In the year X784, the sea breeze at Hargeon Port carried the salty scent of the ocean, mixed with the sweet fragrance of coconut stalls on the street, making the palm leaves rustle.
Warm golden sunlight spilled across the blue satin-like sea, shattering into millions of dancing stars; every breath carried a relaxed sense of ease.
The line for the "Sea Salt Cream" dessert shop at the corner of the alley stretched like a lazy snake, winding from the shop door to the pier. The sea breeze cupcakes in the glass display case, decorated with silver-foil-like frosting, wafted a milky scent halfway down the street, causing passing sailors and young women to stop frequently.
Riyao, at the end of the line, looked like a reed that had its soul sucked out, his shoulders slumped almost to the ground. He kicked the pebbles on the floor aimlessly, his look of utter despair clashing with the cheerful crowd in line.
It was a tragic story; on a whim last night, he had tried on Mirajane's favorite dress and accidentally ripped it.
He still couldn't forget Mirajane's expression at the time. First, she smiled gently and asked, "Riyao, do you think this dress looks good?" The next second, her gaze turned cold as ice, and she grabbed a rolling pin, hitting him three times on the head and gifting him two black eyes. With her hands on her hips, Mirajane poked his forehead, her sweet tone masking an undeniable threat.
Riyao's face had turned pale then. This shop only sold thirty portions a day, and the people in line were crazier than Mages fighting for missions in the guild. He had crawled out of bed before dawn and flown straight over with his demon wings, yet he still ended up at the very back of the line.
As an S-Class Mage of the largest Dark Guild on the continent of Ishgar—hey, a guild Zeref invested in counts as a Dark Guild, right?—Riyao planned to play dirty. He quietly released a wave of magical pressure, making the people in line feel a bit tired. It was incredibly effective, and Riyao soon reached the front.
Even so, he still felt bored. His mind uncontrollably missed his old phone; if he could scroll through short videos or play games, why would he be standing here in a daze?
Virgo held a large black umbrella, steadily shielding him from above, the edge of the umbrella perfectly blocking the slanting sunlight.
She still wore that expressionless face, but her fingertips moved slightly as her eyes glanced toward the commotion in the crowd nearby. Her flat voice carried a hint of subtle curiosity: "Master, there seems to be some excitement over there."
Riyao struggled to lift his head. The dark circles around his eyes looked like ink-stained panda eyes. Mirajane had said his "reflection must be profound enough" and forbade him from using Healing Magic to remove them, so he was forced to wander half the street with this look. He yawned, tears blurring his vision, and asked vaguely, "What's the excitement?"
Just as he finished speaking, a loud shout from a boy erupted: "Igneel! Where are you?!"
The crowd was instantly pushed aside, and a boy with fiery red hair charged through like a small cannonball. His face was flushed red, his eyes wide, and he grabbed the shoulders of passersby as he looked around. His recklessness could be felt from a mile away.
Riyao sighed upon hearing this, his head drooping again as his finger continued to poke an ant hole. "Here it comes, the plot has finally started."
He whispered to the ants in the hole, "That idiot is still looking for Igneel. In a moment, he's going to get beaten up by female fans."
He pushed himself up by his knees, brushed the dust off his pants, and huddled under Virgo's umbrella with a mischievous smirk. "Old Virgo, how about I find you a new master?"
Virgo's brow furrowed imperceptibly, and her grip on the umbrella handle tightened slightly. She remained expressionless, but her tone carried a hint of subtle grievance: "Master, is there something I haven't done well enough?"
The excitement over there had reached its climax. Natsu burst into the crowd and happened to run into Bora own, who was striking a handsome pose. Natsu's face scrunched up like a small bun, and he shouted in disgust, "Who are you?!"
Bora own was flicking his shiny hair, preparing to introduce himself. He had just made a heart gesture with his hands when he realized Natsu was already gone. The idiot was only focused on finding the dragon and hadn't paid him any attention at all.
Bora own's frenzied female fans instantly exploded, screaming as they chased after Natsu and pinned him to the ground for a beating. Natsu struggled and shouted, "Hey! What are you doing? I'm looking for Igneel!"
Bora own raised his hand gracefully, a gentle smile curling his lips. "Everyone, let him go. He doesn't seem to have any ill intent." The female fans stopped immediately.
Bora own handed out an autograph, saying with full confidence, "Take this and show it off to your friends!"
Natsu swiped the autograph away, and it fell to the ground with a "thwack." He stuck out his tongue. "I don't want it." After saying that, he turned and ran, making the angry female fans chase him again.
Before long, Natsu was beaten black and blue and tossed into a roadside trash pile like a sack. He crawled out with a banana peel on his head, cursing, "Damned women! They actually hit me!" Happy appeared out of nowhere, perched on his shoulder, and laughed while fluttering his wings, "Natsu is so stupid~"
The crowd dispersed quickly. After Bora own left with his female fans, a girl in a blue and white dress walked over. "Thank you for earlier." It was Lucy, the sunlight falling on her blonde hair like a layer of crushed gold.
