Fairy Tail Space Mage

To protect his father's reputation as a writer, the writer's son made a request, hoping someone could help him burn that "rotten work"—the one Lucy had in her possession, *Sunrise*.

However, this is actually not a bad work. Rather, it's a true masterpiece, imbued with magic, capable of temporarily shifting the positions of the words. It might even be Cam Saleo's most satisfying and outstanding work!

Kem Saleo used magic to outwit Duke Aibal and defend his dignity as a writer!

Thanks to Lucy's deciphering, the new book, now with a changed title, was returned to the hands of Kem Saleo's son. Upon learning of his father's actions, Kem Saleo's son held the book and wept.

Everything was going well and all was fine. Natsu, caught up in the atmosphere, said, "Since the request wasn't completed, I don't want any payment."

This pained Lucy, who was a bit of a penny-pincher. After all, that was 200 million J! That's two and a half years' rent for a place in a prime location in Magnolia!

However, when Lucy learned that Kem Saleo's son was not actually very wealthy, and that the house they were using to host them was merely a temporary facade, she felt embarrassed to ask them for such a high fee.

They must have sold all their belongings. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to raise such a large sum of money.

"But is this really a good idea? Didn't you say you wanted to become a 'master of quests' who never fails, like that guy?" Lucy asked Natsu as they walked back.

"It's okay... Even if it were empty, I wouldn't choose to complete the request in that situation." Natsu didn't seem to regret it at all.

“If I have the time, I won’t take on those kinds of requests,” Harby added.

"Indeed. I don't like burning books or anything like that."...

"Yes, yes, Sora loves books the most!" Natsu said happily.

Because the commission was finished, he could see Sora immediately upon returning. Thinking of Sora, Natsu's eagerness to go back grew stronger; he could almost smell Sora's scent.

"Yeah. Sora's dorm is like a little library, overflowing with books!" Happy nodded in agreement. It was happy too. Because every time Sora came back, she would bring back delicious local fish as a souvenir.

"A small library? I really want to see it... Wait!! It seems like there were other people besides us in that conversation just now!" Lucy suddenly realized!

“Is that so…then let’s go take a look.” With that, Sora activated a “teleport” spell. Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Sora herself, who was following behind them, were immediately enveloped by a magic circle beneath their feet and vanished from their original positions!

Two years later, Sora can now use "teleportation" magic very easily. Although it's not as convenient and fast as "movement," it has its advantages. At least, he can teleport others instantly without touching them.

……

"You've worked hard, welcome back!"

The three people—no, two people and a cat—who hadn't yet figured out what was going on, were greeted by the sweet smile of the guild bartender. However, this wasn't the guild hall; they were in a room where three walls were crammed with bookshelves.

"Damn it... they've used 'teleport' magic so well already. Kaoru's value is plummeting..." Kaoru lamented to herself on the sofa. She hadn't expected that Sora could actually use "teleport" to bring Natsu and the others back so quickly.

"Sister Mira?"

"Sister Xun?"

Natsu and Happy were clearly still confused. After all, they had just been walking along the roadside, chatting.

"Sigh... Natsu, I'm the one who brought you back."

Kong sighed, puzzled as to what was wrong with Natsu. Why hadn't he noticed he was right behind him? Even setting aside combat instincts, he should at least have been able to spot him immediately by scent. Had Natsu caught a cold?

"Wow!"

"Ku, are you a ninja?!"

The two turned around and saw Kong, looking completely stunned.

A katana, still sheathed, appeared in Ku's hand, spun in mid-air, and tapped Natsu and Happy on the head with its hilt! This wasn't "Nameless," just a spare katana. Ku had so many of these trophies that he'd even considered giving a few to Erza.

"Ouch!" Both the person and the cat cried out in pain.

"Don't blame Natsu and the others, Sora. Even I haven't been able to detect your presence lately," Mira pleaded on behalf of Natsu and Happy.

"Is that so?" Sora asked with a strange look. No wonder he's been startling people lately. Ya'er even complained that Sora should only speak when he's in her sight.

