Chapter 35: Ian's Recruitment of the Girls and the Dispute Between Mirajane and Erza

"Uh…"

Mirajane trembled slightly at the soft voice coming from behind her, clearly from within the Fairy Tail guild hall.

"Sorry! We didn't mean to intrude! Goodbye!" 

Mirajane tried to leave swiftly without a second thought, pulling her younger brother and sister along. She moved with such determination, with no intention of looking back.

"Since you're already here, why not join the guild before you leave?"

However, just as Mirajane was about to leave, a golden light flashed, and a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking their path. This man held a shiny stamp in his hand—none other than the Fairy Tail guild mark.

Anyone stamped with this mark would be bound to Fairy Tail.

"Gulp..."

Mirajane swallowed nervously, beads of sweat forming on her pale forehead. Her eyes showed a mix of nervousness and unease. She could tell just from the way the man stood that he was extremely powerful.

"Um, hello!"

"My name is Lisanna Strauss, and this is my brother, Elfman Strauss, and my sister, Mirajane Strauss. We came here because we're all wizards and wish to join your guild to become officially recognized by the Magic Council as professional wizards."

While Mirajane remained silent, Lisanna stepped forward, politely introducing them with a bow.

"Lisanna, don't get too close to that old man!"

"Can't you feel it? This guy is dangerous!" 

Mirajane hurriedly pulled Lisanna behind her, scolding her loudly.

"But I think this big brother here seems like a good person~" 

Lisanna innocently shook her head, having a completely different impression from her older sister.

"Hey, hey, hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves. My name is Ian. You can call me brother Ian. I'm only 27, nowhere near being an old man."

Yes, the person blocking their path was none other than Ian.

At the age of 27, Ian wasn't thrilled about being called an old man. After all, without considering the time he'd spent in the simulator, he was far from reaching "old man" status.

However, if one included the four hundred years he spent during his first simulation, he could be their ancestor by now!

"Twenty-seven years old…" Mirajane raised an eyebrow. "Hey, old man, you do know that 27 is still considered an old man, right?"

"Tsk."

Ian frowned slightly. Young Mirajane, still in her rebellious phase, was truly unlikeable. He much preferred the kinder version of her from the original timeline—the cover girl Mirajane.

However, if Mirajane's growth required sacrificing Lisanna, Ian would rather she never mature. With his current strength, he could protect Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna across all of Ishgar.

"Enough talking. Since you've stumbled upon our guild's secrets, I can't just let you walk away so easily."

"I'll give you two options." 

"First, you can join Fairy Tail willingly. Or second, I'll force you to join."

Ian's tone turned serious as he presented the choices.

"Is there even a difference between those options?!" 

Mirajane said angrily.

"If you think there's no difference, then there's nothing I can do."

Ian shrugged nonchalantly.

"I think we should join."

At this moment, Lisanna, once again displaying her sweet nature, raised her hand with a soft voice.

"Lisanna, stop causing trouble…"

"As your older sister, I have to be responsible for all of you."

"Trust me, Fairy Tail is not a good place—I've seen it with my own eyes."

Mirajane, clearly reluctant, couldn't bear to drag her siblings into what she believed to be Fairy Tail's "pit of fire."

"Looks like I'll have to use my secret weapon."

Ian sighed, feeling that Mirajane was forcing his hand.

"W-What are you planning to do?!"

Mirajane took a few steps back, her expression wary.

"Mirajane, if I'm not mistaken..."

"You three are all users of Take Over magic, correct? And you, being the eldest and the strongest among you, should possess a very rare ability—'Satan Soul,' right?"

Ian glanced over at Mirajane and her siblings, pretending to be uncertain as he asked.

"Y-Yes, and so what?!"

"Are you going to discriminate against me for having Satan Soul?"

Mirajane's eyes flashed with anger, clearly recalling the negative experiences she'd endured.

"You've misunderstood, Mirajane."

"At Fairy Tail, whether you're a fairy, a dragon, or even a demon, we don't discriminate. We treat all members equally. So, why would we discriminate against you for using Satan Soul magic?"

Ian smiled softly before moving closer, using the power of his Paradise Space.

"Girl, do you desire power?"

"Do you want magic that can protect your brother and sister from harm?"

"Do you want the power of a demon so strong it can destroy entire towns?"

"I have demon souls here that are far superior to the weak and incomplete ones you've been using."

"As long as you join Fairy Tail, they're all yours..."

Ian revealed his collection of demon souls, using his salesmanship that could rival any smooth-talking merchant to tempt her.

"This..."

Mirajane, a Take Over magic expert, could instantly feel the immense strength of the demon souls in front of her.

Among them, the dark blue demon gave her an especially overwhelming feeling.

"This demon's name is Deliora, one of the creations of the black wizard Zeref, who ravaged the world four hundred years ago!"

"If you can fully master Deliora's power, you could easily surpass the Ten Wizard Saints."

Ian, sensing Mirajane's growing interest, continued to tempt her.

In truth, Deliora's power was immense. If not for encountering Ur, a mage with a 'nullifying' magic attribute, Deliora would have been a top-tier villain within Tartaros.

"Surpassing the Ten Wizard Saints…?"

Mirajane murmured, her eyes reflecting a deep desire for power.

"I... I agree."

Ultimately, Mirajane succumbed to the power that lay within her reach. With her head bowed, she accepted joining Fairy Tail.

"Rest assured. I can guarantee you with my life that joining Fairy Tail will never be something you'll regret."

Ian smiled brightly.

"Let's hope so."

Mirajane replied weakly.

With that, Ian stamped the Fairy Tail emblem onto Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna's hands.

"Hehe~"

"It looks like Father is luring in more young girls again. I'll have to tell Mother about this."

Leaning against the doorway, Erza teased while eating her strawberry cake, having silently watched the entire interaction.

"Wait, Erza, hold on…"

"What do you mean I'm luring in young girls?!"

"I'm doing this for Fairy Tail! With new members joining in so slowly each year, I had no choice but to take measures!"

Ian started sweating nervously, trying to explain himself.

"Hehe~"

Ignoring him, Erza approached Lisanna and, after a brief pause, murmured, "What a cute girl! Here, have some cake."

"Welcome to Fairy Tail."

She handed over her strawberry cake.

"Thank you, big sister~" 

Lisanna smiled sweetly as she accepted the cake.

"So sweet~"

Lisanna tasted a bit of the whipped cream, her face lighting up with happiness.

"Lisanna! How many times have I told you not to take food from strangers!"

"Who knows if it's poisoned! And stop calling other people 'big sister.' I'm your big sister!"

Mirajane scolded her sister for being easily bribed by a simple piece of cake.

"What did you mean by that?"

Before Mirajane could continue, Erza, clearly displeased, walked up to her. For some reason, Erza just couldn't stand Mirajane.

"I meant exactly what I said."

"Do you have a problem with that?"

Mirajane's eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

"Looking for a fight?"

Erza said, drawing her sword.

"You think I'm scared?"

Mirajane's arm began to glow as she partially transformed, activating her Satan Soul.

The tension between the two soared.

"Hmm, Mirajane is definitely suited for Fairy Tail."

Ian watched in satisfaction.

---

You can read up to 20 chpaters ahead on patreon.com/DogLeading