"Good morning, Mirajane and Laki."
When Rhode arrived at the guild, Mirajane and Laki were already wiping tables.
Although they had wiped them last night, they still needed to be wiped again before opening.
"Good morning, Rhode."
Mirajane's smile was as bright as ever. "Also, you can drop the honorifics. Just call me Mira, like everyone else."
"Same for me, you can just call me Laki."
"Mira, Laki?" Rhode tried calling out, then politely said, "Then I shall presume."
Mira corrected him, "This context doesn't warrant using 'presume'."
Laki cupped her face, her purple long hair half-covering her hands, revealing a narcissistic expression:
"Maybe Rhode means he sees us as princesses or queens?"
Rhode denied, "Sorry, there's no such thing."
After helping out a bit, Rhode sat at the counter and ate breakfast, a very ordinary combination of milk and a sandwich.
The price was much cheaper than yesterday's curry rice, but the taste was excellent.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but even though it was the same food, it seemed to taste better on the day he first woke up—maybe he was just too hungry then.
Rhode leaned against the counter, enjoying his breakfast, while watching people enter the guild one after another.
The fashion styles in this world were incredibly diverse, with Chinese cheongsams and mandarin jackets, Japanese kimonos and yukatas, and European dresses and tailcoats.
Modern, simple casual wear and sweatshirts, like what Rhode was currently wearing, were also common.
Besides these, there were also some quite peculiar outfits. For instance, there was a rather pretty girl now, wearing a double-horned headdress, a tiger-striped, chest-baring, slit long dress, tiger-striped arm sleeves, and tiger-striped long boots with even tiger-claw shaped soles.
She looked like a small horned tiger, exuding a wild beauty.
"That's Mickey, Mickey Chigintiger," Mira introduced. "She has the nickname 'Ghost Princess'."
"Huh?"
"Rhode has been staring at her since just now. Could it be…" Mira showed a gossipy expression and enthusiastically offered Rhode advice,
"Mickey really likes fighting. If you're interested, go fight her. If you can win, she'll definitely see you in a new light."
"No, it's not…" There were a lot of things wrong with that statement, so Rhode carefully organized his thoughts,
"I just thought her attire was unusual, and… aren't you all Magicians? Why do you like fighting?"
Mira asked strangely, "Shouldn't Magicians be good at fighting?"
"Ma…" Rhode fell silent. Is my understanding strange?
Thinking about it carefully, in the few days he had been in the guild, he often saw everyone getting into fights, with real punches.
Yesterday, he even saw the Master punch two guys who had overturned a table into the floor…
Could it be that the Magicians in this world follow a close-quarters combat style like magic warriors?—
The tavern usually wasn't too busy in the morning. After Makarov arrived, Rhode began his first magic lesson.
"Generally speaking, to use magic, one needs something called magic power."
"Magic power is a special 'qi'; it exists within our bodies and is also widely present in nature."
"When the 'qi' within our bodies resonates with the 'qi' in nature, magic will manifest."
"To achieve this, one needs a considerable degree of mental power and concentration…"
Since Rhode knew nothing about magic, Makarov had to start from the very basics.
As for more profound theories about emotions, souls, and the power of the 'heart,' he would have to wait until Rhode's magic cultivation reached a certain level, or until he comprehended them on his own.
"Do I have magic power in my body?" Rhode had always been worried about this point; he wasn't even from this world.
Fortunately, Makarov reassured him, "Of course you do. It's just not very easy to detect right now."
"It's not easy for ordinary people to discover and strengthen this 'qi' within their bodies. The usual method is meditation."
"However, in your case, you can first try to feel magic power through another method."
Rhode asked, "How do I do that?"
"First, concentrate your attention on the pendant and try to call out to it in your heart. Then, try the spell I adapted from Star Spirit Magic."
Makarov taught Rhode the incantation word by word, and Rhode repeated it like a parrot.
"Once you've memorized it, try it."
"Here?" Rhode looked worriedly at his companions in the tavern. "Will it cause trouble?"
Makarov said, "Don't worry, with your current magic power, you can't summon too powerful a creature, and even if you could, you wouldn't be able to maintain it."
"…" Rhode didn't like that answer at all.
But since the Master said it was fine, he would just do as told.
He gripped the necklace pendant, staring intently at the golden-blue icon. A few seconds later, he seemed to truly feel some connection between himself and it.
Rhode quickly chanted the incantation: "I am the one who bridges the paths between two worlds! You, creature of another world, answer my call and cross the threshold!"
The pendant emitted golden-blue light, and magic power gathered in the air. Rhode gripped the pendant tightly and shouted the final line:
"Open, gate connecting to another world!"
Buzz~~~
A heavy, grand sound effect rang out, and a blue glowing vortex appeared before Rhode, with twinkling starlight within it.
Through this vortex, he seemed to feel the cold air of another world and hear the howling wind blowing across cliffs.
In such a cold and desolate atmosphere, a figure leaped out from the vortex.
The magic light and sound attracted the attention of most people in the tavern.
This must be a powerful and ruthless creature!
Everyone thought so, and so did Rhode.
However, when the vortex disappeared, there was only a palm-sized, fluffy white object on the ground.
"Wululu?" The little creature made a peculiar sound, seeming a bit confused.
But soon, its gaze fixed on Rhode, and then it stuck out its large pink tongue, waddled on its short legs, huffing and puffing towards Rhode, and hugged his calf.
Rhode was a little bewildered. He looked at the small furball and found it somewhat familiar. He bent down and picked it up for a closer look.
It had black, shiny eyes and a round body. Its fur was as white and soft as a sheep's, with a pair of curved small horns on its head, and it was sticking out a long tongue like a puppy.
Rhode placed it on the counter and stroked its head. The little creature comfortably rolled over, revealing its heart-shaped pink belly.
"Poro?" Rhode recognized this soft and adorable creature based on his experience frequenting the Howling Abyss.
"Wululu~" The little Poro's voice was filled with happiness, looking as if it had found a meal ticket.
Rhode: "…"
The creature summoned by this magic… it doesn't seem to be what I expected!