Chapter 27
After that day, Cana’s entire attitude began to change.
She was still as carefree and boisterous as ever, and she continued fooling around with Gray and the others, but she became far more serious during her Script Magic lessons with Levy.
She no longer slacked off, and she even began practicing alone in private from time to time.
Marshall could not tell whether this change was good or bad for her—though he sincerely hoped it was good—but he had certainly learned his own lesson.
He stopped neglecting food and sleep for the sake of magical research and made a genuine effort to maintain some balance in his daily life.
Looking back, he really had been possessed.
He had become so obsessed with magic that he had even abandoned his novel updates and forgotten about making money.
Fortunately, everyone in the guild had assumed that all his frantic scribbling meant he was suffering from writer’s block, so no one had dared pressure him for another Chapter.
That was the only reason he had escaped alive.
Once his head cleared, Marshall realized Gildarts had been right.
There was absolutely no reason for him to rush.
He was only seven years old.
Why was he pushing himself so desperately to become stronger?
It was not as though the world were destined to end twenty years from now.
He had plenty of time to study magic at his own pace.
He must have spent too much of his previous life trapped in an endless grind.
Now that he finally possessed extraordinary abilities, his first thought had not been how to enjoy himself, but how to use those abilities to create new techniques and achieve even greater breakthroughs.
That was completely wrong!
He had struggled his entire previous life. Was he not allowed to enjoy himself now?
Marshall grew stronger through happiness.
He was practically a superhero powered by having a good time!
The problem was...
He genuinely had no idea how to enjoy himself.
A farmer could only imagine an emperor using a golden hoe.
In the same way, Marshall had grown up in an ordinary working-class family and possessed almost no imagination when it came to luxury.
As far as he was concerned, life had only two fundamental pleasures: good food and beautiful women.
The most indulgent lifestyle he could imagine was...
’Never having to worry about money again while a personal maid takes care of me, hangs my laundry, and cooks my meal.’
Would that not already be a perfect life?
If he wanted to be even more extravagant, perhaps he could hire several maids.
After thinking it over repeatedly, Marshall helplessly concluded that aside from dating several girlfriends after he grew up, the only thing that truly excited him was learning more powerful forms of magic.
Suddenly, his life felt both tragic and pathetic.
But one person’s imagination would always be limited.
Marshall decided to ask other people for ideas.
"The thing I want to do most?" Cana looked at him in confusion. "Why are you suddenly asking that?"
Marshall, Cana, and Levy’s little study group had become a familiar sight around the guild.
The three of them were sitting together and reading as usual that day.
"Because I don’t seem to have any hobbies besides experimenting with magic," Marshall explained.
"I’m starting to think I’m a rather boring person, so I wanted to hear what other people enjoy and see whether I could learn from them."
"..."
Neither girl could understand the strange path his mind had taken.
Levy glanced sideways at him and smiled.
"I think you enjoy watching other people embarrass themselves. You always laugh whenever Gray and Natsu make fools of themselves."
"I won’t deny that. Maybe it’s because I’m so boring myself, but I do enjoy watching other people cause trouble."
Cana tilted her head curiously.
"So you don’t enjoy writing?"
"No. I only write novels to make money. Once I finish this story, I’m never writing another one."
"What? That’s awful!" Levy protested, reaching over to knead his cheeks. "I’m one of your fans! I love Naruto!"
After thinking for a moment, she slumped helplessly over the table.
"As for what I want to do most... I suppose I just want to sit here and read with both of you every day."
Her expression fell.
"Oh no! I think I might be boring too..."
"That’s why Levy is my favorite."
"Hehe. a kiss for you Marshall~"
Cana rested her cheek on one hand and scoffed.
"You two only enjoy childish things! I’m completely different from little kids like you. I’ve always wanted to know what drinking alcohol feels like. That fruit juice I drank at Marshall’s house last time wasn’t strong enough!"
"What a boring hobby."
"That’s terrible."
Cana received looks of open contempt from both of them.
"What are you talking about?"
Erza happened to return at that moment, covered in dust from the road.
She had traveled to a nearby village that day to defeat an enormous wild boar and had returned carrying two tusks, each nearly half as tall as she was.
