Kaien walked up to Makarov. "Master, can I take on that job now?"
Makarov waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead!"
This kid had talent, but he was stubborn—a little troublemaker for sure.
Just then, Mirajane spoke up. "Wait! Kaien, you're still new and don't understand the job process. I'll have Elfman go with you."
"Elfman!"
Mirajane called out and waved him over.
"What's up, Sis?"
Elfman, hearing his sister's voice, immediately came over.
"Elfman, Kaien's still new and doesn't know how missions work. I want you to guide him."
"No problem! Leave it to the manly Elfman!" he said, slapping his chest confidently.
It wasn't uncommon for seniors to take rookies on their first missions.
"I'm Elfman, the manly Elfman! I'll be leading this mission."
"I'm Kaien. Nice to meet you."
Though he'd watched the anime, Kaien still wasn't too familiar with this world. There were so many things he'd never even heard of—having an experienced partner didn't sound bad at all.
"No time to waste. Let's prepare and leave in half an hour," Elfman said briskly.
Kaien liked that attitude. "Got it!"
Elfman went home to pack his gear, while Kaien waited in the guild hall. Having been suddenly thrown into this world, he had no luggage, so there wasn't much to prepare.
That's when Mirajane came over with a large plate of fried rice.
"This… I didn't order anything."
Kaien was actually starving—he just hadn't had the money to eat.
Mirajane smiled playfully and winked. "Go ahead! It's on the house! Can't have you heading out on an empty stomach. Besides, it's not really my treat—it's your reward for beating Natsu just now."
Kaien looked at Mirajane like he was staring at an angel.
Beautiful. Kind. Caring. 'Not marrying her would be a crime!'
From the side, Macao sighed. "Ah~ Another youth has fallen."
Wakaba nodded in agreement. "Can't blame him—Mira's too cute for her own good."
Not long after, Elfman returned to the guild. Kaien had already eaten his fill—honestly, it was the best meal he'd had since arriving here half a month ago.
The two set out together. On the road, Kaien discovered that despite Elfman's huge build, he was actually a chatterbox. He told Kaien all kinds of stories about Fairy Tail members.
Gray? A shameless pervert who couldn't stop stripping.
Natsu? A walking disaster who caused trouble wherever he went.
Cana? A hardcore drunkard who'd been drinking since she was thirteen—her record was ten barrels in one night. Thirty percent of Fairy Tail's yearly liquor supply went into her stomach.
Loke? A hopeless womanizer with more girlfriends than anyone could count.
Even the master wasn't safe—according to Elfman, Makarov was a lecherous old man who couldn't keep his eyes off young girls' backsides.
Kaien couldn't stop laughing. Everyone suddenly felt more vivid, more human—and he and Elfman quickly grew close.
After a full day's journey, the two arrived at their destination.
"Huh? What's going on here?"
"What a huge turnout!"
The entire area around the mansion was surrounded by the Magic Council's Rune Knights—the Council's official army, composed entirely of magic users, tasked with capturing criminal mages.
At the moment, the Rune Knights had the entire estate sealed off, not allowing anyone to approach.
As Kaien and Elfman drew near, they were immediately stopped.
"Halt! Who are you two?!"
"We're Fairy Tail mages—we took on the job."
"Fairy Tail…"
The squad captain noticed the Fairy Tail emblems—one on Elfman's neck, another on Kaien's right hand—and allowed them through.
"Go ahead."
They followed the knights inside and soon met the client.
"Greetings. I'm Kos, the mayor of this city and the one who issued the request. Let's get straight to the point."
Kos placed a letter on the table.
Kaien picked it up. Written across the envelope were the words:
"In three days, your life will be taken! — Phantom Thief Guild"
"A threat letter?"
Kos nodded gravely. "Yes. The Phantom Thief Guild has been wreaking havoc here lately. Several wealthy merchants have already been killed, and the entire city is in a state of panic. Many citizens are fleeing for their lives."
Elfman frowned. "And the Rune Knights? Haven't they caught the culprits?"
Kos shook his head, looking troubled. "No. They strike without warning and vanish without a trace. By the time the knights arrive, they're already gone."
"This letter arrived three days ago, which is why I sent a request to the guild."
Kaien frowned. "With that many Rune Knights outside, I doubt they'd be dumb enough to walk into a trap."
Kos sighed. "Normally, I'd agree—but not after learning who their leader is."
"Their leader?" Elfman asked curiously. "Who is it?"
"A Spatial Mage. The King of Assassins—Camille."
"What?!" Elfman's eyes widened.
"Who?" Kaien blinked. The name meant nothing to him, but the title sure sounded intimidating.
"The King of Assassins, Camille, is a notorious Spatial Mage—once the ace of the Assassin Guild Godslayer Circle. His magic is impossible to trace, and he's never failed a kill. The Magic Council eventually sent an army to destroy the Godslayer Circle, and Camille vanished… but now he's apparently resurfaced as the Phantom Thief Guild's leader."
Elfman's expression turned serious. Camille was a veteran mage—a dangerous one.
"Someone like that is far too dangerous. This isn't a 700,000-J mission," he muttered.
"700,000 J? Oh, that was the old bounty," Kos said. "I've since upgraded the request to S-Class. The new reward is 7,000,000 J."
"S-Class?!"
"Seven million J?!"
Elfman was stunned by the danger level—while Kaien's eyes were practically sparkling.
He started calculating in his head.
'One million J equals about fifty thousand yuan… so seven million J means three hundred and fifty thousand!'
'Three hundred and fifty thousand!!'
Kaien's eyes gleamed with pure greed—¥¥ practically shining from his pupils.
"I'm sorry, but a mission like this—"
Elfman began, intending to refuse. S-Class missions were far too dangerous. Only S-Class Mages were qualified to take them on. He'd lost his sister on one such mission before, and that scar never healed.
"We'll take it!"
Before he could finish, Kaien cut him off.
"Eh—?!"
Elfman's eyes bulged in disbelief.