A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

He tried his best to appear polite, with a gentle, harmless smile on his face, just like a friendly older brother next door.

The boy replied, "My name is Rufus."

Kira nodded silently, confirming it was indeed this person. He continued to probe, "You look so young, why are you performing on the street?"

Rufus looked somewhat dejected, as if he were treating Kira as a rare confidant, and replied, "To be honest, some time ago, my family business went bankrupt due to poor management, which is why I ended up on the streets."

Kira remained outwardly calm as he listened to the man recount his experiences, inwardly thinking: "Wow, so you really are a rich young master? No wonder you seem so innocent and harmless! No way! I, Kira, have to teach you what the wickedness of the human heart truly is!"

"That's a real shame! Sigh... The economy's been so bad lately. I have a friend who comes from a wealthy family, but her family went bankrupt not long ago, and now she's worried about not being able to pay her rent every day. Luckily, she's a mage, and she has a stable job at the magic guild..."

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat somber, while Rufus seemed somewhat tempted.

Feeling he'd said enough, Kira cut to the chase: "Speaking of which, I just saw your magic; it was quite unique. If you have nowhere to go, I can recommend you join a decent magic guild. With your abilities, making a living shouldn't be a problem. By the way, what kind of magic do you use?"

The three little ones sat quietly to the side watching Kira and Rufus's conversation. First came praise, then empathy, and finally, a helping hand. After these three rounds, they could feel that Rufus, a young and inexperienced man, was growing increasingly fond of Kira.

"Join a magic guild? Is that really possible?"

Everyone present could sense that although Rufus was trying to be restrained, his facial expression and tone of voice betrayed his joy and excitement.

Kira was very satisfied with Rufus's attitude and nodded with a smile, "Of course! I believe you will definitely become an excellent mage in the future!"

'Oh...I see...'

In fact, Rufus is not as naive and innocent as he appears.

He had long understood that posting commissions was just an excuse to talk to him. Who would want to post a commission if not a magic guild? Why would they go to a street performer like him?

'Judging from his attire, he's clearly a mage. His presence here at this time, accompanied by three children, suggests he's also here to enroll at the Demisol Magic Academy.'

At this moment, Kira was wearing a magic robe and a magic hat, practically wearing the words "I am a mage" on his face. Rufus had been wandering for many years, so he still had this much insight and intelligence.

In the magical world, kind people exist, but they are a minority. Rufus has wandered for many years and observed countless people. Nine out of ten harbor ill intentions towards the weak, and the remaining one is indifferent to what he sees and hears, which is tantamount to aiding and abetting evil. That's why he spouted nonsense about a "bankrupt young master."

Rufus initially judged that this person named Kira was recruiting him for his magic guild!

He'd heard that infighting among members of many magic guilds was fierce, sometimes even resulting in bloodshed over a single quest! This person was likely trying to recruit more henchmen for his faction!

Rufus silently observed Kira, his mind already conjuring up a whole host of indescribable "guild infighting" scenarios.

'This Kira guy must have his eye on my talent. He thinks I'm incredibly gifted in magic, young, and easily fooled, so he's trying to recruit me for his magic guild! Although I really want the job, I can't appear too eager; I have to be reserved! I need to act like I'm really interested! And I have to maintain my naive and innocent persona! Stay calm, Rufus! These self-important adults are the easiest to fool!'

Thinking of this, Rufus cleared his throat tactically and said, "The magic I use is called Elemental Shaping, which is a magic that can use various elements such as fire, wind, earth, lightning, and water to create shapes."

Rufus's expression held a hint of smugness, and he certainly had the right to be.

Although the design of each element is not strong, mastering the design of multiple elements at the same time is not an easy task, not to mention that he is only 11 years old this year.

Unfortunately, magic is most vulnerable to being a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, and mages rarely realize this until they truly suffer the consequences. If Rufus is allowed to continue developing in this way, his future achievements are destined to be limited.

Kira had only one question in his mind: Could it be that this kid hasn't learned the Memory Shape Magic yet?

Chapter 189 Who is really younger?

