Fairy Tail: You said you were just acting, are you serious?

"Pay the commission fee."

Upon hearing Ron's words, the mayor couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

He had witnessed the power of mages and had to admire the boy's skill.

"This is the commission fee. Thank you for coming."

After the mayor took out the commission money from his pocket and handed it to Ron, he thanked Ron solemnly, even unconsciously changing his address to a respectful one.

"You're welcome. I'd like to ask if there are any other towns nearby?"

Ron was now much more relaxed, as he could perform along the way and incidentally investigate Deliora's whereabouts.

The town mayor stretched out his finger and pointed to the snow-capped mountain.

"After you cross this snow-capped mountain, you'll find inhabited areas at the foot of the other side."

"Thank you."

Ron put the money bag into his pocket, then stepped onto the bird's back and began to fly in the direction the mayor pointed.

……

Earlier, a few kilometers outside of Icehen Town, snowstorms raged on the high mountains.

A petite figure braved the wind and snow, walking step by step deeper into the snow-capped mountains.

It was a young girl wearing a black cloak, frantically clutching the edge of her hood with one hand, trying to shield herself from the gale.

However, a few strands of her black hair were still blown outside her hood by the cold wind, fluttering in the air.

The girl's eyes, hidden beneath her cloak, were icy cold as she gritted her teeth.

She hated the cold winds and snow; the frigid climate always brought back bad memories.

She had been ordered by her guild leader to come to the north to investigate information about the undead demon Deliora.

Of course, she also had her own selfish motives this time; she also stopped by to see how a despicable woman and other children were living.

She didn't understand why she hated them so much, yet she still wanted to go back.

Perhaps this will help her stay true to her dreams and allow the world to become a place where she can have a happy life again.

"Unforgivable... Unforgivable...!"

Boom!

As she hurried along against the wind and snow, her mind preoccupied with the chairman's plan, a series of explosions suddenly erupted from the canyon to her right and south.

The girl stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the strange sound of the explosion.

The girl frowned slightly in the shadows, becoming unconsciously alert.

"Are there any mages around here?"

This destructive power doesn't seem like magic that a local could wield. Could it be a passing mage?

She was wary of this variable, but also driven by intense curiosity. In the end, she changed her route and quickly stealthily headed towards the direction from which the explosion had come.

Chapter 53 Encountering a Carefree Boy

Ron piloted the giant bird, flying steadily northward through the blizzard.

As he climbed higher, his aerial view became increasingly clear.

He then glanced at the snow below and suddenly frowned.

He noticed a dark figure near the foot of the snow-capped mountain heading towards the canyon.

"In this kind of weather, there are still ordinary people roaming in the deep mountains?"

Ron raised an eyebrow, thinking it best to go down and remind the ordinary person just in case.

He gently patted the giant bird's neck, and the bird understood. It circled in the air for a while before flying towards the girl in the black cloak.

Finally, the giant bird landed slowly on her, bringing with it a powerful wind pressure.

The sudden gust of wind eventually blew open the girl's hood, revealing a surprised expression.

After the hood was removed, her short black hair was fully exposed.

Ron paused for a moment when he saw the girl's delicate face, and then, with a speed that would take most people no time to react, changed his expression to a smiling one.

“It’s very dangerous for you to go into the mountains alone in this weather.”

The girl still had a bewildered expression, looking the boy up and down.

Judging from the giant bird beneath the boy's feet, the boy is very likely the culprit behind the explosions in the vicinity, namely a mage.

She had intended to follow the sound of the explosion, but unexpectedly, the mage descended directly from the sky and landed right in front of her.

She was wary for a moment, then put on a pitiful look and pretended to be innocent.

"I originally wanted to go to my relatives' house on the other side of the snow mountain, but I got lost."

"I see. If you don't mind, I can give you a ride on my way."

Ron maintained his same smile and extended an invitation to the girl in a calm manner.

Upon hearing this, the girl immediately smiled with surprise.

"Is it really possible?"

"No, it's fake."

The girl's expression froze on the spot for a moment, not expecting to receive such an unexpected answer.

"Hehe, I was just kidding."

Ron then covered his mouth and gave a fake laugh twice before putting it down again.

"The book says that when you encounter a lost stranger, you need to make a joke to ease the atmosphere."