“Um…” At this moment, Lucy finally couldn’t hold back anymore. She turned around.

He was still in his Black Knight suit. He was taller than everyone else present, around 180cm. He had black hair and black eyes, but without Gray's somewhat unfriendly slanted eyes. Sora's face was gentle, and his smooth, shoulder-length hair added to his gentle charm.

Compared to six years ago, Sora had lost some of her taciturn aloofness and gained a more mature, confident gentleness. And indeed, he was exactly as she had imagined the "Black Knight Prince" to be!

Lucy blushed slightly.

"Kong, hurry up! The souvenir!" At this moment, the one who came to interrupt was, of course, Happy, who was completely oblivious to the atmosphere.

"Here it is, Happy. Don't worry, it's guaranteed to be a variety of dried fish that you could eat for three days straight." Xun'er pointed to a pile of packaging bags next to the sofa, looking disgusted.

"It would be so nice if everything in these bags were turned into desserts..." Sora actually brought her red bean buns and red bean daifuku. But Kaoru thought it would be better to replace all of Happy's dried fish with those two things.

"Ah! That's great!" Happy flew over at top speed.

"Wait! We can't keep it all to ourselves!" The same old drama played out every year, and it was happening again this year. With the precious food in front of him, Natsu had temporarily forgotten about "challenging the sky."

Lucy saw Happy and Natsu pounce on the sofa and looked at them like pet cats and dogs being fed. It was the same when she first met Natsu and Happy; she only had to treat them to a meal, and they were practically begging to kneel down. These two are so easy to please!

Then, on the other side, is there a talking cat in the guild?

She was light purple, clean, and adorable, with a pair of large eyes that seemed even more intelligent and wise than a human's. She was reading a book while slowly sipping her black tea.

Is this the "Female Minister of the Literature Department" among cats?

"So you are the 'Golden Princess Who Sinks the Demon'?" Xun'er looked up at Lucy, seemingly noticing that Lucy was looking her over, and asked.

"Ah!...That...it's not like that!" Lucy panicked instantly.

“Yes, it’s just a misunderstanding… a nickname everyone came up with on their own,” Mira chimed in, trying to cover it up. She was even less inclined to bring this up than Lucy.

"Um, more importantly... Mr. Sora, do you remember me?" Lucy looked at Sora and asked nervously.

Chapter 103 The Atmosphere of the Family

“I’ve always remembered… a little later than I expected. Welcome to your new home, away from that cage!” Sora nodded gently to Lucy.

"Also, since we're family, from now on, just call me Sora, like everyone else in the guild." Sora then added with a smile.

His smile was so warm and reassuring. Lucy couldn't help but have a feeling of déjà vu. But immediately, she understood.

The feeling in that empty smile is exactly the same as Mira's.

Lucy looked up at the sky, speechless.

Her heart was filled with many emotions.

I still remember the感动 (gǎndòng, a feeling of being moved) she evoked, and I'm grateful that I understand her situation. And being treated so gently by Sora made my heart race, and I couldn't help but feel the urge to cry…

"Lucy...this dried fish is so delicious! Want to try some?" Natsu brought over a bag of dried fish, wanting to share it with Lucy.

"Should we share this with Lucy...? That's such a shame." Happy looked reluctant.

Because they'd get scolded by Kaoru for wolfing down their food here, they and Natsu only took a small taste. But it was really delicious!

These dried fish were originally local specialties prepared for humans, not cat treats made from leftovers, so the taste is guaranteed.

“Okay! I want one-third of the whole share!” Lucy suddenly announced.

(Who told you two to come and bother me! I've been waiting for so long, and I still have so much to say... but now I don't have the courage anymore. Waaah...)

"What?"

"Lucy is so greedy!"

Natsu and Happy were stunned.

"What are you doing? Aren't we on the same team? Didn't you two sneak into my apartment before, saying 'team stuff should be shared'? And then you ate my snacks and used my things without permission... Weren't you the ones who did those things?" Lucy was going to take this opportunity to turn the tables on him.

