Chapter 16: Scout, the Rift Scuttler

Just after asking that question, Rhodes suddenly saw himself.

It wasn't through his own eyes, nor was it like looking into a mirror. Instead, it was from an upward angle, looking at himself.

His own hand was resting on "his own" head, partially blocking his view, but because of the wide distance between the eyes, he could still see his face.

This was... the perspective of the Rift Scuttler?

Having two perspectives in his mind felt strange. Rhodes withdrew his hand and could clearly see the action of pulling his hand back from both angles.

When the Rift Scuttler stood up, the viewpoint shifted slightly as well.

Rhodes instructed the Rift Scuttler to turn around, putting himself and the crab back-to-back, instantly gaining a nearly 300-degree field of view.

Makarov nodded after listening to Rhodes's description, "So, it's a reconnaissance-type summoning beast. It should have many uses."

Then, the Rift Scuttler showcased its mobility.

After letting Rhodes sit on its back, the crab charged through the guild's courtyard wall, ran out to the lake, and demonstrated an amazing water-walking ability, its six legs moving effortlessly across the surface.

Rhodes gripped the two antennae of the Rift Scuttler like reins, feeling the strong wind rushing at him and the occasional splash of water.

He wasn't sure how fast it was, but it was definitely more thrilling than the speedboat ride he once took at East Lake—maybe because he wasn't wearing a life jacket.

"Faster than an average horse or mule, and its ability to move on water is impressive. Its destructive power is mediocre, but still..."

Makarov gave a rational evaluation. Looking at the broken courtyard wall, he yelled at Rhodes's back,

"...Even so, do not go around destroying the guild!!!"

...

"Sorry, it's my first time riding a river crab. I didn't know its habits. It wasn't intentional..."

Rhodes had to postpone his appointment with Levy.

Originally, they had agreed to study together in the library, but now Rhodes was stuck under the guild master's supervision, laboriously rebuilding the wall.

It didn't matter if he didn't know how; the guild master taught him on-site. Makarov knew a bit of carpentry and masonry—primarily because he had destroyed the guild as many times as any other member, and over time had learned to fix it himself.

"It's alright; it's just a bit of wall damage," Levy said with great leniency, possibly because she was used to such incidents.

"Besides, I've already found some suitable reference books on common knowledge. Why don't I read some of it to you now?"

"That would be great! Thank you, Levy!"

Rhodes was happy. In the past, when he did chores like deep cleaning, he liked listening to music or comedy on his phone to pass the time. Now he was feeling quite bored.

This girl was really considerate, no wonder Jet and Droy liked her so much.

"First of all, this country is called the Kingdom of Fiore, with a population of about 17 million. It's located on the peninsula on the western side of the continent. About one hundred and sixty years ago, it became officially recognized as a neutral country..."

Levy's voice rang out as she read and explained the contents, sounding rather pleasant.

Rhodes continued building the wall. Hearing that Fiore had a population of 17 million made him think this kingdom might not be very large.

Being a neutral country was a good thing, less worry about war, hopefully.

"We're currently in Magnolia, which is located in eastern Fiore, not far from the border with the neighboring country Bosco, with a population of about 60,000..."

Rhodes had heard about this from Mira before. Magnolia had always been famous for its magic and was one of the more prosperous cities in Fiore.

"And now for the main point." Levy emphasized this,

"Magic used to be something that people feared, and in the past, mages were often persecuted. In addition, there were constant conflicts between mages, causing instability in the world."

"To change all of this, 150 years ago, the world's first mage guild, 'Dragon of the Magic Circle,' was established.

"Mages began uniting, using magic to protect themselves and their companions, and also worked to communicate with ordinary people, even solving problems for them to earn rewards."

"After that, mage guilds began appearing one after another, and magic gradually became a part of people's lives, leading to a state of peaceful coexistence between mages and ordinary people."

"And then, 97 years ago, in the year X686, our guild, 'Fairy Tail,' was established."

"'Do fairies have tails? Does that mean fairies even exist? The unknown makes it an eternal mystery, an eternal adventure.'

——This is the meaning that our first guild master, Mavis, gave to Fairy Tail." Levy's eyes sparkled as she spoke the latter part, showing how much she genuinely loved the guild.

This was the first time Rhodes heard about the meaning behind Fairy Tail's name. It felt a bit romantic.

Romantic enough that he barely remembered anything Levy said about Fiore's history.

Still, it wasn't without gain. Rhodes at least understood that this was a country with a somewhat feudal monarchy system.

There was a king, ministers, knights, and an army.

Naturally, there were also those within the royal family and those serving the crown who learned magic.

Mages were respected in many places, but they were still citizens of this country, under the jurisdiction of the royal family, unlike nobles who enjoyed special privileges.

At the same time, to maintain order in the magic world, there was an organization called the Magic Council, which oversaw mages' behavior and punished dark guilds.

However, Levy's expression changed when she mentioned the council, as if she didn't like or was even afraid of the organization.

This left Rhodes puzzled. Why fear an organization that punishes dark guilds? Aren't we a legal guild?

Oh no.

Rhodes realized he forgot to ask—Fairy Tail... is a legal guild, right?

...

Spending time with Levy was enjoyable.

The girl had a serious approach whether explaining history, geography, or the basics of magic.

For someone like Rhodes, who was almost starting from scratch, it was easy to understand.

Moreover, during her explanations, she would often reference related stories, leaving Rhodes amazed at how much broader her knowledge was compared to when he was in his senior year.

By the time Rhodes had almost finished repairing the courtyard wall, Levy was also tired from reading and looked at him expectantly.

"Ah, right, Chinese." Rhodes understood her look. "Mind if I wash my face first?"

Actually, he wanted to take a shower and change clothes since he felt quite uncomfortable covered in dust and mud.

"If it's just washing your face, let me help! Solid Script: WATER!" Levy waved her arm, writing the word "water" in the air with her finger.

The glowing magical text she wrote turned into letters made of clear water after she finished.

Levy controlled the water letters to float in front of Rhodes, "Use this."

Rhodes looked at the word "water" made of water before him, and tentatively reached his hand in...

It actually worked just like a basin of water—he could wash his hands in it, and even scoop up some to splash on his face.

"Such a convenient magic, it's just like... what's it called? Ah, yes, words of power."

"Hehe... it's not that amazing," Levy seemed a little shy from the compliment. After Rhodes washed his face, she controlled the water letters to flow towards the lake like normal water.

"Besides, I'm not very skilled at it. I can only provide some support during my companions' battles."

"I think this kind of magic could definitely be very useful."

Rhodes felt that Solid Script was like something out of a novel—writing words to fight, with great potential.

"So, let's start with the pronunciation of English characters."

Rhodes took the magic pen Levy had just used and wrote out the initials and finals of Chinese pinyin in the air.

He then marked them with the basic syllables of this world's language and taught her how to pronounce them one by one.

Levy eagerly read and memorized as they went along, continuing until Laki came to call Rhodes for work.