The day after Raizel and Ultear returned to Magnolia, they sent a message to Ur.
Upon receiving the letter, Ur wasted no time.
She packed up her training camp at Mount Hakobe and immediately dragged a complaining Gray and Lyon back to the guild.
She had little left to teach them in terms of basics.
Her role now was to refine their skills through experience.
Once Gray and Lyon were capable of taking on B-Rank jobs independently, they would be considered graduated.
With two more noisy kids added to the mix—kids who would argue at the drop of a hat and summon ice hammers when words failed—Fairy Tail certainly became more lively.
Raizel watched them brawl in the hall and chuckled.
The guild was slowly filling up.
However, the real peak of chaos would have to wait until X777, when Makarov would finally trick a certain fire-breathing dragon slayer into joining.
'Natsu and Gray... truly a match made in heaven,' Raizel thought, sipping his juice.
'Or hell, depending on who you ask.'
...
Later that evening, in the girls' dormitory.
Ur saw her daughter for the first time in over a month.
They hugged for a long time before Ultear pulled away, a shy smile on her face.
"Ur... Mom, this is for you. A gift."
Ultear had grown accustomed to calling her mother 'Ur' during their training, but the old warmth was returning.
She took a small, ribbon-adorned gift box from her nightstand.
She hadn't just bought one for Cana; she had bought a special one for her mother too, borrowing money from Raizel against her future allowance to do so.
Ur accepted it, her hands trembling slightly as she untied the ribbon. Inside lay a velvet jewelry box. Lifting the lid, she gasped.
It was a necklace.
Two delicate blue crystals converged to form the shape of a single, perfect teardrop.
The necklace looked simple, but the craftsmanship was exquisite and clearly expensive.
"This necklace represents that I will always be with Ur," Ultear said softly, her cheeks flushing pink.
"It's... 'Ur's Tear.'"
The meaning wasn't lost on Ur.
Ultear.
Her name.
"Ultear, help me put it on," Ur whispered, turning around and lifting her short dark hair.
Ur's life had been consumed by magic and grief.
She had never worn accessories, never indulged in vanity. But as the cool metal settled against her skin, she felt lighter than she had in years.
"I will treasure it forever," Ur said, turning back to embrace her daughter tightly. "So, did you have a good time on your trip?"
"It was wonderful," Ultear beamed. "I saw so many different sights."
Images flashed through her mind: the haunted beauty of the Moon Temple, the sun rising over the snow-capped peaks of Mount near Crocus, the endless blue ocean from the hotel window, and the ancient weeping cherry tree glowing in the night.
"I'm glad," Ur kissed her forehead. "I'm so glad."
...
A few days later, Raizel called a meeting.
"We're going to Rosemary Village," Raizel announced to Laxus and Ultear. "Pack your bags. We might be there for a while."
Laxus frowned, adjusting his headphones.
"I want to ask you but ... why there?"
"Grandpa Rob hasn't been seen for a while," Raizel explained, his voice serious. "He's not taking missions, he hasn't visited the Master, and his house is empty. I have a lead that suggests something is happening in that area."
Laxus's expression hardened.
Rob was an old veteran of the guild, a kind man who had taught them both magic tricks when they were toddlers.
If he was in trouble, they had to act.
They set off the next morning.
After traveling through various towns and forests, they finally arrived at the outskirts of their destination.
Rosemary Village.
To the rest of the world, it was just a dot on the map.
But Raizel knew better.
This was where the future Queen of the Fairies, Erza Scarlet, lived.
It was where Kagura Mikazuchi and her brother Simon struggled to survive.
It was a place destined for tragedy.
Raizel stood at the village entrance, double-checking his map.
"This is it," he confirmed.
"First rule," Raizel turned to his companions. "We are travelers, not Mages. Let's avoid using magic openly."
He pulled out two strips of white cloth. "Ultear, wrap this around your arm to cover your guild mark. Laxus, yours is on your chest, so just keep your shirt on."
Raizel wrapped his own left hand. "I'm afraid that if the people targeting this place discover there are Fairy Tail Mages here, they might not dare to act. We need them to show themselves."
They walked into the village. It was quiet, almost too quiet.
The houses were simple, single-story structures arranged in orderly rows.
After asking a passing farmer for directions, Raizel found the Village Chief's house and knocked on the door.
Knock—knock—
It took a long time for someone to answer.
The door creaked open to reveal an elderly man leaning heavily on a cane. He had a long white beard and tired eyes.
"Who are you?" the old man asked warily.
"We are travelers passing through," Raizel lied smoothly. "We were hoping to stay in the village for a while to rest."
"Travelers..." The chief eyed them, then stepped aside. "Please, come in."
The house was sparsely furnished. The old man sat them down at a square table.
"I am Erwin Rose, the Village Chief," he introduced himself.
"I'm Raizel. This is Laxus and Ultear."
"Do you have any vacant houses we could rent?" Raizel asked.
Chief Erwin sighed, a sound that seemed to rattle his frail chest.
"Of course. There are plenty. Many of our young people left to work in the cities and... well, quite a few never returned."
"Is the population small?"
"Yes," Erwin nodded sadly. "Mostly the elderly and orphans remain. It's a dying village."
Raizel nodded grimly. He suspected Kagura and Simon's parents were among those who had "left" and died, leaving the children behind.
"There are empty houses on both the east and west sides. Take your pick. No charge, but you'll need to clean them yourselves."
"That won't do. We insist on paying," Raizel placed a heavy envelope of Jewels in the chief's hand.
Erwin tried to refuse, but Raizel was insistent.
They settled on a sturdy three-bedroom house near the village center.
It was dusty and smelled of disuse, but the structure was sound.
"Alright, let's get to work," Raizel clapped his hands.
While Ultear swept the floors, Raizel and Laxus went to the well to fetch water.
They cleaned the house top to bottom, only unpacking once the dust had settled.
"We'll probably be staying here for a while," Raizel said that evening, sitting at the clean table.
He knew the Tower of Heaven (R-System) was being constructed on an uncharted island nearby.
The cultists needed slave labor. They would come here eventually.
"By waiting here, we might be able to find Grandpa Rob," Raizel added. "I suspect he's been captured by the same group targeting this area."
"Captured?" Laxus slammed his fist on the table. "Who the hell are they?"
"A cult worshipping Zeref," Raizel said darkly. "We wait for them to come to us."
"Alright," Laxus grinned, a dangerous spark in his eyes. "I hate waiting, but for Rob, I'll be patient."
"I'm going to take a walk around the village," Raizel stood up. "Want to come?"
Laxus shook his head. "Nah. I'll stay here and guard the base."
Ultear stood up silently, moving to Raizel's side.
Raizel and Ultear walked through the village as the sun began to set.
It was small, peaceful, and unremarkable.
'How could anyone not know such a small village holds such important people?' Raizel thought.
He scanned the streets, looking for a flash of crimson hair.
He looked for a girl with a ribbon (Kagura) or a boy with a square jaw (Simon).
But the streets were empty.
'They must be at home or playing in the woods,' Raizel mused. 'Erza is an orphan here; she probably lives in one of the communal houses or on her own.'
"As for food," Raizel told Ultear as they walked back, "Laxus and I will take turns buying it from the next town over. You can use your Ice-Make or Time magic to preserve it. We need someone in the village at all times in case they attack."
"Understood," Ultear nodded.
They returned to the house as night fell. Raizel looked out the window at the peaceful village.
'I know you're here, Erza,' he thought.
'Just wait. I won't let history repeat itself.'