Natsu's arm was frozen in mid-air as if filled with lead, his chest heaving with heavy breaths. With great effort, he tensed his forearm and raised his hand, reaching tremulously toward Riyao, attempting to identify the true culprit behind the destroyed gate.
Riyao was quick of eye and hand, grabbing Natsu's hot wrist. His knuckles brushed against the grass clippings stuck to Natsu's wrist, and his voice carried a knowing softness: "I understand everything. I will turn in the request."
He reached out and gently covered Natsu's still-blinking eyelids, pressing down as if coaxing a fussy little one. After a moment, Natsu closed his eyes completely.
Then, he bent down to gather the star-moon grass by his feet, handed it into Makarov's arms, and sauntered over to a high stool at the bar, tapping the counter with his elbow: "A cold drink with crushed ice, please."
Swinging his dangling toes and twirling a roll of napkins with his fingertips, his tone was lazy as his eyes swept over the bulging bundles of grass in Makarov's arms: "Old man, is this much star-moon grass enough for your brewing?"
Makarov piled the star-moon grass at his feet, patted the grass clippings off his trousers with both hands, and grinned so wide his eyes narrowed into two curved slits, revealing a row of white teeth. "Hehe, plenty, plenty."
Gray had been sprawled on the ground like Natsu, too lazy to even lift an eyelid. Suddenly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he sprang halfway up with a'shing,' propping his arms on the ground, his face scrunched up like a steamed bun.
His eyes were wide as saucers, and his voice suddenly jumped an octave: "What?! The star-moon grass we worked hard for a month on was actually for the old man to brew wine!" Beside him, Natsu was already snoring loud enough to shake the heavens, with shiny drool hanging from the corner of his mouth.
Riyao took a big gulp of iced fruit juice, not caring as the cold liquid dripped down his chin. A mischievous smirk curled on his lips, and his eyes sparkled with the light of someone enjoying the show: "Sorry, it was all the old man's quest."
With a 'thud,' Gray slammed back onto the ground, limbs spread out in the shape of the character 'big' (big). His shoulders twitched slightly, and he didn't even have the strength left to complain, wearing an expression of being completely broken.
Click
Dark History +1+1+1
Cana emerged from some corner of the bar, leaning against the counter and swaying her head, a mocking smile on her lips: "Poor kids~"
The Fairy Tail Guild is still as "lively" as ever.
Riyao sucked up the last drop of iced fruit juice through a straw garnished with a lemon slice, wiped the juice stains off his chin with the back of his hand, and stretched his back straight. He then walked with rhythmic footsteps toward the manor outside the guild.
Without stopping, he dove into the manor's medicinal field, ignoring the wet mud sticking to his trouser legs. He thrust both hands deep into the black soil, which smelled of earthy roots, and a faint green glow lit up his fingertips.
That was his Life Magic, a rhythm of magic flow he was so familiar with he could feel it with his eyes closed. He slowly infused it into the soil through the gaps between his fingers.
Medicinal Herb Age +1+1+1
The nearby cluster of bamboo shoots that had just sprouted was even more exaggerated. As a green light swept over them, they grew with a 'crack-crack' sound. Shoots burst open layer by layer, and in the blink of an eye, they shot up into a straight Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo. The bamboo tips even swayed, as if showing off.
Turning around, he saw a large clump of weeds with small blue flowers in the ridge of the field. They had actually grown into ten-year-old "Medicinal Field Weeds." Riyao's mouth twitched; he wiped his face and smacked his lips.
Riyao took two steps back and drew a circle in front of him. A pale green magic circle spread along the ground, covering everything from the medicinal field to the manor's fence. The array patterns resonated with the magic, emitting a faint humming vibration.
The green light in his palm became denser. Magic tunneled through the earth into the roots of every plant. Once nourished, the plants would overflow with life energy even purer than raw magic.
Like tiny specks of light, they drilled into the Hundred Battles Technique at his waist. Once enough had accumulated, he could pull them out in a flurry during battle.
As for why he didn't inject it directly into his body—he was already at 100% health; no matter how much he tried to stuff in, it wouldn't fit.
Looking at the life particles floating all over the field, Riyao suddenly smirked and gave a thumbs-up to the air: "A true 'Nature's Porter'~"
Having just pulled out all the wildly growing ten-year weeds from the medicinal field, his trouser legs were stained with semi-dry mud and grass clippings, and even a foxtail grass hung behind his ear. Riyao turned and dove into the fruit orchard on the other side of the manor.
Pale green Life Magic floated from his fingertips. The moment it swept across the entire orchard, the green, unripe fruits all ripened with a 'pitter-patter,' rolling onto the ground in shades of red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and purple. He leaned against a tree trunk holding a pile of fruit half as tall as a man, nearly unable to straighten his back from the weight.
"Riyao's Select~ My fruit is absolutely reliable; everyone who eats it says it's good!"
Just like those flashy advertisements he had scrolled through in his past life, where a single cut made juice spray more fiercely than a fountain. The fruit in his hands now couldn't spray that much.
"The technology of my previous life was still more impressive—stick a water pipe in and it sprays like a fountain."
He patted his juice-stained hands and trotted over to the tea garden. Squatting among the tea ridges with pale green magic floating at his fingertips, he picked fresh, tender tea buds while humming a tuneless version of the Fairy Tail theme song.
What professional tea-roasting skills did he have? It was all thanks to the tea buds being high-quality enough; even a casual stir-fry made them smell incredibly fragrant.
While tossing and stir-frying the tea buds in an iron pot, he kept shaking his hands from the heat. The healing light on his fingertips flashed repeatedly. Riyao couldn't help but mutter: "If I had known, I would have watched more videos on how to roast tea. Hoof-trimming videos really ruined me."
He thrust his hands directly into the scorching iron pot to frantically stir-fry the tea buds. The edges of the pot emitted white steam from the heat, and the healing light on his fingertips stayed lit. If not for the magic, his hands would have been burnt to the bone long ago. If that happened, the tea he roasted would surely have a hint of roasted meat flavor—a "Pork-Flavored Green Tea" unique to Fairy Tail.
Even a monk would give it a thumbs-up.
After roasting, he poured the slightly charred tea buds into a coarse porcelain bowl and fixed up the packaging. Instantly, it looked like it was worth nine hundred and ninety-eight. The packaging was as luxurious as a birthday gift for Old Man Makarov, but the tea inside... the appearance was honestly a bit embarrassing.
Slumping on the ridge of the tea garden, he pushed the iron pot aside and propped his hands on his knees, panting heavily. Looking at the tea ridges and the distant fruit orchard wafting with fragrance, Riyao suddenly fell into a meaningless philosophical reflection.
Why do birds fly~
I really should grab a few laborers to help out! He propped up his chin and poked a blade of grass on the ridge.
"But those guys in the guild? If I take them to the orchard, Erza might treat the apple trees as training targets and chop them down."
"The medicinal field? Natsu might munch on the ten-year-old herbs as snacks."
"The tea garden? Gray would definitely use Ice-Make to freeze the tea buds into ice blocks, ruining them all in the end."
By then, half the peach trees in the orchard would be frozen to death, the medicinal field would be burned to the roots, and the tea garden would be trimmed by swords until it looked like a lawn rooted up by wild boars. It's less of a headache to do it all myself!
Back then, I should have followed that one eccentric guy's example and brought a goddess down with me.
A certain goddess shuddered.