Chapter 8
(One Month Later)
The past month had been surprisingly productive.
After awakening my combat perception, I had spent most of my free time trying to understand how it interacted with my Light Magic.
My elemental body wasn't exactly new to me. I had already discovered how to transform my body into light shortly after my magic awakened.
The problem was speed.
I could move extremely quickly while transformed, but moving quickly and actually being able to control that movement were two completely different things.
If I couldn't properly perceive my surroundings, accelerating to extreme speeds would be more dangerous than useful.
A single mistake could send me crashing into a mountain, a building, or worse…
Someone innocent.
Thankfully, my magical perception had improved considerably during the past month.
I had learned to use the fluctuations in ethernano around me to understand my surroundings even while transformed.
It wasn't perfect yet, but the improvement was enormous.
I could accelerate much more confidently now.
I had also discovered something rather interesting about my elemental body.
Freedom.
Unlike normal physical movement, my body didn't have to follow the same rules once it became light.
I could move in any direction I wanted.
I could accelerate forward, suddenly stop, change direction, move sideways, or even turn around in midair without needing anything to push against.
I could also float.
And, technically speaking…
Fly.
I spent quite a bit of time experimenting with it.
At first, Irene had looked rather amused when she found me floating upside down above the backyard.
"El."
"Yes?"
"What are you doing?"
"Testing something."
"By hanging upside down?"
"Technically, I'm not hanging."
Irene sighed.
"Come down before you hit something."
I smiled.
"Okay."
I had also started experimenting with changing only parts of my body into light.
An arm.
A leg.
My torso.
Even individual fingers.
The possibilities were enormous.
But I had no intention of rushing.
I needed to understand my magic completely before attempting anything truly dangerous.
There was another important development during this month.
Erza wanted to train.
Neither Irene nor I had ever forced her to train.
We both wanted her to enjoy her childhood.
She had spent the first five years of her life surrounded by people who loved her, and I wanted that to continue.
One evening, however, she approached both of us with an unusually serious expression.
"I want to learn magic."
Irene looked surprised.
"Magic?"
Erza nodded.
"And I want to learn how to fight."
I looked at her.
"Why?"
Erza clenched her tiny fists.
"I want to become strong."
Her eyes were filled with determination.
"I want to protect you and Mama."
I smiled.
That answer sounded remarkably familiar.
Irene looked at me.
I looked at her.
Neither of us said anything for several seconds.
Finally, Irene sighed.
"Alright."
Erza's face immediately brightened.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"But…"
Irene raised one finger.
"We won't start until we reach Magnolia."
Erza nodded enthusiastically.
"Okay!"
I couldn't help smiling.
'Looks like my little sister is going to become a mage after all.'
(Later)
One month after deciding to leave our town, the day finally arrived.
We stood outside our home with all our belongings packed.
I looked around the town one final time.
This place had been my home for the past several years.
It was where I had grown up.
Where I had learned to walk.
Where I had learned magic.
Where I had met Juliet, Heine, Nina and Yuna.
And, most importantly…
Where I had spent my childhood with Irene and Erza.
I felt a little nostalgic.
"Are you ready, El?"
Irene stood beside me.
"Yeah."
I looked at everyone.
Nina and Yuna were carrying our luggage.
Juliet was practically bouncing with excitement.
Heine stood calmly beside her.
Erza was holding Irene's hand while looking towards the road with sparkling eyes.
Our new destination was Magnolia.
Magnolia was located in the centre of the southeastern part of Fiore, with the sea and Hargeon Town not too far to the south.
From our current location, travelling there normally would have taken around a week.
Possibly longer depending on the road conditions.
Fortunately…
We had a four-hundred-year-old walking, talking library of magical knowledge travelling with us.
"El dear~"
Irene suddenly spoke in a suspiciously sweet voice.
"Did you just think something rude about me~?"
I froze.
I slowly turned towards her.
She was smiling.
Her eyes, however…
Were not smiling.
"No."
I immediately shook my head.
"Of course not."
A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead.
'Women have terrifying intuition.'
Irene continued staring at me.
I smiled nervously.
"Anyway…"
I quickly changed the subject.
