Ivan breathed out slowly, lowering his sword as sweat beaded his brow. He stood in a gloomy glade, with thin strips of flickering light filtering through the dense coverage overhead. A passing ray of light refracts off of his blade’s mirror surface, reflecting into his eyes. Ivan startles awake as his vacant gaze focuses.

 

“What was that… How long have I been doing this?” The young man looks towards the sky and notices that instead of the reddish hues of sunset, the light beaming down on him from above was a clear, pale white. “It's morning… I’ve been here all night! Mira’s going to be furious…” Ivan immediately sheaths his sword and breaks into a sprint. He runs through the forest, the sweat cooling on his skin as the trees whip by in a blur. It isn’t long before he makes it to town. Ivan beelines towards the Strauss household, slipping between the rustic houses of Magnolia. A few people were already out and about, though it was a far cry from the usual hubbub of the mid-morning and afternoon.

 

When Ivan finally arrives, he immediately sees Mira sitting on a dining chair on their front porch. Elfman was next to her, clearly asleep if his loud snores were any indication. As Ivan approached them, Mira got up and shambled over to him. Instead of berating Ivan or showing agitation of any kind like he expected, she instead wraps him in a warm hug.

 

“Ivan, you’re okay! …that’s good.”

 

Guilt settled in Ivan’s stomach like a stone when she broke away. Seeing her up close, Ivan saw how exhausted and weary she looked. Even then, she smiled at him and welcomed him home. “Was she looking for me? She stayed up all night… for me. Why? Why do you care so much? What did I do to deserve your concern?”

 

Ivan looks at Mira with a conflicted expression. “I’m sorry Mira. I lost track of time and made you worry.”

 

“Don’t worry about it Ivan. Just let me know next time, okay?”

 

“I-...Okay.”

 

Mira turns around and walks inside. “Ivan, wake up Elfman for me, will you? I’ll make breakfast.”

 

Ivan rushes past her, stepping between her and the kitchen. “No, that won’t be necessary. You should get some rest. Elfman and I can just buy food at the guild. I’ll let Master Makarov know you’ll be coming in later today.”

 

Mirajane tries to refuse, insisting that she’s fine but Ivan shuts her down.

 

“If you go to the guild as you are now, you’ll just make everyone worry. Stay. Sleep. Please.”

 

Mirajane struggles to make up her mind as she looks into Ivan’s eyes, but eventually concedes. “Alright, you win. You two take care okay? I know this is your first job, but don't let it worry you too much. You’ve got this!” Mira gives Ivan one last hug before shuffling into her room.

 

Ivan continues standing there until the door closes behind her. When it does, Ivan heads back outside and roughly shakes Elfman to wake him.

 

“GwuH?! Wha-, who’s in my room?!” the large man shouts.

 

“It’s just me. Also, we’re not in your room. We’re outside.”

 

Elfman’s eyes widen and he looks around. “...Right. Wait a minute! Ivan! Where the hell were you?! Do you know how worried Mira was?! Mira and I were looking all over the place for you but nobody knew where you went.”

 

“Sorry Elfman. I was in the forest and lost track of time. It won’t happen again.”

 

Elfman sighs and uncrosses his arms. “Make sure it doesn’t. You almost made Mira cry, you know? That’s unmanly! Well, if you ask me, we should’ve just waited until morning but Mira wouldn’t listen. You’re a grown man, you can take care of yourself.”

 

A warmth filled Ivan’s chest when he heard Elfman's trust in him.

 

“Anyways, where’s Mira?” Elfman asks.

 

“I had Mira get some rest since she was exhausted. I figured we can just get food at the guild before getting ready for the job.”

 

“Mmm, alright. That sounds good to me. Good to know you’re looking out for her, I appreciate it. Even if you're the reason why she's unwell.”

 

Ivan promptly turns away and begins the short walk to the guild, both unable and unwilling to refute him. Elfman quickly catches up when Ivan realizes something.

 

“Hey Elfman, where are we meeting the client exactly?”

 

“Oh right, I forgot to tell you huh? The client is already in town, so we don't need to go anywhere special. He’s a trader of some sort who wants an escort north through the mountains. He has some guards already but none of them are mages. Guess he needs someone manly for the job, haha!”

 

Ivan rolls his eyes at Elfman’s boisterous statement. “Well, I’m not exactly a mage either. The ability to recover from my wounds quickly will hardly let me overpower my enemies. Though I can at least take hits meant for the client. That's good I suppose.”

