"You don't get it, do you? Fire is very useful!"
Macao insisted with the look of someone who believed he would definitely be needed, urging Moen to count him in.
"Macao actually is useful. Freshly cut wood can't be used right away—it has to be processed. Not all of it needs to be baked, but forest wood tends to be damp and may have pests, so it needs to be dried out."
Uncle Reinhardt walked over and explained.
"…Uncle, you're seriously a pro at this?!"
Moen stared at Reinhardt. Fairy Tail really was full of talent—experts in absolutely everything.
"Heh, I know a little, I know a little."
Reinhardt scratched his head with a smile. He hadn't lived all these years for nothing. That house Gildarts had outside South Town? Back when he was young, he led a group to build it. They were extremely experienced—an absolutely professional team!
"Then I'm counting on you, Uncle Reinhardt!"
Moen didn't hesitate—professional work should be left to professionals. He had no experience in this area, nor did he plan to be an amateur commanding experts.
"Please take care of us!"
Mirajane also spoke to Reinhardt.
She wasn't very familiar with Uncle Reinhardt, but with that big beard and that square, steady face, he looked reliable at first glance.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely get it done for you!"
Reinhardt patted his chest and gave his guarantee.
"Tell us your general requirements. Reedus and I will draw up a plan. If it looks good, I'll take the crew and start working."
Reinhardt called over Reedus, the professional illustrator. With Reedus present, they could draft the concept art right on the spot.
As a user of Painting Magic, Reedus had both speed and precision—this was his livelihood. A slow illustrator couldn't survive using Painting Magic.
If the enemy hit you in the face before you finished drawing—before you even summoned your painted beast—you'd be down instantly!
The two looked at Mirajane, waiting for her requirements.
"Three bedrooms, one study, a kitchen, a dining room, two restrooms, and a bath. Mm, that should be enough."
Mirajane thought for a moment and seriously stated her idea. Her requirements were simple. She had never lived in a nice house—her original home was extremely simple, none of this existed. To her, these demands already felt extravagant.
Reedus and Reinhardt exchanged a glance, then both looked at Moen standing calmly next to her.
"…Huh? What?"
Moen was completely confused by their looks. Just tell us whether it works or not—why stare at me?!
"Really… only three bedrooms?"
Reinhardt whispered quietly to Moen.
"…What else?"
Moen's expression went black. There are three people in the family—how many bedrooms do you want? Leave one for me?! And why ask ME, an outsider?!
"Ah! Right, add one more bedroom!"
Mirajane suddenly reacted and quickly added.
"If friends come to visit, it's important to have a guest room."
To avoid misunderstandings, she added that explanation.
"Alright. Confirming—no more changes?"
Seeing Mirajane add another bedroom, Reinhardt and Reedus were relieved.
Four people—how could there only be three rooms? They're young… they can't possibly squeeze two people into one room, right?
"No more changes."
Mirajane glanced at Moen, finalizing the plan.
Reedus immediately began sketching, and in no time, he had finished the draft. A two-story wooden house was drawn with detailed features—even simple furniture arrangements were included.
This was the concept art meant for the "client" to see. The official architectural drawings would be created after final confirmation.
"How is it? Satisfied?"
Reedus looked at Moen and Mirajane as he asked.
Judging from his tone, one would think this was a house for Moen and Mirajane together.
"It looks great. I'm very satisfied."
Mirajane answered. Her face was a little red. She vaguely sensed something off, but right now Moen was the financial sponsor. It would be rude not to let him at least look at the design.
As for Lisanna and Elfman—the two little ones—Mirajane wasn't planning to give them any say. She intended to shoulder the debt alone.
Moen didn't speak. He really was self-aware—he only loaned them the money, and they were going to pay it back. It was their home; he wasn't going to stick his hand in and meddle.
Still, as he looked at the concept drawing, Moen couldn't help having ideas of his own. Maybe someday, he might move out too. He should also build a house of his own.
The home he lived in now belonged to Grandpa Makarov. And while living with Grandpa and Laxus wasn't bad, building his own place someday would definitely feel more free.
Since neither had objections, Reedus and Reinhardt accepted the task from Moen and began organizing the construction crew.
Under their coordination, the Fairy Tail "Construction Squad" assembled quickly. The saying "long illness makes you a doctor" wasn't wrong at all.
The "Fairy Tail Demolition Squad" wasn't famous for nothing—over time, they had accidentally trained a group of professional civil-engineering types. Building something themselves meant fewer losses.
Take Reinhardt for example—he originally learned these skills just to make ends meet when he was weaker. But the more missions he went on, the more he needed it to reduce losses. His skills naturally grew, and many others were the same.
In the following days, everyone in the guild became busy, because so many people had joined the Construction Squad.
With this many participants, even if the total reward was five million J, no one would earn much after splitting it. But they still showed up enthusiastically.
They weren't here for the money—they came for that feeling of working toward the same goal, that guild atmosphere, that warmth of helping a friend. Unity and camaraderie were the main theme.
If this weren't for a guildmate, they wouldn't bother—no one would work this hard for a whole month while barely earning anything.
Time passed quickly—about a month later…
Once a professional team took action, the results were different. Just over a month after taking the request, Reinhardt and his crew had nearly completed the job. The entire two-story house was basically finished.
