"Weston!"
"Why are you so late to pick me up today?!"
"As my lady's attendant, don't you have any sense of duty?"
As expected, Zera immediately launched into a series of complaints.
The young girl had her long hair tied back in a ponytail. She wore a clean, crisp shirt and skirt, with a pink shoulder bag adorned with cute stickers hanging at her waist.
"And couldn't you wear some slightly cleaner clothes?"
"Do you have any idea? My classmates are saying you dress like a beggar. You're making me lose face..."
Weston, naturally, wouldn't argue with a child. Instead, he flashed a brilliant smile and bowed on the spot in gratitude.
"I understand!"
"Then thank you, My Lady, for using your allowance to buy me new clothes."
Zera was stunned for a moment. "Eh? No... when did I ever say I'd use my allowance to buy you new clothes?!"
Weston blinked and said as if it were a matter of course, "I am your attendant. Since you feel my dressing like this loses you face, then naturally, you have to take responsibility to the end!"
"All my clothes are tattered. If I want to look good, I have to buy new ones."
"But I don't have any money, so the money for the clothes must naturally come from you."
"Don't forget, if I look good, it's your reputation that benefits!"
Although Zera looked sophisticated on the outside, she was actually a bit of a simple-minded young lady. After being hoodwinked by Weston, she immediately lost her ability to think critically and followed his logic.
"What you're saying seems to make some sense."
"But... but I don't have that much allowance money..."
At the mention of her 'weak point,' Zera's voice unconsciously dropped.
"Why not just ask the Chairman for it?"
"He dotes on you so much. If you just tell him you want an increase in your allowance, he'll definitely give it to you."
"But you must never say it's to buy me new clothes, otherwise there's a high probability it won't happen."
"How about this? Just say the school teacher wants you to buy some workbooks..."
As he said this, Weston felt he was being truly wicked!
He was practically like a delinquent tricking a good girl!
Atrocious!
But he couldn't deny it was quite thrilling, hehehe...
"Is that appropriate?"
"It's appropriate! Absolutely appropriate!"
The two walked toward the distant village, chatting and laughing.
...
Tenrou Island was an isolated island at sea.
Geographically, it belonged to the territory of the Kingdom of Fiore, but because it was so far from the central government, the royal family's grasp on the place was not deep. Therefore, whoever could hold the island did so by their own strength.
The people on the island called themselves the 'Descendants of Tenrou' and had protected the treasure known as the 'Tenrou Jade' for generations.
The Tenrou people had established a village on the island.
The population wasn't large, consisting of about three hundred households.
In addition, some lived in groups of three or two households, scattered across other parts of the island.
The children who went to school with Zera every day were the children of these residents.
But all told, the number of Tenrou people living here was only about a thousand.
Whether they lived in the village or were scattered outside, most were ordinary people. The only significant combat force on the island was the magic guild, Red Lizard.
Compared to ordinary people, Mages were far more powerful.
Their existence ensured the safety of these ordinary people, protecting them from the island's wild beasts or invaders from other parts of the Kingdom.
On the other hand, Mages also provided considerable help to the villagers in their daily lives.
It could be said that the residents of the entire island existed because of Red Lizard.
Once Red Lizard was gone, they would lose the protection and help of the strong, making life extremely difficult. At that point, they would have no choice but to move away.
The island's school was built on the eastern side, while the village was located toward the west.
The two locations were quite far apart, requiring a walk through a forest in between. On foot, it took about half an hour.
When Weston and Zera left the school and crossed the woods, a bustling village immediately came into view.
The two entered the village and headed straight toward the center, where the magic guild Red Lizard was located.
The exterior of Red Lizard looked like a very ordinary wooden tavern.
On the roof outside the tavern, a large wooden lizard carving was perched, looking quite majestic.
Zera pushed open the guild doors and walked straight in, but Weston did not follow her into the tavern. Instead, he turned his gaze toward a small figure outside.
Judging by her appearance, the little girl was about the same age as Zera, roughly five or six years old.
But unlike the clean, tidy, and sophisticated Zera, this was a filthy little girl.
She had short, pale blonde hair with a playful cowlick on top of her head. The clothes she wore were even thinner and older than Weston's, and she didn't even have a pair of shoes on her feet.
The young girl was struggling to lift a broom that was nearly twice her height, meticulously sweeping away the fallen leaves in front of the tavern.
"Mavis, how are you today?"
Weston approached the girl and greeted her familiarly.
This girl was Mavis Vermillion, the future first master of Fairy Tail.
At this time, she was not yet the famous 'Fairy Tactician' of the future, but a six-year-old girl living under someone else's roof. She was powerless and could only sustain herself by doing odd jobs at Red Lizard.
"Of course I'm fine!"
Hearing the voice, Mavis stopped her movements and looked up.
Her eyes were bright and spirited, and the corners of her mouth held a slight smile.
In Weston's memory, Mavis always seemed so energetic, able to face life with immense optimism, as if no hardship could ever crush her.
This was what he admired most about her.
If he were in her position, he probably would have started blaming everyone else and plotting how to take revenge on society.
"Have you eaten?"
"I ate an onigiri at noon."
Mavis straightened her back proudly, as if this were a great achievement.
Weston knew, however, that the single onigiri was likely her only food for the entire day.
So, he reached into his shirt and pulled out a tightly wrapped cloth bundle that still felt warm to the touch.
"Then... take this."
"What is it?"
"Grilled fish."
"It might be a bit cold, but it's enough to satisfy your hunger. Take it and eat; I'll help you sweep."
For Weston, who had already awakened his magic, catching fish in the river was not a difficult task.
He only had to go to the riverbank, lock onto a target, and then pack a massive amount of random information into a compressed burst, transmitting it all at once into the fish's brain. The fish would immediately be overwhelmed by the vast and complex information and float obediently to the surface.
"Grilled fish?!"
"Is it for me?!"
Mavis let out an exclamation. Her eyes immediately lit up, sparkling brightly, and she couldn't help but drool at the corners of her mouth.