 

Elfman frowns at Ivan’s statement. “Okay, enough of this depressing talk. Do you realize how much you’ve accomplished this past week? I don't think anyone in the country can build up muscle as quickly as you. It took me more than a year to get where you are now, and you did it in a single week.”

 

Ivan wasn’t so sure muscle mass alone would be up to the task. The memory of Erza and Laxus using their magic was still fresh on his mind. “I don’t know. I doubt having more muscle will make me capable of fighting mages. Take Laxus for example. I couldn’t even hit him yesterday because he was so fast. Far faster than I could even react. You can't honestly tell me that muscle mass alone will let me outrun lightning, or overpower Erza.”

 

“Hey now, that isn’t exactly fair. Laxus is an S-Rank mage. They aren’t exactly common, you know? Most mages you fight will be weaker than him. You've got a point, but what I'm trying to say is that you have to stay positive. That's what makes you a man!” Elfman says, waving his arm around in disregard. “Bah. Enough of this depressing talk… let’s talk about something else. Like girls. Have you spoken with any of them yet?”

 

The sudden question takes Ivan by surprise. “In the guild? Yes, actually. Why?"

 

"Ho ho! Give a man some details. Who is it? Are you interested in them?"

 

Ivan couldn’t figure out why Elfman was asking him about girls but saw no harm in telling him. "...I've spoken with Levy about some things. As for whether I find her interesting, I would have to say yes. Again, why?"

 

"Ha! Levy huh? You're gonna have a lot of competition there." Elfman rubs his chin in thought, then claps Ivan on the back. “Well good luck on that front, friend! Just make sure you don’t tell Jet or Droy that. Both of them were turned down by Levy when they confessed to her. Oh man, that was good. Their reactions were priceless, especially since they went one after the other. At least they’re taking it rather well. Heh, if it was me it would’ve been in the bag but Levy’s not my type, know what I mean? I prefer my women a bit larger.” Elfman proceeded to pantomime a round protrusion over his chest.

 

Ivan stares at Elfman in pure confusion. “What are you talking about?”

 

Elfman just stares back at Ivan, equally confused. “What do you mean, what am I talking about? I'm talking about girls. Don't men talk about girls where you came from? Oh, uh, right. Forget I asked. You’ll figure it out eventually." Elfman went silent as he directed his gaze forwards. "Oh hey, we’re here. What do you wanna eat Ivan? I’ll pay since you don’t have any Jewels yet. Just make sure you pay me back when the job’s done.”

 

“I’ll just get whatever you get. Thanks Elfman.” Ivan casts his eyes around the room while Elfman walks away and spots Levy standing in front of the job board with two taller men. “That’s probably Jet and Droy.” Ivan was proven right when he approached Levy and asked her. Meanwhile the two men beside her glared at Ivan aggressively, posturing on either side of him as if their presence alone could pressure him.

 

“Oh! Hey there Ivan! Yes, this is Jet.” she says, gesturing to a fair skinned man with orange hair, covered with a purple hat lined with fur. He wore a coat that matched. Levy then gestured to a tanned man with short dark hair in loose, casual clothing. “And this is Droy. Did you make it home okay? Elfman and Mira were asking yesterday and they looked really worried!”

 

Ivan froze and looked away in shame.

 

Levy frowned when she saw this. “You didn’t. Of course you didn’t. Well, where were you then? You better have a good answer mister. Is that why Mira isn’t here yet? She’s normally here before the rest of us.”

 

“I was in the forest training. I ended up losing track of time, regrettably. I didn’t intend to worry Mira. She’s currently resting at home and should be coming sometime in the evening.”

 

Levy sighs. “Fine. I’ll let you off this time. So, what brings you here? Just wanted to talk?”

 

“No, actually. I wanted to thank you for your help yesterday.” Ivan replies with a shake of his head.

 

“Oh, you noticed that? Haha… yeah don’t mention it. Really. I’d rather not have people talking about it.”

 

“That’s fine, I only wanted to thank you. Well, you seem to be busy. I’ll be seeing you Levy.”

 

“Yeah! Let me know how your job goes!”

 

With a nod, Ivan turns away and hunts down Elfman. He finds his hulking figure at the bar, digging into a platter of meat. He seats himself beside him and helps himself to a platter of his own, with a bowl of vegetables on the side. Mira always insisted that he eat a balanced diet, and he didn’t want to disappoint her. The two men ate in silence, only speaking once they were done.

