and shot up a hand, brimming with energy.
"Three players… Speaking of, is Cana-san not around?"
Aurel glanced around the guild and saw no sign of the woman who drank straight from a barrel. He asked, puzzled.
"She went out on a job this morning. Said if she didn't work, she'd be out of money for booze tomorrow," Mirajane said after thinking a moment. "Her words, exactly."
"In that case, how about 'Fight the Landlord' or 'President'?"
Aurel nodded and briefly explained the rules of the two different games.
After a few trial rounds, Levy chose the one she felt more familiar with—President.
"Well then… game on."
Aurel looked across the table at Mirajane, voice tinged with anticipation.
Those two tickets to a parallel world—he had to have them.
(End of Chapter)
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