"As I was saying, because we have a very knowledgeable and amazing wizard like Irene with us, we can reach Magnolia almost instantly."
"That's better."
She smiled.
I mentally sighed in relief.
'That was close.'
Irene stepped forward.
"Everyone, get ready."
She raised her hand.
"We'll be using teleportation."
Erza's eyes widened.
"Teleportation?"
"Yes."
"That's amazing!"
Juliet grinned.
"I've never done this before!"
Heine remained calm, although even she seemed interested.
Nina and Yuna stood together.
Irene looked at everyone.
"So, is everyone ready?"
"Yes!" ×5
"Then close your eyes."
We followed her instructions.
I closed my eyes.
I felt magical energy gathering around us.
It was incredibly powerful, but also extremely controlled.
Teleportation wasn't something an ordinary mage could simply perform casually.
Irene, however, had centuries of magical knowledge and experience.
For her, it was almost effortless.
Then—
FLASH!
The sensation lasted less than a second.
"Alright."
Irene's voice sounded from nearby.
"You can open your eyes now."
I opened them.
My jaw dropped.
"Amazing."
We were standing in Magnolia.
It had taken less than a second.
Behind me, I suddenly heard a strange sound.
"Uhh…"
I turned around.
Erza, Juliet, Heine, Nina and Yuna were all kneeling on the ground.
They were holding their stomachs and covering their mouths.
"Eh?"
I rushed towards them.
"What happened?"
Irene laughed softly.
"Don't worry."
She walked over.
"It's normal to feel nauseous after teleportation, especially the first time."
She then looked at me.
"Although I'm more surprised that you aren't affected."
I blinked.
"Maybe I'm just lucky."
I looked at the others.
They all looked miserable.
"Hold on."
I crouched down.
"Let me help."
I placed my hand on Juliet's shoulder.
A gentle golden-white glow appeared around my hand.
My Light Magic flowed into her body.
The nausea disappeared almost immediately.
I repeated the process for Heine, Nina, Yuna and Erza.
Erza immediately stood up.
"Much better!"
Juliet took a deep breath.
"Thank you, young master."
Heine nodded.
"Much appreciated."
Nina and Yuna also thanked me.
I smiled.
"No problem."
Once everyone had recovered, we finally had a chance to look around.
And…
We were stunned.
Magnolia was beautiful.
The city possessed a large built-up area extending across a wide rectangular stretch of land all the way to the shores of Lake Scilliora.
Large roads divided the city vertically and horizontally, creating a neat layout.
The architecture was distinctly Western.
Many of the buildings had a medieval appearance, with stone walls, timber structures, tiled roofs and decorative facades.
People filled the streets.
Merchants pushed carts.
Children ran around.
Mages walked alongside ordinary citizens.
There was a sense of life everywhere.
Irene pointed towards the distance.
"That's Kardia Cathedral."
I followed her gaze.
The enormous cathedral stood near the centre of Magnolia, overlooking Central Path.
Central Path itself was a major road where festivals, events and parades were commonly held.
I had seen this place countless times in the anime.
But seeing it with my own eyes was completely different.
'So this is Magnolia.'
I looked around with fascination.
Magnolia had a population of roughly sixty thousand people and had prospered through magic and trade for centuries.
Its greatest claim to fame, however, was something else.
The strongest guild in Fiore.
Fairy Tail.
And somewhere in the northern part of the city, beside Lake Scilliora, stood the building that I had been waiting to see ever since my reincarnation.
The Fairy Tail guild hall.
It was located several kilometres along Magnolia's central path.
I could barely contain my excitement.
Erza looked around with sparkling eyes.
"There are so many people!"
I laughed.
"Welcome to Magnolia."
She grabbed my hand.
"Let's go!"
"Wait, wait."
Irene laughed.
"We still have our luggage."
"Oh."
Erza looked embarrassed.
Everyone laughed.
We spent several more minutes admiring the city before finally beginning our walk towards the guild.
The sun was still several hours away from setting.
Which meant there was plenty of time.
I looked towards the northern end of the city.
'Fairy Tail.'
'We're finally here.'
I smiled.
'Let's see what kind of chaos awaits us.'