Ever since that day, Erza had finally stopped completely isolating herself from everyone else.
She began trying to communicate normally with the guild members, and the prototype of the future renowned “Fairy Queen” had quietly begun to bloom.
On this particular day, Byakuran sat in his usual corner by the window, studying magic.
Although he was confident that his strength was sufficient to complete the vast majority of high-difficulty quests, there was a saying:
“There is a kind of cold called ‘your parents think you’re cold.'”
Eleven-year-old Byakuran was still at an age when his body had yet to fully develop.
Although his mental age and actual combat ability were far from those of an ordinary child, in the eyes of outsiders, no matter how they looked at him, he was still just an inexperienced brat.
Whenever a dangerous, high-difficulty quest came up, Master Makarov would never approve it for him.
As for the remaining simple but time-consuming low-level quests, they were of little help in improving his strength.
Since he couldn’t rely on actual combat to grow stronger, Byakuran poured all his energy into studying the essence of magic, constantly expanding his methods of dealing with enemies.
By now, he had more or less mastered the creation of basic Card Magic.
The next—and most important—step was to write the magic he needed into the cards.
Byakuran often thought about how to create a combat system uniquely suited to himself through Card Magic while taking full advantage of his infinite magical power.
Unfortunately, he had never found a clear direction.
It was going to be a long and arduous journey.
“Byakuran!”
Master Makarov’s voice suddenly rang throughout the guild hall, interrupting Byakuran’s thoughts.
“Come over here for a moment. Someone wants to see you.”
“Oh, coming.”
Byakuran put away his magic book and walked toward the counter.
By then, Makarov had already stepped out from behind the counter.
Erza stood quietly beside him, wearing casual clothes suitable for traveling.
When she saw Byakuran approaching, she gave him a slight nod in greeting.
Her eyes were clear and bright.
Byakuran smiled and nodded back.
Looking at Erza, who could now greet everyone normally, Byakuran couldn’t help feeling gratified.
Compared to the distant and guarded girl who had first arrived at the guild, she had truly changed so much.
“Master, is there a quest?”
“It’s not a quest.”
Makarov shook his head.
“The artificial eye I previously asked Porlyusica to prepare for Erza is finally finished.”
“I’m planning to take her there for the transplant.”
He paused before continuing.
“However, Porlyusica said that some of her herbs are running low. She asked me to bring you along so you can use your Nature Magic to accelerate the growth of another batch.”
“Are you free right now?”
“Yeah. I don’t have much going on at the moment.”
“Then let’s go together.”
Makarov nodded.
“If we discover that we’re missing any medicinal ingredients during the treatment, you can grow them on the spot.”
“Alright.”
Seeing how readily Byakuran agreed, Erza stepped forward and bowed slightly.
Her expression was solemn.
“Thank you, Byakuran.”
“And sorry for troubling you.”
Byakuran casually waved his hand.
“Don’t be so formal. It’s just a small matter.”
Makarov looked at Erza, who was gradually opening her heart to the guild, and nodded with satisfaction.
“Alright, brats. Let’s set off.”
With that, the three of them left the guild together and headed toward Porlyusica’s residence deep within the forest.
Porlyusica’s residence was located outside Magnolia, deep within the Gas Woods.
The area was sparsely populated, yet incredibly quiet and peaceful.
It was practically the complete opposite of the noisy Fairy Tail guild.
Her home was a huge treehouse built by hollowing out the interior of an ancient giant tree.
A slightly weathered and somewhat crooked wooden door was tightly shut.
A string of dried herbs hung in front of it, making a soft rustling sound in the forest breeze.
Before they even reached the door, Makarov eagerly shouted toward the treehouse.
“Porlyusica! I’ve brought the kids!”
The next second—
Bang!
The wooden door was violently pushed open.
An old woman with short pink hair and a red cloak decorated with dragon-tooth ornaments stood in the doorway, holding a large broom above her head.
She roared angrily,
“What are you yelling for?! So noisy!”
“As expected, humans really are the most disgusting creatures!”
“All of you, get inside!”
“And then shut your mouths and keep quiet!”
“Otherwise, get the hell back where you came from!”
Byakuran and Erza instinctively shrank their heads at the same time.
Porlyusica’s temper was just as terrible as ever.
However, Byakuran knew perfectly well that this old woman was Fairy Tail’s most reliable pharmacist.
