The request board was even livelier up close.
Sheets of parchment covered every inch of it, pinned in neat rows that stretched from the lowest D-Class jobs all the way to the prestigious A-Class requests kept high above everyone’s reach.
Brightly colored papers fluttered as mages came and went, each one advertising a different problem waiting for someone reckless or kind enough to solve it.
Herb gathering.
Lost pets.
Repairing damaged fences.
Escort missions.
Monster extermination.
Bandit suppression.
Every request represented someone’s troubles.
It was strangely comforting.
Different people, different problems.
Farmers worried about ruined crops, merchants feared highway thieves, while nobles were willing to throw away absurd amounts of jewels just to retrieve a missing heirloom.
Fairy Tail wasn’t just a guild of flashy mages blowing holes through mountains, it was also the place ordinary people turned to when life became just a little too difficult.
“…Makes sense,” I muttered while scratching my chin.
“Someone still has to save Grandma’s cabbage.”
A passing mage overheard me.
“Nah,” he grinned.
“The cabbage usually saves itself.”
“…What?”
“Don’t ask.”
“…I won’t.”
Some mysteries of Fairy Tail were better left unsolved.
My eyes drifted toward the bottom section of the board.
There were…
a lot.
Far more D-Class requests remained than the higher-ranked ones.
Well, that was understandable.
Most Fairy Tail mages dreamed of fighting monsters, defeating dark guilds, or earning enough jewels to celebrate with an entire barrel of ale afterward.
Hard labor and farm work weren’t exactly glamorous.
I began reading them one after another.
Clear fallen tree stumps.
Exterminate giant ravens destroying crops.
Help eliminate a wild boar terrorizing nearby farms.
“Hmm…”
The three requests caught my attention almost immediately.
Not because they paid particularly well…
But because of the locations.
“They’re practically neighbors.”
The farms were all situated along Magnolia’s southern outskirts, close to the main gate leading outside the city.
If I planned the route correctly, I could finish all three before the sun started setting.
Less walking.
Less wasted time.
More efficient.
“…Nice.”
Satisfied with my choice, I pulled the three requests from the board before making my way toward the Master’s counter.
Makarov was busy sipping from a wooden mug while pretending not to notice the chaos unfolding behind him.
A table suddenly exploded.
“No fair! You cheated!”
“I didn’t cheat! You just suck at cards!”
“WHO THROWS THE TABLE!?”
“It’s tradition!”
“It absolutely is not!”
“…Actually,” Makarov calmly interrupted without even looking back, “that one’s on the guild.”
“…”
“…Fair enough.”
No one questioned it.
I decided I probably shouldn’t either.
Walking up to the old Guild Master, I placed the three request forms on the counter.
“Master.”
“Hm?”
“I’d like to take these.”
He glanced down before raising an eyebrow.
“Three?”
“Yes.”
“They’re all D-Class.”
“I know.”
“And you’re taking all of them?”
“They’re close together.” I pointed at the locations marked on each paper.
“They’re simple jobs that can be finished in a few hours if I follow the route properly.”
Silence.
Then…
Makarov suddenly burst into booming laughter.
“Gahahahaha!”
He slapped the counter hard enough to make the mugs jump.
Without warning, he climbed onto his chair.
Then onto the counter itself.
Oh no.
He took a deep breath.
“HEY!!”
The entire guild hall froze.
Even the card game stopped.
A spoon clattered onto the floor somewhere.
Makarov pointed dramatically in my direction.
“LOOK AT LUKE!”
…Why?
Why me?
“This kid just joined the guild and he’s already taking more jobs than the lot of you have done all day!”
The hall remained silent for exactly one second.
Then—
“OI! OLD MAN!”
“That’s low!”
“We’ve been… uh…Socializing!”
“Researching!”
“Planning tomorrow’s schedule!”
“You’ve been drinking since breakfast!” Master Makarov retorted one of them.
“It’s called preparation!”
Laughter exploded throughout the guild.
Someone threw a napkin.
Another mage dramatically covered his face in shame.
“I’ve been exposed!”
