December 25, X777
Magnolia was blanketed in silver, transformed overnight into a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
Snowflakes drifted down gently from the pale grey sky, fluttering and swirling in a silent dance.
Each flake was crystal-clear, stacking layer upon layer until the world was soft and white.
The distinctive European-style rooftops of the town, the cobblestone streets, the bare branches of the trees, and even the shoulders of passing pedestrians were adorned with thick coats of white powder.
The air was crisp and biting.
People bundled in thick woolen hats and colorful scarves walked cautiously through the streets and alleys, their boots crunching softly on the packed ice.
Raizel walked through the town, his hands buried deep in his pockets.
Occasionally, he ran into familiar faces—the dessert vendor pushing a cart, the owner of the magic shop sweeping his steps.
"Merry Christmas, Raizel!" they called out, their breaths puffing in the air.
"Merry Christmas," Raizel replied with a smile, exchanging hurried greetings before parting ways.
It was bitterly cold.
This was, without a doubt, the coldest winter Raizel had experienced since arriving in this world.
He let out a soft breath, watching as the water vapor instantly condensed into a cloud of white mist that lingered for a moment before dissipating.
He had slept in unusually late today, not waking until nine o'clock.
There was no special reason for it—the heavy blankets were just too comfortable, and the silence of the snowy morning made it impossible to get up.
After finally dragging himself out of bed and washing up, he headed straight for the Guild.
When he arrived, the massive wooden doors of Fairy Tail were tightly shut.
On normal days, they might be left ajar to welcome guests, but given the freezing temperature, the rule was strict: shut the door immediately.
Raizel pushed the heavy door open and slipped inside, quickly closing it behind him to keep the heat in.
He thought he was late, but the hall was surprisingly empty.
Only Ur and Gray were present.
Ur stood behind the bar counter, a ladle in hand, stirring a large steaming pot that filled the room with a savory aroma.
Gray sat on a stool, hunched over a bowl, slurping down noodles noisily.
Raizel didn't need to guess what was happening.
It was the "Early Bird" breakfast.
"Morning," Raizel greeted, shaking the snow off his coat.
"Morning," Ur smiled warmly.
She immediately reached for a clean bowl and ladled out a generous portion of noodles.
This was the breakfast she had prepared for everyone, as they had agreed to gather at the Guild early to decorate.
Raizel sat down next to Gray and took a sip of the hot broth. It warmed him instantly.
"Still no news from Lyon?" Raizel asked casually between bites.
Looking at the master and apprentice duo, his mind naturally wandered to the missing piece of their family.
Lyon Vastia hadn't been seen since leaving the Guild last year to pursue his own path.
Ur's hand stilled for a second as she stirred the pot. The smile dimmed slightly.
"No," she said softly. "Not even a single letter."
She sighed helplessly and shook her head.
Even though she knew Lyon was skilled and talented, in her eyes, he was still just a child wandering the dangerous world alone.
It wasn't just Lyon; Simon had also gone on a long journey to hone his magic skills and hadn't returned for a long time.
However, Simon at least sent regular letters back to Kagura to let her know he was safe.
Lyon had gone completely silent.
"Lyon will be fine," Gray said, his mouth full of noodles. He swallowed hard and looked at his teacher.
"He is your disciple, after all. He's too stubborn to die."
It was a clumsy attempt at comfort, but it was undeniably reassuring.
A faint, genuine smile tugged at the corner of Ur's lips.
She reached out and ruffled Gray's hair. "I suppose you're right."
...
Raizel quickly finished his noodles.
"Gray," Raizel said, standing up and wiping his mouth. "Grab a broom. Come with me."
"Huh?" Gray looked up, still chewing.
He had just finished eating and was leaning back against the table, rubbing his stomach in satisfaction.
"I saw the entrance on my way in. It's buried," Raizel explained. "We need to sweep the snow."
"Ugh..." Gray groaned. He reluctantly slid off the stool.
Guild cleaning duties were technically assigned in rotations, but because the members were a bunch of gamblers, they often used chores as betting chips.
The schedule was absolute chaos.
Gray grabbed a broom and followed Raizel outside, grumbling incessantly. He was already regretting waking up this early.
"I can't believe I have to sweep on a holiday," Gray muttered, kicking the door open. "This is child abuse."
He didn't dare disobey Raizel, but he was bold enough to complain the whole way.
"Stop whining," Raizel laughed, handing him a shovel. "Even if you arrived later, I would have called you anyway. Besides, you're an Ice Mage. You aren't afraid of the cold."
"That's not the point!" Gray argued, though he started shoveling.
"We can sweep slowly and wait for the others," Raizel said, taking a broom himself. "There's more than just the entrance to clean. Leaving it all to you would be unfair."
The two of them worked in rhythm, the scrape-scrape of the shovel and the swish-swish of the broom cutting through the morning silence.
After they had been sweeping for a short while, a tall figure approached from the street.
Laxus Dreyar.
He was wearing large sound-blocking earphones and a thick fur coat with the collar popped up.
His eyes were half-lidded and sleepy, and he was stifling a yawn—likely the result of fooling around somewhere late last night.
"Morning," Raizel nodded.
Laxus blinked, pulled one earphone off, and grunted a greeting to both Raizel and Gray.
