"I'm still the same," Father Brock replied with a gentle smile. "But you need to be careful when you're out on missions. The children miss you very much they're always asking why Noah hasn't been by to visit."
"Haha, I didn't expect this mission to take so long," Noah admitted. "Oh, Father this is for you."
He handed over the package he had been carrying. Father Brock hesitated for a moment before accepting it, saying, "Thank you. You've gone and spent money again… I feel really bad about it."
"It's nothing," Noah replied with an easy smile. "If the Master hadn't taken me in, I might have ended up living here too.
You have to run this church and take care of so many children. That's a huge financial burden. Now that I have my own income, helping out when I can is no problem at all and honestly, it makes me happy."
Cana, who had been quietly watching, tilted her head in confusion.
"Father Brock, Noah… what is that?"
Father Brock glanced at her and explained, "Noah started donating to us about a year ago. We were very surprised at first and wanted to refuse.
But Noah told me he's also an orphan, and now that he has the means, he wants to help other children who have lost their parents or are in difficult situations. We tried to refuse several times, but he wouldn't take no for an answer, so we finally accepted.
Thanks to Noah, our financial pressure has eased a lot, and the children's living conditions have improved."
Noah smiled faintly and added for Cana's benefit, "It's because Father Brock is so kind and responsible that I'm willing to donate. I wouldn't give money to just anyone."
His gaze drifted around the church grounds. The buildings were still old and worn down.
"Father, haven't you repaired the house? It looks so old I'm worried there might be safety issues."
Father Brock glanced around before answering, "The building is still sound. I even had someone inspect it no problems structurally, it just looks old.
The money you've given me before, I used to buy good food for the children. You know how poor their health was before, so I wanted to help them build up their strength."
"That's true," Noah agreed. "Poor health is no good. It's only right to eat better and get proper nutrition."
As they talked, they reached the children's play area. A group of kids spotted them and immediately lit up with excitement.
"Noah! Noah, you're back!" they cried, rushing over. "Where did you go this time? Did you see anything fun? Tell us, tell us!"
"Alright, alright, don't crowd me," Noah laughed. "Let's go over there and I'll tell you everything slowly."
He led them to their usual spot for talking. Once everyone was seated, he began recounting his adventures from this trip, his voice animated as he described the sights and experiences.
Meanwhile, Cana stayed behind with Father Brock, helping with the chores and preparing dinner.
After dinner, Noah pulled Cana aside and asked,
"The guild has a women's dormitory. Do you want to move in there? I can lend you the money first, and when Gildarts comes back, you can just have him pay me back."
Cana thought for a moment before replying, "No, it's fine. I'm living well enough here. We can talk about the dormitory later."
"That's fine too. I'll feel at ease knowing you're comfortable here."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Do you want to join Fairy Tail? Your father is well-respected in the guild, and you could join under his name."
"Then I'll join the guild too," Cana said without hesitation.
"That's good. Come to the guild tomorrow morning and we'll get your membership sorted out. I'll be there too we can talk more then. Good night."
"Mm. Good night."
Noah returned home to find Makarov sitting at the table, dinner already finished. The guild master was reading the newspaper, but when he saw Noah, he set it down, took a sip of water, and asked,
"Was there something about that little girl today?"
While changing his shoes, Noah answered, "That little girl is looking for her father. Her father is Gildarts Clive."
Makarov choked on his drink, coughing several times before catching his breath. "Gildarts actually has a daughter? Is that true? How have I never heard of it?"
"I think even Gildarts himself doesn't know," Noah said. "She probably came looking for him after her mother passed away. Her name is Cana Alberona.
Gildarts takes on long missions, and he's far away most of the time. He's scheduled to return at the end of the year anyway, so we can tell him then.
Also, let's not tell anyone else yet. I'm worried the other members might scare her. We'll wait until Gildarts comes back, and then he can deal with telling the rest of the guild himself."
"Alright," Makarov agreed. "You can help her with the membership procedures tomorrow."
"Got it. I'll take care of it. I'm going to shower now."
"Go ahead."
The next morning, after breakfast, Noah headed to the guild. He didn't have to wait long before Cana walked in.
He waved her over, helped her fill out the membership forms, and stamped the Fairy Tail emblem on her.
Then he asked, "Do you know any magic?"
Cana shook her head. "No. But… for the past few days, while I was trying to figure out when my father might return, I learned how to use cards for divination."
Noah's mind immediately jumped to the Cana he knew from the future skilled in card magic and strong enough to participate in the S-Class Mage Promotion Exam multiple times. If she could reach that level with card magic, then it was definitely a powerful and versatile choice.
"Using cards for divination?" Noah said thoughtfully. "You could develop that into card magic. It's a very versatile type of magic that can be used in a lot of different situations, and its potential is quite high.
The drawback is that you'll need to buy cards, and the strength of your magic will depend on their quality the better the cards, the stronger your magic will be. Think about it.
Of course, if you don't like the idea, you can choose another type of magic. The important thing is that it's your decision."
After thinking for a moment, Cana looked up at Noah and said,
"Since you recommended it, I want to try card magic."
"Alright," Noah replied with a smile. "I'll head to the library later and get you the relevant magic books. But you'll have to read them here in the guild no taking them out. If you have any questions, just come and ask me."
He added, "Also, from now on, I'll keep an eye out for good magic cards. If I come across any, I'll buy them for you.
But it's even better if you learn to make your own magic cards. The ones you craft yourself will suit you the most."
Noah tapped the table lightly for emphasis before continuing, "And remember after you learn card magic, it's best to pick up some other spells as well. That way, you won't be at a disadvantage if you lose your cards. Relying on only one magic can be dangerous."
"I'll keep everything you said in mind. Thank you!" Cana said earnestly.
"No need to thank me," Noah replied with a grin. "We're all in the same guild it's natural to help each other."
With that, Noah headed to the Fairy Tail library and returned with several books about card magic. He set them down in front of Cana, then took a seat beside her with a different stack of magic books for his own study.
Whenever Cana encountered something she didn't understand, she would lean over and quietly ask, and Noah would patiently explain before returning to his own reading.