A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

In X774, Kira was 10 years old when he first heard the name "Fairy Tail" in this world.

Before this, Kira thought he had just been reincarnated into some fantasy world. However, when the adventurer party arrived in Magnolia, he realized that he was actually in the world of Fairy Tail.

Kira then turned to the magical world, joining the familiar Fairy Tail guild, a place brimming with overpowered abilities.

In X776, Kira passed the upgrade test in just two years, becoming the first S-class mage in the guild after Gildarts, and also the youngest S-class mage in the entire Fiore Kingdom.

During those years, Kira's fame resounded throughout the entire continent of Fiore. He was even named "the most talented young mage" by the Magic Monthly and earned the nickname "Sage".

The title "Sage" doesn't come from Kira having any strange personality traits, but rather from his magical Word of Power, which not only allows him to create things in a tangible form but also to imbue everything with a status effect.

Kira's glory made Laxus, who grew up in the guild, and Mira, Erza, and others who joined later very envious and resentful, so they repeatedly challenged him.

In X782, two years ago, 18-year-old Kira used his savings to open the "Hope House" in Magnolia and became a magic merchant. This made the three ambitious guys in the guild who looked up to him but were left far behind extremely resentful.

Then, it is now X784, Kira is 20 years old, this is a special year because the Fairy Tail storyline is about to begin.

Even though so much time has passed, Kira still remembers most of the Fairy Tail storyline. It doesn't matter if he's not clear about some details, since the guild has cheat codes, he's not worried at all.

Even when facing powerful enemies, as long as you shout out the cheat code, it's as if an exciting background music will play in your ears, and you can quickly turn the tide of battle. That's the magic of this guild.

Thinking of this, Kira was suddenly filled with excitement, as if his youth had returned. So he got up, packed his things, and headed to the place where his dream began, Fairy Tail.

"Hmm... Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've been to the guild. I'm so free today, it'll be good to go back and check it out, and maybe pick up a quest to make my presence known."

"Judging by the time, the main story should be starting soon, right? I wonder if Lucy has joined the guild yet?"

Chapter 3 It turns out the news about the fire dragon was...

This is a world of magic: Asland, Ishgar, the Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.

The central street is the most expensive, busiest, and most populated area in Magnolia, where Kira's Hope Hut is located.

Kira, who had been staying in his cabin making magical items for a long time and hadn't left the house in ages, felt that his surroundings had changed so much in just a few days.

Fortunately, the people were still the same, and the atmosphere remained unchanged. Walking on the road felt like having background music playing in the background, making me feel light and cheerful. I quickened my pace and headed towards the guild.

Magnolia is a famous and bustling town in the Kingdom of Fiore, with a constant stream of people coming and going, including merchants traveling between cities of various countries to trade goods, as well as tourists traveling across the continent to broaden their horizons.

The prosperity is due not only to the warm hospitality of the residents, but also to the presence of Fairy Tail, a magic guild renowned throughout the entire Kingdom of Fiore.

The Kingdom of Fiore has two most famous magic guilds: one is "The Lord of the Ghosts," which has many small branches and the largest number of members and the widest distribution area of ​​all guilds; the other is Fairy Tail, a place that is like a tavern.

The building is pyramid-shaped, with a large clock hanging at the top and a red guild flag with white stripes hanging below. There is also a courtyard surrounded by a fence outside the guild.

The courtyard was wide open, with a black sign that read "FAIRY TAIL" hanging at the entrance. Overall, it looked like a small Western-style villa. Standing outside, you could see the wooden door on the first floor open, and through the door, you could vaguely see mages chatting and drinking inside, with various noisy sounds coming from time to time.

These guys are always arguing.

Since Kira joined Fairy Tail nearly ten years ago, the guild's atmosphere has remained unchanged, always lively, except that there are more people drinking and chatting.

It's strange that these background characters seem to have money to spend without having to work. They spend their days drinking and chatting in the guild, which is truly enviable. Even nobles would be moved to tears.

Kira looked around and, sure enough, the noisiest group was Cana, Wakkaba, and Macao, who were having a drinking contest. This was the most common drinking trio in the guild, and this time they had even dragged Gray along.

The busiest person is Mila, who works as a waitress. She always has a smile on her face and is sweet and lovely.