Whether Rufus genuinely didn't learn it or intentionally concealed it, Kira didn't really care. He was mainly curious about where that memory-shaping magic came from.

"Very comprehensive magic!"

Rufus failed to grasp Kira's implied meaning, assuming it was genuine praise, and thought to himself: Now it's my turn to claim sovereignty!

"Mr. Kira, what's the name of the magic guild you just mentioned?"

His expression turned serious, the subtext of which was: If you're talking about some nobody guild, I won't go!

Kira was not surprised by this change in attitude. Of course, he had to ask clearly about this. Just like finding a job is a two-way selection process, the attitude towards small companies and large companies is completely different!

Kira took a sip of his black tea: "Our guild is Fairy Tail, which is quite well-known in the Kingdom of Fiore. I wonder if you've heard of it?"

"What?!"

Rufus was shocked. His hand trembled, and he almost knocked over the teacup. At the same time, he sat up straight.

That's something I've never heard before!

Fairy Tail, this magic guild is far more than just a little famous. It has existed for over a hundred years and is currently the undisputed number one magic guild in the Kingdom of Fiore!

'Really? Is this person really a Fairy Tail mage? Oh right, I remember now, Kira! Could this person be that famous Fairy Tail mage, "Sage" Kira?! I heard he has red hair and blue eyes…'

Rufus glanced up furtively, then quickly looked down again. 'It really is him! Someone like him actually came to poach me personally?'

Thinking of this, a complex mix of emotions welled up in Rufus's heart: a mixture of pride, confidence, arrogance, and worry.

His entire aura shifted instantly. Ika, the little fanboy, sneered inwardly, winking at his friends Akas and Kuwamaru: 'Look at this guy! His attitude completely changes the moment he hears the name Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail really is the strongest!'

Sangwan gave him a look: 'Brother, tone it down a bit...'

Akas pulled her red hood down further, completely ignoring the fuss.

Kira was not drawn to the three children's eye contact; his attention was focused on Rufus. Seeing the other's eyes change suddenly and even become somewhat evasive, he was secretly pleased: This is the kind of reaction I wanted!

Trying to outsmart me? You're still too green, kid!

Kira says it's easy to shatter someone's pride in just three steps:

Start by offering some compliments and praising him to the point that he believes it himself, while expressing your attitude and giving him plenty of politeness and confidence.

Then let the other person show off a bit, and don't stop them during this time; let them enjoy their moment.

Finally, he inadvertently revealed his strength, completely shattering his pride. So, the more he had been faking it just now, the more ashamed he would feel now, realizing that his pretentious behavior in the second step was like that of a clown.

After that, it's much simpler. Just give them a little encouragement and say a few nice words, and they'll be incredibly grateful, following you around like glue, ready to do whatever you want.

This tactic is commonly known as "PUA," and Kira suffered greatly from it in his previous life!

Of course, Kira only learned the basics, and what he's using now is just the most rudimentary method. His main goal is to make the child realize how big the world is and not to be narrow-minded or complacent.

The starting point was good, and the process was as gentle as possible, so the result was also very positive.

"How about it? Fairy Tail, ever heard of it?" Kira found this whole thing quite interesting and decided to play around with it a little longer.

Rufus's face flushed crimson, and he didn't dare lift his head. He was ashamed as he had been so smug moments before: "I...I've heard of it..."

"Is it still to your liking?"

Kira's smile grew even warmer, his words filled with concern, but this only made Rufus more apprehensive.

"Y-yes..." the blond brat stammered, then realized it was too rude and quickly looked up to correct himself, "Ah... I mean, it would be an honor for me to join Fairy Tail!"

"Um……"

Kira's smile faded, his expression turned serious again, and he nodded imperceptibly, continuing to drink his tea.

This action, coupled with the ensuing minute-long silence, gradually made Rufus uneasy. He felt both embarrassed and anxious, as if an hour had passed in agony, and his mind was in complete chaos.

'Did I answer something wrong? Did I come across as too arrogant and upset Mr. Kira? Right, what kind of genius hasn't he seen? Why would he be interested in my magic? My old magic teacher once said that elemental magic is haphazard and lacks depth, it won't last! He must have realized that, which is why he's hesitating! What should I do? What should I do?'

