Loke's melancholy didn't last long, though.
He still had to work hard to earn money and pay off his loan.
Even though the repayment period was generous and there was no need to feel rushed, having signed the contract meant Loke couldn't stop thinking about it.
Unless he paid it off quickly, he wouldn't feel at ease.
Those struggling to make ends meet don't have the luxury of leisure.
It wasn't until work began that Loke seemed to realize the massive pitfall hidden in that "contract."
But by then, it was too late to back out.
...
Over a month later, standing in front of his new house, Loke wore a deeply moved expression.
He now had a home in the "human world"—though it wasn't entirely his yet, as he still had to keep paying off the loan, at least it was his in name.
"Hello, Loke. We'll be neighbors from now on."
Just as Loke was lost in his thoughts, someone interrupted him.
He turned to see a young man with black hair.
"I'm Alzack Connell. I just joined the guild recently."
Alzack introduced himself with a smile.
He hadn't spoken to Loke before because, by the time he joined, Loke had already entered his "task demon" phase, frantically taking on jobs to save up and repay his debt.
"Oh, I know you! I heard the new guy was an immigrant from the Western Continent—a bright and handsome young man. So it's you!" Loke nodded, as if suddenly realizing something.
"I heard a lot of immigrants came from your side. Is the situation in the Western Continent that bad?" Loke asked curiously.
He remembered Gray mentioning that Fairy Tail had taken in quite a few immigrants from the Western Continent, some of whom—those who could use magic—had joined the guild as Mages.
Alzack Connell was one of them.
"Well, it's definitely not as free as Magnolia."
Alzack shrugged, not elaborating further on the Western Continent.
"Your house is finished too. Did Reinhardt's crew handle it as well?"
Seeing that Alzack was reluctant to elaborate, Loke didn't press further.
He didn't know much about the Western Continent anyway and had only asked casually.
His gaze shifted to another house beside his own small courtyard—presumably Alzack's new home.
"Right, with Reinhardt and the others helping out too." Alzack nodded.
His house had started construction later than Loke's, yet they were completed almost simultaneously.
"No wonder."
Loke understood now why the originally one-month construction period had been delayed—they'd been splitting their efforts to build Alzack's house as well.
In this corner, only their two houses stood close together, making it convenient for simultaneous construction.
Loke didn't mind the delay, especially since the extended accommodation costs had been covered for him, leaving him with no real loss.
"Would you like to come in? Quite a few people will be arriving soon." Loke extended an invitation to Alzack.
"Marco already informed me. He asked me to join, effectively combining our housewarming celebrations."
Alzack explained Marco's arrangement—his visit wasn't just a casual neighborly greeting but had a purpose.
"That guy didn't even tell me." Loke muttered under his breath but didn't refuse.
Instead, he led his neighbor Alzack Connell inside first.
Before long, lively voices filled the air outside as children chattered excitedly, entering Loke's courtyard.
"Bisca-san, is the Western Continent bigger than the Fiore Kingdom?"
Wendy walked beside a girl with emerald-green hair, her curiosity evident.
"Of course it's bigger than Fiore—it's an entire continent, after all. But whether it's larger than the Ishgar continent, I'm not sure."
Bisca replied with a smile, her eyes full of affection as she looked at little Wendy.
In Fairy Tail, Wendy never lacked love.
Everyone adored and cared for her, even Bisca, who hadn't known her long.
How could they resist such an adorable, well-behaved, and understanding child?
"This is Bisca Mulan, another immigrant from the Western Continent. She's now joined Fairy Tail as a Mage."
After entering Loke's house, Marco introduced the newcomer—Bisca Mulan, with her striking emerald-green hair, had arrived alongside Alzack Connell and the others.
"..."
Loke froze momentarily as he looked at Bisca.
"What's wrong, Loke?"
Marco waved a hand in front of Loke's face.
Staring so intently at the girl was rather impolite.
Marco noticed Alzack's wary expression as he eyed Loke—like he was sizing up a rival.
Having come from the Western Continent together as part of the same immigrant group, Alzack and Bisca naturally knew each other already.
And judging by Alzack's reaction, he clearly harbored some special feelings for Bisca—even though they were just kids in their early teens...
"Sorry... I just thought of..."
Awakened by Marco, Loke awkwardly tried to explain but stopped short.
Mentioning that Bisca's emerald-green hair reminded him of Karen might not be the best idea.In truth, Bisca and Karen didn't actually resemble each other much.
Their expressions, demeanor, and facial features were completely different—Karen had a somewhat slyre, even fierce appearance, while Bisca was radiant and graceful.
Moreover, Bisca was clearly more youthful than Karen.
"Does she remind you of someone you knew before?"
Looking at Loke, Bisca covered her mouth and laughed.
This was such a cliché, and this Loke was quite amusing.
"Stare!"
Hearing Bisca's words, Alzack's gaze toward Loke grew even more piercing.
"This is a huge misunderstanding."
Marco sighed and rubbed his forehead.
He had already figured out what was going on with Loke, but it wasn't easy to explain.
After all, it was best for Loke's current identity to stay as far away from Karen Lilica as possible.
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