Mirajane's family, Moen, and the other kids all rushed over to visit. Everyone was curious about Mirajane's new home.
The final building site was chosen on the outskirts near Magnolia's east gate—not too far from town, and not directly in the forest. Everyone walked over together, chatting and laughing.
On the outer edge of the eastern woods, a wooden house appeared, standing alone atop a small hill. No other buildings were nearby, and a fenced wooden yard surrounded it.
The two-story wooden house had a warm, cozy design. The exterior was made of warm brown wooden planks, accented with light-colored window frames. It gave off a very comfortable feeling.
Mirajane loved it. Lisanna and Elfman loved it too. A home should feel like a home—a warm harbor that relaxes the heart.
"Not bad."
Moen also spoke up with his assessment. Although it wasn't luxurious, it had its own charm. With a limited budget, it couldn't possibly be lavish. The cabin's main theme was warmth and coziness.
"I told you to rest assured."
Uncle Reinhardt let out a hearty laugh, clearly very pleased with the cabin as well.
He opened the door and led everyone inside. What greeted them immediately was the living room. On the wall opposite the door was a fireplace, and above the fireplace, carved into an oak beam, was the emblem of the Fairy Tail guild. With that emblem, the home would be protected!
A carpet was spread out before the fireplace, with two sofas positioned on either side, and a delicate wooden coffee table between them — a very simple arrangement.
All these pieces of furniture were handcrafted by the "Fairy Tail Professional Team." Laki's contribution was tremendous — her presence really saved everyone a lot of money.
"Rest assured, this cabin is very sturdy. Macao's flames controlled the moisture level of the wood extremely well, and all the insects have been completely eradicated. I guarantee there won't be any warping or bug infestation. The entire house received pest-proof treatment, so you definitely won't be bothered by mosquitos or other pests."
Reinhardt walked ahead of the group while explaining, exuding a professional aura that left the younger ones stunned.
There was no denying it — this little cabin was built quite well. Though simple, it wasn't crude. The detailed carvings and patterns showed real care. Reedus had clearly been heavily involved throughout the process; Uncle Reinhardt didn't seem like someone who would be this artistic.
Reedus stood nearby, continuously sketching with his brush, recording everyone's visit to Mirajane's family's new home.
The first floor consisted of the living room, kitchen, dining room, one bedroom, and one restroom. The second floor had three bedrooms, a study, a restroom, and a bath — everything Mirajane wanted was included.
"It's just that there's still quite a bit of furniture missing. My suggestion is that it'd be best to get some magical household items — they'll make life much more convenient."
After showing everyone around, Reinhardt offered his advice.
The house was pretty much finished, but the furnishings were indeed still lacking. Only some basic pieces had been made.
The rest — the furniture that would actually improve quality of life would have to be purchased by Mirajane's family themselves. There was nothing to be done about that. Those items were beyond the group's ability to create; they weren't professionals in that field.
"Thank you, Uncle Reinhardt. We're already very satisfied!"
Mirajane dropped her usual sharp delinquent demeanor. She expressed her gratitude to Reinhardt very seriously. She understood very clearly that everyone had put in a lot of work to build this house — there was no way money alone could have brought so many people here to help.
After walking around her new home, Mirajane became emotional. Tears nearly welled up in her eyes. After so many twists and turns, they finally had a new home again — finally a place to belong.
In her heart, Mirajane's sense of identification with "Fairy Tail" and her understanding of the guild's ideals deepened even further. Everyone in the guild was family — everyone treated each other with sincerity, with no ulterior motives whatsoever.
"Haha, no need for that, Mira. Being able to build this house gives everyone a strong sense of accomplishment. It's a beautiful memory for all of us."
Facing Mirajane's heartfelt thanks, Reinhardt quickly waved his hands, laughing as he spoke. To him, this really wasn't a big deal — it was simply the basic way guildmates supported one another.
Don't be fooled by how silly and unreliable everyone looked on normal days. When someone actually needed help, not a single person would shy away. That was the bond of Fairy Tail!
"A rare opportunity! Mira, show us your cooking skills. I've been waiting for this day for a long time. You said that once you moved into your new home, you'd cook."
Seeing that the atmosphere had become too emotional, Moen smiled and turned to Mirajane, who seemed a bit overwhelmed, and blinked at her with a look of great anticipation.
"Moen, you… don't tell me the only reason you lent her money to build this new house was because you wanted to eat Mirajane's cooking?"
Erza stared at Moen suspiciously.
"Hahaha~ Saying it like that… isn't exactly wrong. After all, Lisanna and Elfman kept saying Mira's cooking is amazing. It made me really curious. Is it really that amazing?"
Moen narrowed his eyes happily, glancing at Mirajane with deliberate doubt in his tone to provoke her.
Sure enough, provoked by Moen's words, Mirajane reacted immediately.
"Hmph! Just wait! I guarantee you'll all be stunned!"
Mirajane wiped away the lingering moisture in her eyes, letting the complicated emotions dissipate. Replacing them was pride as she looked at Moen.
"Looking forward to it."
Moen genuinely was. Before coming, he had already told Natsu, Gray, and Elfman to bring all the pots and pans.
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