(2) Mira's Faction and Erza's Faction

Chapter 2: Mira's Faction and Erza's Faction

Although Silver had successfully joined the Fairy Tail guild, he did not immediately go to the mission board to find a task.

Instead, he sat down at a nearby table and began carefully examining the Pict Magic that had evolved from his "cheat."

Since it was an evolution, not a copy, there was a chance that the Pict Magic he obtained might be different from Reedus's.

With this thought in mind, Silver focused his attention inward, trying to assess the specifics of his newfound power.

Sure enough, just as he had anticipated, the Pict Magic he had evolved was not the same as Reedus's.

Reedus's Pict Magic allowed him to make his drawings move, but it only worked on drawings on his own body.

Silver's, however, was different. His Pict Magic could make any drawing on paper or on the ground come to life. In terms of convenience, it was definitely stronger than Reedus's.

However, where there is strength, there is also weakness.

Reedus's Pict Magic could turn his drawings into solid objects.

That meant if he drew a knife, it would become a real knife that could be used for cutting or other purposes.

Silver's Pict Magic, on the other hand, could only make the drawings move but couldn't solidify them.

In comparison, Silver's ability was far less versatile, as Reedus's could be used as weapons or tools, while Silver's couldn't...

Feeling incredibly frustrated, Silver slumped on the table, too drained to move.

He was overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness, not knowing how he should continue his life from here on out.

Just as he was about to give up, a loud bang echoed as a hand slammed onto the table in front of him.

Looking up in confusion, he saw a girl with white hair, an extremely cute face, but with a fierce expression like that of a troublemaker—someone around his age.

Silver immediately recognized her as Mira.

Mira pulled her hand back from the table, crossed her arms, and threatened with a fierce expression, "Hey, new guy. Are you going to join Mira's faction or Erza's faction?"

"Mira's faction? Erza's faction?" Knowing that this girl was Mira, Silver wasn't scared by her fierce expression. However, he hadn't quite figured out what she meant by Mira's faction and Erza's faction.

Seeing that Silver didn't understand, Mira was annoyed. She grabbed the collar of his T-shirt and pulled him closer to her.

Just as she was about to say something, another girl with short white hair and a boy with a menacing face, though he looked quite weak, came over to intervene.

"Hmph, Lisanna, you explain it to him," Mira said, clearly upset, as she let go of Silver's collar and turned her face away, not willing to back down.

Seeing Mira release him, Lisanna smiled warmly at Silver and spoke softly, "Hello, my name is Lisanna Strauss. This is my sister, Mira Jane Strauss. I'm sorry about that—Mira didn't mean any harm."

"Hello. Lisanna, Mira. My name is Silver Greyhart. It's fine, I don't mind," Silver quickly introduced himself and shook his head, reassuring them.

Mira's previously scowling face softened when she saw that Silver wasn't offended.

Lisanna, seeing that Silver wasn't angry, pointed to the white-haired, fierce-looking boy who seemed weak and said, "This is Elfman, my brother. Elfman Strauss, My older brother and Mira's younger brother."

"Hello." Elfman, upon hearing his sister introduce him, quickly greeted Silver in a soft voice, though his tone still sounded somewhat timid.

"Hello, nice to meet you, Elfman." Silver, knowing that Elfman had always been this way since he was young, wasn't bothered by his demeanor.

He simply gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder and said, "You should speak a bit louder and more confidently. That's how a man should sound."

"Thank you for the advice." Elfman, upon hearing Silver's words, nodded happily.

Mira, witnessing this exchange, was taken aback and looked Silver up and down with a surprised expression.

"No problem." Silver waved at Elfman, then turned to Lisanna and asked, "What exactly are Mira's faction and Erza's faction about?"

"It's because Mira and Erza are both very competitive and want to outdo each other in every way, so..." Lisanna, though young, explained the situation very clearly in one sentence, providing a good overview of the rivalry between Mira and Erza's factions.

As soon as Lisanna finished speaking, Mira immediately adopted a fierce expression, though it was clear she was quite anxious, and asked Silver, "Now that you understand what Mira's faction and Erza's faction are, tell me— which one are you joining?"

"Well, Mira. Can I ask if there are any benefits to joining your faction?" Silver asked cautiously, staring into Mira's eyes.

"Benefits?" Mira was momentarily confused by Silver's question. She didn't quite understand what he meant by "benefits" and asked, "What do you mean by benefits?"

Seeing Mira's confusion, Silver quickly explained, "By benefits, I mean, if I join Mira's faction, would I be able to ask for help if I ever get into trouble?"

Though Silver phrased it this way, his true intention was that, due to the limited power of his "cheat," he would often need help from others.

As for Mira? Despite being only twelve or thirteen years old, she was already a B-rank mage, and a powerful one at that.

That's why Silver wanted to establish a connection with her early on—so that, if he ever needed help, he could turn to Mira.

"Huh?" Mira was taken aback by Silver's words. She looked at him with a mix of surprise and pity, then said with a sympathetic tone, "You're really quite pathetic."

"What?" Silver was puzzled by Mira's pitiful expression and couldn't quite understand what she meant.

At that moment, Elfman, who had been quietly standing off to the side, shyly tugged on Silver's sleeve.

When Silver turned to look at him, Elfman softly spoke, "In this guild, everyone is like family. If you're in trouble, any member of the guild will do their best to help you."

"Ah, I see. Well, in that case, I'll join Mira's faction." After hearing Elfman's explanation, Silver finally understood Mira's perspective.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head and smiled.

"Hmph, now that's more like it." Seeing that Silver had the sense to join her faction, Mira let out a sigh of relief and showed a satisfied expression.