“You should be!”
“Hahaha!”
Even Dalia had to hide a laugh.
I could only stand there while rubbing the back of my neck.
“…This is embarrassing.”
“Get used to it!” one mage shouted with a grin.
“Yeah! Fairy Tail loves embarrassing people!”
“…I noticed.”
Truthfully I didn’t really mind.
The atmosphere was infectious.
Nobody looked offended.
Nobody took it personally.
It was just Fairy Tail being Fairy Tail.
Once the laughter settled down, Makarov climbed back onto his chair as though nothing had happened.
“So…”
He looked at me again.
“Are you sure you want all three?”
“I am.”
“And why’s that?”
I shrugged.
“They’re easy jobs.”
“…”
“And…”
I looked toward the guild’s open doors where Magnolia’s streets stretched beyond.
“I want to explore Magnolia.”
“Oh?”
“If I keep accepting requests in different parts of town, I’ll naturally learn every road, every shortcut, and every district.”
A mage nearby nodded.
“Smart. Not bad.”
Makarov smiled knowingly.
“Hmm…”
He stamped all three request forms with a loud THUMP.
“Approved.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“Just don’t overwork yourself.”
“I won’t.”
“…And don’t destroy half the town.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Good.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“…”
“…Should I be worried?”
“You’ll find out eventually.”
“…That’s somehow less reassuring.”
The old man laughed again.
Leaving the counter, I spotted Dalia organizing mugs behind one of the side tables.
“Hey.”
She looked up.
“Oh? Finished already?”
“I just got approved.”
I handed back the gardening shears along with the satchel she’d lent me earlier.
“Thanks again.”
She waved dismissively.
“Don’t mention it.”
Just as she reached for the satchel…
Her eyes landed on the request papers in my hand.
“…Tree stumps?”
“Giant ravens.”
“Wild boar.”
“…”
She quietly pushed the satchel back toward me.
“Take it.”
“Huh?”
“You’re going to need it again.”
“I already returned it.”
“I know.”
“…”
“…Take it.”
“…Thanks?”
She smiled knowingly.
“You’ll be collecting feathers from the ravens.”
“Oh.”
“And probably herbs while you’re walking.”
“…Good point.”
“The boar request is near a patch of Redleaf Mint, too.”
I blinked.
“You know all of that from memory?”
She proudly puffed out her chest.
“I organize half the D-Class requests.”
“…You’re amazing.”
“Hehe.”
For the next several minutes, she patiently explained each request.
Which roads were safest.
Which fields flooded after rain.
Which farmer made the best apple pie.
“…Wait.”
“Yes?”
“Why is apple pie important?”
“You’ll understand.”
“…Should I be worried again?”
“No.”
“…That’s somehow even more suspicious.”
She only laughed.
With everything prepared, I slung the satchel over my shoulder before leaving the guild.
The warm afternoon breeze greeted me as Magnolia slowly faded behind my back.
My first destination lay south of town, where rows of farmland stretched beyond the city walls.
A leisurely walk later, I found the address without much trouble.
It was exactly as described.
A modest stone cottage sat quietly beside a vegetable garden enclosed by an old wooden fence.
Colorful flowers lined the pathway leading to the front door, while four enormous tree stumps occupied the garden’s edge like stubborn monuments refusing to leave.
An elderly couple welcomed me with warm smiles.
“Oh my,” the old woman said.
“You’re younger than we expected.”
Her husband chuckled.
“A Fairy Tail mage is still a Fairy Tail mage.”
I smiled politely.
“I’m Luke. I’ll be handling your request today.”
The old man nodded before pointing toward the garden.
“Those four trees came down during the last storm.”
“We’d like to plant vegetables there before autumn,” his wife added.
“I understand.”
Looking around, I asked, “Do you have any tools I can borrow?”
The couple exchanged awkward glances.
“We only have…”
The old man scratched his head.
“…A small shovel.”
“And one old axe.”
“…That’s enough.”
Although…
I should probably buy my own tools later.
Carrying specialized equipment would make future jobs much easier.
