Chapter 57: A Good Man and a Gamble
"Master, Natsu is acting a bit strange!" one of the guild members called out, watching the pink-haired Mage disappear.
"That kid... he wants to go save Macao," another guild member sighed, shaking his head.
"He's still immature. It's Macao's mission. Doing that will only hurt Macao's pride as a man."
Makarov, from his perch on the railing, heard this. He lit his pipe, the sweet smoke curling into the air. He said indifferently, "Everyone decides their own path. Let him go."
"Wh-… what happened?" Lucy asked, looking at the empty doorway, completely bewildered. "He… his expression just changed so suddenly..."
Mirajane walked over, gracefully balancing three beers on a tray. She set them down on the table. "Because Natsu is just like Romeo," she said softly, her smile tinged with a knowing sadness. "He's remembering his own past experience."
"Huh?" Lucy was a bit confused.
"Natsu's father also left and never returned," Mira explained, her voice low. "Although he called him 'father,' he was actually his adoptive father. And he was also a Dragon."
"A... a Dragon?!!" Lucy yelped, her eyes going wide. "You're saying Natsu was raised by a Dragon?! How is that even possible…"
Lucy was stunned and a little scared by this news. This guild was just one shocking revelation after another.
Mira nodded. "When Natsu was little, that Dragon, Igneel, found him in the forest. Language, culture, and even his Fire Dragon Slayer magic... all of it was taught to him by that Dragon. But one day, seven years ago, Igneel just... disappeared. Vanished right before Natsu's eyes, without a word."
Lucy suddenly understood, her heart aching for Natsu. "I see… So that's Igneel…"
She remembered the entire reason she'd met Natsu in Hargeon. He was chasing a rumor about a 'Salamander', a Fire Dragon. He wasn't just chasing a celebrity; he was desperately looking for his adoptive father.
Mira smiled, her gaze distant. "Natsu, you know, always hopes to see Igneel again one day. He never gives up. Isn't that quite cute?"
Gray, who was listening from the next table, pouted into his beer. "Cute? I think he's annoying no matter how I look at him. But..." his voice softened, just a fraction, "...he's not wrong to go."
"He's a real man! A man follows his heart!" Elfman declared, punching his own chest. "He is doing what he believes is right!"
Ren, listening to it all, nodded silently. He recalled Macao's storyline from his memory of this world's future. Macao didn't have much 'screen time' in the grand scheme of things, but he was a loyal guild member.
More importantly, when Fairy Tail was in its darkest hour, when the core members disappeared for seven years, Macao would step up. He would proactively take on the heavy responsibility of Guild Master, preserving the tattered remnants of Fairy Tail. His love for the guild was unquestionable.
Ren hadn't been in the guild for long, so he was only vaguely familiar with Macao as one of the "old-timers" who drank with Wakaba. But he respected what he knew of his future.
Since Natsu went, there shouldn't be any need to worry. Natsu understood Romeo's feelings better than anyone. This was a mission only he could handle.
With that settled in his mind, Ren finished his meal. After eating and drinking his fill, he stood up, his eyes scanning the guild until he found his target: Cana Alberona, who was, as expected, chugging directly from a barrel of alcohol.
"Cana!"
Ren sat down in the empty seat across from her.
"Hmm?" Cana surfaced from the barrel, wiping her mouth. "Well, if it isn't little brother Ren. What do you need from big sister? Do you want to drink with me?"
Cana was already a little tipsy, her cheeks flushed. Her eyes lit up when she saw Ren was here for her.
Ren said helplessly, "You're an eighteen-year-old girl, the same age as me. Why do you have such a strong 'big sister' vibe?"
"What? Don't like big sister?" Cana's tone was teasing, and she quickly tied up her long brown hair into a high ponytail. The simple action instantly made her look much younger, more like the girl she was. "Then 'little sister' is fine too!"
"Alright! Stop joking around," Ren said, though he was smiling. "Let's get serious. I came to you for a fortune-telling."
"Fortune-telling?"
Cana's eyes lit up, and she seemed to sober up quite a bit. Her entire demeanor sharpened. "Oh? Are you looking for a love fortune? Because if it's that, you don't need a reading. I've already divined it, and your destined person is... me... Ow!"
Before Cana could finish speaking, Ren flicked her lightly on the forehead.
"Ow!! You flicked me!!" Cana complained, clutching her forehead with a dramatic pout.
"I told you, stop joking around. This is serious," Ren said, his expression turning grave. "Help me divine which day and which hour in the coming days my luck will be at its absolute peak. Preferably, down to the second."
In the past six months, Ren had performed four "ten-pulls" on his system. It was as if he had used up all his accumulated good luck during his "Sword God" debut. Twice he got nothing but junk, and twice he got a purple-tier, but ultimately minor, item. His luck was hovering at "neither good nor bad."
He hadn't pulled a single golden, legendary item or form, and it was making him anxious. He had all this power, but he knew he needed more. He had to find other ways.
As the old saying on Earth went: the end of science is metaphysics.
