"Buy the exclusive right to use my singing voice…"
Mira stared blankly at Moen, completely caught off guard by this move.
Looking at Moen, whose face carried a bright smile as if he were forever radiating light that illuminated the people around him, Mira felt as though a current of electricity passed through her mind, leaving her whole body tingling and numb.
"Then… how should it be sold?"
Mira was a little stunned. She widened her eyes and looked at Moen, asking foolishly.
"Of course you set the price. However much you think the exclusive right to your singing voice is worth, I'll pay you that amount. From then on, your voice will belong to me. Of course, this refers to commercial use. You can still sing on your own if you want."
Moen said it as a matter of course. Naturally, Mira had to name the price herself; otherwise wouldn't he just be digging a pit for himself?
If he were the one to name the price, then he would only have one answer: "a priceless treasure," something that could not be measured with money.
"Then let me use it for free."
Mira's emotions settled down. She smiled as she spoke, still unwilling to take money. She had originally planned to sing only for Moen anyway.
'Tch, why does that sound strange? Anyway, it just means I'll only sing the songs Moen writes. Uh, why does it still sound strange?'
After those words left her mouth, Mira began muttering to herself inwardly, thinking so much that her face gradually warmed and turned a little red.
"…Mira, do you know that sometimes the free ones are often the most expensive?"
Moen smiled and shook his head, speaking that classic line. Things that are free may seem to require no cost at all to obtain, but behind them there are often even more conditions attached.
The gifts of fate often already have their prices clearly marked.
"But there are always people who help others without asking for anything in return, aren't there? And not everything has a price clearly marked, right?"
Mira blinked and looked at Moen very seriously. For example, wasn't the boy standing in front of her constantly helping her? Wasn't he constantly helping the children in the guild?
What Moen had done had changed their lives, changed their futures, yet Moen had never asked them for any repayment. He was even still solving their worries and troubles.
"…"
Moen fell silent, not knowing how to answer for a moment. Did he truly ask for nothing in return? Had his gifts and help not been secretly marked with a price? Even Moen himself did not dare to say so.
The reason Mira felt this way might be because Moen had already received the return that belonged to him. The Saint Seiya System had already paid on their behalf, which was why Moen could remain so calm, why he appeared as if he needed nothing in return.
Moen had never thought of himself as some kind of saint. He was only a person with principles, someone willing to give others the help he could manage. Perhaps he could barely be considered a good person.
Daring to call himself a good person, Moen felt that he was quite bold. Being a good person was not easy; the cost of being good was very high.
Because good people are always the ones others point guns at, always the ones others press knives against.
There was no helping it. When others feel that the cost of hurting you is extremely low, that they do not even need to pay any price for it, the knife that chops toward you and the gun that points at you will have no hesitation at all.
Therefore, even if he were to be a good person, Moen would be "a good person wearing armor and holding a blade." That was the prerequisite for being good.
Armor and a blade might not be tools for you to create profit, but they are absolutely necessities if you want to be a good person. If you have no blade in your hand and no armor on your body, do not casually be a good person, and do not casually show your kindness to others.
"Could it be that you actually have some ulterior motive toward me too, Moen?"
Seeing Moen remain silent, Mira's gaze turned strange. This little delinquent girl really did speak without much thought.
"Huh? Toward you? What ulterior motive? You skinny bamboo pole…"
Moen widened his eyes, looking speechless, and the words in his heart slipped straight out.
"Ah!!! Moen!"
Moen's words immediately made Mira explode. She reached out her hand to smack him.
"Whoosh!"
Moen laughed as he jumped away, darting a long distance in an instant.
"Don't misunderstand! Mira, I didn't say anything!"
Moen raised his hands in surrender, but the smile on his face no longer looked bright to Mira at this moment; instead, it looked extremely hateful!
"I'm just concerned about you, Mira. You're too thin. You really should eat more."
Moen continued, explaining himself. However, his explanation was clearly not accepted by Mira, who was in the middle of her anger.
'That guy Moen… he actually dares to learn from Erza!'
Mira fumed inwardly. Erza often called her "skinny bamboo pole," mocking her figure. It was all that "barrel hag's" fault!
"Ahem, I have something to do. I'm leaving first!"
Seeing Mira's angry expression, Moen immediately slipped away. Come to think of it, Mira and Erza were the same age as him. Their bodies had already begun to develop, and they had some awareness regarding their figures. He really should be more careful with his words.
This kind of matter was still somewhat sensitive for girls. Although they were all children, children were generally a bit precocious, especially girls, who seemed to mature earlier in these matters.
But to be fair, Moen truly had not paid much attention to such things. Everyone was just kids. Although it would not be illegal, what Moen liked were mature older-sister types with explosive figures. He genuinely had not the slightest thought in that direction toward these little brats…
Especially with personalities like Erza's and Mira's, who were both rather tomboyish—personalities like boys, figures like boys. If someone were to think in that direction, could it be because they liked boys?
Moen complained inwardly as he quickly slipped out of the guild, practically fleeing in defeat.
Mira did not chase after him. She looked around, and just as Erza walked into the guild hall, Mira immediately found the culprit.
"Barrel hag! Take my punch!"
With fire blazing in her eyes, Mira charged toward Erza.