On the other hand, Rocky, who is quite popular on the "boyfriend list" in the magical world, is surrounded by beautiful women, one on each side, and is very happy, which is the envy of others.

Then there's Elfman, who keeps calling himself a "real man" without any sense of what he's saying.

In this atmosphere, Levy can still concentrate on studying with her books, and there are two sycophants who are stuck to her side, whose names Kira has forgotten.

Apart from that, they are all just background figures: some are people gathered together talking about clothes and food, some are standing in front of the task panel for a long time without moving, and some are sitting quietly in the corner drawing silently...

All sorts of people gathered together, and the tavern was filled with a cheerful atmosphere—this was Fairy Tail.

The noise in the guild never stopped for even a second, but it wasn't that no one noticed Kira's arrival.

Mira, who was the first to greet us, is a warm, gentle, and meticulous woman who also works as a waitress and manages all the affairs of the guild. She is always the first to spot people entering and leaving the guild.

"Oh my, it's been a long time, Kira. What brings you here today?"

Because Kira runs a magic shop, he is usually nowhere to be seen for a long time.

"Yo, long time no see, Mira-san!" Kira greeted with a smile. "The shop had a big profit today! Quick, get me one of any new drinks from the guild!"

Okay~

Kira sat down at the bar and stretched: "Ah! Having Erza as a big customer has really saved me a lot of trouble! I don't even need to go out to do missions, I can make a lot of money just by staying in the shop and making magical equipment."

"Really? That's really convenient. But, if you're making magical items, don't you need to go out and collect materials?"

"Oh, you mean that? I occasionally post material collection tasks in the guild, which can also help guild members with their work difficulties, killing two birds with one stone."

To be honest, Kira admired himself for managing to keep the benefits within the family to this extent.

Suddenly remembering something, Kira added, "Well, there are some materials that are difficult to collect, and they can't go on missions that are too dangerous, so they do have to go out in person sometimes."

"The new drink you wanted..." Mira tilted her head in confusion, "Isn't there also Erza?"

Kira took the drink Mira offered him, took a satisfying sip, and then looked wistful. "Erza? She did take on my collection missions, but well, less than a tenth of the materials she brought back were usable."

"Huh? Why?" Mira tilted her head, looking puzzled.

"That's Erza, you know. She won't hold back in a fight," Kira explained meaningfully, raising an eyebrow.

Mira, who knew Erza's personality well, immediately understood: "I see, that makes sense. You're really amazing, as expected of Erza!"

Huh? Is this the kind of context where praise should be given? What a strange thought process.

"Speaking of which, where are Natsu and Happy? Are they out on a mission? They're always arguing with Gray when we come here."

"Yes, I heard they heard news about the fire dragon, so they took Happy to go look for it," Mira replied with a smile as she wiped the glass in her hand.

Kira's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. A fire dragon? Igneel? At a time like this? Wait, no, I don't recall any such plot.

"A fire dragon? You mean Natsu's dad? How could that be true? If a dragon really appeared, it would have caused a huge news story by now."

“That’s right,” Gray walked over, “but you know his personality. He’ll rush over overnight as soon as he hears a rumor, and by the time the rest of the news comes, he’s long gone.”

"What news? What news?"

"It seems there's a mage involved in shady dealings, using the name 'Fire Dragon' to swindle people. We can leave this to Natsu." Cana walked over, reeking of alcohol, with a small barrel of liquor in each hand. She put her arms around Kira and Gray's necks from behind and called out to Mira at the bar, "Mira, two more barrels of liquor, please."

"Yes~"

Kira nodded: "Now that you mention it, you're right."

This event seems familiar, like it's from the beginning of the story, right? Does that mean Lucy is coming? Natsu is going to fall in love? The guild is going to become lawless?

Oh, no, the guild has always been lawless...

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. It's rare to see you here, want to grab a drink together?"

"No... I think I'll pass." Faced with Cana's enthusiastic invitation, Kira raised his drink, indicating he already had one. Girl, you're too late! You have to seize this opportunity!

Taking advantage of this hint, Kira began his daily routine: product sales.

"As for you, I mentioned last time that Hope Cottage is about to release a new batch of magical items, including cards that happen to match your magic. How about it? Want to buy them?"

