Finally, after a long journey, Roy and Erza made it back to Magnolia before evening.
Walking through the streets of Magnolia, Roy observed the surroundings, taking in the city and culture of this otherworldly place, while also stretching to relieve the soreness in his body.
Why was he sore?
Well, that had to do with the few hundred kilometers of mountain roads he drove with Erza.
Before today, if you asked him whether riding a motorcycle with a girl hugging him from behind would feel amazing, he'd probably smirk and think, "Of course!"
But after giving Erza a ride today, he'd respond:
"Amazing, my foot! I feel like I'm falling apart!"
Those slender, yet iron-strong arms wrapped around his waist kept him on edge after the initial excitement wore off. He was constantly worried that if Erza accidentally used too much force, she'd end up crushing his mere mortal body.
And then, the cold, solid "steel mountains" pressing against his back occasionally bumped into him, making him feel like he was on the verge of life and death.
It hurt!
Maybe only a masochist would find enjoyment in this kind of pain?
For Roy, it was absolute physical torment. He didn't feel it during the thrill of the ride, but now that they'd stopped, his back and abdomen felt like they didn't belong to him anymore! It was pure agony.
"Next time, I'm never giving Erza a ride again. If I have to, she's going to have to change out of that armor first!"
Thinking this, Roy rubbed his aching abdomen.
Following Erza, he arrived in front of an imposing building.
In the glow of the setting sun, the flag flying on top of the building displayed a clear emblem to Roy's eyes.
Printed on it was the symbol of the Fairy Tail guild.
They'd arrived at their destination.
Fairy Tail.
Erza walked in front, pushing the door open to enter the guild, greeting everyone in the hall with a powerful voice.
"Everyone, I'm back!"
With just that one sentence, Roy immediately witnessed Erza's authority within the guild.
The bustling hall instantly fell silent.
Before Erza returned, most people were loudly chatting, each trying to outdo the others.
But the moment she came back, everyone turned into obedient little angels, all speaking softly, behaving more demurely than noble ladies.
"Does Erza really have this kind of presence? Impressive, Erza."
Seeing this, Roy was stunned.
Having forgotten the storyline and Erza's character setup, Roy didn't know that Erza was known as the "Fairy Queen." She was also recognized as the guild's disciplinarian, with deep-seated authority in the guild. Hardly anyone dared to provoke her.
Erza placed her hands on her hips, nodding in satisfaction as she looked at everyone in the guild getting along.
It seemed the guild's order had been maintained well during the days she was out on a mission.
Seeing everyone in harmony always filled her with a sense of comfort.
At that moment, a white-haired girl with her bangs tied up in a little topknot and wearing a red dress walked gracefully over to Roy and Erza.
"Welcome back, Erza. Was this mission successful?" she asked with a gentle smile, greeting Erza first. Then, she turned her curious gaze to Roy and asked softly, "And who might this gentleman be?"
"Mirajane, I'm back." Erza nodded in greeting to Mirajane, then looked at Roy and introduced him to her. "His name is Roy. He was a big help in today's mission, and he's a very powerful mage."
"Hmph, but he's also a bit of an idiot," she added, referring to the head pat incident and his random driving without asking for directions.
Just mentioning it made Erza mad again, so she pouted and glared at Roy, looking rather cute.
What could Roy do? He could only scratch his head and laugh it off.
Seeing their interaction, and Erza's girlish demeanor when calling Roy an idiot, Mirajane was shocked.
As Erza's long-time rival, Mirajane knew Erza's personality very well.
Due to childhood traumas, Erza grew up strong and tough, making it difficult for others to get close to her.
Even after years in the guild and the healing influence of those around her, Erza was still not an easy person to approach.
But today!
She was actually acting so close to someone she hadn't known for long? Did this guy have some kind of magic power?
Looking at the tall and handsome Roy, Mirajane's big eyes sparkled with interest, and she couldn't help but feel a bit curious about him.
While Mirajane was lost in thought, Erza spoke again.
"Oh, by the way, he wants to join the guild. Could you help him with the registration?"
Mirajane snapped out of her thoughts, recalling Erza's words about Roy being a big help.
Erza was someone who always spoke the truth. If she said Roy helped her greatly, then it definitely wasn't just small talk; it really happened.
This made Mirajane look at Roy, who was smiling at her, with even more wonder.
To be able to help Erza—that meant this tall, handsome young man who looked only in his early twenties probably possessed power beyond that of an ordinary S-rank mage!
What incredible talent!
Such a powerful person joining the guild meant Fairy Tail's strength was growing even further!
The thought of gaining a strong companion and the guild becoming even more formidable genuinely made Mirajane happy. She gave a soft smile, nodded slightly at Roy, and said,
"Hello, Mr. Roy. I'm Mirajane Strauss, the guild's receptionist. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, Mirajane. It's a pleasure to meet you too."
Seeing this smiling beauty, Roy, of course, responded with a smile as well.
"Then, please follow me!"
With a polite smile, Mirajane turned and walked into the hall's interior.
After nodding to Erza, Roy quickly followed her.
As Roy left, Erza, like a lioness surveying her territory, cast her gaze around the guild.
Anyone she looked at immediately stiffened, lowering their heads, afraid she'd trouble them.
They had no choice; while Erza was away, they hadn't exactly behaved as well as she imagined. Each of them felt very guilty.
So they could only try to avoid her gaze, hoping she wouldn't notice anything amiss.