This is the first step in establishing good communication. How was my joke?

"Haha, mage, you're really joking."

The girl smiled and agreed with Ron, forcing herself to continue his conversation.

After what had just happened, the girl looked at Ron's squinting smile and suddenly realized that it was a fake smile, like that of a fake person.

The longer she stared at that squinting, fake smile, the more uncomfortable she felt.

As Ron watched the ever-increasing popularity of his performance, the corners of his mouth turned up even further.

"Come on up first, then tell me the location."

"thank you."

The girl thanked him and obediently climbed onto the broad back of the giant ink-wash bird, sitting behind Ron.

She was secretly relieved, knowing that this would give him the opportunity to investigate the mysterious young man up close.

The giant bird took to the air again.

"Speaking of which, I still don't know your name, Mage?"

After the girl got used to the giant bird's speed, she began to investigate Ron's whereabouts.

Ron didn't turn around and began to answer the girl casually.

"You can just call me Mage, I quite like that nickname, but I don't know how you found out."

The girl paused for a moment, then her cheeks began to flush with embarrassment.

"Haha, this amazing way of controlling giant birds is just like magic."

The girl forced a smile, trying to cover up the obvious flaw.

"Really? Speaking of nicknames, I'll give you one too."

Ron turned around, still wearing that fake smile, and stared at the girl's face for a while with narrowed eyes.

"The book also said that giving someone a suitable nickname based on your first impression can quickly shorten the distance between us."

Ron lowered his head, rested his chin on his hand, and thought seriously before nodding.

"So, from now on I'll call you Ugly Monster, what do you think?"

The girl's smile froze instantly, and her lips twitched uncontrollably a few times.

No, this young mage is being incredibly rude.

Who gave him this book? Did his mother abandon him too?

"Magician, this joke is not funny at all."

Her face flushed red as she finished speaking, and she could barely maintain her smile.

She had to hold back and find out the information before dealing with him.

"Really? It seems that those books on how to communicate aren't very reliable."

Ron shrugged, then turned around and sat up cross-legged.

Along the way, the girl tried several times to get information from Ron about the explosion, but Ron just gave her perfunctory answers.

The girl's patience had almost reached its limit. Seeing that Ron was still wearing that fake smile, she stopped talking to him for the rest of the journey.

In this short journey, the giant bird had already crossed the snow-capped mountains in front of it and arrived above a relatively flat snowfield.

Ron glanced around and spotted a town with smoke rising from its chimneys. He then began to slowly descend over the snowfields near the town.

"That's enough for now."

After landing, Ron clapped his hands and turned to look at the girl.

"Thank you, mage."

The girl jumped off the bird's back, still thanking Ron with gratitude.

The girl still had a smile on her face, but one hand quietly reached for the handbag behind her back.

The moment the boy's feet touch the ground, she will immediately strike and cripple this rude fellow.

"That's right!"

Before she could take anything out of her bag, Ron, who was standing on the bird's back, interrupted her with his words.

"Speaking of which, you look familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"

"Magician, you may have mistaken me for someone else."

The girl's hand paused slightly, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Ron seemed to be just asking a question and hadn't noticed her action.

"I remember now, I met a woman who looked somewhat like you."

Ron maintained his fake smile, crossed his arms, and tilted his head to look at the girl.

"That woman's name is Ur, and she's a very powerful Ice-Shape Mage."

Upon hearing that name, the girl could no longer maintain her disguise, and her angry eyes betrayed her.

She suddenly pulled a crystal ball from her bag, and magic surged, causing the crystal ball to glow.

Chirp!

The next instant, a dazzling beam of light shot out from the crystal ball, heading straight for Ron's chest.

Ron had anticipated this; he dodged to the side, and the deadly beam pierced through his clothes, shattering the snow behind him.

The giant bird beneath their feet also took flight instantly, maintaining a superior distance several meters above the girl.

"The book says that people who are hit where it hurts often lose control of their emotions immediately, and it seems to be true."

Ron maintained his fake smile, the corners of his mouth curving upwards even more.

“Your expression now is much more pleasing to the eye than that hypocritical look you had just had, Miss Urutia.”

Urudia kept staring at Ron high in the sky, clenching her fists in anger.

"What exactly is your relationship with Uru?!"

Chapter 54 A Slight Advantage