She was a typical example of someone who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
Well…
Her outside was actually pretty hot too, just in a different way.
“Got it, got it.”
Makarov was already accustomed to her attitude.
He casually waved his hand and led the way inside.
Byakuran and Erza politely bowed to greet Porlyusica before stepping into the treehouse.
The moment they entered, Porlyusica’s orders came flying at them like rapid-fire cannon fire.
“Byakuran, those seeds in the corner are your responsibility.”
“Erza, lie down on the bed.”
“Makarov, go sit somewhere else and stay out of my way!”
“Oh, alright.”
“Yes.”
“Jeez… She’s still as harsh as ever toward me…”
The three gave completely different responses.
Byakuran skillfully walked toward the corner.
This wasn’t his first time coming here to help.
When Makarov had first discovered Byakuran’s exceptional magical talent, he had been extremely proud and frequently bragged about him to his old friend.
Porlyusica, meanwhile, had taken a liking to Byakuran’s convenient and efficient ability to accelerate the growth of plants.
From time to time, she would ask him to cultivate extremely rare herbs with long growth cycles.
Of course, this didn’t happen often.
Given Porlyusica’s intense hatred of humans, she would never willingly let Byakuran disturb her peaceful life unless there was a genuine need.
The reason she’d specifically called him over this time was probably to help Erza’s treatment proceed as quickly as possible while saving herself the trouble of searching for the necessary herbs.
“First, accelerate the growth of those three pots at the very top.”
“Those three will be needed for the treatment later.”
“As for the rest, take them outside and plant them in the field.”
“Alright.”
Byakuran replied instinctively.
But when he saw the mountain of herbal seeds piled up in the corner, then looked at the three lonely pots of seedlings above them—each barely the size of his palm—he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
“Uh… Granny?”
“Are only those three pots needed?”
“Then what are all the others for?”
Without even turning her head, Porlyusica answered matter-of-factly.
“The rest are for my research.”
“Uh…”
Byakuran was left speechless.
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Helping Erza accelerate the growth of the herbs was true.
But using the opportunity to drag him over and make him do a mountain of extra work was also true.
Once he’d already come all this way, Porlyusica clearly intended to squeeze every last bit of value out of him so she wouldn’t have to see this “disgusting human” again anytime soon.
Fortunately, for someone like Byakuran, who possessed infinite magical power, growing one pot or an entire field made little difference.
Byakuran quickly finished accelerating the growth of the herbs required for Erza’s treatment.
Afterward, he carried the remaining large bag of seeds outside the treehouse and evenly scattered them across the herb field.
As a gentle yet powerful surge of Nature Magic spread outward, the shriveled seeds broke through the soil.
They sprouted.
They grew.
They blossomed.
Within mere seconds, an entire field of lush herbs swayed gently in the breeze.
After finishing the work, Byakuran returned to the treehouse.
He quietly waited outside with Makarov for the results of Erza’s surgery.
He didn’t know how much time had passed.
Finally, Porlyusica’s relieved voice came from the inner room.
“The surgery is complete.”
Byakuran and Makarov immediately pushed the door open and entered.
Erza was still unconscious on the hospital bed under the effects of anesthesia.
The black eyepatch that had previously covered her right eye had been replaced with several layers of white gauze.
Seeing the thick bandages, both Byakuran and Makarov couldn’t help feeling nervous.
Makarov asked anxiously,
“How did it go?”
“The surgery was very successful.”
“But the nerves around the eye still need some time to fuse with the artificial eye.”
“In a few days, once the gauze is removed, we’ll know the final result.”
“That’s good.”
Hearing this, Byakuran finally relaxed.
“Erza will stay here for observation.”
Porlyusica waved them away.
“And the two of you get the hell out!”
“I hate humans!”
“Got it, got it. We’re leaving right away.”
Although Makarov’s tone was casual, the corners of his eyes and brows were filled with undisguised happiness and relief.
“Alright.”
Byakuran smiled.
“I’ll leave Erza in your care, Granny.”
“The seeds have already been planted and grown in the field to the west of the treehouse.”
“Mm.”
Porlyusica casually handed him a bag.
“Take this.”
It was his reward for helping her.
Her expression remained as stern as ever.
But the fact that she hadn’t impatiently driven him away showed that she was actually in a pretty good mood.
Afterward, Makarov and Byakuran left the treehouse amid Porlyusica’s impatient shouts.
