Chapter 5: Could It Be That Tatsuya Is Also a Mage?

"All settled." Hibiki said to Makarov. "Master Makarov, I'll head back now."

"Ah, thank you for your hard work," Makarov replied. "I'll add the request form later and send the commission fee to Blue Pegasus."

Rhodes hurriedly said, "Thank you, Master, for saving my life, and thank you too, Hibiki, for your help. I'm eternally grateful!"

Mirajane covered her mouth, chuckling, "What's with that way of talking? Is Rhodes turning into Laki? So funny."

Makarov looked at Hibiki, his eyes as if asking what was going on.

"Ah, well... since the knowledge was forcefully transferred into his mind, it naturally needs some time to be digested." Hibiki said awkwardly, "So he might say things in a confusing way for a while. Just help correct him a bit, or I could redo it once my magic improves."

"No... no need! Please let me respectfully decline!" Rhodes declared. He definitely didn't want to experience that splitting headache again. Learning knowledge steadily on his own felt more reliable.

Definitely not because he was afraid of the pain.

Makarov nodded, "Very well, consider the commission complete."

Mirajane escorted Hibiki out, while Rhodes was called by Makarov. "Rhodes, right? Did Mira explain the general situation to you?"

"Um, because of the language barrier, I only understood part of it," Rhodes admitted. "But I gather it was you who saved me from the forest, right?"

Makarov shook his head. "No, to be precise, I just brought you back from the forest."

Rhodes looked confused. "Then the beasts that attacked me... weren't they beaten by you in some chaotic fight?"

Makarov didn't bother correcting Rhodes' choice of words for now. He sat cross-legged on a chair by the bedside, towering even while seated.

Rhodes felt it was disrespectful to look down on the elderly man, so he obediently sat by the bed.

Makarov began slowly, "Actually, the reason I went there was because someone reported a beast outbreak—monstrous birds, giant frogs, savage wolves... and even dragons."

"The mayor was worried that a large group of monsters in the eastern forest would threaten Magnolia's safety, so he commissioned me to investigate."

The real reason Makarov personally went to investigate was because Porlyusica lived in that forest, and he was concerned about her.

"But when I arrived, all I found was a dead boar-bear, a heavily damaged forest, and you lying on the ground."

The more Rhodes listened, the more alarmed he felt, realizing how lucky he was to have survived under such conditions.

Maybe he should even thank the thing that flung him away... Was it called a boar-bear? What a strange name.

Makarov asked, "Do you remember anything about the beasts?"

Rhodes shook his head. "I don't remember them at all, but just before I passed out, I did hear lots of strange noises. The forest had been very quiet before that."

Makarov nodded; it seemed that the beast outbreak happened around the time Rhodes fainted. Or maybe... Rhodes had accidentally triggered the beast stampede himself.

"What were you doing in the forest?"

"I... don't know." Rhodes looked conflicted. "It sounds strange, but I literally just tripped, and when I got up, I was in the forest."

"I see." Makarov mused. Suddenly appearing in another place—he knew of several cases like that.

For example, Porlyusica, who treated Rhodes earlier, had suddenly appeared decades ago, claiming to be from a world called Edolas.

And then there was Natsu, who had also suddenly appeared near here six years ago. Back then, he could talk but couldn't read, though he claimed he'd learned to read.

Rhodes' situation seemed more similar to Natsu's due to the language barrier.

Furthermore, Natsu had appeared looking for a dragon, and Rhodes showed up amid tales of a dragon. There might be some connection between the two.

Makarov speculated that perhaps both were unintentionally affected by spatial magic cast by a powerful mage in another continent, leading to their sudden arrival here.

"I think I understand the situation."

Rhodes looked at him in surprise, "You believe me so easily?"

"Why not?" Makarov looked into his eyes. "I'm fairly confident in my ability to tell if a young person is lying."

"But..." Rhodes suddenly realized, oh, right, this was a world of magic. Someone suddenly appearing somewhere wasn't even that strange here.

Makarov asked, "So, what do you plan to do next?"

"I... have nowhere to go for now." Rhodes had thought about it for two days. Staying here seemed like the best option for now. He worried that if he wandered off, he might run into another boar-bear or some other terrifying beast and wouldn't be as lucky next time.

But Fairy Tail seemed to be a guild of mages. What could an ordinary person like him do...

To survive safely, Rhodes decided to muster his courage and ask, "May I stay here?"

"Of course."

So casual! Rhodes looked at the old man before him, and there wasn't even a moment's hesitation?

"You don't even know my background."

Makarov asked, "Would you like to tell me about it?"

"I..." Rhodes hesitated; he really didn't know where to start.

"Then wait until you're ready to tell me." Makarov smiled warmly.

"There are many kids in the guild who were homeless, some of whom couldn't even explain where they came from. Back then, they were as uncertain as you are now."

"But it doesn't matter. It's precisely because of that uncertainty that we need comrades. That's why we have a guild."

"Everyone supports each other to live bravely and treats each other as family. That's what a guild is; that's what Fairy Tail is."

Makarov spoke to Rhodes about his vision for the guild, his eyes seemingly glowing.

It was Rhodes' first time truly understanding what Fairy Tail stood for. It wasn't like the mission guilds in the games or anime he knew.

Fairy Tail wasn't just a brokerage—it was a place that felt warmer and more meaningful.

...

The process of joining the guild was very simple.

Makarov took Rhodes to see Mira, who added Rhodes' name to the member list.

"This city is Magnolia, located in the eastern part of the Fiore Kingdom, with a population of about 60,000. It's a city where magic has always been prominent."

"Fairy Tail is the only legitimate guild in this city. Then, here..."

Since Rhodes lacked the most basic common knowledge about the place, Mirajane had to start with explaining geography.

When she got to Fairy Tail, she took out something resembling a stamp and asked Rhodes to choose a color and where he wanted the guild mark.

Rhodes rolled up his sleeve and asked Mira to stamp the blue insignia on his left arm.

The process was as simple as stamping a regular seal.

Rhodes touched the emblem, feeling no difference from his regular skin. Apparently, it was magic again. "This won't fade, right?"

"Of course not." Mirajane put the stamp away and explained,

"This emblem represents you as a Fairy Tail mage. It can serve as proof of your identity, no matter where you are."

"A mage..." Rhodes covered his arm, nervously asking, "But I don't know any magic at all. What do I do? Will I be kicked out?"

"How could that happen? If you want, you can just start learning now," Mira said. "It might just be a bit difficult at first to find a commission you can complete."

"You don't know any magic?" Makarov pointed at the pendant on Rhodes' chest. "Isn't that a magic tool?"

"Huh?" Rhodes picked up his necklace charm and examined it. It was a capital letter "L" set against a blue background with a gold rim, with intricate patterns etched inside.

"You're saying this is a magic tool? It can't be."

This thing was just the icon of some 5v5 game app, a gift from his roommate Zhang Da Ye on his birthday.

Although it seemed well-crafted and probably wasn't cheap, it was just an ordinary pendant...

Could it be that Da Ye, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, was actually a mage?