Makarov had said nothing since Tenrou Island.
Not about the duel.Not about Escanor's explosion of power.And especially… not about her.
To the rest of the guild, nothing had happened.But deep down, the Master of Fairy Tail knew—the reappearance of Mavis Vermillion was no small thing. If word got out, it would shake the entire world.
That secret would stay between him, Escanor, and the wind-blessed leaves of Tenrou.
Meanwhile, the boy in question? He was evolving.
Following their encounter, Escanor had received the First Master's magic imprint—her teachings, encoded in pure magical memory, flowing into his soul.
It wasn't direct training. Not a whisper in his ear.It was something deeper. A resonance. A transmission.
Through it, he inherited the blueprints of Fairy Tail's three great super spells:
Fairy Law
Fairy Glitter
Fairy Sphere
Fairy Law was the easiest to grasp.For a mage like Escanor, whose power expanded with confidence, channeling righteous, punishing light came naturally.
Fairy Glitter was trickier.
It wasn't just casting magic—it was about inscribing it into the body. About identity, about worth. Like Cana's hand tattoo in the original history, it required more than mana. It required self-mastery.
Escanor refused to skip steps.
"If I didn't earn it myself, it's meaningless," he told Mavis.
His pride wouldn't allow shortcuts. Even from a ghost.
Fairy Sphere?That was something else entirely.
It was space magic.A technique that separated dimensions—where you and your enemy simply existed in different realities.
The perfect defense wasn't a wall.It was vanishing from the battlefield altogether.
Three months passed.Escanor mastered Fairy Law.He neared the threshold of Fairy Glitter.
But now… it was time to put it all to the test.
"Grandpa."
Escanor stood at the guild entrance, arms folded, eyes bright with resolve.
"I want to start taking missions."
Makarov raised a brow. "Already?"
"My power's hit a wall. I need experience. The kind only real battles can give."
Makarov leaned back, stroking his beard in thought.
"…I see."
He paused, then added, "No S-Class missions. Not yet. That strength of yours is scary, but your life experience is still five years deep, not fifty."
Escanor didn't argue. He understood.
He just nodded. "Something with monsters would be good."
"Monster subjugation, huh…" Makarov reached into a drawer. "There's one from a snow-covered town up north. Beasts have been attacking lately. Perfect for a warm-blooded brute like you."
"Nice. I'll melt the snow and the monsters."
Escanor took the next train out of Magnolia.
It was the first time he'd traveled alone.
"Monster subjugation," he muttered, arms folded behind his head, gaze fixed on the snowy horizon. "I wonder what kind they are. Maybe even related to Zeref's creations…"
The name of the Dark Mage drifted across his mind like a shadow.
The train stopped short of the town—damaged tracks from a monster attack.Escanor would have to travel the rest on foot.
Not that he minded.
"This weather is practically a vacation," he smirked, sunlight blooming around his shoulders. "For anyone else, it's frostbite. For me? It's room temperature."
The snowstorm howled.
But he pressed forward, boots crunching across pure white.
Until—
ROOOOOAAAAAR!!!
A bestial cry shattered the silence.
Escanor blinked through the snow—
—and spotted a shirtless boy being chased by a pack of massive, white-furred apes.
"…A shirtless kid in the tundra? Yup. That's either bravery or brain damage."
Still, a cry for help was a cry for help.
He raised his arm.
"Exploding Arrogance."
A fireburst screamed through the air. The shockwave cracked the ground, scattering the monsters like leaves in a hurricane.
The boy stumbled and fell.
Escanor walked over, hands in his coat pockets.
"Hey, are you alright?"
The kid popped up, indignant.
"I'm not a kid! I'm Gray Fullbuster—the next Ice Mage legend!"
"…And you're allergic to shirts?"
"IT'S A TRAINING THING, OKAY?!"
Before Escanor could continue teasing, a familiar pressure brushed his senses.
A powerful, pure ice-type magic approached.
A woman appeared through the snow—short hair, stern eyes, radiating elegance and strength.
"Gray," she said, sighing. "How many times must I tell you—you're not ready to go off alone yet?"
"Ur…" Gray looked away, embarrassed.
Ur's eyes shifted to Escanor.Her aura immediately settled into that of a veteran teacher.
"Thank you," she said, bowing slightly. "I am Ur. This reckless child is my disciple. You saved him."
"It was nothing," Escanor shrugged. "Just a flick of the wrist."
Ur tilted her head, observing him more closely.
"You're not from here. May I ask why you're in this frozen place?"
"I'm Escanor. Mage of Fairy Tail. I came for the monster subjugation request."
"…Fairy Tail?" You looked surprised. "You're that young and already taking jobs from them?"
"I can handle myself."
She didn't look convinced.
But Escanor's eyes held firm conviction. He didn't need to prove himself to anyone—but neither would he run from doubt.
"…In that case, it's late," Ur finally said. "Come stay the night at my home. It's not far. We'll head out together tomorrow."
Escanor's stomach growled at the mention of food.
"…That sounds nice."
So, just like that, the three of them—fire, ice, and embarrassment—vanished into the snowy dusk.
Unaware that the monster hunt ahead would test more than just their strength.