Several days later.
The sunlight was gentle and warm.
Inside the treehouse, Porlyusica stood beside Erza’s bed.
She carefully unwound the bandages wrapped around Erza’s head, one layer at a time.
When the final layer of gauze fell away, Porlyusica took a small brass mirror from her pocket and handed it to Erza.
“How is it?”
Erza tightly gripped the mirror’s handle.
Her fingers had turned slightly white from tension.
She took a deep breath.
Then she slowly opened her long-closed right eye.
At first, her vision was somewhat blurry.
But as her eyes gradually focused, the mirror clearly reflected her face.
Two bright, clear eyes blinked back at her.
Erza’s eyes widened in surprise.
Her small mouth opened slightly.
Her pupils trembled with disbelief.
The reality before her seemed almost too dreamlike to be true.
It’s cured!
The thought exploded in her mind like thunder.
“Did you hear me?”
Porlyusica’s impatient voice pulled her back to reality.
When Erza didn’t respond for a long time, she asked again,
“How is it?”
“It’s healed!”
Erza’s voice trembled with unconcealed joy.
“Since you’re better, hurry up and leave.”
Porlyusica turned away.
“I’ve always hated humans.”
At that moment, overwhelmed by happiness, a brilliant smile completely bloomed across Erza’s face.
Tears of joy began streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.
Except—
The moment Porlyusica clearly saw Erza’s face, her expression suddenly changed.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Wait a minute…”
“Your eyes…”
Erza froze.
She raised her head and looked at Porlyusica in confusion.
“One of your eyes…”
Porlyusica’s voice trembled.
“…can’t shed tears.”
Erza’s heart skipped a beat.
Porlyusica hurriedly turned around and began frantically flipping through the piles of medical books scattered across her desk.
Cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
She muttered anxiously,
“That’s impossible!”
“The formula I prepared was perfect!”
“Besides…”
Erza’s heart sank.
She raised the mirror again.
Sure enough—
Tears were continuously flowing from her left eye.
But her newly restored right eye remained completely dry.
For a brief moment, silence filled the room.
The happiness that had just reached its peak gradually faded.
But soon, as Erza stared at her reflection in the mirror, she suddenly felt a strange sense of relief.
She raised her head again.
She met Porlyusica’s anxious and self-reproachful gaze.
Then she smiled.
It was an incredibly gentle and radiant smile.
“It’s okay…”
Tears poured from her reddened eyes like a broken dam.
At the same time, an immensely relaxed smile blossomed across her face.
“This is because…”
“The tears in my other eye dried up a long time ago.”
When Erza returned to the guild, she had completely removed the eyepatch from her face.
Two bright, clear eyes were now visible to everyone.
The bustling guild hall suddenly fell silent for a brief moment.
“…You’re back.”
Macao was the first to break the silence.
Then he laughed heartily.
“Your eye is cured?”
“That’s great!”
Wakaba removed the cigarette from his mouth and nodded heavily.
“You look much more energetic.”
“Welcome back, Erza.”
“Yeah.”
Cana raised her hand from the edge of the table, her eyes curving into crescents.
“You look much better without the eyepatch.”
“Now you can see everything properly.”
Gray stood among the crowd.
His mouth opened and closed several times.
The usual words—
“Let’s settle this!”
—the ones he always shouted whenever he met Erza, somehow refused to come out.
Instead, he awkwardly turned his head away.
The tips of his ears turned bright red.
After a long silence, he finally forced out a sentence.
“…That’s good.”
“Now that your eye is better, you won’t be able to use it as an excuse when you lose to me in the future.”
Even after saying that, Gray remained visibly embarrassed.
The people around him had already burst into laughter. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Gray, you brat!”
“Are you dreaming?!”
“You couldn’t beat her before, and it’ll be even harder now!”
“Exactly!”
“Someone needs to teach Gray to recognize reality!”
“Shut up!”
Gray angrily retorted.
“Erza is only ahead temporarily!”
“I’ll definitely catch up to her!”
At the counter, Makarov held his wine glass without saying anything.
He simply watched the rowdy group of children downstairs with a happy smile.
It was as though the worry that had been weighing on his heart for the past few days had finally disappeared.
The atmosphere in the guild quickly became lively again.
Welcoming cheers, laughter, and clinking glasses rose one after another.
Surrounded by so many people, the tips of Erza’s ears turned slightly red.
