Chapter 4
"Seriously, why did you have to drag me along? I’ve got things to do too, you know!"
Gray grumbled with one hand in his pocket and the other scratching at his spiky hair.
His shirt had already vanished again, though no one knew where he had left it this time.
What Gray did not realize was that Marshall could see straight through his complaints.
[Tch, whatever. The town isn’t completely safe, so I guess I’ll protect the brat.]
’Well, look at you. A tsundere at ten years old. This poor kid never stood a chance.’
Marshall lowered his head and hunched his shoulders, making himself look as timid and pitiful as possible.
"I-I’m sorry, big bro Gray. I didn’t mean to cause you trouble..."
Marshall was only six in this life, with the tiny body of a little child, while Gray and Cana were already around ten.
Calling them big brother and sister did not bother him in the slightest.
As for shame?
What was that? Could he eat it?
"Gray!" Cana snapped.
"Huh? What?! I never said I wouldn’t help!"
Gray still looked reluctant, but his thoughts told a very different story.
[Heh, this kid called me his big brother. That actually feels pretty good.]
Amused, Marshall allowed the corners of his mouth to rise before looking up at them with the sweetest smile he could manage.
"Thank you, Gray and Cana. You’re both so nice~"
[A-An angel?!]
The exact same thought burst from both of them.
Caught completely off guard by his cuteness, Cana and Gray both flushed slightly.
Marshall understood their reaction perfectly.
Even he had occasionally found himself charmed by the adorable pink-haired child staring back at him whenever he looked in a mirror.
He knew exactly how cute he was.
There was no point letting such a powerful natural weapon go to waste.
"Cana, is everyone in the guild a Mage?" Marshall asked, his eyes shining with curiosity. "Can they all use amazing magic?"
"Of course! Fairy Tail is the strongest wizard guild in the entire Kingdom of Fiore!"
Gray cleared his throat and puffed out his chest.
"That’s right. I traveled all the way from the distant Land of Isvan just to join a powerful guild. I’m really strong, you know!"
"Really?!" Marshall stared at them with open admiration. "What kind of magic can you two use?"
Being looked at with such obvious respect by his new little brother felt as refreshing as drinking ice water on a scorching summer day.
Gray immediately raised one hand, creating a large, beautifully shaped snowflake above his palm.
Standing as tall as he could, he proudly announced, "I’m an Ice-Make Mage. Ice-Make Magic lets me give ice any shape I want, so I can create all kinds of things with it. It’s the strongest magic there is!"
Not wanting to be outdone, Cana pulled out several cards of her own.
"I use Card Magic. Once you become good enough at it, you can do almost anything. You can make fire or ice, summon lightning or rain, and you can even use it for predictions and fortune-telling!"
"Wow! That’s amazing~"
Marshall gave both of them all the praise they could possibly want, then blinked his large eyes innocently.
"Can I learn your magic too? Will you teach me?"
"Heh. Ice-Make Magic is really difficult," Gray said smugly. "But since you’re already calling me your big brother, I suppose I could give you a few pointers."
"That part’s easy," Cana added. "There are plenty of magic books in the guild library. I taught myself Card Magic by reading them."
"I see~"
Marshall considered that carefully.
It sounded as though magical knowledge was not heavily restricted in this world—or perhaps Fairy Tail was simply more generous with it than other guilds.
Either way, learning other types of magic later might not be too difficult.
He continued chatting with the two older children as they walked.
Neither Gray nor Cana was particularly guarded, so Marshall managed to draw out plenty of information without much effort.
Little by little, his understanding of this world, Fiore, Magnolia, and Fairy Tail began to take shape.
He also formed a clearer idea of what he needed to do next.
First, he had to establish himself in this world and find a reliable way to make money.
Mages earned their living by completing job requests, but the work sounded inconsistent, more like surviving from one temporary job to the next than having a stable career.
It seemed useful as a side income, but Marshall did not want it to be his only source of money.
Next came learning magic and becoming stronger.
No matter what world he lived in, personal strength would always matter.
Since this was a world of magic, he might as well begin with a modest little goal—becoming the strongest Mage in Fiore.
He also needed to study his cheat. Marshall was not stubborn enough to ignore an advantage placed directly in his hands.
A cheat was simply an exceptional talent, and the world had never lacked geniuses.
There was no reason he could not be one of them.
Finally, he needed to find something enjoyable to do with his new life.
Pretending to be an innocent little boy was already surprisingly entertaining, but a person still needed something to look forward to.
Oh, and he could not forget revenge.
The old village chief who had raised him deserved justice. Once Marshall became strong enough, he would track down that twisted cult and wipe them out.
His first career plan for life in another world was quickly finalized:
Make money.
Become stronger.
Research his abilities.
Have fun.
Get revenge.
Whenever Marshall focused deeply on one subject, the noise inside his head faded into the background.
...
Time seemed to pass more quickly as well.
The three children wandered through Magnolia for a while and soon finished buying all the daily necessities Marshall needed.
On the way back, Cana—who had spent the entire trip secretly watching him—finally stopped circling around the question she truly wanted to ask.
Still holding Marshall’s small hand, she tried to sound casual.
"Um, Marshall... i want to ask you something. What exactly is your relationship with Gildarts? Why did you come back with him?"
Gray turned toward him as well.
He was naturally curious about the strongest Mage in Fairy Tail.
Marshall pulled himself from his thoughts and blinked at them.
"Uncle Gildarts saved my life. A few days ago, a group of bad people attacked my village and killed a lot of people. Gildarts arrived in time and rescued me."
"Bad people?!" Cana’s expression changed. "Then... what about your parents?"
"I’ve never met my parents. I lived with Grandpa ever since I was little, but those people killed him too..."
"Ah, I’m sorry!"
Cana hurriedly waved her hands, immediately regretting the question.
Her eyes filled with sympathy as she looked at him.
[I shouldn’t have brought it up!]
"It’s okay. Uncle Gildarts saved me and defeated all the bad people." Marshall gave her a small smile.
"I’m really grateful to him. It’s just... there’s nothing left for me to return to."
"That’s all in the past now, Marshall. Fairy Tail is your home from now on, and everyone in the guild is your family!"
Cana pulled him into a tight hug.
By then, she no longer cared whether Marshall had some deeper connection to Gildarts. She had already decided to treat him like her own little brother!
"Hmph, you’ve got me too!" Gray declared, thumping a fist against his bare chest. "Don’t worry, little bro. As long as I’m around, nobody’s going to bully you!"
He had seen something of himself in Marshall.
"Really? Thank you both~"
They truly were kind children.
Through their thoughts, Marshall could hear the genuine concern and sincerity behind every word.
In truth, before the memories of his previous life awakened, he had lived in something of a haze.
Most of his six years in the village were already blurry, and the old village chief who had raised him was the only person he had felt especially close to.
He was sad about the man’s death, but he could not honestly say he was overwhelmed with grief.
Part of his behavior came from being cautious in an unfamiliar world, yet Marshall still felt a little guilty for approaching two children with such calculated intentions.
’What a filthy adult I’ve become.’
"Everyone in Fairy Tail is so kind," Marshall said with a bright, contented smile. "When I first saw Uncle Gildarts, he felt just like a father to me. And Gray and Cana are like my big bro and sister. I already love everyone."
[A-An angel!]
Once again, the same thought rang out from both of them.