'Those three kids next to me, the way they looked at me from the very beginning. The black-haired one was sneering, definitely mocking my performance just now; I was so ashamed. The tall one had a calm expression, completely ignoring me; he must have seen many geniuses like me... no, even more talented than me. And the last little girl just covered her eyes; she definitely didn't want to look at me at all…'

Rufus felt sweat beading on his palms, forehead, and between his nose and lips: 'Oh no, Mr. Kira is frowning. My performance must have disappointed him! I was so stupid, losing a chance to join Fairy Tail because of that completely useless pride! I regret it so much! I regret it so much right now!'

Kira spoke calmly: "Little mage..."

Rufus immediately shouted, "Yes!! Just call me Rufus, Mr. Kira, is there any problem?"

"I'm fine now. Is there anything you want to know?"

"Huh? Me? Is there something wrong with me...?"

Rufus was stunned by Kira's question. Wasn't Kira interviewing him? Wasn't he assessing whether he could join Fairy Tail? Why was he making him ask questions?

After thinking for a long time without figuring out the logic, Rufus could only answer, "No... I have no problem..."

Kira nodded and said, "Alright, that's all for today! Rufus, we have to go now. If you're interested, you can come to Magnolia; the scenery there is quite nice!"

Rufus replied stiffly, "Uh...okay...okay!"

'Mr. Kira, what does this mean? Does it mean you agreed or not?'

Just then, he vaguely heard Kira's complaining voice, who had already walked away: "The tea here is awful!"

Rufus's eyes darkened, his face fell, and he felt a chill in his heart. The sky outside darkened, the red tea in his hand tasted bland, and he felt completely out of place amidst the surrounding noise...

On the other hand, Kira, who had left, did not have this psychological burden, because he was completely unaware of Rufus's inner thoughts.

In his view, Rufus had not yet learned the Memory Shape Magic. If he took him back to the guild now, it would be like interfering with his destiny, and he might not be able to learn the strongest Shape Magic. As for saying that he had to leave, it was to go to Demisol's reception office, and if he didn't hurry, it would get dark. As for the last sentence, it was just because he thought the red tea was not good.

"What's wrong with this shop? Such a good location, such nice decor, such high prices, and the black tea they make is so awful? Thumbs down!"

Little Red Riding Hood Acas chimed in, "I also think it tastes awful; it's not as good as my juice!"

As she spoke, she casually took out the juice from her waist and drank a sip, as if rinsing her mouth.

Sanmaru, standing beside him, said, "Kira-sensei, I thought you were really going to take him back to the guild."

Kira glanced at him and said, "I do want him to join Fairy Tail. You see, didn't I just say I could recommend him for Fairy Tail? And then I invited him to Magnolia. That's practically a blatant invitation!"

Sangwan suddenly realized: "So that's how it is?"

“Of course!” Kira nodded firmly. “I think that kid is pretty smart; he’ll definitely understand what I mean!”

If it were anyone else from the guild here, they might have slapped Kira twice and taught him a lesson about what "explicit statements" meant. But these three kids are too young and don't understand this kind of thing, so they don't think Kira's actions are wrong.

Sangwan looked at him with admiration: "I see, now I understand completely!"

Ika shouted excitedly, "As expected of Boss Kira, he can recruit a genius who can rival me for Fairy Tail with just two simple words!"

Akas said with a smug look, "It seems that what Sister Cana said wasn't entirely right. Kira-sensei is still very powerful!"

"Of course I'm amazing!" Kira slammed a large hand down on Little Red Riding Hood's head. "From now on, listen less to that Cana girl; she's misleading people!"

"You're not allowed to say anything bad about Sister Kana!"

"Hey hey hey..."

Chapter 190 The Restaurant's Resident Singer

After asking passersby, they finally found the reception area of ​​Demisor Magic Academy in Hams.

As a special guest of the Academy and the "geniuses" he brought, the Academy has already booked rooms for Kira and the three little ones at Harms' most famous five-star hotel, where they can check in directly.