"Hah?! Skinny bamboo pole! You wanna fight?!"
Erza, who had been inexplicably cursed at, looked completely baffled, but she immediately cursed back, and it just so happened to hit right on the mark.
This naturally made Mira even angrier. Sure enough, it was all Erza's fault! Calling her that every single day in the guild!
She called Erza "barrel hag" only because Erza did a lot of physical training and her body had not fully developed yet, so she currently looked rather sturdy. But in reality, Erza could not be considered fat.
However, when Erza called Mira "skinny bamboo pole," that truly struck the mark. Otherwise, she would not have been so furious. Mira's current figure and build were exactly like a smooth, bare "skinny bamboo pole."
"You're not allowed to call me skinny bamboo pole anymore!"
Mira pointed at Erza and loudly demanded.
"Then you're not allowed to call me barrel hag either!"
Erza also pointed at Mira. Although she did not know why Mira suddenly brought this up, she certainly could not just agree outright.
"No problem! It's settled!"
Mira agreed without hesitation.
"Uh… then are we still fighting?"
Erza froze for a moment, only feeling that Mira was a bit inexplicable. Did "skinny bamboo pole"… really hurt her that much?
"Of course we're fighting!"
Mira was still angry and needed to vent.
"Then come on!"
Although she had been confused from the very beginning, Erza would not refuse any challenge. She immediately prepared for battle.
"Crack! Bang!"
Mira and Erza quickly started fighting. Of course, it was not to the point of real hostility, just exchanging moves in hand-to-hand combat.
"Although I don't know why they started fighting, I can't fall behind either! Gray! Gajeel! I'll defeat you today too!"
Watching Mira and Erza start fighting, Natsu scratched his head, then immediately ran off to find his two companions.
"Hehe~ Has Mira reached the age where she worries about her figure too?"
Behind the bar, having watched the whole show all morning, Makarov could not help covering his mouth and chuckling. But honestly, Mira really should start worrying a little.
Girls at this age were in puberty. More or less, they should develop a bit. Yet Mira was still like a boy…
The look in Makarov's eyes toward Mira already carried a trace of sympathy.
Poor Mira. She had already lost badly at the starting line!
But there was no need to be discouraged. Puberty was still long! Losing at the beginning did not mean she would keep losing. A comeback against the wind was also possible!
Makarov had already begun to consider whether he should recommend some special ingredients to Mira.
If she developed a little later, then make up for it. Eat more, maintain sufficient and balanced nutrition, it would still be somewhat useful.
Moreover, Mira's figure was indeed a bit too thin. It might be because in the past she ate less herself, leaving food for her younger brother and sister.
Thinking of this, Makarov's gaze toward Mira became even more tender. As the eldest sister, this child had never had it easy since she was young. That boy Moen often helped her, probably because he had seen this point as well.
Moen, who had already run out of the guild, did not know Makarov's thoughts. But his frequent help toward Mira was truly not out of sympathy.
His reason was simple: just because everyone was companions, just because everyone was family in the same guild. That was why he helped.
Moen knew that Mira did not need anyone's sympathy. With a sympathetic attitude, it was impossible to become friends with Mira.
Stubborn Mira would not accept anyone's charity. Otherwise, she would not have been so eager to move out of the dormitory to live on her own.
Up to now, the only person she owed was Moen, the money she had borrowed from him. That was probably proof that Moen held a rather special place in her heart. Moen helping Lisanna and Elfman together to free her from her inner demons, that shared experience was indeed different. It was a very precious memory.
"Right… has Jose Porla been sentenced yet?"
After thinking wildly in his mind for a while, Moen walked to the newsstand and began flipping through the newspapers. If an ordinary person flipped through them like this, the newsstand owner would have long since driven them away. But seeing that the one browsing was Moen, the owner still wore a full smile, with no intention of chasing him off. He even took the initiative to chat and joke with Moen.
"Boss, is there any news about Jose Porla?"
Moen asked directly instead of continuing to search himself.
"Yes, but they're all sold out. I kept one copy for myself. You can take a look. It says Jose Porla has already been transferred to the Magic Council headquarters for trial. It looks like the matter has gotten quite big."
The owner spoke as he took out a newspaper.
This newspaper had sold extremely well and had long since been bought out by enthusiastic people. Fortunately, he had kept one copy for himself. Otherwise, Moen would have made the trip for nothing. Not just here—every newsstand in Magnolia had sold out.
"Transferred to the Magic Council headquarters?"
Moen was somewhat surprised, but upon thinking carefully, it made sense. How could the Magic Council branch of the Kingdom of Fiore have the qualifications to judge Jose Porla? The fact that he could stay there obediently already counted as giving the Magic Council face.
After taking the newspaper and roughly reading through the contents, Moen immediately understood. It was not that Jose Porla was giving the Magic Council face, but that someone was there watching him. He did not dare act rashly and could only give that face.
"Senior Warrod Sequen is actually in the Kingdom of Fiore?"
Moen was somewhat astonished. The one invited to guard Jose Porla was one of the founders of Fairy Tail and one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Senior Warrod Sequen. With Warrod Sequen present, it was completely normal that Jose Porla did not dare cause trouble.
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