Chapter 4 The Dilemma of Possessing Magic

Although Cana was already reeking of alcohol, Kira had no doubt that she could keep drinking until night. While she was still out of her mind, business was the priority, and she might just agree in a moment of impulse.

Like Erza, Cana is one of Kira's main customers. Although she is not a VIP, as the shop owner, she certainly cannot be prejudiced. She must be enthusiastic enough to every customer and provide them with opportunities to spend money—even if there are no opportunities, she must create them.

Not only Erza's armor, but almost all the magical items in the Fairy Tail guild, including but not limited to magic crystals, magical weapons, magic pens, etc., have been made by Kira.

Perhaps it was a perk of being a time traveler, or perhaps it was simply a matter of talent, but a few years ago, Kira suddenly discovered that he had a great talent for making magical items, especially the combination of forging techniques and word magic, which allowed him to create many strange and wonderful items.

Smaller, less desirable items include boots of speed, telekinetic throwing knives, prophecy cards, and lucky dice; larger weapons include armor, staves, and rings, making Magnolia a veritable department store.

Cana uses card magic, so she needs magic cards in battle, while Kira is best at creating magic items, making a set of magic cards is a piece of cake for him.

Kana slammed the barrel of liquor she was holding onto the bar, drunkenly complaining, "Well, the thing is... your price is too high, how could I possibly afford it!"

"What are you talking about? You get what you pay for. Don't you know my cards? A good card can be used for a long time. Besides, your money hasn't left you; it's just staying with you in another form. That's much more valuable than these two barrels of wine you have."

Kira looked completely at ease.

"But... it's really too expensive. I'm not an S-class like you and Erza."

Cana hesitated for a moment, knowing full well how powerful Kira's magical artifacts were.

"Holding magic requires powerful magical items. If you want to become stronger, you have to make some sacrifices. Once you become an S-rank, take on a few high-paying missions, and you'll earn the money back, right?"

In the world of magic, magic is divided into two types: possession magic and ability magic.

"Holding" refers to magic that requires magical items to cast. Celestial Spirit magic is probably the pinnacle of this category. The powerful Celestial Spirits form their own world, and mages summon Celestial Spirits to fight using corresponding Celestial Spirit keys.

Below the Celestial King are the twelve Zodiac signs, each corresponding to one of the twelve powerful Celestial Spirits, summoned through the rarest Golden Key; below the Golden Key are the Silver Keys, and as for whether there are any others, Kira doesn't know much about them.

Since most of their combat methods rely on Celestial Spirits, Celestial Spirit Mages are generally the weakest in terms of combat ability—unless they can wear a Celestial Spirit suit.

In contrast, magicians rely on equipment and powerful weapons to fight personally, thus generally possessing the strongest physical abilities.

The equipment comes in various forms; for example, Erza uses armor, while Bisca and Alzak in the guild use guns.

Cards are naturally a type of possession-based game, but card magic isn't particularly outstanding among possession-based games for three reasons:

Firstly, the cards of the Card Mage are inferior to those of the Celestial Spirit, and their physical attributes are also inferior to those of the Transformation Mage. In other words, they are somewhere in between, neither good nor bad.

Secondly, there are issues with the production process.

First of all, it's important to know that card mages do not use the magic in cards, nor do they create cards themselves. If they could, why would they bother using cards to cast spells?

Therefore, most magic cards can only be obtained through purchase, which not only requires spending a lot of money, but also does not guarantee quality. After all, except in special circumstances, the people who make cards are generally not powerful mages, otherwise why would they bother making cards? So they cannot make powerful cards.

The third reason: its power is average.

A well-rounded fighting style means having no special skills. This type of magic has an insurmountable flaw unless you use cheat codes—Kira himself is a perfect example.

This is also why Cana was given the "Fairy Flash" title later in the original work. If she only relied on card magic, she wouldn't be a member of Team B. In terms of raw strength, let alone Lucy, Levy might even be stronger than her.

At this stage, Cana hasn't been suppressed by Natsu and Gray, those overpowered guys. Kira estimates that her strength is probably about the same as Loki's.

But who is Rocky?

The Celestial Spirit of the Twelve Gold Saints, originally Leo of the Leo constellation, lingered in the human world for three years, greatly weakening his power. Once Lucy arrives, he will regain his Celestial Spirit identity and return to his peak, leaving only Cana behind.