Though Levy had explained the joining process beforehand, it wasn't until this moment that Roland realized just how simple it actually was.
"By the way—what type of magic do you use, Roland?"
Looking at the golden guild mark on his left shoulder, Levy suddenly remembered something and blinked curiously.
Mirajane, who was handling the registration, also looked over with interest.
"My magic's a bit unusual—it involves shadows."
Noticing their attention, Roland smiled and naturally explained after claiming his quest reward. "Shadow Khan."
In the next instant, every shadow in the guild became distorted and writhing, spreading across the walls like tentacles. Dozens of pairs of glowing crimson eyes gradually emerged from the darkness.
One by one, pitch-black ninja figures slowly stepped out from the shadows. They wore all-black ninja garb with their faces wrapped in cloth, revealing only those eerie red eyes.
The shadow ninjas knelt on one knee, bowing their heads toward Roland, silently awaiting their master's command.
Levy stared at the figures lurking in the guild's corners, her mouth hanging open.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell are those things!?"
"Did a dark guild just attack us or something!?"
The sudden appearance of the Shadow Khan startled the other guild members as well, causing an uproar.
Seeing the commotion escalate, Roland waved at the shadow ninjas, silently ordering them to retreat.
Receiving the command, the shadow ninjas didn't hesitate—they melted back into the shadows on the floor.
Once she recovered, Mirajane explained things to everyone present, managing to prevent a full-blown panic.
"Phew, your magic is certainly... unique, Roland."
Looking at the now-normal shadows around the guild, Mirajane couldn't help but sound amazed.
"I've never seen magic like that before..." Levy murmured softly.
She hadn't even encountered anything similar in the ancient texts she'd studied—and as a book lover, she had complete confidence in her knowledge.
"So those weird guys from before were your magic!"
Just then, an aged yet energetic voice called out from behind them.
Roland turned around to see a short elderly man wearing a jester's hat and a kind smile.
"Yo! Nice to meet you, newbie!"
Noticing Roland's gaze, the old man extended his hand with a grin.
"This is the master of Fairy Tail—Makarov," Mirajane introduced with a smile.
"Good morning, Master." Roland greeted him with a light chuckle.
Though his memory of Fairy Tail's plot was a bit fuzzy, he remembered this old man's identity clearly.
Makarov Dreyar—the third master of Fairy Tail and one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
At that moment, Levy filled Makarov in on Roland's background.
"Traveling alone since you were young?" Makarov looked at him with surprise, then nimbly hopped onto a nearby tall chair.
Wearing a kind smile, he clapped Roland on the shoulder with a hearty laugh.
"That can't have been easy, but now that you've joined the guild, treat this place like home. No need to be so formal!"
Seeing the master being as warm as a doting grandfather, Roland felt himself relaxing.
A wooden bench came flying out of nowhere, directly smashing the laughing Makarov behind the bar counter.
Roland instinctively turned toward the commotion—and fell silent.
The guild hall had somehow erupted into chaos.
Broken tables and wooden barrels flew through the air. Colorful magic circles flared up one after another. Purple flames burned while smoke billowed everywhere...
"N-no, it's not what you think!" Seeing Roland's stunned silence, Levy's smile became strained as she stammered out an explanation. "Everyone's just... having a friendly chat..."
Before she could finish, a muscular figure came flying from across the room.
Just as it was about to crash into Levy, Roland—standing beside her—sighed and pulled her into his arms.
Makarov, who'd just jumped back up, wasn't so lucky. Before he could even get his footing, he got knocked down again.
"That's enough, you little brats!"
Having reached his limit, Makarov activated his Giant magic. His enormous hand grabbed Elfman off him and tossed him aside before charging into the fray with a roar.
Pulled into his embrace, Levy's cheeks instantly flushed red, her petite body suddenly feeling weak.
"Hey... you okay?"
Looking at the breathless girl in his arms, Roland unconsciously patted her head.
Her blue hair was soft and silky, pleasant to touch, with a faint sweet scent tickling his nose.
Though unlike a cat, who would purr when petted, Levy—
Seeing the girl's eyes growing unfocused, Roland felt oddly guilty and stopped petting her, turning to look away.
That's when he noticed Mirajane staring at them with undisguised curiosity. Realizing she'd been caught, she placed a hand near her mouth and cleared her throat softly. "Ahem, I didn't see anything!"
Thankfully, Mirajane's comment snapped Levy back to reality. She quickly pulled away from his embrace and stood off to the side, face burning red as her index fingers fidgeted behind her back.
"Mira, can I take on a job now?"
Ignoring the blushing girl, Roland asked seriously.
After completing the guild joining quest, the system had unlocked the remaining two quest slots.
[Quest 2: First Paycheck!]
[Quest Description: Earn your first bit of money in this world. Work for it, beg for it, steal it, rob it—anything goes!]
[Quest Reward: Gourmet Tablecloth (from the Doraemon world)]
[Quest 3: S-Class Quest!]
[Quest Description: Complete an S-Class job. Just don't go out at night!]
[Quest Reward: Zoan-type Devil Fruit (from the One Piece world)]
Right now, he could probably only complete the first one.
"You can, but as a newcomer, I'd suggest finding a temporary partner first!"
Mirajane glanced at Levy beside her with a sweet smile.
"In that case, could I trouble Mi—"
"Wait! I can team up with you!"