Name: Roger
Rank: Nation-Destroyer Wizard
Magic Power: 93.21 million / 93.21 million
Magic: Contract Magic LV2, Illusion Magic - Five Senses Manipulation LV80, Requip Magic - Knight LV63, Enchantment Magic LV76, Enhancement Magic LV55, Gravity Magic LV43, Card Magic LV45, Elemental Magic (Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning) LV60, Take Over Magic (Satan Soul) LV65, Take Over Magic (Elf Soul, Beast Soul) LV48, Fire Dragon Slayer Magic LV58, Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic LV69, God's Thunder Hall LV30, Fairy Law LV30, Transformation Magic LV40 - Click to expand more
Skills: Cooking LV60, Swordsmanship LV70, Magic Bullet Crafting LV50, Disguise (Max Level, cannot be upgraded), Baji Fist LV70, Magic Suppression LV70, Magic Perception LV60, Ancient Script Mastery LV50, Weapon Mastery LV60 - Click to expand more
In a shadowy corner of the guild, Roger sat alone, a translucent panel hovering in front of him.
His eyes scanned the data, his fingers absentmindedly tapping the table.
After leveling up my Contract Magic, I can gain proficiency in the magic of those I've contracted with. Golden contracts give the highest proficiency boost—almost a one-to-one increase—while purple contracts are a bit less effective. Still, they've pushed my barely-practiced Card Magic to level 45.
After Saint rank comes Nation-Destroyer.
An S-rank wizard needs 100,000 magic power, a Saint needs a million, and a Nation-Destroyer needs ten million. Each rank requires ten times more magic power than the last.
The next rank… probably a hundred million magic power.
No wonder the Spriggan 12 can wipe out Ishgar's Four Heavenly Kings so easily. All twelve of them must have reached Nation-Destroyer level.
Saint and Nation-Destroyer… they're not even in the same league.
"Roger, you've got a package. Someone dropped it off at the guild entrance," Mirajane's voice came from behind, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Got it," he said, starting to stand. Before he could, a massive cloth sack landed on the table in front of him, the word "Roger" scrawled messily across the top.
Mirajane leaned in close, winking playfully. "I brought it over for you. Smells like vegetables—earthy with a fresh, green scent."
"Vegetables? Who'd send me vegetables?" Roger frowned, loosening the sack's opening. A damp, earthy smell hit him immediately.
The first thing he saw was a piece of white paper tucked inside, nestled atop a pile of fresh, dirt-covered vegetables.
He pulled out the paper and unfolded it, revealing messy handwriting:
"Hi, Fairy Tail's big brothers and sisters! I'm the little boy you saved at the train station."
"These vegetables are from my grandma's garden. Thank you for saving me! Grandma says you have to show gratitude (scratched out) for kindness. Since you didn't take any payment for the job, we're sending you these vegetables."
"I hope you like them! My favorite is the red fruit—it's sweet and tangy, great on its own but even better with a little sugar mixed in."
"Lastly, thank you so much for your help. The red-haired sister was a bit scary, but she made me feel safe somehow. I was a little afraid—sorry, Demon Sister."
"And the white-haired sister, you're so kind and pretty! Thank you for saving me from those bad guys."
"Fairy Tail is the best wizard guild ever!"
Roger and Mirajane froze as they finished reading. After a moment, Mirajane recovered first, her eyes softening. "This must be from that kid at the station, Little Lei, right? I can't believe they went out of their way to send this."
"Yeah," Roger sighed. "I almost feel bad getting such a heartfelt thank-you."
"What are you two talking about?" Erza asked, walking over curiously.
Roger handed her the letter. "Read it yourself, Demon Sister."
"Demon Sister?" Erza took the letter, puzzled.
As she read, her eyes grew misty, and she covered her mouth, her voice trembling. "What a sweet kid! He even apologized in the letter… though it'd be nice if he got my nickname right."
"Red fruit—" Roger glanced at the vegetables in the sack, spotting a round, red one.
"Are these tomatoes?"
He pulled out three, their rich tomato scent bursting free, overpowering the other vegetables. A faint blue glow flickered at his fingertips as thin streams of water washed over the fruits, cleaning off the brown dirt in seconds.
Roger handed one to Erza and one to Mirajane, then took a bite of his own. The sweet-tangy juice exploded on his tongue, and his eyes lit up. "Wow, these are good. It's been ages since I had tomatoes this juicy."
"So that's what they're called," Erza said, eyeing her tomato in surprise. She took a careful bite, and her eyes sparkled. "Sweet and tangy with a unique aroma!"
Mirajane gently squeezed her tomato, red juice dripping onto her fingers. She stared at the stain thoughtfully. "These would probably taste amazing in a stew."
"An S-rank mission is missing from the second-floor board," Laxus's voice called from above.
Everyone looked up to see him holding a single white feather. "This feather looks like it's from Happy's wings. It was lying on the floor next to the mission board."
Makarov sighed, setting down his mug. "Which mission is missing?"
Mirajane sprang up to the second floor with a light leap, checked the board, and leaned over the railing. "It's the one to break the curse on Galuna Island."
Cana, sipping her drink, grinned mischievously. "Natsu had the guts to sneak an S-rank mission? And one that actually requires thinking?"
"He's got some nerve," she added. "Isn't he scared of the punishment?"
Mirajane descended the stairs, a sly smile on her face. "I seem to recall Natsu wasn't around when we announced the new rules. Did anyone tell him the punisher's changed from Erza to Roger?"
"Nope," Wakaba said with a gleeful chuckle. "And Lucy hasn't shown up at the guild today either. Bet she got roped into this mission with him."
"Poor girl," he added. "Getting hit with that kind of punishment right after joining the guild."
Makarov was quiet for a moment, then took a sip from his mug and spoke slowly. "Punishment is necessary. Natsu took an S-rank mission without passing the wizard exam."
He stroked his beard, frowning. "If it was a combat mission, Natsu might've handled it. But a curse-breaking mission? With his careless attitude, he's probably in over his head."
"And with Lucy tagging along…" He let out a long sigh.
Mirajane, after checking the backup mission list, added with a smile, "He's not that dumb. At least he picked the mission with the lowest reward."
"Galuna Island," Roger said, thinking for a moment. "I'll take this mission. I know a bit about the rumors surrounding that place. Natsu's probably not equipped to handle it."
Makarov visibly relaxed. "Thank you, Roger. I'm counting on you."
Mirajane grabbed Erza's arm and pulled her toward Roger, raising her hand with a grin. "We're coming too! I can't wait to see Natsu's face when we show up."
Erza hesitated. "Me too? You and Roger should be more than enough."
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