 

“Well. What’s next, Elfman?”

 

“Next, I’ll need to head back home to get my stuff. What you’ll want to bring is some spare clothes, a fire making kit, a small knife and some dry rations and water. I have spares at home I can give to you. They’re pretty cheap so it’s no skin off my back.” 

 

“Okay. I’ll meet you at home. I need to speak with Makarov about Mira first.”

 

~

 

Later in the day, Ivan and Elfman found themselves in the Magnolia Branch of the Fourfold Clovers Merchant’s Guild. They were seated on a fancy, plush sofa and had refreshments on hand as they waited for their client to come in.

 

“This is different.” Ivan noted. His eyes skittered over the glittering walls and furniture, comparing it to the minimalistic furnishings from Cryptic Coffin and the homely environment of Fairy Tail. “Maybe it’s meant to distract their clients?” Ivan thought to himself.

 

Elfman nodded in agreement. “It’s definitely shinier than what I’m used to.”

 

A door in the far end of the room opened as a short man with slicked back hair waltzed in. Despite their gaudy environment, the man was dressed modestly. He wore a simple but clean two piece suit with little to no visible jewelry. A pleasant smile was masterfully crafted onto his face as he sat himself opposite of the pair.

 

“Why, hello there! My name is Markus Flynn. You must be the mages from Fairy Tail!” The man examines them with thin eyes as he says this.

 

Ivan opened his mouth to correct the man but Elfman kicked him under the table.

 

“Yes, we are! I’m Elfman and this is Ivan. Will there be any others coming along for the ride?”

 

“Just a band of mercenaries from the Roundtable. Our guilds work together often so it’s more of a tradition to bring them on nowadays. Not that they aren’t needed, heavens no! Despite the efforts of our good King, bandits plague the roads and forests across all of Fiore. Far more than the kingdom's knights and mages can root out.”

 

“Just means more work for us, isn’t that right?” Elfman says with a grunt.

 

Markus barks out a short laugh. “Ha! More work indeed! And more work means more money! It appears we are rather like-minded as men aren’t we? Haha!” Markus breaks out into a raucous laugh, which Elfman joins in on.

 

“Yes! We are men!”

 

Ivan ignored them as he sat there digesting Markus’ words. “What’s the Roundtable? Is it a guild for mercenaries? What makes them different from Mage Guilds?"

 

Elfman and Markus suddenly stop laughing, turning to look at Ivan.

 

"Sorry, he's still a bit new." Elfman said.

 

"Not to worry! Young man, there are many kinds of guilds in Fiore. It's essentially just a means to collect and distribute tasks to the appropriate people. Tasks meant for mages are sent to the Magic Council. Tasks meant for Mercenaries are sent to the Roundtable. There are many tasks that multiple guilds can complete. In these situations, they’re simply sent to all of them.” Markus accepts a glass of wine from an associate, taking a long draught before continuing. “You can think of it like this. There are three separate groups that control all of the different guilds in Fiore. The Roundtable, run by the Kingdom itself, which regulates the mercenaries and other non-magical hands for hire. Then we have the Magic Council, who regulate the mages. And finally there’s the Nine Fingers of Midas, or simply just The Nine. They regulate trade across the entire continent, focusing on keeping a stable flow of money everywhere!”

 

Ivan nods in understanding. “Why can’t mages just handle all of the fighting? Aren’t they strong enough?”

 

Markus moves to explain the matter to Ivan but Elfman cuts in. “I’ll handle it from here Markus. Maybe you can get things settled on your end so we can head out in the meantime?”

 

“Right, yes! Meet you at the North Gate!” The short man scurries back through the back door, leaving Elfman and Ivan alone in the room.

 

"The reason why mages don’t do all the fighting, even though we’re plenty strong enough, is because there’s simply not enough of us. Only one in ten people are capable of using magic, and of that small group, only a handful are able to nurture their magic to the point they can fight with it. Then there’s the question of whether these people even want to fight, further limiting the number of combat mages.” Elfman said.

 

Ivan nods in understanding. “I see. That makes a lot more sense now.”

 

“C’mon, let’s go. Men don't arrive late.”

 

---

 

Markus arrived with a caravan of wagons. They were large units with stretched canvas covers, each of them packed to the brim with containers and lashed together securely. Roughly a dozen people arrived with him. Most of them seemed to be normal citizens, likely to man the wagons and help with the labour, while the others were geared up for battle.

