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"Restore to its original state!"
In the guild hall, George waved his wand, and the damage caused by the recent guild brawl among the wizards was instantly repaired.
"George, your magic has really improved," Mirajane said, smiling as she wiped a glass at the bar.
She remembered when George had first joined; back then, restoring the hall had taken him over a dozen consecutive spells. But now, he could do it with a simple flick of his wrist from the bar.
"It's mainly thanks to the Master's teachings. By the way, where is he today?" George asked, sipping from a beer mug nearly as tall as himself.
His repair spell had indeed improved lately, but not to such an extent. The real reason behind this effectiveness was the powerful wand, crafted with a core made from Natsu's hair.
Mirajane laughed and replied, "The Master went to attend the routine council meeting."
"A council meeting? Looks like he'll be gone for a few days. I was hoping to ask him about light magic today." George's face showed a hint of disappointment.
He was familiar with the council meeting; it's a regular gathering where the guild masters from all over the kingdom meet to discuss council policies.
In this world, Fiore Kingdom, a permanent neutral country with a population of 17 million, is governed by two main entities. The first is the Fiore Royal Family, which oversees public order, and the second is the Magic Council, which maintains order within the magical community.
The Magic Council's leadership consists of a Speaker and nine Councilors, whose main responsibilities include monitoring guild activities, disciplining rogue guilds, and pursuing dark guilds.
Usually, they hold council meetings at headquarters periodically (or in emergencies) to discuss recent developments in the magical world and determine strategies. These directives are then communicated to guild masters, who gather to discuss how to implement them.
These gatherings often last at least three to five days.
"Something's wrong! Erza...she's back!"
Just as George finished his beer and was about to head down to the guild's basement library, the guild's front door burst open. Loki, a Celestial Spirit mage, strode in with a serious expression.
In an instant, the entire guild fell silent. Aside from the smiling Mirajane and a bewildered Lucy, every mage's face grew tense—even Natsu, who feared nothing, and his rival Gray.
"Erza the Fairy Queen, one of the guild's S-Class mages!"
Intrigued, George stopped in his tracks. Since joining the guild, he'd never had a chance to see any S-Class mages in action, aside from Master Makarov. Today, he'd finally get to see one.
"Everyone seems so afraid of her. Is she really that hard to get along with?" George asked as he returned to the bar.
Mirajane shook her head gently. "Not at all. Erza's actually quite kind and cares deeply for everyone. She's just...very serious about her duties."
"But I heard from Natsu that Erza can kick over two mountains with one foot!" chimed in Lucy, who had overheard George and Mirajane's conversation.
"That's a bit of an exaggeration. Natsu once challenged Erza and ended up half-dead, so he might be overdramatizing." Mirajane chuckled softly.
"Even Natsu was beaten half to death?" Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. Having gone on missions with him, she knew all too well how powerful Natsu was.
The middle-aged wizard Macao, known for his mastery of purple flame magic, joined in on the gossip with a laugh:
"One time, Gray was wandering around the guild half-naked, and when Erza saw him, she beat him half to death!"
"And when Loki first joined the guild and tried to court Erza, he ended up in the same shape!" Cana added with a mischievous grin, setting down her beer barrel.
George looked toward the guild doors, growing even more curious about this so-called Fairy Queen.
"I heard Erza uses Requip magic?" he asked.
Natsu, Gray, and Loki were currently the strongest wizards in the guild below S-Class, but they didn't seem to stand a chance against Erza.
As far as he knew, Erza's Requip magic didn't seem like an especially powerful type—he had encountered similar wizards before joining the guild.
"It is Requip magic," Mirajane explained with a smile, "but it's not your ordinary kind. It's called Requip: The Knight, which allows her to summon not only magical weapons but also enchanted armor. And even without her armor, Erza's strength far exceeds that of any typical Requip wizard. She passed the S-Class Mage trial at just fifteen!"
Mirajane looked at George with a warm smile and said, "Magic itself has no inherent strengths or weaknesses; it's the wizard who determines its power. As long as you find the magic best suited to you and put in the effort, you can become a powerful wizard."
Hearing Mirajane's words, Lucy and the others looked inspired, but George remained unconvinced.
The idea was sound: a powerful wizard could indeed defeat weaker wizards, even those using seemingly superior magic. However, if two equally strong wizards faced off, the one with the stronger magic would undoubtedly have the advantage.
For example, take Natsu with his fire magic. If one Natsu used Dragon Slayer fire magic and the other used ordinary fire magic, the difference would be staggering. Against Dragon Slayer magic, ordinary fire magic holds no advantage whatsoever; in fact, Natsu's Dragon Slayer magic could devour regular fire magic, boosting its own power.
Mirajane's message was meant to encourage everyone, especially wizards like George, whom she saw as not particularly combat-oriented.
But George was both realistic and ambitious. Given time, he wouldn't just focus on one or two types of magic; he intended to master them all, including lost magic, super magic, celestial magic, and more.
His philosophy was simple: as a mage, the more magic you know, the closer you come to understanding the true essence of magic.
Take Master Makarov, for instance. While he was known for his Giant and Light magic, he also knew quite a bit about fire and ice magic.
And since George wasn't from this world but from one with many worlds—and possibly more to come in the future—a well-rounded magical path seemed best suited to his journey.
Thud... Thud... Thud...
Heavy footsteps echoed outside the guild, as if a giant were approaching. Inside, every mage held their breath.
Soon enough, a woman appeared at the entrance, clad in silver armor on her upper body, a blue skirt and black thigh-high boots below, and long red hair cascading down her back.
But she wasn't empty-handed. In her grip, she held a massive horn, so large that George estimated it weighed nearly two tons—about the weight of a Hummer in the modern world.
(End of Chapter)