Mental Note: Purchase proper work tools before accepting another labor request.
With that settled, I got to work.
The shovel dug into the earth.
The axe bit into stubborn roots.
More importantly…
Mana flowed quietly through my body.
I reinforced my muscles with Enhancement Magic, strengthening my arms, legs, and back just enough to ease the strain without wasting unnecessary mana.
A faint layer of magical energy also coated the shovel and axe, making every swing cleaner and every cut sharper.
I deliberately held back.
Too much reinforcement would simply snap the old tools in half.
That would create another problem entirely.
So I worked carefully.
Dig.
Cut.
Pull.
Repeat.
Chunks of tangled roots were dragged free from the soil one after another until each stump finally surrendered with a satisfying crack.
Once the roots were removed, I shoveled the loosened dirt back into the empty pits, leveled the ground, and packed it down until the garden looked as though the fallen trees had never been there.
By the time I straightened my back, roughly an hour had passed.
The once-cluttered patch of land had become smooth, clean, and ready for planting.
Not bad onto the next one.
By the time I wrapped up my third and final quest, the orange glow of the evening had already disappeared beyond the mountains.
The sky had traded its warm colors for a deep navy blanket scattered with the first few stars.
Judging by the town bells, it was already six in the evening.
“…That took way longer than it should’ve.”
The Giant Ravens were the biggest reason.
For nearly an hour, I wandered around their supposed nesting grounds, wondering if the Client had somehow lied to me.
Not a feather.
Not a caw.
Nothing.
Then, the moment the last traveler left the area…
Caw!
A flock of oversized black birds swooped down from the trees as if they had been waiting for the place to become deserted.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I could only stare at them in disbelief before smacking my forehead.
Of course.
These birds only appeared when no people were nearby.
I had spent an hour searching while unknowingly scaring them away myself.
“…That was incredibly stupid.”
Lesson learned.
Never underestimate the importance of gathering information before accepting a quest.
A mage who charges in blindly ends up wasting more time than fighting.
Fortunately, the Wild Boar extermination made up for my embarrassment.
The moment one spotted me…
“Bweeoooo!”
It lowered its head and charged straight at me.
“…That’s your entire strategy?”
Another one charged.
Then another.
They didn’t even try to flank me.
“Dumb pigs.”
Three minutes later, all that remained was silence…and enough boar meat to feed a small village.
Now this was the best part.
Instead of selling the meat with the quest materials, I kept every usable cut.
Fresh wild boar wasn’t exactly something I’d pass up.
The Giant Ravens weren’t bad either.
Their meat was surprisingly edible if prepared properly.
“I should have the guild kitchen cook everything…”
I paused.
“…Or maybe I should actually learn how to cook.”
…
“…Future me can worry about that.”
The familiar Fairy Tail guild hall came into view just as the last traces of sunlight vanished.
The second I opened the doors—
“♪ LAAAAAA LA LA LAAAAAA!!”
The usual chaos welcomed me home.
Master Makarov was somehow standing on top of one of the tables, mug in hand, leading an off-key drinking song while half the guild clapped along.
Someone had already lost a drinking contest.
Someone else was somehow hanging from the chandelier.
A chair flew across the room.
It narrowly missed Macao.
“WHO THREW THAT?!”
“It wasn’t me!”
“You literally yelled ‘Catch this!’ before throwing it!”
“…You heard that?”
I couldn’t help laughing.
No matter how many times I came back, Fairy Tail never failed to be…Fairy Tail.
This guild wasn’t normal.
And I hoped it never would be.
Making my way through the sea of laughing mages, I reached the guild kitchen where Dalia was busy directing several members carrying trays of food.
She looked up the moment she saw the mountain of meat slung over my shoulder.
“…Please tell me that’s not all for you.”
“What? You think I can eat this much?”
She gave me a completely flat look.
“…Considering the people in this guild?”
“…Fair point.”
I laughed before placing everything on the counter.
“Can the kitchen cook all of this?”
She inspected the boar meat before checking the Giant Ravens.
