Entering Magnolia felt like stepping into a new chapter of life.
The city buzzed with energy—stone roads, sunlight on red roofs, merchants shouting over fruit stands. But none of it mattered to me as much as the building standing proudly near the river.
Fairy Tail.
Loud, full of magic, warmth, and madness all at once.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Instant chaos.
Food flying. Someone being chased with a broom. Magic flaring from one corner while a fight broke out in the other.
'This is Fairy Tail? Looks… fun.'
"Oi, kid!" a man shouted through the noise.
A puff of smoke followed his voice. He had a pipe clenched between his teeth and a mustache that twitched with amusement. Wakaba Mine. Next to him stood Macao Conbolt, watching me curiously.
"You lost?" Macao asked. "You look like you're barely nine."
"I'm here to join Fairy Tail," I said, standing straight.
That got attention.
Wakaba squinted. "Join? At your age? What's your magic? Bubble beams?"
"I'm a summoner," I said calmly.
Macao blinked. "Celestial Spirit magic?"
I shook my head. "No keys. No contracts. Just cards."
Wakaba raised an eyebrow. "Cards? You gonna summon a dancing chicken with a top hat?"
A few mages nearby chuckled.
I didn't say anything.
Instead, I raised my hand and summoned a card.
Card: Wild Boar. Summon.
Golden light shimmered. A massive boar thudded onto the floor—tusks gleaming, muscles rippling, and eyes locked straight ahead.
Silence.
"Wha—?!"
Card: Golden Eagle. Summon.
A blast of wind swept across the hall as the regal eagle landed behind me. Its sharp eyes scanned the crowd calmly.
Someone near the bar choked. "T-That's an A-rank beast!"
"No way!" another muttered. "That's the kind of thing a whole team needs to handle!"
Card: Steed of Wind and Lightning. Summon.
Crackling thunder lit the air as the lightning horse appeared, wind swirling around its hooves.
Now the room went completely silent.
Wakaba slowly pulled the pipe out of his mouth. "Okay… maybe not a chicken."
Footsteps echoed from the upper floor as Makarov Dreyar descended, his gaze locked on me.
The third master of Fairy Tail stopped just a few feet away, eyes narrowed—not in anger, but curiosity.
"You summoned three beasts," he said. "No chant. No sweat. Barely a flicker of mana. Interesting."
"They're bonded to me," I replied. "I just summon them with a card."
Macao leaned over to Wakaba. "This kid's not normal."
Wakaba nodded. "Or he's the quiet kind of terrifying."
"What's your name?" Makarov asked.
"Lucky."
"That it?"
I nodded. "Just Lucky."
The guild master studied me for another second. "Why do you want to join Fairy Tail?"
I hesitated.
"I don't have family. I've always been alone. I've seen people laugh, live, and grow together. I've never had that."
My fingers tightened slightly.
"I want to belong somewhere."
Makarov smiled faintly, then turned to someone at the bar. "Get the stamp."
A young member ran over with the branding tool.
"Where do you want it?" he asked.
I held out my right arm. "Back of the hand."
A golden glow seared onto my skin—the Fairy Tail emblem, shining proudly.
Cheers erupted.
"He's in!"
"Get him a seat!"
"Somebody pour him juice!"
I blinked in surprise as the crowd swirled back to life—but this time around me.
That's when I heard a voice.
"Whoa! You're a summoner? And you use cards?!"
A girl with messy brown hair and bright eyes bounded over. She had a deck of cards tied to her hip.
Cana Alberona.
"I've never seen anyone else use card magic before!" she beamed. "That's so cool! Wait—do your cards talk? Do they sparkle? Do you shuffle them to summon?!"
"Uh… no talking or shuffling," I said, smiling awkwardly. "But they glow."
"Close enough!" She grinned. "I'm Cana. You're Lucky, right?"
I nodded.
"You're the first kid my age to join! That means you're sitting with us!" she said and grabbed my wrist.
At the table, I saw a familiar face.
A young boy with messy dark hair and a blank stare—no shirt, oddly.
Gray Fullbuster.
"Hey," he said, nodding.
"You got strong-looking magic," he added. "Cool."
"Thanks," I said.
Cana leaned toward me. "Gray's grumpy, but he's nice once you get used to the shirtlessness."
"I don't choose this!" Gray snapped.
I laughed, for real this time.
And just like that… I wasn't alone at the table.
We started talking—about magic, summons, cards, food, even the dumbest missions they'd heard about. They weren't treating me like a freak or a show. Just… someone who was here.
Someone who belonged.
After things calmed down a bit, I walked over to the bar and leaned forward, catching my breath.
On the counter sat a folded Sorcerer Magazine.
I glanced at the corner and read:
"X776 – The Year of Rising Talents!"
'So that's the year… X776.'
My heart skipped a beat.
'So I really am early. The main story hasn't started yet.'
Plenty of time to grow. To prepare.
As the room filled with laughter, noise, and the scent of roasted food, I sat down for the first time… not as a traveler.
Not as a stranger.
As a member of Fairy Tail.