Gildarts finally arrives in the Guild building after destroying a few buildings. Makarov needs to grab him with an enlarged hand and carry him to the Guild like a stick.
The old man reprimands Gildarts who says sorry but doesn't seem to feel any guilt because he keeps laughing. This is not the first time, after all, so he doesn't feel bad that much.
'I see. No wonder he can't control his magic that well.' Matatabi suddenly says it while Gildarts reports his job to Makarov.
'Huh? You can sense his magic power?' Alex asks curiously.
'Yeah, it's the same as sensing chakra in our original world. Once you learn how to sense chakra, or magic power in this world, then you will be able to sense other people's magic power easily. But for now, even if you can do it, you still won't sense his chakra because the gap between you and him is too big. Unless he deliberately releases his magic power openly, then you will never sense it until you get stronger.'
'Wait, Matatabi! Are you saying that I can learn to sense chakra, I mean magic power? It's not an innate ability?'
'There are those born with talent to sense chakra better than others. They have better sensitivity towards chakra. But everyone can sense chakra if they know how to do it. Of course, it's limited to sensing the source of chakra, so it's location and the general amount. You can't see its flow in others' bodies like if you have Sharingan or Byakugan.'
'Well, even without learning the sensing method, once you get better at using your chakra, I mean magic power, you will be able to vaguely sense others' chakra, just not as good as sensor type ninja, I mean Mages. Damn! I'm still not used to this magic thing that well.' Shukaku is frustrated.
'Don't worry, Shukaku. We know what you mean. He is right, Alex. It's actually correlated with your control and amount of magic power. The stronger you become, the more sensitive you will be to the magic power around you. But using the correct technique will show a much better result. As your skill gets better, your sensory range and effectiveness will get better too. There are people who can hide their power, but if your skill is better than them, then they won't be able to hide from you.'
'I see. Then can you teach me how to do it?'
'Of course. Let's-.'
Their conversation is cut by the sudden commotion in the Guild. Everyone suddenly starts partying, celebrating Gildarts' return and his success. He has just finished an SS-Class Quest that hasn't been completed for 6 years, so it will be a 10-Years Quest if it's not finished in the next 4 years.
It's a very rare occasion, so everyone wants to celebrate it. Alex looks at Cana who joins the celebration. She is joining the ones who listen to Gildarts' story and she seems very happy.
So Alex just smiles and enjoys the party too. He has been worried about Cana since Gildarts returns. She is his teammate currently because Makarov always sends them to do jobs together as the youngest in the Guild.
They have gotten much closer and can be said to be best friends now. That's why he is genuinely worried about her. But she is just happy to see her father after a long time, so it eases his worries a little.
However that night, Cana suddenly calls Alex using her Card Magic. They meet on the riverbank near the dormitories. Alex can guess what Cana wants to talk about and he is correct.
"Sorry to call you this late at night, Alex. But I really want to talk to you about this and ask for your advice."
"Don't worry, we are friends, aren't we? You are also my teammate, so if something troubles you, I will help you as much as I can."
"Thanks."
Cana is silent for a long time and Alex just waits for her without saying anything.
"I actually came to Fairy Tail a few years ago to find my father because my mother told me he was a Fairy Tail Mage before she passed away. When I arrived, I thought it would be easy to tell him because all I needed to say was that he is my father. But it was very difficult. I always feel nervous and worried every time I want to tell him. What if he doesn't want me? What if he doesn't love me? What if I'm not good enough to be his daughter because I'm weak while he is so strong? I never have the courage to tell him."
Cana's eyes get wet while looking down on the grass. Alex is still silent because Cana hasn't finished what she wants to say.
"I kept thinking like that until a few months ago when I showed you around the town. You said things about how great it would be to have a family because you didn't have anyone. It made me feel miserable because I have a father but don't reach out to him. All I need to do is tell him who I am, but I didn't have the courage to just say it. When you said that it would be great if we can learn Magic with our parents, I started imagining it right away and even dreamed about it for a few nights."
What Alex said to Cana when they walked around the town months ago when he has just joined seems to affect her so much. Everything he said makes her think that she really needs to tell her father and she needs to gather more courage.
"Alex, you must be thinking that I should just tell my father, right? But once again, I lose the courage to do it, especially after seeing how great he is today." Cana can't even say it with a clear voice.
"You keep saying that your father is great and even mention about today. Is your father perhaps.... Gildarts?" Alex acts oblivious and Cana nods to answer him.
"I see. Then that's the more reason you should tell him quickly."
"Eh? That's the more reason?"
"Yeah. I've heard that Gildarts always take the most dangerous jobs. Sure, he is powerful, the most powerful in our Guild. But Cana, you also need to understand that he is not invincible. I don't want it to happen, but we always need to think of the worst case scenario. Even our easy jobs can threaten our lives sometimes, not to mention the dangerous jobs that Gildarts take. Cana, if you keep hesitating, then you might never have the chance to even say it."
Cana's eyes shake when she thinks that Gildarts might get killed in one of his jobs. Alex doesn't even need to say anything else and Cana already runs away from the riverbank with tears in her eyes.
"... I-I didn't mean to make her cry." Alex is at a loss of words because he doesn't expect such a reaction.
'YOU IDIOT! QUICKLY CHASE HER!' Matatabi who is always calm suddenly shouts angrily at Alex.
So Alex quickly chases after Cana who surprisingly can run very fast. She runs to the outskirts of the town that still has a lot of trees around.
Alex doesn't know where she wants to go until he sees a small house. He doesn't need to check to know whose house it is and it really makes him feel relieved.
After knowing about it, Alex decides to stop chasing Cana and hides behind a tree. He looks at Cana who hesitates to knock on the door, but he doesn't say anything.
After a while, Cana finally knocks the door, but no one answers it. So she knocks again with more power, creating louder knocking sounds that finally wakes up the owner of the house.
"W-WHAT?! WHAT IS IT? WHO'S KNOCKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?!"
Gildarts's shout can be heard very clearly even from Alex's location because of how loud it is. Even his rushed steps as he leaves his bed and runs to the front door are also very loud.
He opens the door strongly and looks around in a hurry while expecting some people's panic faces because he thought there was an emergency. But in front of him is just a little girl who plays with her fingers nervously.
"Eh? Uh, Cana, right? Did something happen." Gildarts lower his voice after seeing how nervous Cana is.
"Y-yeah, I- I came to Fairy Tail looking for my father."
".... Okay? D-do you need my help to find him?"
"No.... I already know who he is. H-his... His name is Gildarts." Cana finally says it.
But then silence fills the air for a while. Gildarts's eyes widen and he points at himself with a dropped jaw. Cana nods to confirm it, making his jaw drop even lower.
"HUUUUUUHHHHHH?!" Gildarts's scream can be heard from every corner of Magnolia.
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Ch. 80: Destroying Nirvana