The next day.
Weston, wearing the new clothes Guild Master Zeeself had bought the night before, walked into Red Lizard.
Clothes really do make the man.
With the new outfit, Weston looked like a completely different person.
Even the dark circles caused by staying up all night practicing Letter Magic were no longer noticeable.
The moment he entered the guild, his handsome appearance drew teasing from the middle-aged men.
"Yo, here comes our young miss's future husband!"
"Haha… say that any louder and the guild master'll beat you up!"
"So what? This guild only stays afloat thanks to us!"
"Huh? Doesn't Weston like Mavis? I always see them together, and their statuses match…"
"Come on, the guild's princess versus a nobody orphan, it's a no brainer."
"Hey, Weston! If you win Miss Zera's heart, you might inherit Red Lizard and never worry about food or clothes again!"
In an instant the guild filled with gossip and laughter.
Disgusting.
"Drunk first thing in the morning and picking on kids, this guild really is full of despicable scum."
Weston muttered under his breath, then walked to a corner, imagining the day he could found 'Fairy Tail' while quietly waiting for Miss Zera.
Just then, a small figure came out of the kitchen.
It was Mavis.
She wasn't wearing the new clothes Zeeself had given her, but her old ones, a rag in hand as she headed toward a messy table to clear the dishes.
"Mavis?!"
Weston froze, then hurried over.
"What are you doing?!"
"Didn't the guild master say yesterday that you're supposed to be Zera's attendant with me and stop doing chores?"
Mavis hesitated, glanced at the men, and murmured, "It's fine… I've nothing else to do anyway…"
Who volunteers for more work?!
Weston understood at once.
These drunks forced her!
Damn it!
Picking on a parentless, debt-ridden little girl, scum like this deserve to rot… Blue Skull, hurry up and get here!
"Stop. Let them do their own dirty work."
Scowling, Weston snatched the rag from Mavis and flung it onto the table, then pulled her into the back room.
"Come on, change into your new clothes, Zera will be here soon."
When they came back out, Zeeself and Zera had arrived, and the uncle who'd been assigned the chores was silently wiping tables.
Weston didn't tattle to Zeeself or mock the man to avenge Mavis.
He knew no one would care.
The key was for Mavis herself to toughen up!
And the best way to make her stronger was… Half a day later.
After escorting Zera to the schoolhouse and basking in her classmates' envy, the two headed to a clearing in the woods.
"Mavis, starting today, study magic with me!"
Eh??
"Learn magic?"
"Me?"
Mavis was eager; her parents had often told her tales of fairies and magic.
She loved fairies, so of course she yearned for magic.
"You mentioned it yesterday, but how exactly?"
"Find a teacher!"
"Who? The guild master?"
Weston snorted. "As if that guy could teach… no, as if he'd ever teach us magic."
"The teacher I'm getting is way stronger!"
He opened the Super Archive interface and video-called Elefseria again.
Once he was connected—
"Please, Elefseria!"
"Teach us how to awaken our magic!"
One favor leads to another; the Elefseria figured one sheep or two made no difference and agreed.
Unlike Weston's self-awakening, Mavis had to start from sensing magic power.
Twenty minutes later—
"Teacher, I think I can feel the ambient Ethernano."
Mavis's talent surpassed both Weston and Elefseria's expectations.
In under an hour she turned Ethernano into her own magic power and awakened her magic.
"Creating illusions."
"My magic is Illusion Magic!"
Overjoyed, she demonstrated on the spot.
She closed her eyes; when they opened, a cat appeared.
It became a dog, then a fish, a bird, and finally a tiny winged fairy.
The palm-sized fairy held a golden wand, smiled at them, and fluttered through the trees sprinkling stardust.
Mavis laughed and chased the fairy. "Weston, teacher, look~ it's a fairy!!"
Weston felt helpless yet amused. "Yeah, I see it. It's a beautiful fairy."
Elefseria was more professional: "A very solid illusion, detailed and stable. For a first attempt…"
"Weston, her talent rivals yours!"
"Heh… really? Great."
After the lesson, Elefseria asked about Weston's combat magic.
"So, Weston, have you decided? Did the Letter Magic I sent help?"
"Absolutely!"
"I've already chosen the characters I want."
He told Elefseria his choice, though he kept quiet about knowing thousands of Chinese characters.
"Oh, senior."
"Mavis's Illusion Magic is great, but it's good not for combat. Do you have any recommendations?"
Elefseria pondered for a moment.
"Magic suited for Mavis, huh…"
"Maybe you should look into the legendary Lost Magic!"