This was a world of magic, and fortune-telling wasn't some ethereal, vague parlor trick. With a skilled Card Mage like Cana, it was genuine. Naturally, he had to make good use of the conditions available.
Cana looked at him, incredulous. "Huh? Down to the second? What do you think I am, the Goddess of Fortune? At most, I can only tell you which hour your luck will be pretty good."
"Hmm… that works too!" Ren agreed immediately.
At this, Cana's eyes darted slyly, and she rubbed her index finger and thumb together in the universal "money" gesture. "But... my fees are very expensive."
"How much?" Ren asked, bracing himself.
"Twenty barrels... no, fifty barrels of the good stuff!"
Ren's eye twitched. This girl. He was a big, fat sheep in her eyes, and she was trying to fleece him. It would be a disservice to herself not to.
"I think I'll go find someone else then," Ren said, standing up and turning to leave.
"No! Don't go!" Cana instantly dropped the act and grabbed his leg, hugging it. "Twenty barrels! Nineteen barrels! Eighteen..."
Seeing that Ren was still about to leave, she yelled: "Ten barrels! Ten barrels! I can't go any lower! That's my bottom line!"
Ren stopped at this. "Okay! Ten barrels it is." He turned back. "And if the final result satisfies me, I'll give you an extra ten barrels on top."
The price of ten barrels of alcohol was roughly 500,000 Jewel. It wasn't expensive for an S-Class Mage like Ren, but it wasn't cheap either. For Cana, it was a massive windfall.
Cana's eyes lit up, and she immediately jumped up, releasing his leg. "Okay! It's a deal!"
Then, fearing Ren would go back on his word, she immediately raised her hand and called out, "Mira! Ten barrels of the new brew over here! Ren's paying!!"
"Drink after," Ren said, stopping her. "Let's do the important stuff first. This matter is very important to me."
Ren's expression was completely serious, and Cana, for all her teasing, recognized it. She knew this matter might truly be very important to Ren.
Cana patted her ample chest and said, "Don't worry! The more I drink, the more accurate my divination. But fine, work before pleasure."
However, despite saying that, Cana still pulled out her worn deck of Tarot cards and began shuffling them with practiced hands. She laid them out on the table in a spread.
"Draw three cards," she commanded.
Ren, focusing his intent on his desire for a good "pull," casually drew three cards from the deck.
Cana flipped them over one by one. "The Fool. The Devil. And... The World."
[Akarin's Note: In Tarot, The Fool represents new beginnings, The Devil represents bondage or materialism, and The World represents completion or success. It's a very powerful, and contradictory, spread.]
She stared at the cards for a long moment, her tipsy gaze becoming surprisingly sharp. "Hmm… your peak luck... it will be at exactly 12 AM tonight."
"Tonight at 12 AM? I understand." Ren nodded, satisfied. He stood up, and turned to leave.
"Thank you for your patronage!!" Cana called after him, beaming. "Next time, I'll give you a twenty percent discount!"
At this, Mira, who had been cleaning the bar nearby, came over to Cana. "Cana, since when can the Major Arcana cards divine a specific time?" she asked, her voice sweet but her eyes sharp. "Aren't only the Minor Arcana cards able to divine time? Don't you dare fool Ren. What Ren wants to do is very important to him."
Cana waved her hand and laughed dismissively. "Don't worry, don't worry! The time was just something I made up."
"Cana!"
"Calm down! I only divined whether the thing he wants to do will succeed. The cards were... very clear on that," Cana said, a genuine look of awe on her face as she looked at the three cards. "The time doesn't matter; he's going to succeed. So, 12 AM, 3 PM, it's all the same. You don't need to worry so much about your little lover."
"Little… little lover…" Mira's face immediately flushed a slight pink. "What nonsense are you talking about?!"
"Isn't it?" Cana teased, leaning in. "He's all you talk about. If you're not going to make a move, then I might. After all, Ren really is a good man!"
Mira retorted, her composure returning as she crossed her arms. "In your eyes, anyone who can provide you with unlimited alcohol is a 'good man,' right?"
"Who said that? I still value feelings very much," Cana said, looking offended.
"Is it more important than drinking?" Mira asked, a teasing smile on her face.
"No! Alcohol is my boyfriend number one!" Cana declared, hugging the alcohol barrel that had just arrived blissfully. "Others are at most boyfriend number two!"
Mira, seeing this, smiled helplessly and shook her head, her gaze drifting to the door Ren had left through.
In the evening, the guild closed. Ren walked Mira home as usual, a quiet tradition they had started. At the same time, he had Mira cast her "Goddess's Blessing" on him again, a small, warm glow of magic that always made him feel fortunate.
After returning to his own small house, Ren took a hot bath. After that, he sat cross-legged on his bed to cultivate, practicing the forms of the Sun Breathing in his mind, circulating his magic power. At the same time, he was quietly waiting for 12 o'clock to arrive.
Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!
As the 12 o'clock chimes from Kardia Cathedral rang through the quiet town, Ren immediately opened his eyes. He focused his mind and clicked on the system interface.
[Proceed with a ten-pull?]
"Confirm."
[Akarin Note:
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