21. A New Fairy

A big party is held in the Fairy Tail building after Makarov accepts Alex as a new member. Everyone is celebrating his acceptance into the Guild, but the main character of this party can't even enjoy it.

Alex has run out of magic power and feels very weak now. He still can move, but not excessively, so he just sits while drinking his mango juice.

Now he has a silver Fairy Tail Guild mark on his left shoulder. He chose silver color to make it matches with his hair color and silver color looks more vivid on his dark skin.

"Aren't they too happy? They were just feeling so depressed a while ago." Alex already knows Fairy Tail's tendencies to hold parties, but he doesn't know it would be this rowdy.

"Having a new member is always something to be happy about." A blonde haired boy with a lightning-like scar on his face that looks a little older than Alex suddenly sits beside Alex.

"I watched your fight with my Gramps. It was impressive. But you would die if that was a real battle."

"Well, I did that because it wasn't a real battle. Though I would die no matter what if I really fight someone who can stop that last attack anyway because it means that person is too strong for me."

"Well, you're not wrong. But you need to have other options even if your opponents are too strong for you. So you need to learn how to escape even the worst enemies."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind..... Wait! Your Gramps?" Alex fakes his surprise.

"Yeah, I'm that midget old man's grandson. My name is Laxus Dreyar, just call me Laxus."

"Alexander Sterling, I'm called Alex."

Both of them shake their hands. Alex feels quite strange seeing the current Laxus who is still quite the innocent boy. Though Alec can already feel a little arrogance in Laxus's tones, it can't compare to how his adult self talks.

"How old are you, Alex?"

"11 this year, what about you?"

"14."

"Oh, am I the youngest here?"

"Nah, there is someone younger than you. She joined 3 years ago."

"What? She joined 3 years ago and is still younger than me now? Just how old is she?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure, but she shouldn't be 10 yet."

"I see, so she joined when she was really young, huh? I thought I would still be too young to join a Magic Guild, but there's actually someone even younger than me."

"Well, if it's that, then I joined at an even younger age than her. But maybe it isn't that impressive because I am the Guild Master's grandson. Even people might only know me because of him. I don't want to keep staying in his shadow all my life. I'll be really strong that people will know me as myself, as Laxus, not Makarov's grandson."

"That's great, I also leave my family for a similar purpose. My main reason is independence, but I also want to make a name for myself."

"Wow, you leave your family home to be independent at this age?" Laxus is really surprised to hear that.

"Yeah, well, they are not my biological family. I am an orphan who doesn't know my parents at all. It hasn't even been that long since I live with them, but they have become my real family. You know what I mean, right?"

Laxus nods at Alex's question.

"I love them, but I also have things I want to do, so I leave to start a new life. This is something I always want to do before even meeting them."

"What is it that you want to do? Is joining Fairy Tail helping you to achieve it?"

"Yeah. Just like you and maybe all Mages, I want to be a very strong Mage. Also, I want to explore the world. Joining a powerful Magic Guild that has a very wide variety of jobs will help me a lot. That's why I joined Fairy Tail because I heard this Guild is the strongest in Fiore and it's led by a Wizard Saint. I never saw a Wizard Saint's power, but now I know."

"Heh, so you actually know about Gramps since the beginning, huh?"

"Not really. I only know his name. People said he is as big as a mountain, that's why I actually thought I was in the wrong Guild when he said he is the Guild Master. Turns out his magic can turn him big, that's why people say that."

This is true. On his way here, he asks people about Fairy Tail just out of curiosity. Those who know always say that Makarov is as big as a mountain, so Alex doesn't lie about this part.

"BAHAHAHA! You must be very confused because he is a midget."

*BAM*

Right after he says that, a big and long hand suddenly hits Laxus on the head, sending him flying onto the wall. Makarov hears everything they are talking about and what Laxus says in the end is pissing him off.

"THAT'S NOT A WAY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR GRANDPA, LAXUS!"

Everyone laughs at it and they laugh even louder when Laxus runs to attack his grandpa only to be slammed onto the floor.

Seeing that he doesn't have any chance against his grandpa, Laxus changes his target to those who laugh and the party turns into a fist fight with those who aren't involved betting on who will win as if this is a normal thing.

"Don't mind them, they always do this."

Makarov approaches Alex who is watching the fist fight with a dumbfounded expression.

"By the way, Alex. Have you already found a place to stay?"

"Hmm? Eh? Ah, no, not yet. I plan to find a room to rent after joining the Guild. Do you have any recommendations, Master? I have quite a bit of money from selling materials along the way here, so I think I can afford average rent fees."

"Selling materials?"

"Yes, I was walking through forests and mountains by foot. So I hunted creatures for my food and I collected their valuable materials. I also gathered things like herbs or minerals I happened to find."

"Wait! You were walking instead of taking carriages or train?"

"That's right. I also chose to walk through forests and mountains instead of the road because I want to explore those places. That's why it took more than half a year for me to arrive here from my old place."

Makarov is really surprised to hear that. Now he understands why Alex looks that dirty appearance and that big backpack.

"So, does this mean you have many materials in that big backpack of yours?"

"Do you want to see them?"

Makarov nods, so Alex takes his backpack and unloads it. Everyone stops whatever they do including those who fight and they gather around Alex who is unloading his big backpack.

They are surprised to see him take out a lot of different Magical Beasts materials. These materials are also dismantled properly, so their qualities are good.

"T-this is, Shado Python skin?! You hunted a Shadow Python?" A guild member is surprised when he sees a big shining black snake skin with black spikes on it.

"Ah, it attacked me when I cooked. I realized it was following me through the shadows, so I was prepared for its attack."

The Shadow Python can enter shadows and move freely in it. But it can only move in real shadows. It can't transform into shadow and move freely even if there's no real shadows like Shadow Dragon.

That's why Shadow Viper usually moves at night when there's no light because almost every place has shadow. It also can't be detected easily after it enters the shadow, but Alex could sense its gaze and hostility with his beastly senses.

He killed it quite easily by catching it with Shukaku's sand and crushed it to death. The only thing he could take was its skin because he couldn't save its valuable organs for too long or they would rot before he could reach the town.

The other materials that he collected are those that can be kept for days because he could walk for weeks. Even the herbs he found are dried so he could keep them until he arrived in town.

Alex has learned a lot about material preservation through books he bought when he was in Ur's house. He was preparing for his journey and it turned out very well now.

Magic Guilds rarely give material collecting jobs, but there are many hunting jobs. Sometimes those jobs are to kill magical creatures that endanger people, so their materials aren't needed for the job.

Sometimes there would be other creatures involved and killed in the jobs even though they aren't targets. Alex realized he could get more money if he could take those valuable materials and sell them, so he learned this kind of thing.

Makarov tears up without realizing it. He is very happy to finally get a member who works hard and seems very responsible when doing jobs.

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Ch. 71: Alex The S-Class