Clang, clang, clang~
Listening to the rhythmic sound of the wheels turning, Noah surveyed this mode of transport known as the "Magic Train."
Using Lacrima that stored Magic Power as the train's energy source, its operating efficiency wasn't high, its speed wasn't too fast, and even its comfort was mediocre; the wooden seats became uncomfortable after sitting for a long time.
However, such a Magic Train was highly favored, the reasons being its cheap ticket prices and the railway lines connecting various major cities. These two points alone were enough to outweigh all the Magic Train's shortcomings.
Similar modes of transport existed in Edolas, but due to the depletion of Magic Power, they ceased operation decades ago, and Noah had only read about them in books.
But what puzzled Noah was that Earth Land wasn't Edolas. This world clearly had abundant Magic Power, yet in the realm of magical transportation, it hadn't surpassed Edolas by much.
Such stagnation shouldn't be happening.
Looking at Mirajane, who was sitting by the window next to him, Noah revealed the doubts in his heart.
Mirajane rested her chin on one hand, gazing at the changing scenery outside the window. "Why didn't they continue research? Of course, because it wasn't profitable enough."
"I heard that the Heartfilia Konzern, which controls the railway operations, had financial problems and was forced to sell the ownership of many sections of the railway to pay off debts."
Noah understood. It was a very reasonable explanation. Research always required a large amount of money and resources to support it; without these, it would be extremely difficult.
From the opposite seat, Lisanna, sitting next to Elfman, asked innocently, "Brother Noah, you're not familiar with many things in the outside world. How do you plan to find your brother?"
"I'll take it one step at a time," Noah said with a smile.
To conceal his identity, Noah fabricated a persona for himself: "a person who lived deep in the mountains with his family for a long time and came out into the world to find his brother."
He couldn't very well say that he was from a parallel world, here to steal Lumen Histoire from their guild.
Earlier in the valley, Noah had noticed that Mirajane and Lisanna each had a white emblem resembling a "fairy" on their left thighs, while Elfman also had a black emblem of the same shape on the left side of his neck.
Noah had seen this emblem in Edolas.
Although he was a shut-in, as the second prince, Noah read all sorts of national newspapers every day. The Mage Guild "Fairy Tail" always appeared on the front page of border news reports.
At that time, Noah confirmed that the three of them—Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna—belonged to the Fairy Tail of Earth Land, as mentioned by Ivan.
So Noah subtly hinted that he had nowhere to go.
And Mirajane, just as Noah had expected, was enthusiastic and invited him to join her guild, which Noah readily agreed to.
As for the only truth, "finding his brother Jellal," all Noah could do was as he answered Lisanna.
In the vast sea of people, he would take it one step at a time.
A long train whistle sounded, and the Magic Train pulled into its final destination, Magnolia, the city where Fairy Tail was located.
Same time, different place.
In the valley where the Beast King fell, a mysterious person, clad in a black robe concealing his face and carrying five Magic staves on his back, arrived.
"Am I too late...?"
Seeing no one around, the mysterious person removed his hood, revealing a handsome face that was seventy percent similar to Noah's. His hair was dark blue, and he had a red tattoo above and below his right eye.
"The first Anima in over a decade, and it activated in reverse. What did Edolas transmit over?"
Looking at the huge beast carcass in the valley, being devoured by weaker magical beasts, the thoughtful mysterious man slowly drew a Magic staff from his back.
Magnolia, a port city belonging to the Kingdom of Fiore, with a permanent population of over sixty thousand, barely counted as a large city on this continent.
Stepping out of the station, Noah saw two tall buildings standing on either side of the city in the distance.
One was a church.
Due to its direction, Noah couldn't see the front of the other, but it looked somewhat like a tavern.
Mirajane excitedly introduced them to Noah.
"That's Kardia Cathedral. For most residents of Magnolia, this cathedral is extremely important."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "With so many believers, what god does that cathedral worship?"
"It doesn't worship anything~"
Mirajane looked at Noah's astonished expression and smiled mysteriously. "Kardia Cathedral is like a large notification tool for us. When its urgent bell rings throughout the entire city, it means someone has returned."
As for who that person was, Mirajane simply smiled and told Noah he would find out later.
Led by Mirajane, Noah arrived in front of the other three-story building that resembled a tavern.
Looking at the orange flag with a blue emblem fluttering on the top floor of the building, Noah knew where it was even without Mirajane saying anything; the fairy emblem on the flag explained everything.
The Mage Guild Fairy Tail!
Even through the thick wooden double doors, Noah could hear all sorts of noisy sounds from within the building.
However, after distinguishing these sounds slightly, Noah's expression became a little strange. Why did they sound like fighting and cheering?
"Our guild... is a bit lively."
Mirajane looked at Noah's expression, her face a little flushed. Couldn't those rascals calm down for a bit? What if it left a negative impression on Noah!
Maintaining a smile, Mirajane pushed open the guild doors with force. "Everyone, we're back..."
Whoosh!
Before she could finish speaking, a flame shot past Mirajane's side.
Instantly, the angelic smile vanished, replaced by a fierce, devilish expression on Mirajane's face.
The first floor of the guild was set up like a tavern, with a group of guild members gathered around, all egging on the two people "dueling" in the center of the hall, completely oblivious to the danger approaching from behind them.
When they reacted, the white-haired girl's fist was already upon them.
The sounds of cracks and thuds were rapid and brief.
In the blink of an eye, the crowd was scattered and knocked to the ground.
And in the hall, besides Mirajane, only the core of this commotion remained: the two fighting teenagers.
One teenager had pink hair and wore a scarf, with flames flickering around him.
The other black-haired teenager was shirtless, surrounded by a chill.
The two teenagers, named Natsu and Gray, had already stopped their struggle upon Mirajane's arrival.
Natsu, oblivious, hadn't quite grasped the situation and greeted Mirajane with a smile. "Welcome home, Mira. It looks like your mission went smoothly."
Unlike the thick-headed Natsu, the sight of his fallen comrades on the ground made Gray realize something was wrong. Although Mirajane was usually combative, she wouldn't usually attack so many people at once.
"Mira, who was the idiot who angered you?"
In response to Gray's question, Mirajane's sullen expression suddenly changed. She looked at Natsu and Gray with a beaming smile, extending both hands towards them.
"As expected of Gray, your brain works better than Natsu's."
"Those idiots... are you two bastards!!"
One left, one right, Mirajane slammed Natsu's and Gray's heads together with force. Both of them immediately rolled their eyes and lost consciousness.
Watching this scene, Noah couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
If he wasn't mistaken, Mirajane seemed to have knocked all these people unconscious, and she had used extra force on the last two.
It was too brutal.
Was such an act of violently attacking guildmates permissible?!
For some reason, Noah suddenly recalled Ivan's description of this Fairy Tail: a Legal Guild with a dark side.
This guild... couldn't be a shady operation, could it...?