Noah had learned Card Magic early on, but he mainly used it for convenience storing his belongings, such as luggage, so that when he traveled, all he needed to carry was a small stack of cards.
He didn't own any offensive magic cards, only storage cards. So, when he began teaching Cana, he handed her some of his unused cards to practice with.
By the afternoon, under Noah's guidance, Cana had already gotten the hang of the basics of Card Magic.
Seeing that the Magic Item Shop was still open, Noah took her there and selected a mix of offensive and utility magic cards, gifting them to her.
Over the next few days, Noah taught Cana the theory and techniques of Card Magic each morning. In the afternoons, they went to an open training ground where Cana practiced while Noah trained nearby, ready to answer any questions she had.
Once Cana was able to use Card Magic fluently, Noah adjusted her training plan: physical and magical power training in the mornings, Card Magic practice in the afternoons, and cultural studies in the remaining time.
With Cana's training routine firmly established, Noah returned to his own work, taking on more missions than before.
Time passed quickly, and by the end of the year, Noah had completed enough jobs to meet his own goals. He stopped accepting requests and began an intense daily training regimen.
Cana noticed his unusual focus and asked curiously what was going on.
"You'll know soon," Noah replied with a smile. "Gildarts will be coming back too."
At the mention of Gildarts, Cana became nervous, completely forgetting her question about Noah's sudden training and instead spending her days anxiously debating how she should face him.
Then, one day, Makarov called all the guild members together. Standing on the counter, he announced in a booming voice,
"I believe everyone has been looking forward to this day!"
The guild hall erupted with excitement.
"Oh, oh, oh, it's finally here!"
"I've been waiting all year for this!"
"Who's going to make it this time?!"
"Master, hurry up and tell us! We can't wait!"
Makarov cleared his throat to settle them down before continuing,
"According to Fairy Tail's ancient tradition, I am now officially announcing the list of participants for the S-Class Mage Promotion Exam."
"It's the S-Class Exam?!"
Cana turned to Noah in surprise. "Is this what you meant when you said something would be happening soon?"
"That's right the S-Class Exam! I've been looking forward to this for a long time!" Noah's eyes were locked on Makarov.
Makarov went on, his tone serious,
"This year's exam venue will be Tenrou Island our guild's sacred ground."
The guild members were taken aback by Makarov's announcement.
"Wait… did he just say the sacred ground?"
"We're actually going to the guild's sacred ground for the exam? Hardly anyone ever gets to set foot there!"
"What's the content of the exam going to be?"
Some of the newer members who had joined this year turned to their seniors for answers.
"The S-Class Exam changes every year," an older member explained. "But no matter what the content is, it's never easy. Passing it is the only way to become an S-Class Mage in Fairy Tail. Naturally, the difficulty is extremely high."
Up on the counter, Makarov continued speaking, his voice cutting through the excited chatter.
"Over the past year, I have observed everyone's strength, judgment, and heart. After careful consideration, I have decided that three members will participate in this year's S-Class Mage Promotion Exam."
"Three people?!"
"That's more than usual! Normally it's just one or two… sometimes no one at all!"
Makarov smiled faintly. "The three chosen this year are Macao Conbolt, Wakaba Mine… and Noah Freyre."
For a moment, the guild was silent. Then the hall erupted.
"Wait, even Noah?!"
"It's not surprising for Macao and Wakaba, but Noah's only eight years old! Can he really participate?"
"Could his strength already be at that level? The Master's standards for S-Class are no joke. If he approved Noah, that means the kid must meet every requirement."
"But doesn't he need to have completed enough missions to qualify? Experience is part of the conditions too!"
Makarov raised his hand for silence. "I understand everyone's surprise. Even I found it hard to believe at first. Honestly, I didn't even consider Noah in the beginning. He was the one who came to me, showed me his strength, and proved he had the required number of completed missions. After thinking it over carefully, I decided to allow him to participate."
Since the moment Cana heard Noah's name announced, she had been staring at him without pause.
Noah shifted uncomfortably. "Why are you staring at me like that? You're making me nervous."
Cana finally looked away, her expression curious. "I can't help it. Because of Gildarts, I read up on S-Class Mages. You have to be strong in every way to even stand a chance. Unlike other guilds with multiple S-Class Mages, we only have one right now. That's because our exam is so strict no one's passed in years. So, I really want to know why you were able to get on that list. Is there some kind of secret?"
Noah smiled faintly. "No secret. Just a bit of talent and a lot of hard work. That's all."
Cana stared at him, speechless. That was bragging pure bragging. Unable to resist, she reached over and pinched his arm hard.
Noah barely felt it, but he still flinched and jumped back as if in pain.
"Master," he called toward Makarov with exaggerated innocence, "by the way, what's the content of this year's exam?"
One of the guild members finally voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"Since Noah's participating in the exam this year… what exactly is the content going to be, Master?"
Makarov stroked his beard with a small smile. "The content this year is very simple combat."
The guild hall stirred with excitement at that single word.
"Combat? Then how do we fight? And who are we fighting against?" someone else asked eagerly.
Makarov's eyes swept over the crowd. "The three participants will first engage in a free-for-all. The last one standing will then face Gildarts in a one-on-one battle. This means that at most… only one person can be promoted to S-Class Mage this year."
The guild instantly erupted again.
"A free-for-all? That's going to be intense!"
"And the winner has to fight Gildarts?! That's insane!"
"No wonder the Master said the exam's difficulty would be high. Facing Gildarts is like trying to punch through a mountain!"
Cana glanced at Noah, her face a mix of awe and disbelief. She didn't know whether to cheer for him or start worrying.