But this time, she didn’t stubbornly retreat into a corner.
Her gaze swept across the lively guild hall.
Eventually, it landed on the table by the window.
Byakuran, Gray, and Cana had somehow already returned to their usual seats.
Several Tarot cards and some unfinished pastries were scattered across the table.
Erza walked toward them.
Then she naturally pulled out a chair and sat down beside the three of them.
The three froze simultaneously.
This was the first time Erza had ever voluntarily walked over and sat with them.
After settling into her seat, she looked at the three stunned faces before her.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“Cana.”
“Gray.”
“Byakuran.”
“Thank you all for taking care of me before.”
The table fell into an awkward silence for half a second.
“Huh?”
“Why are you suddenly being so serious…?”
Gray leaned back against his chair and deliberately looked away.
His ears turned red again.
“It’s embarrassing.”
“You’re being too polite, Erza.”
Cana waved her hand with a smile.
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
Byakuran also smiled.
“We didn’t really do much.”
“Most of the work was Gray getting beaten up.”
“Shut up, Byakuran!”
Gray immediately snapped.
Watching the two bicker, Erza nodded slightly.
She didn’t continue with unnecessary formalities.
After looking at Erza for a moment, Cana still couldn’t help asking with a hint of concern.
“Your eye…”
“Is it completely healed?”
“Are you sure there isn’t any problem?”
Erza raised her right hand.
Her fingertips gently touched the newly restored eye.
Her gaze and tone were calm, as though she were describing someone else’s story.
“Yeah.”
“This eye can see normally.”
“It’s no different from an ordinary eye.”
She paused.
Then calmly added,
“It’s just that it can’t shed tears.”
The table instantly fell into complete silence.
“What?!”
“Doesn’t that mean it isn’t completely healed?!”
Gray jerked his head up.
His anger erupted before he could think.
“What’s wrong with that old hag?!”
“Didn’t she say the surgery was successful?!”
“Gray!”
Cana gasped and immediately reached out to stop him.
But after the words left her mouth, she bit her lower lip.
She looked at Erza with heartache.
For a moment, she didn’t know how to comfort her.
She was afraid that saying the wrong thing might reopen the wounds Erza had only just begun to heal.
Byakuran, sitting beside them, felt a slight ripple in his heart.
He knew that this wasn’t a problem with Porlyusica’s medical skills.
Erza couldn’t shed tears because her heart was still trapped in the past.
She hadn’t truly moved on.
Only after she finally untangled the emotional knot in her heart in the future would that eye return to normal.
But he couldn’t say that out loud right now.
Looking at his flustered and angry companions, Byakuran tilted his head.
He wondered what Fairy Tail would say in a situation like this.
Then he smiled.
His clear voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable firmness that reached everyone nearby.
“It doesn’t matter even if you can’t shed tears.”
“Because Fairy Tail will never let its companions shed tears.”
“Right?”
Gray froze.
Not just Gray.
Cana, and even Macao and Wakaba, who had been secretly listening nearby, were stunned.
The anger on Gray’s face quietly faded.
In its place was a seriousness and determination that rarely appeared on the young boy’s face.
He crossed his arms and snorted.
Then he awkwardly turned his head away.
But when he spoke, his voice was filled with absolute certainty.
“Hmph…”
“Of course.”
“If anyone dares to make her cry in the future…”
“They’ll have to get past my fists first.”
“And me.”
Cana was slightly stunned.
Then she broke into a smile.
Her eyes grew slightly warm.
She casually pushed the remaining large piece of strawberry cake across the table toward Erza.
Her voice was gentle.
“So, Erza…”
“From now on, you just need to keep your eyes open and look.”
“Delicious cakes.”
“A lively guild.”
“And…”
“Us.”
“In the future, there are still so many wonderful things for you to see.”
An indescribably warm current suddenly surged through Erza’s thin chest.
Her pupils trembled violently.
She slowly lowered the hand that had been touching her eye.
She looked at the three people sitting before her.
Then she looked at the companions in the guild hall who were still laughing and teasing her.
Finally, her gaze landed on the Master standing behind the counter, smiling gently at her.
A faint blush appeared on Erza’s cheeks.
And then—
A brilliant smile, one belonging to a young girl who had finally found a place she could call home, completely blossomed across her face.
“…Yeah!”
Her voice was soft.
But it was heard clearly.
“So this is what having companions feels like.”