 

There were six men and women who arrived armed to the teeth. They each wore a mixed assortment of metal and leather armor, each dyed or painted a matte black and marked with an insignia of two white feathers curved to form a circle. 

 

A man with caramel skin stepped up to Ivan and Elfman with a wide grin. His movements were smooth and balanced like a dancer's as he wove between his compatriots effortlessly. Ivan assumed him to be the leader. "Hail, friends! Markus here tells me you're the mages he hired. A pleasure to make your acquaintance!" As the man shook hands with Ivan and Elfman, a woman with strikingly similar features walked up beside him. "This is my sister, Aurelia Tiber! And you can call me Aurelios! Yeah, our parents weren't very creative but you do what you can with what you have, am I right? Hahaha!"

 

Ivan observed the duo curiously. While Aurelios was a bright and cheerful man, his sister was the complete opposite. She was cold and expressionless, with piercing blue eyes that reminded Ivan of Gray's ice magic. Aurelios' eyes were like a clear sky on a sunny day in comparison.

 

“Hey sis, come say hi!" Aurelios said.

 

The cold woman glared at him from under her dark bangs. “No.” She then turned and walked away, leaving Ivan and Elfman standing there awkwardly.

 

Aurelios took it in stride as he continued. “Hehe… don’t mind her, she’s just shy. Come! I’ll introduce you to the others!”

 

Aurelios guided Ivan over to the rest of his band of mercenaries, with Elfman not far behind. Ivan examined the group as they approached. A woman with green hair was hanging upside down from one of the caravans, giggling away while a stout man with dark hair whispered into her ear. On the side was a tall man with golden, windswept hair. He leaned on a spear with a curved blade, a cocky grin on his face.

 

“Alright you bums, form up! We have some mages accompanying us for the journey ahead, so try to get along yeah?” Aurelios turns to Ivan and Elfman. “Alright, so first up is the pretty girl with green hair. That’s Samara. Standing next to her is Grell. He’s the short and stocky guy. The other guy is Mikael. He’s the one with gold hair, leaning on his spear.” When he turns back to his band, he sees Mikael smiling at him. “Oi, what are you grinning at huh? You want some of this?”

 

Aurelios launches himself at Mikael and starts grappling with him. The two struggle to overpower the other as Aurelia shakes her head in disapproval. She walks up to the ruffians and raps them both over the head with her sheath. “At least try to maintain a semblance of civility in front of our client.” She turns to Ivan and Elfman, bowing slightly in their direction. “I apologize for their behavior.”

 

Elfman waves off her concern. “No need! This happens all the time at our guild. In fact, it’s normally worse!” He threw his head back and guffawed, his fists against his hips.

 

Aurelia’s eyes narrowed, her eyebrows furrowed in distaste before she turned away with a huff.

 

“Ah geez sis, be a little gentler will ya? You almost brained me this time! Tell her Mika!” Aurelios exclaimed while rubbing his head.

 

Mikael shook his head violently, waving his hands in clear refusal. “Hell no! I’m stupid, not crazy. You tell her and see what happens.” He then slowly backed away from Aurelios, unwilling to be involved with the man’s shenanigans any longer.

 

At this point, Samara and Grell had sidled up with Mikael. The three stared at Aurelios as he continued ooh’ing and aah’ing over the swollen lump on his head.

 

“Hey boss! Now that we’re all here, maybe we should get going. Daylight’s wasting away you know!" Samara says, with Grell giving a grunt of agreement.

 

“Oh alright… I’ll be right back.” The man walked over to Markus and spoke with him a bit before returning. “Markus is ready as well. He says we can hitch a ride on the wagons until we enter the forest proper."

 

The small group make themselves comfortable before the wagons start moving along the hard packed dirt trail. Ivan decided to seat himself on the roof of one of the caravans in the middle, the neatly stacked wooden boxes beneath him supporting his weight comfortably. Not only was it one of the best vantage points, but it also allowed him to make his way to any conflict as quickly as possible. He was content to stay there, enjoying the gentle summer breeze while Elfman animatedly chattered with Aurelios and Samara, the three of them as thick as thieves. He set his gaze ahead as he steadied his resolve. "I won't let you down…"

 

Aurelia stared up at Ivan as he scanned his surroundings, unaware of the woman spectating his actions. She nods in approval, her gaze calculating before getting to work herself. There was a job to be done.