And why did this child's eyes hold a hint of excitement?
"Hey, are you from outside the forest?" Before Gildarts could finish his thoughts, Finn shouted.
"I'm Gildarts, a Fairy Tail mage from Magnolia to the east!" Gildarts shouted back.
As he spoke, Gildarts climbed out of the pit and walked towards Finn.
"Fairy Tail? Mage? What's that?" Finn asked, puzzled.
"You don't even know what a mage is?" Gildarts asked, surprised. Magic was commonplace in this world, even if mages with magical power were rare.
But even in the daily lives of ordinary people, many magical tools were used. Magic had become integrated into everyday life.
And yet, this child clearly possessed immense magical power, but didn't even know what a mage was. Who had guided him in increasing his magical power?
"I don't know. I've always been in this forest and don't know much about the outside world," Finn said, realizing his chance to escape this cursed forest had arrived.
"So you don't even understand your own magical power? And how did you acquire it?" Gildarts wanted to know how Finn's magical power had become so strong without any guidance.
"Of course, if it's private information you're not comfortable sharing, don't worry about it," Gildarts added, realizing he might be overstepping. Everyone had secrets.
Finn thought for a moment and said, "Is this what you mean by magical power?" A ball of energy appeared in his hand.
"Yes, that's right, that's magical power!"
After Gildarts confirmed, Finn said, "It's nothing to hide. I suddenly discovered I had this magical power about ten days ago."
"And it keeps increasing on its own. I don't know why," Finn said matter-of-factly.
Gildarts' eyes widened.
"You said...ten...ten days to reach this level?" Having such immense magical power at eleven or twelve years old was already astonishing.
But listen to what the child just said – he'd acquired this immense magical power in ten days?
Even Laxus, considered a genius in Fairy Tail, only reached this level of magical power at around fourteen or fifteen after inheriting his grandfather's immense power.
"What's wrong?" Finn asked, puzzled by Gildarts' expression.
"Uh...nothing...nothing." Gildarts waved his hand, but inwardly thought, "This kid is definitely a genius, no, at this level, he's a monster."
"By the way, I don't know your name yet," Gildarts continued.
"My name is Finn."
"Finn, huh?" Gildarts muttered, then said, "Kid, I'll remember that. Say, you've been in this forest all along. Don't you want to see the outside world?"
Finn chuckled bitterly. "I want to, but I can't get out. I can't find a way out," he said, helplessly shrugging.
"Haha, don't worry, you can come with me later." Gildarts laughed.
"Okay! I've wanted to leave this cursed forest for a long time!" Finn's voice was filled with excitement. He was finally leaving this cursed forest.
"By the way, there's one more thing I need to confirm. Did you do this?" Gildarts pointed to the huge crater.
Finn's heart skipped a beat.
"Why are you asking? Are you investigating this?" He wasn't going to completely trust a stranger.
And in his previous life, setting a forest on fire had consequences. Finn didn't know the laws of this world. If Gildarts arrested him for a bounty, he'd be in trouble.
Seeing Finn's guarded stance, Gildarts realized he'd been misunderstood. He quickly waved his hands. "You misunderstood. My mission is to investigate what happened here."
"But the main thing is to check for demonic activity. There were no casualties, so this kind of destruction isn't a big deal. Don't misunderstand."
Finn was still doubtful, but finally said, "I caused it while testing a new move." It wasn't entirely a lie; he really hadn't known it would be so powerful.
"Haha, if that's the case, then there's nothing to worry about. As long as there's no demonic activity," Gildarts said with a laugh.
…
That night, in a clearing in the forest, a bonfire blazed, its bright light illuminating the surrounding darkness.
A rack was set over the fire, roasting two chickens.
Two figures, one large and one small, sat opposite each other. Finn stared at the fire, lost in thought. Just two days ago, he'd been clamoring to leave this broken forest, but now that he could, he felt uncertain. What was this new world like?
This world was still completely unfamiliar. After leaving this forest, where would he go?
