Although Zhou Xin had successfully joined the Fairy Tail Guild, he didn't rush to the task board to pick a mission. Instead, he sat at the edge of a nearby table, focusing intently on studying the painting magic granted to him by his golden finger.
After all, this was not a simple copy—it was an evolution. His golden finger might have produced a form of painting magic different from Lidas's. With that in mind, Zhou Xin dove into his consciousness to inspect his magic more closely. Just as he suspected, the painting magic he received was indeed distinct.
Lidas's magic could animate drawings, but only those drawn on himself. Zhou Xin's version, on the other hand, allowed him to make patterns on paper or on the ground move. In terms of convenience, his magic had the edge.
But power-wise? Not quite.
Lidas's painting magic could turn drawings into tangible objects—a drawn knife, for example, could be materialized and used to chop vegetables or fight. Zhou Xin's magic could only make drawings move. That was it. No materialization, no extra effects. As it stood, his magic was even less practical than Lidas's.
Feeling dejected, Zhou Xin slumped over the table, motionless. A wave of despair washed over him—how was he supposed to live like this?
Just then, a hand slapped the table in front of him. Startled, Zhou Xin looked up to see a white-haired girl about his age, with a cute appearance and a mischievous, almost villainous expression. He recognized her immediately: it was Mira.
Mira withdrew her hand and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at him fiercely. "Hey, newbie. Are you joining the Mira Faction or the Erza Faction?"
"Mira Faction? Erza Faction?" Zhou Xin wasn't the least bit scared by her act—he knew who she was. He was just confused. He didn't understand what she meant.
Frustrated by his blank stare, Mira grabbed Zhou Xin by the collar and yanked him closer. Just as she was about to say something, a short-haired girl and a boy with a fierce face but timid eyes stepped in.
"Hmph. Lisanna, explain it to him," Mira huffed, letting go of his collar as the two tried to calm her down.
Smiling gently, the girl introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Lisanna Strauss. This is my sister Mira—Mirajane Strauss. Sorry about her; she doesn't mean any harm."
"Nice to meet you, Lisanna, Mira. I'm Zhou Xin. It's alright—I don't mind," he replied, nodding politely.
Mira, seeing he wasn't angry, relaxed a bit. Lisanna then gestured toward the boy beside her. "And this is our brother, Elfman Strauss."
"H-Hello," Elfman greeted meekly.
"Nice to meet you, Elfman," Zhou Xin said warmly. He gave the boy a friendly pat on the shoulder and added, "You should speak louder and more confidently. That's what it means to be a man."
"Thanks for the advice," Elfman replied, beaming. Mira looked at Zhou Xin with mild surprise at his encouraging words.
"No problem," Zhou Xin said, then turned to Lisanna. "By the way, what was Mira talking about earlier—those 'factions'?"
"Well, it's because Mira and Erza are always competing with each other in everything. So they kind of started two groups—people who support either Mira or Erza," Lisanna explained.
Mira immediately glared at him again. "Now that you know what they are, which one are you joining?"
"Um… Mira, is there any benefit to joining your faction?" Zhou Xin asked cautiously, meeting her eyes.
"Benefit?" Mira was caught off guard by the question. "What do you mean by that?"
Zhou Xin clarified, "I mean, if I join your side and I get into trouble one day, will you help me out?"
Although he phrased it simply, Zhou Xin was being strategic. His golden finger wasn't all that strong, so he figured he'd need help down the line. Mira, despite her age, was already a powerful B-rank mage with formidable combat ability. Aligning with her could be a good safety net.
"Huh?" Mira blinked in confusion, then looked at him with unexpected sympathy. "You're really pitiful."
"Huh?" Zhou Xin was baffled by her sudden change in tone.
Just then, Elfman tugged on his sleeve like a shy child. When Zhou Xin looked over, he whispered, "In the guild, we're all like family. If you're ever in trouble, anyone here will help you."
"I see. In that case, I'll join the Mira Faction," Zhou Xin said with a bashful smile, scratching the back of his head.
"Hmph, that's more like it," Mira replied, clearly satisfied.