Noah followed Makarov over to the counter. Since he couldn't read the language here, he asked a nearby guild member to help him fill in the membership form.
Once the paperwork was done, Makarov took out the guild's stamping tool and asked, "Where would you like your guild mark to be, and what color should it be?"
Noah thought for a moment. "On the back of my right hand… and make it orange!"
"Alright," Makarov replied with a small nod. Adjusting the stamp, he had Noah hold out his right hand. With a firm press, the Fairy Tail emblem appeared on the back of Noah's hand in a vivid shade of orange.
Noah lifted his hand close to his face, examining the mark with wide eyes. The warm glow of the color seemed to spread straight into his chest.
He clenched his fist, raised his arm high, and declared with pure excitement, "I've joined Fairy Tail!"
"Oh, oh, oh!!!"
Cheers erupted from every corner of the guild hall. Makarov hopped up onto the counter and raised his voice, "To celebrate Noah joining the guild, let's have a banquet!"
"Oh, oh, oh!!!"
The shouts grew even louder, and the already lively atmosphere exploded into pure celebration.
Noah followed Makarov around as the guild master introduced him to various members. He met the younger versions of Macao and Wakaba, along with many faces he recognized from brief appearances in the manga and quite a few members he had never seen before.
The celebration went on for a long while, full of chatter, laughter, and games. Eventually, the noise began to settle as members returned to their own activities. That was when Makarov called Noah back to the counter.
"Noah, do you know any magic?"
"No," Noah replied honestly.
"Then what kind of magic do you want to learn? The guild has quite a variety. Tell me your thoughts, and I'll help you decide."
"Grandpa, I want to learn all of them! I want to see the wider world and learn as much as I can!"
Noah's eyes sparkled. He had finally come to Fairy Tail, where magic could be learned freely. Of course, the more magic he could master, the better. If he studied broadly, he could aim for the peak of magical ability and wasn't the variety of magical effects just fascinating?
"You're still young," Makarov said with a knowing smile. "You should start by choosing one type of magic as your main focus. That way, you can build a strong foundation and protect yourself."
"Then what kind of magic do you use, Grandpa?"
"I specialize in Giant Magic, which lets me grow to an enormous size. I also know Light, Fire, Ice, Wind, and a few others."
"Then I'll learn Light Magic! I want to learn from Grandpa!"
Noah answered without hesitation. Makarov was right he needed to build a foundation first before branching out to learn other types. And who better to learn from than the master himself?
"Light Magic, hmm? Alright, I'll teach you. But you still can't read, can you? You'll need to learn to read and write first, or you won't be able to study more advanced spells."
"Okay," Noah agreed quickly.
He understood the problem. Even though he could speak and understand the language here, he had no idea how to write it. If he wanted to truly live in this world and learn magic, literacy was a necessity. Otherwise, even if a magic book was placed right in front of him, he wouldn't be able to make sense of it especially if it was written in a special script.
"For now, you'll live with me," Makarov said with a smile. "I have a grandson about your age. I hope you two can get along well."
Noah thought for a moment. Makarov's grandson had to be Laxus. At this point in time, Laxus hadn't yet entered his rebellious phase, so they should get along without trouble. He nodded in agreement.
Seeing Noah's answer, Makarov led him out of the guild. Along the way, they bought some daily necessities and a few sets of clothes for Noah before heading to Makarov's home.
When they entered, Noah saw a blond-haired boy sitting in a chair reading a book. The boy's face lit up the moment he spotted Makarov. Setting his book aside, he stood and hurried over.
"Grandpa, welcome home! Huh? Who's this?"
"Laxus, this is Noah Freyre. He'll be living with us from now on," Makarov explained. "He's forgotten a lot, so I'd like you to help look after him during the day."
Laxus's expression brightened even more. He had few friends his own age, so meeting someone like Noah naturally made him happy.
Noticing the genuine smile, Noah could tell that Laxus was still a pure and kind boy far from the proud, standoffish teenager he would eventually become. Noah smiled and said, "I'm Noah. Please take care of me from now on, Laxus!"
"Sure! Please take care of me too, Noah!"
After exchanging greetings, the three worked together to prepare a room for Noah.
Noah noticed that Laxus's father, Ivan, wasn't living there. It seemed he had moved out. He wondered what Ivan was doing now, and whether he had already discovered "Lumen Histoire."
Once the room was ready, they moved on to preparing dinner.
Before transmigrating, Noah had often cooked for himself, and his skills were decent. While helping in the kitchen, he tried making a dish of his own, which earned praise from both Makarov and Laxus.
After dinner, when Makarov mentioned Noah couldn't read, Laxus offered to help him learn. Noah gladly agreed.
Laxus quickly brought out the books he had used when learning to read and sat down beside Noah to start teaching. His instruction was patient and careful, and Noah applied himself with equal seriousness. When someone took the time to teach you, it was only right to give them your full effort in return.
By the time Makarov came to check on them, it was already very late.
They hurried to take baths, said goodnight to each other, and went to their own rooms.
Lying in bed, Noah thought back over the day. It all felt a little unreal.
Before crossing into this world, he had loved Fairy Tail, often rewatching the anime and rereading the manga. He had always been envious of the guild's close bonds. Who wouldn't want companions they could trust with their lives?
Now, that dream had become reality. He had survived a disaster and somehow been given this new life. Wasn't that fortune beyond belief?
And tomorrow, he could begin learning magic. Magic the dream of countless people. What a bright, limitless world lay ahead.
Noah lay awake for a long time, his mind racing, until sleep finally took him in the middle of the night. He awoke the next morning to the sound of Laxus knocking on his door.
After a quick wash and breakfast, he followed Makarov and Laxus to a nearby open training ground.
Laxus began his own physical drills right away, the training intense yet handled with ease. Noah watched him for a moment and thought, It seems Laxus has already had the Lightning Dragon Slayer Lacrima implanted by now. His body's adapting perfectly to that immense natural magic power.