Homeless, that's probably what it was like. The world was so vast, yet he had nowhere to belong.
"What's wrong?" Gildarts asked, noticing Finn's absentmindedness.
"Ah, nothing," Finn said distractedly, poking the embers with a stick.
The awkward silence made Gildarts uncomfortable, so he started a conversation. "By the way, you've lived in this forest all your life. Where's your family?"
Finn stopped, and after a long pause, said, "I don't have a family. I never have."
Gildarts realized he'd said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
Finn forced a smile. "It's okay, I'm used to it." Gildarts saw the forced smile and handed Finn a roasted chicken leg.
"Here, eat. Try it!"
Finn took the leg and took a bite. The oil dripped down.
"Come to Fairy Tail!"
Finn stopped mid-chew.
Gildarts continued, "A guild is a place where companions gather, a job agency, and for the homeless, it's also their home. One person's happiness is everyone's happiness, and one person's sorrow is everyone's sorrow."
Gildarts' voice was soft, but Finn heard him clearly.
"What do you say? Come to Fairy Tail!!"
"Home?" Finn murmured, then bit into the chicken leg and chewed silently.
"Sounds good. I'll go with you and take a look," Finn finally said.
Gildarts smiled and started eating his chicken. The aroma of roasted meat wafted far away…
…
The next day, Magnolia.
Finn and Gildarts arrived in the town. The streets were bustling with people, and Finn marveled at the sight.
"I've finally arrived in the human world! It's definitely better than that broken forest," Finn said with a smile.
But at that moment, a broadcast echoed throughout the town.
"Magnolia is about to switch to Gildarts Mode. Please proceed to the designated locations."
…
Finn also heard the church bells ringing throughout the town.
He was confused. What was Gildarts Mode?
Just as he was about to ask Gildarts, the ground shook, and Finn's eyes widened as the entire town seemed to be divided into blocks.
Then, these blocks began to move, rearranging themselves to form a straight path in front of them.
"What...? What's going on?" Finn asked, mouth agape.
"Ah, haha, don't worry about the details. Come on, let's go to the guild," Gildarts said with a nervous laugh, scratching his head.
But Finn thought the laugh sounded a little guilty.
He'd heard on the broadcast that this was Gildarts Mode. Could it be because of him?
As they walked down the straight path, Finn asked.
Gildarts sighed, "Sigh, these people are afraid I'll zone out while walking and destroy their houses, so it became like this."
"What? They remodeled the town for that?" Finn thought the decision-makers were crazy. With the money they spent remodeling the town, they could have repaired so many damaged houses.
"Right? I think so too. These people are completely crazy. I don't zone out that easily. They actually made this thing,"
"And every time, they have to mention Gildarts Mode. Now, I seem to be a big villain in people's minds," Gildarts said excitedly.
"It makes me feel embarrassed to come back. Really."
"By the way, how many houses have you destroyed while zoning out?" Finn asked.
Gildarts thought for a moment. "Not many. Last time, I destroyed 21 houses."
"The time before that, 18."
"The time before that, 24."
"And further back, I can't remember," Gildarts gave up after trying to recall.
Finn's eyes widened, and he sighed. "I finally understand why there's this mode."
"Are you a bulldozer?" Destroying everything in sight. Finn finally understood the Magnolia residents' choice.
"A bulldozer?" Gildarts asked, confused by the unfamiliar term.
"Nothing, it's a compliment," Finn waved his hand dismissively.
"A compliment? That's good. I have so many merits. Those girls fell for me because of my many merits."
Hearing Gildarts' boasting, Finn silently scorned the unreliable uncle.
Soon, they arrived at the Fairy Tail guild.
Looking at the guild, which resembled a tavern, and the banner hanging above it, Finn said, "Fairy Tail, what a strange name."
Gildarts smiled slightly. "Fairy Tail, ah, do fairies have tails?"
"Huh?" Finn was even more confused by Gildarts' question, looking at the smiling man.
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