At the corner of the alley, Riyao held his newly purchased cupcakes. The scent of cream and sea salt wafted from the box tied with a blue ribbon. He leaned against the wall, pointed his chin at Lucy, and raised an eyebrow at Virgo. "How about it? That girl is a dedicated Celestial Spirit Mage. She'd be a good match for you."
Virgo narrowed her eyes and sized up Lucy for a few seconds. She tapped her chin and gave her most honest evaluation: "Low magic power, and she looks a bit dim-witted. If possible, I'd still like to stay by Master's side."
She wasn't wrong; a Celestial Spirit's strength is closely tied to its owner. In Riyao's hands, she could pummel Natsu. But if she switched to the current Lucy, it would be the other way around.
Riyao rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "Old Virgo is certainly honest." He stuffed a crystal ball into his shirt's hidden pocket, a calculating smile curling his lips. This recording would be a great tool for "threatening" Virgo later.
To express her gratitude, Lucy said, "Let me treat you to a meal!" Natsu's eyes lit up, and he dashed over with Happy, so hungry that he didn't notice the two tails following behind them.
Riyao followed slowly behind, pretending to straighten his beach shirt while muttering self-righteously, "I'm not here to watch the drama; I'm here to make sure Natsu doesn't cause trouble for the guild. Yes, exactly."
Virgo followed him with the umbrella, her expressionless face clearly saying, "I don't believe a word of that."
Riyao sent Virgo back to the Celestial Spirit World and walked into the restaurant.
Inside the restaurant, Natsu and Happy were burying their heads in food. Natsu's mouth was stuffed with seafood paella, his cheeks bulging like a hamster's. Happy held a plate of dried fish, stuffing them into his mouth without even looking up.
Lucy placed her hands over her chest, her eyes sparkling with longing. "My dream is to join a guild and become a full-fledged Mage..."
Riyao had already slipped into the seat opposite them and casually ordered a bunch of items from the menu: grilled squid, cheese lobster, cream soup, and three portions of mango pudding.
He grabbed a greasy chicken leg and took a big bite, sauce staining the corner of his mouth. He gave a thumbs up and shouted with a smile, "Little Lucy, well said! I'm giving your dream a like!"
Lucy's introduction came to an abrupt halt. She stared wide-eyed at the person who had suddenly appeared, her mouth forming an 'O' shape. She pointed at him for a long time, unable to speak. "Ah! Who are you? Why did you join in so naturally?!"
"And! Why are you eating my food?!"
"And what the heck is with those black circles on your face? Do you think you're a panda?!"
She fired off complaints like a machine gun, her cheeks puffed out like a bristling kitten.
Riyao secretly curled his lips. This was the feeling! Life with a straight man was just too much fun! He pretended not to hear, continuing to gnaw on the chicken leg, intentionally making loud "crunching" noises.
Natsu and Happy finally snapped out of it. Natsu looked up, a piece of cheese abalone falling from his mouth onto the table with a "thud." He mumbled, "...Ri... yao..."
The dried fish in Happy's mouth also fell as he followed, "Riyao!"
Riyao rolled his eyes, wiped the corner of his mouth with a tissue, and tapped the table. "Can you idiots swallow the food in your mouths before speaking?"
He turned to Lucy, flashed a handsome smile, and reached out his hand. "Hello, Little Lucy. I'm their senior. You can just call me Riyao." Although the black circles were a bit of an eyesore, his bright eyes still made Lucy pause for a moment.
Natsu swallowed his food, his mouth greasy, and leaned toward Riyao, asking curiously, "Riyao! What are you doing here?"
Happy, meanwhile, grabbed another dried fish and wagged his tail. Being just a small cat, he had no interest in their conversation.
Riyao blinked his panda eyes, took a bite of a cheesecake, and said indistinctly, "Mm, I'm here to... buy cupcakes, of course."
Lucy looked at this man who seemed to be a handsome guy and subconsciously rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she complained, "Is buying cupcakes such a natural thing to do?" She felt like the name "Mirajane" sounded a bit familiar.
Natsu's arm was covered by his short sleeves, Happy's backpack blocked his back, and Riyao's chest was tightly covered by his clothes. The two people and one cat managed not to reveal their Fairy Tail emblems.
Just then, a waiter arrived with a mountain of food. Lucy's eyes widened even more, her voice trembling. "This isn't for us, right? We didn't order... did we?"
Riyao raised his hand like a good student, tilted his head, and shouted in a childish tone, "Me! It's me!"
Lucy's urge to complain could no longer be suppressed. She stood up abruptly and pointed at Riyao, roaring, "What do you mean 'me'?! Why did you order food so familiarly?! My wallet!"
The surrounding customers all looked over. Lucy's face turned bright red, and tears started welling up in her eyes.
But Riyao, Natsu, and Happy ignored her completely, continuing to devour their food. Natsu swept the food from his plate into his mouth, Happy flew up to the chandelier with his dried fish to eat, and Riyao chewed on lobster with sauce on his face, looking completely satisfied.
When it came time to pay, Lucy's face was pale. She gripped her wallet tightly as the waiter pulled at the bills; she refused to let go, as if in a tug-of-war with the waiter.
"Why is this happening..." Her voice was tearful, and the tears finally fell.