Without being asked, Laxus took off his heavy coat and draped it over the railing.
Wearing only a thin purple shirt that showed off his muscles, he grabbed a spare broom from the rack and carelessly shouldered it.
"You're helping?" Gray asked, surprised.
Laxus didn't answer; he just started sweeping the stairs.
Sweeping was actually something Laxus did quite frequently.
Back when the Guild had few children, Laxus was enthusiastic about inheriting Fairy Tail.
To him, keeping the guild clean was part of his duty as the grandson of the Master.
Even now, though he acted rebellious, old habits died hard.
"Have you eaten?" Raizel asked, leaning on his broom handle.
"No," Laxus replied, his voice raspy. "I'll eat after we finish."
He didn't stop moving.
Raizel nodded in understanding. As a Dragon Slayer, Laxus's physique didn't require concern about the cold or hunger, but Raizel still picked up his pace.
"By the way," Raizel called out, raising his voice so Gray could hear him too. "Pile the snow together on the side. We can make a few snowmen later."
"Got it," Gray shouted back.
He had already swept his way to the other side of the courtyard.
Despite his earlier complaints, he was putting in real effort!
Last night's snowfall had been heavy; the layer was thick enough to build a snow fortress if they wanted to.
A few minutes later, lively voices drifted from the street.
Raizel could hear them from afar.
"Sweeping? I want to join too!"
Upon seeing the boys working, Erza inexplicably grew excited.
Perhaps it was her overwhelming sense of collective pride, or maybe she just liked tasks.
"Requip!"
A magic circle flashed.
Erza changed instantly. She wasn't wearing armor, but a practical "Sanitation Worker" outfit—a jumpsuit with a bandana tied around her head.
She shoved the bag of oranges she was holding into Ultear's arms.
"I shall assist!" Erza declared.
She conjured a broom from her inventory and charged into the snow, not even bothering to enter the guild first.
"Good morning, Raizel-san," a soft voice chimed in.
Wendy walked up, holding Kagura's hand.
The little Sky Dragon Slayer was bundled up in a thick coat that made her look like a round, adorable penguin.
Kagura smiled at Raizel.
She seemed delighted to finally have a "younger sister" figure to take care of.
She usually enjoyed bringing Wendy along everywhere. Surprisingly, Kagura wasn't carrying her sword, Archenemy, today; she was in full holiday mode.
"Good morning, Wendy," Raizel paused his sweeping, offering her a warm smile.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Snowy, Cana's dog, bounded through the snow.
The puppy was wearing a festive Christmas outfit complete with a tiny red hat.
Its tail wagged like a propeller as it greeted Raizel, knowing he was the source of extra treats. Cana followed behind, holding the leash and looking amused by the scene.
"It's too cold out here," Ultear shivered, clutching the oranges. "We're going inside."
Ultear, Wendy, Kagura, and Cana headed straight into the warmth of the guild hall without much small talk.
With Erza's high-speed assistance, the work went by in a flash.
Raizel, Laxus, Gray, and Erza finished clearing the courtyard in about half an hour.
They had created four massive piles of snow on the sides, perfectly prepped for building snowmen later that evening.
"Done," Raizel exhaled, his breath misting.
He pushed open the main double doors of the guild.
Inside, the scene was cozy.
Ultear, Kagura, Cana, and Wendy were sitting at a table near the entrance, eating steaming bowls of Ur's noodles.
They looked up.
Standing in the doorway, framed by the snowy backdrop, were the four sweepers.
Raizel, Laxus, Gray, and Erza stood in a line.
They each held their brooms resting on their shoulders like heavy weaponry. They wore serious expressions, posing as if they had just defeated a dragon, not a snowdrift.
It was a ridiculously comical sight.
"Pfft!"
Cana and Ultear couldn't hold it back.
They burst into laughter, nearly choking on their soup. Even the stoic Kagura had to look away, her small face flushing red with suppressed amusement.
Raizel, Laxus, and Gray realized how silly they looked.
They didn't have the same thick skin as Erza.
Erza, completely oblivious to the mood, struck another heroic pose with the broom, chin held high, eyes shining with accomplishment.
'Oh no.'
Raizel, Laxus, and Gray slapped their hands over their faces in unison.
Unable to bear the second-hand embarrassment, they quietly stepped away from Erza, setting down their brooms and pretending they didn't know her.
"You've worked hard."
Ur walked over from the counter.
She smiled and handed a fresh, steaming bowl of noodles directly to Laxus.
"Here. Eat up."
Laxus blinked.
He had gone out to shovel snow without breakfast, and receiving the food—and the implicit praise from Ur—caught him off guard.
Unusually, the intimidating Lightning Mage blushed slightly.
He took the bowl and muttered a quiet thanks, looking away.
Ur just smiled; she didn't mind his awkwardness.
"Hmm, not bad."
A small figure appeared at the doorway of the inner office.
Makarov stood there, draped in his heavy master's cloak. He surveyed the clean courtyard through the open door and nodded with satisfaction.
"The entrance is spotless. Good work, brats."
"Gramps!"
"Master!"
The warmth of the guild, filled with the smell of food and the sound of laughter, finally melted the last of the winter chill.
The Christmas party was about to begin.