The girl had golden hair tied with a blue ribbon on the right side. She wore a blue-trimmed white top, a blue pleated skirt, and a leather whip hung from her waist. With her fair skin, fit figure, and beautiful face, she was a very eye-catching young lady.
Since a girl was offering to treat them to a meal, Chu Yan and Natsu had no reason to refuse—it was a chance to save some money, after all. Soon, the three of them were in a restaurant, ordering a mountain of food and eating heartily.
"Thanks for what happened earlier!"
"???" Chu Yan and Natsu looked at her with question marks floating over their heads.
"That man calling himself 'Salamander' used a type of magic called 'Charm.' It's a magic that draws people's hearts toward the caster, and it's been banned from sale for years. To think he'd use that kind of magic to attract girls... what a scumbag. I was only freed from it because of you guys."
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Lucy. Don't let my appearance fool you; I'm actually a wizard, though I haven't joined a guild yet."
"You guys probably don't know about guilds, right? They're organizations where wizards gather. A wizard isn't considered a true professional unless they work within a guild."
"And you know, there are so many guilds in the world, but joining a popular one must be really strict. The guild I want to join is full of incredible wizards. Ahhh, what should I do? I really want to join, but it's bound to be difficult."
"Ah! Sorry, you probably don't know anything about the wizarding world, do you? But I absolutely will join that guild."
Natsu and Chu Yan looked at the girl speechlessly. Happy chimed in, "She sure can talk!" Chu Yan and Natsu nodded in total agreement.
"Ah! I have to go now. I'll pay for the food, so take your time eating."
Natsu and Happy immediately got teary-eyed. "What a great person!"
"Don't be like that, it's embarrassing. I'm leaving!"
This was the first time Chu Yan had met a girl who could talk to herself like that. Wait... Lucy? That name sounded familiar. Lucy? Could it be that Lucy? Chu Yan blinked rapidly. He remembered some plot points from when he first crossed over into this world.
Having lived here for seven years, it would be an insult to his intelligence if he couldn't remember the details. With his IQ, he might not remember everything, but he remembered Lucy, the female lead responsible for the "straight man" commentary and fan service.
However, there was a difference between animation and real life. Chu Yan didn't care much for the "plot" anyway; he had been too busy thinking about awakening his fruit power. Most things had been pushed to the back of his mind, but he remembered that Lucy seemed to run into trouble before eventually joining Fairy Tail.
"Chu Yan, where have you been for the past six months? Why wasn't there any word from you?"
"I went to train in the Abyss of Death. I originally planned to come back early, but I suddenly got a 'feeling' for my power and kept training until now."
"The Abyss of Death!! Isn't that a Forbidden Zone?!" Natsu and Happy's eyes went wide.
Chu Yan smiled. "It's fine! The environment there isn't bad. There are plenty of monsters to help you train, and when you're hungry, food literally delivers itself to your door. Aside from being a bit lonely, everything else was great."
Happy said, "As expected of a training maniac! Natsu can't compare at all."
"Has his progress been that big? Just imagining it makes my blood boil! I'm all fired up! When we get back to the guild, you have to have a real match with me." Natsu looked at Chu Yan with excitement.
"The Master strictly forbade Chu Yan from using magic to fight in Magnolia, you know!"
Natsu clutched his hair. "Argh—! Right! I forgot about that! What's the point of being a wizard if you can't use magic?"
"It's not that extreme. I can control my output now. Back then, when I dealt with you, I only made the visual effects exaggerated. In reality, I could beat you without so many extra movements."
"Aye—! Chu Yan is really good at demoralizing people!"
Natsu wasn't discouraged, though. He clenched his fist. "Back then, I accepted my defeat, but I've gotten stronger now. It won't be that easy to beat me again."
"That girl Lucy from earlier... she might be in some trouble."
Natsu and Happy looked at Chu Yan as if he were a fortune teller. Happy covered his mouth with a paw and said in a teasing tone, "Chu Yan, since when did you learn divination magic? Are you just saying that because she's pretty? Actually..."
Chu Yan grabbed Happy and gave him a vigorous "noogie" until the cat begged for mercy. "Didn't she say she wanted to join a wizard guild? I'll give her a hand, consider it repayment for the meal."
As Chu Yan and Natsu continued eating, the conversation of three girls nearby drifted over.
"Hey! Did you hear? Lord Salamander of Fairy Tail is holding a party on his ship tonight!"
"That super famous wizard?"
"I heard! I'm so jealous! I really want to go too!"
Hearing those words, both Chu Yan and Natsu frowned. Chu Yan turned to Natsu. "Is there anyone named 'Salamander' in Fairy Tail?"
"Never heard of a guy like that. I'd definitely remember a name that arrogant, but I've never seen him."
Happy added, "Aye~! Then he's a fake."
The air suddenly went cold. Both Chu Yan and Natsu's expressions darkened. Using someone else's guild name to do bad things and smear their reputation was a major taboo among wizards. No guild would tolerate such a person.
Chu Yan said, "Looks like I need to go meet this 'Lord Salamander' myself."
"The guild's reputation shall not be tarnished by anyone."