"Oh, Erza!" Levy greeted her. "We’re discussing our hobbies and the things we want to do most. Do you have any hobbies?"
Erza’s eye immediately brightened.
"Me? I’d like to try wearing all kinds of magnificent armor and adorable clothes!"
"Huh? I never knew you were so vain, Erza." Cana giggled.
"Beautiful things deserve to be appreciated. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look beautiful."
At that moment, Natsu entered the guildhall while arguing with Gray.
The instant he noticed Erza had returned, he grabbed Gray and dragged him over.
"Erza! I learned a new move! Fight me!"
"Idiot! If you want to die, leave me out of it!"
"If I get beaten up, you’re not escaping either! Or are you scared?"
"What?! You think I’m scared?!"
Gray and Natsu had disliked each other from the moment they met.
Ice and fire refused to coexist. Every day, they were either fighting or on their way to start another fight.
Marshall thought they got along surprisingly well.
Since they were already there, he might as well ask them too.
"Gray, Natsu, do either of you have any hobbies? What do you enjoy doing most?"
"Getting stronger!" Gray answered.
"Eating meat!" Natsu shouted.
"Hahaha! What kind of idiot only thinks about meat?"
"You’re the idiot! How is getting stronger a hobby? I get stronger every single day!"
The two immediately started fighting right in front of Erza.
One punch each sent them into a peaceful sleep.
Marshall sighed.
"None of these answers are useful. There are too many idiots in this guild."
He suddenly realized that most of Fairy Tail’s children were rather pitiful.
Aside from Levy, nearly all of them had grown up without parents caring for them.
At this rate, Fairy Tail was less of a guild and more of an orphanage.
Their childhoods were going to be far too uneventful.
"Hey! I just had a great idea."
Marshall raised one finger.
"What would you all think if I built a Naruto-themed amusement park in Magnolia?"
"An amusement park?!" five voices exclaimed at once.
They were all still children, after all.
Gray and Natsu continued pretending to be unconscious while secretly listening, and the three girls’ eyes immediately lit up.
"I heard amusement parks only exist in the royal capital," Cana said. "I’ve never visited one."
"I’ve only read about them in books and newspapers," Levy added. "They supposedly have carousels, roller coasters, Ferris wheels... I’ve always wondered what those are like."
Erza nodded.
"During one of my jobs, my client’s daughter mentioned visiting one. She said it was so enjoyable that she dreamed of going back."
The children immediately began discussing it among themselves, their eyes filled with excitement and longing.
Marshall knew at once that his idea was a good one.
Magnolia was a small town with very few places devoted to entertainment.
If he built a real amusement park here, it would undoubtedly become enormously popular.
It might even become a new landmark, attracting tourists, stimulating the local economy, and revitalizing the entire town.
Besides, what child did not want to visit an amusement park?
Marshall wanted to go too!
He had never visited one in his previous life.
Opportunities that were meaningful, profitable, and enjoyable all at once were rare.
Marshall made his decision.
"It’s a wonderful idea," Levy said, "but wouldn’t building an amusement park cost an enormous amount of money? Are you planning to pay for everything yourself?"
"Of course not. There’s no reason I need to fund the entire project personally. We can attract investors."
"Investors?" the three girls repeated.
"You don’t need to worry about the details. Just wait for the good news."
Explaining the dirty dealings of adults to a group of children would be far too troublesome.
Marshall decided to speak with Makarov instead.
If the project succeeded, it might even provide long-term financial security for Fairy Tail’s members after they retired.
Marshall later spent a long time discussing the plan with Makarov.
He successfully convinced the Guild Master and secured his full support.
...
The following day, the Fiore Daily, which serialized Naruto, printed a small advertisement.
[INVESTMENT PARTNERS WANTED]
The author of Naruto, writing under the name "Amity," has joined forces with the Fairy Tail wizard guild to construct a Naruto-themed amusement park in Magnolia!
We are now seeking partners from across the Kingdom of Fiore to help us bring the world of shinobi to life.
Interested parties may visit the Fairy Tail guildhall in Magnolia and contact Makarov Dreyar to discuss the details of this exciting venture.