"I'm not sleepy anymore after hearing this!"
Erza, sitting next to Lucy, smiled as she began to explain: "Kira's Hope Hut is the largest magic shop in Magnolia. Everyone in the guild gets their magic items there—my armor included."
Kira beamed with pride. "That's right! Magic potions, magic weapons, magic toys, magic books... You name it! You can even customize anything you want!" He leaned in, eager to expand his audience. "As long as it's from Hope Hut, quality is guaranteed, with a three-year maintenance period to boot!"
He launched into an impromptu advertisement: "I craft each of these items with painstaking care. They're top-notch. Every user says so. My equipment is sold throughout the Kingdom of Fiore, and I have regular trade exchanges with neighboring countries. My work significantly contributes to Magnolia's GDP each year!"
"And don't forget the books!" Kira added, his excitement palpable. "The books used in the Magnolia Orphanage for teaching children? Written by yours truly!"
"What?!"
"Really?"
"Hey... How have I never heard of this before?"
Lucy was dumbfounded. "I'm surprised by all of this, but don't you guys already know?"
Kira chuckled knowingly. "They're not the type to care about economic development or education. My influence in Magnolia is vast. Who knows? I might even become the mayor someday! When that happens, I'll move our guild to the center of Magnolia, right where it belongs."
Lucy, the daughter of the affluent Heartfilia Group, couldn't help but admire Kira's accomplishments. While she hadn't received systematic training in business, her upbringing had exposed her to its nuances. "You make all these props and weapons yourself? And you still find time to go on missions? That's amazing!"
Seeing an opportunity, Kira pressed on: "Hope Hut is hugely popular in Magnolia. Lucy, you should stop by when you have time!"
Gray chimed in casually, "Lucy, you'd probably be interested in Star Spirit Keys, right? Didn't you get a Golden Key in the last mission?"
Nice assist, Gray! Kira thought triumphantly.
Lucy's eyes sparkled at the mention of Star Spirit Keys. "Really? You have those too?"
Kira grinned slyly. The perfect customer just walked in. "Indeed, but I only carry the Golden Zodiac keys. I happened to get Sagittarius's key during our last mission. If you're interested, I can sell it to you at a discount."
"Really?!" Lucy's face lit up.
Hook, line, and sinker. Kira mentally celebrated. He knew how deeply bonded Celestial Wizards were with their spirits, and Lucy was no exception. She would never let a rare Golden Key slip through her fingers.
Lucy was practically bouncing with excitement. "This is amazing! I didn't expect to find this kind of treasure here. Joining Fairy Tail was the best decision ever!"
Kira reveled in his success, Erza smiled warmly at the win-win deal, and Lucy could barely contain her joy. Only Gray seemed uneasy. He frowned slightly, suspecting that Lucy was about to be swindled, just like Cana had been when she bought Kira's overpriced cards.
"You okay, Gray?" Kira asked, noticing his friend's pensive look.
Gray shook his head. "Nothing... Just thinking about something."
"You must be catching a cold! I told you to stop taking your clothes off all the time..."
"I'm an Ice Wizard. I don't catch colds."
After a brief pause, Kira smirked. "Gray, you need to develop a more distinct persona. Your current vibe doesn't cut it—it's bad for the guild's image."
"Your topic changes are too abrupt!"
Kira ignored the protest. "Look at the magic world. All the top wizards have nicknames. I'm 'The Sage,' Erza's 'The Fairy Queen,' and even Natsu is being called the 'Fire Dragon King.' But you? You don't have a standout nickname! How do you think that looks for our guild?"
Gray stared silently, unwilling to dignify Kira's teasing with a response.
"Leon's got 'Zero Emperor,' for heaven's sake! Meanwhile, we can't call you 'Ice Boy.' That's just sad."
Erza and Lucy quickly became intrigued. They loved the idea of brainstorming nicknames, and Erza especially enjoyed these kinds of creative discussions.
"What should his nickname be?" Erza asked thoughtfully.
Lucy tapped her chin. "It should highlight his unique traits..."
Kira didn't miss a beat. "He takes his clothes off very fast!"
Gray's face turned red. "It's so noisy! Kira, can't you just shut up?!"
Kira shrugged. "All right, fine. But hear me out—how about 'Ice Knight' or 'Ice Warrior'?"
Lucy tilted her head. "Not bad!"
"I like 'Ice Warrior' better," Erza agreed.
Gray groaned, burying his face in his hands. "You're all impossible..."
The conversation shifted when Lucy posed a question. "If the flute curses everyone who hears it, doesn't that mean the person playing it would also die?"
Everyone fell silent, considering the implications.
"That's a good point," Kira mused. "Was there no record of what happened to anyone who played it before?"
Gray frowned. "If there's a record of its effects, someone must've used it, right?"
Erza crossed her arms. "But no one knows for sure. There's no conclusive evidence."
"Should we test it?" Kira offered with a mischievous grin.
"Are you insane?!" three voices shouted in unison.
Kira laughed. "Relax! It just means they won't realize the flute's been swapped until the very last second. How tragic for them!"
Meanwhile, at the Iron Forest hideout, Eligore was seething. His subordinates cowered before him, nursing bruises from their failed confrontation at Kunuki Station.
"Fairy Tail?! Who dares provoke me?" Eligore bellowed, his sickle gleaming ominously.
"Th-they only sent... one person..."
Eligore's rage only grew. "You were defeated by ONE person?! How pathetic can you be?!"
Before the trembling subordinate could explain further, an invisible wind blade slashed through him, leaving him lifeless on the floor.
"Fairy Tail, huh?" Eligore growled. "I'll deal with you myself!" He turned on his heel and soared toward Kunuki, his sickle poised for battle.
Elsewhere, Kageyama, oblivious to the fact that the Larabai in his possession was a fake, strolled toward his hotel. He planned to regroup with Eligore and his men in the morning but decided to take a much-needed rest first.
As he drifted off to sleep, he dreamt of glory—of presenting the flute to Eligore, of Iron Forest's rise to power, and of becoming a legend in the dark guilds.
"It feels so good..." he muttered, his lips curling into a contented smile.
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