“Oh, absolutely. These are fresh too. They’ll make a wonderful stew, roasted boar, maybe some grilled raven skewers…”
My stomach growled.
“Perfect.”
“You’ll have to pay for the vegetables, herbs, spices, and everything else.”
“I don’t mind.”
She blinked.
“…Really?”
“I’m treating everyone.”
For a brief second…
The kitchen became strangely quiet.
Then Dalia smiled.
“That’s very Fairy Tail of you.”
Money wasn’t really an issue.
Today’s haul had been more than generous.
Fifteen thousand Jewels from the two extermination quests.
Eight thousand from removing the giant tree stump.
And another twenty-seven thousand from the Giant Raven request and bonus materials.
Fifty thousand Jewels in a single day.
After paying for the ingredients and preparation…
I still walked away with roughly twenty-five thousand.
Half the money.
A mountain of food.
And dinner with the guild.
Honestly?
That sounded like a bargain.
Hard work really did pay off.
Especially when you could eat your reward afterward.
As I finished discussing everything with Dalia, the singing behind me suddenly stopped.
“…Hmm?”
Master Makarov had climbed down from the table at some point.
The tiny old man walked over with his usual grin.
“So, how’d your first day of proper work go, kid?”
I handed him the completed request forms.
“It went well. Though I did spend almost an hour looking for Giant Ravens because I didn’t realize they only came out when nobody else was around.”
He read through the reports while listening patiently as I explained each quest.
The boars.
The ravens.
The tree stump.
Even my own embarrassing mistake.
When I finished, Makarov nodded proudly.
“You learned something today.”
“I did.”
He chuckled before stamping every completed request.
“Good job.”
Then, with absolutely zero warning…
He looked toward the entire guild and loudly declared,
“Everyone! This kid here is the only one who isn’t paying half of today’s earnings in compensation for wrecking something!”
…
The entire guild went silent.
Every head slowly turned toward me.
Then toward Makarov.
Then back toward me.
“What?!”
“Oi! That’s not fair!”
“Lucky brat!”
“I paid thirty thousand last week!”
“You only paid thirty because that’s all you had!”
“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!”
Laughter exploded throughout the guild.
I looked at the old master.
“…You really had to announce that?”
He simply grinned into his drink.
Traitor.
Seeing everyone booing in fake jealousy, I folded my arms and shrugged.
“Fine.”
“If all of you are going to complain…”
“…Then I guess none of you want the boar feast I’m paying for.”
…
Silence.
Complete.
Utter.
Silence.
Then—
“YOU’RE THE BEST!”
“I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING I SAID!”
“WHOEVER COMPLAINS DOESN’T GET A PLATE!”
“I WAS ALWAYS ON YOUR SIDE!”
“CLEARLY HE’S MY FAVORITE JUNIOR!”
“You literally met him yesterday!”
“DETAILS!”
The entire guild erupted into cheers.
Someone had already started dragging tables together.
Another yelled for more ale.
Even Wakaba was already talking about how “A real man appreciates free meat!”
I couldn’t stop laughing.
Only in Fairy Tail could a crowd switch sides that quickly.
Honestly…
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
As I watched everyone celebrate over something as simple as a shared meal, a quiet warmth settled in my chest.
In my previous life…
Every day had been another struggle.
Another bill.
Another worry.
Another tomorrow that I wasn’t even sure would come.
Living wasn’t really living.
It was surviving.
But this life…
I had loving parents waiting for me at home.
A dream I could finally chase.
A job I genuinely enjoyed.
And a guild full of loud, reckless, ridiculous people who somehow made every day brighter just by being themselves.
Looking around the bustling hall filled with laughter, music, and the delicious smell of roasting meat, I couldn’t help smiling.
“…Yeah.”
If this wasn’t happiness…
I didn’t know what was.
.
.
.
.
<Hey!
New Author here!
i just want to tell anyone who is reading this, thank you for taking a little time for reading my creation, this is just a little hobby for me.
hope you enjoy it and any comment, suggestion and opinion don’t be shy to tell me.
just be kind as much as possible that’s it thank you and i hope you have a nice day!>