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

Ron rode 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, how can ordinary people still be out 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 slowly descended upon her, bringing with it powerful wind pressure.

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

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, then changed his expression to a smiling one with a speed that would take most people no time to react.

"It's very dangerous for you to go into the mountains alone in this weather."

The girl still maintained 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 nearby, namely a mage.

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

She was on guard 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 delight.

"Is it really possible?"

"No, it's fake."

The girl's expression froze on the spot, not expecting 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 should make a joke to ease the tension."

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

"Haha, you're quite the joker, mage."

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 hypocrite.

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

As Ron watched the popularity of his performance rise, the corners of his mouth curled up even higher.

"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-painting bird, sitting behind Ron.

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

The giant bird took to the air again.

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

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

Ron didn't turn his head 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 a giant bird is practically like magic!"

The girl forced a smile, trying to cover up this 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 for a moment before nodding.

"So, from now on, how about I 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?

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

When she finished speaking, her face was already flushed, and her smile was about to fade.

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

"Really? It seems that book on how to communicate isn't very reliable."

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

Along the way, the girl tried several times to extract 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 still maintained that fake smile, she didn't speak to Ron 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, 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 maintained her smile, but one hand quietly reached for her handbag behind her back.

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

"Oh, 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. Haven't we met somewhere before?"

"Mage, you must have mistaken me for someone else."

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

"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 Uru, and she's a very powerful Ice-Magic Mage."

Upon hearing this name, the girl could no longer maintain her facade, 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 off instantly, maintaining a superior distance a few 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 from before, Miss Ultear."

Ultear kept her eyes fixed on Ron high in the sky, clenching her fists in anger.

"What exactly is your relationship with Uru?!"