Droy's plantation.
The first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the glass dome of the greenhouse, casting fragmented golden specks on the lush green vines.
Droy crouched in front of a wooden planting box, pale green magical light coalescing at his fingertips.
His plant magic caused the vines to grow at a visible speed, and more than a dozen unripe strawberries had already formed on the tender green branches.
"A little faster..." Droy murmured, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Suddenly, the vine trembled violently, and a silver-white flower bud bloomed at its tip.
"Huh?" Droy's eyes widened in surprise; this was completely different from the red flower he had expected.
He carefully reached out to touch the petals—
Boom!
A memory flooded his mind like a tide: his six-year-old self, barefoot on a country dirt road, his grandmother's rough but warm hand holding his, and in the distance, a strawberry field swaying in the setting sun.
"Little Droy, the sweetest strawberries must be saved for the most important person..."
"Droy? Are you alright?"
Levy's voice pulled him back to reality.
The blue-haired girl stood at the greenhouse entrance, holding a tray with two servings of breakfast.
Her glasses were still dewy, clearly indicating she had rushed over.
Originally, both Droy and Jet lived in the guild dormitory, but recently, both had been diligently researching; one was studying strange plants, and the other was researching alchemical potions.
Neither of these research directions was particularly safe, so for the safety of their roommates and to facilitate their research, both of them voluntarily moved out of the guild dormitory.
Jet built a small wooden cabin next to Granny Poluchka's wooden house to live in.
To save money, Droy built a botanical garden behind Fairy Tail Lake, behind the guild, and lived there himself.
Aside from occasionally taking on requests, both of them rarely showed up at the guild.
Levy, when not busy with writing, would occasionally visit them.
"I... I'm fine." Droy rubbed his temples, pointing at the strange white flower, "Look at this."
Levy curiously leaned in to observe, her nose almost touching the petals.
Just then, the white flower suddenly withered, producing a crystal-clear strawberry that glowed like a ruby in the sunlight.
"How beautiful..." Levy couldn't help but exclaim.
Droy picked the strawberry and handed it to her, scratching his head: "Want to try it? It should be non-toxic."
"Should?" Levy hesitated for a moment, then took a small bite.
The moment the strawberry's juice burst in her mouth, the girl's pupils suddenly dilated.
"This taste..." Her voice suddenly choked, "It's the strawberry jam Mom made..."
Tears fell without warning.
Through Levy's blurry vision, she seemed to see her mother's back, making strawberry jam in the kitchen on her fifth birthday, the sweet aroma filling the entire room.
That was the last jar of jam her mother made for her before she passed away.
Levy, Jet, and Droy were all orphans picked up by Makarov when he was out on a mission.
Levy hadn't expected that after more than ten years, she could still remember her mother's appearance.
Droy looked at the tear-streaked Levy, flustered: "S-sorry! I didn't know it would..."
"No..." Levy wiped away her tears, smiling, "Thank you for letting me taste this flavor again."
After she spoke, both of them were stunned.
They looked at each other in shock, simultaneously realizing the special effect of this strawberry—it could awaken the most precious taste from the deepest parts of the eater's memory... The midday sun baked the sandy ground by Fairy Tail Lake. Cana flicked a card from her fingertips, splitting the last training dummy in half.
Sweat dripped down her chin, making a "hiss" sound on the scorching sand.
"Cana!" Droy's voice came from the edge of Fairy Tail Lake, "Want to try some newly cultivated strawberries?"
Cana flexed her wrists twice, her bones making faint cracking sounds.
"No... well, okay." She had intended to refuse, but seeing Droy's expectant gaze, she still nodded.
Compared to the strange potions Jet had been making recently,
Droy's plants were still good; the fruits they produced had no major flaws other than being exceptionally sweet.
"Yay (σ≧∀≦)σ!" Droy happily cheered, then led Cana to his botanical garden.
Inside the greenhouse, the improved memory strawberries grew in Droy's special magical soil, each one plump and round.
Their vibrant red color indeed made them look appealing.
Cana cautiously picked one, and under Droy's encouraging gaze, took a bite.
Crunch.
The world suddenly stood still.
Five-year-old Cana huddled in a small attic, the howling cold wind outside the window.
Her mother's pale fingers gently combed her long hair, humming an ancient lullaby.
The mother and daughter lived very frugally; by the bed was half a bowl of stewed chicken, which her mother had bought from the market with her last bit of money... "Cana? Cana!"
Droy's anxious calls pulled her back to reality. Cana then realized she was, at some point, already in tears.
"S-sorry!" Droy waved his hands frantically, "This strawberry makes people recall past memories. I originally wanted to give you a surp—"
Cana suddenly stepped forward and gave the boy, who was a head shorter than her, a hug.
Her sweaty scent made Droy a little uncomfortable, but neither of them moved.
After a few seconds, Cana let go, wiped away her tears, and left without saying anything... In the evening, Mr. Morris, the owner of "Frosting Castle," rushed into the guild hall like a gust of wind.
The always impeccably dressed gourmand now had a crooked tie and hadn't even had time to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"Where is it? Where is that magical strawberry?" He panted, grabbing Macao, who was strolling with his son.
Hmm, Macao also belonged to Fairy Tail's permanent NPCs; he wouldn't be seen taking on a request for ten days to half a month.
Occasionally, he would randomly spawn in the audience of Magnolia's beauty fashion show, or appear in the city with his little NPC son, Romeo.
Ten minutes later, Morris trembled as he put down the half-eaten strawberry, wiping his red eyes with a handkerchief: "I tasted it... the strawberry cake my wife made when we first fell in love..."
He "snap" opened his crocodile skin wallet, took out a blank check, and slapped it on the table: "300 per berry, I want exclusive acquisition rights!"
The guild hall instantly fell silent. Natsu counted on his fingers: "300 for one, ten is 3000, a hundred is..."
Gray was shocked, "Is selling fruit that profitable?"
Ezreal, holding Yuumi, nodded, "Indeed, farming is the way to go."
"No." Droy suddenly said.
Everyone looked in surprise at the usually gluttonous but gentle boy.
He held up two fingers: "Send me two of your latest cakes every week, and I'll agree."
Morris's eyes widened; he clearly hadn't expected Droy to propose such a condition.
He had prepared to spend a fortune, but it turned out to be just sending some cakes.
After a brief moment of astonishment, he laughed heartily, "Deal!"
Saying that, he grabbed Droy's hand and shook it vigorously...
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