Happy and Natsu had no way to refute it and could only look to the airdrop for help.

"What should we do...? Maybe we should just give them all to Lucy. It's a bit stingy as a welcome gift for the new members though..." Sora clearly had no intention of helping Natsu and Happy. Or rather, he thought it would be fun to tease the two of them.

“Lucy, compared to dried fish, Lucy should prefer desserts…” Happy, in his desperation, decided to drag Xun’er into the mess.

"Hey!...Harpy!!" Xun'er had already produced the "Array Magic Book" in her hand.

The blue gem among the three gems on the magic book was shining brightly, emitting an aura that chilled the entire room!

That's a magic stone made from the highest-grade seeds of the "Ice Coffin Grass." The magic it can unleash... well, you can probably guess what it might be.

“Alright, you guys… I have some extra desserts here, let’s share some with Lucy. Natsu, Happy, you guys share some dried fish too… Lucy, don’t be so quick to refuse. Once you’ve tasted these things, you’ll understand why they all react this way.” Mira smiled as she mediated. He really liked this atmosphere; it felt very homey.

It would be even better if Elfman, Elsa, and... were all here. However, Elfman won't be back until tomorrow. Elsa is currently tied up with a specially assigned S-rank mission. But he should be back in a few days.

While Mira smiled happily, Kong, standing beside her, looked somewhat worried. Mira had placed such high regard on the local products he'd brought; wouldn't he be constantly troubled about procuring them when he traveled far away?

"What is this!... It's really delicious!!... The tea is also very good!!" Lucy was eating oriental pastries she had never eaten before and drinking the refreshing tea brewed by Mira that was perfect to accompany the dessert, her face full of surprise.

This surprised Sora. Wasn't she the young lady...? It seems even the young lady hasn't tried everything.

“Mira and Sora are both great chefs, just with different specializations. So, if you have time, you can come here and freeload... But don't bring Natsu and Happy, those two big eaters…” Kaoru whispered, making sure her voice only reached Lucy's ears. This was also a kind of magic, called “Whisper.”

Lucy paused for a moment, then quietly nodded to Xun'er.

The two, one human and one cat, quickly became acquainted. Was it because Lucy praised the dessert that Lucy also loved, or because they both enjoyed reading and immediately found common ground and were drawn to each other?

Meanwhile, on the other side, Natsu also recovered from the "dried fish incident" and challenged Sora.

“Okay. See you at the usual place tomorrow morning... I also want to see how Natsu is progressing.”

Sora agreed as always. However, as always, it would start tomorrow morning.

Mira and Xun'er both turned their gazes toward the sky, exchanged a glance, and seemed to have some plans in mind.

Harpy remained silent, and his expression was unusually serious.

It was indeed very worried about Natsu. Only now could it be seen that, despite always contradicting each other, it and Natsu were still one entity.

Although Lucy was also very concerned about this matter, her attention was immediately diverted by Sora and Kaoru's collection of books.

Of course, only Xun'er's collection of books contained novels. Lucy had borrowed all the parts she hadn't read.

……

The next day, early in the morning, at the edge of the eastern forest.

The weather is calm today; the sun has just risen, yet there's not a breath of wind. It looks like it's going to be a sunny, hot summer day.

Mira, Xun'er, Happy, Lucy, and even Gray, who somehow got wind of it, were all waiting at their usual workout spot. Lucy yawned, and the dark circles under her eyes told her she hadn't slept well the night before.

Of course, this wasn't because she was worried about the sparring match, nor was she looking forward to it. It was just that she was so engrossed in reading a novel yesterday that she went to bed late. In Lucy's mind, it was just a sparring match between guild members; it shouldn't be too dangerous.

But the current atmosphere doesn't seem to feel like that.

"Hey! Lucy!"

Just as Lucy was getting a little nervous and starting to ask what would happen next, Gray suddenly came over and greeted her.

Gray was very curious about Lucy, but it wasn't just curiosity.