The morning sun warmed the cobbled path as Erza and I walked side by side toward the east gate of Magnolia. Our destination: a merchant waiting for escort service down the forested trade route. It wasn't far, just a few hours of travel, and the reward was decent.
My thoughts were spinning the entire way.
A part of me still couldn't believe Makarov had assigned both of us together—two brand-new guild members without a senior. That wasn't standard practice in any guild, let alone Fairy Tail.
But deep down, I understood why. He wanted us to rely on each other. To build something. Even if it was just for one mission.
When we reached the meeting point, a simple wooden carriage sat waiting, two horses hitched up front. A slightly chubby man in traveling clothes waved at us. His round face was kind, framed by a thin brown mustache and a wide-brimmed hat that flopped every time he moved.
"Ah! You must be the Fairy Tail escorts!" he called out, voice cheerful and warm.
I nodded. "Yes. I'm Lucky."
The girl beside me gave a small nod. "Erza."
"Wonderful, wonderful," he said, clasping his hands. "My name's Harlon. I transport enchanted herbs and trade charms to towns east of Magnolia. Don't worry—nothing illegal."
I blinked.
In all honesty, I had expected him to hesitate. To question why two kids were his protection.
But Harlon didn't even flinch.
No skeptical look. No testing. No demand for proof of our strength.
He just smiled, climbed into the carriage, and adjusted his seat cushion.
"Well, let's be off!"
Erza and I exchanged a glance, then silently took positions on either side of the wagon.
The road was quiet at first. Birds chirped in the trees. Leaves rustled with a lazy breeze. The wheels of the cart creaked rhythmically as we walked alongside.
After a while, I cleared my throat.
"Erza?"
No response.
I tried again. "Erza?"
She looked at me this time, gave a small nod—but said nothing.
I hesitated, then tried to bridge the silence. "We're teammates, at least for this mission. Shouldn't we know a little more about each other's magic?"
She looked away.
Still hesitant.
So I took the lead.
"I'll show you mine first."
With a calm motion, I summoned a card into my hand and activated my magic.
A burst of soft gold shimmered beside me, and out stepped a creature no larger than a cat. Snow-white fur, sleek and fluffy, shimmered like light reflected on water. Its ears twitched with curiosity, and its eyes—deep, glowing silver—were mesmerizing.
"My Spirit Fox," I said quietly. "It's more for detection and support than battle. She's pretty smart."
I followed that by summoning five creatures—Wind Wolves—transparent and greenish-blue, made of whirling air. They scattered into the forest without a sound, their presence barely noticeable to the untrained eye.
I raised my hand and wrote a floating AIR in glowing script, just to show her the second part of my magic.
Erza, however, didn't even glance at the spell.
Her eyes were glued to the fox.
She stared at it, then slowly crouched.
The fox walked up to her.
"It doesn't bite," I said, a grin tugging at my mouth.
She reached out and gently stroked the fox's fur.
And then—like a glimpse of sunshine through a cloudy day—she smiled.
It wasn't big. It wasn't long.
But it was real.
"You can actually smile," I teased.
Her expression immediately stiffened.
She stood up, turning away as if nothing happened.
Then she took a breath.
"My magic is called Requip," she said. "I use sword magic and weapon summoning. Watch."
She raised her arm, and in a flash of red light, the sword on her side vanished—replaced with a longer, curved blade, glowing faintly with magical runes.
She pointed toward a nearby boulder. A second later, the rock lifted from the ground and hovered beside her.
"I can use limited telekinesis," she added. "Only while wielding specific swords."
I watched her movements, the control, the seamlessness of it.
But what truly stood out wasn't the technique—it was the presence.
Even just demonstrating her magic, I could feel it.
A wave of raw magical energy.
Vast. Dense. Far beyond anything I had expected from someone our age.
My instincts whispered one thing:
She's strong. Really strong.
The journey continued with quiet conversation and long silences. Harlon hummed occasionally from the driver's bench, his cheerful tunes floating back to us.
After about four hours, he turned slightly and called over his shoulder.
"We're almost there! Just a short hill ahead and we'll reach the village!"
I blinked.
And immediately frowned.
"Red flag," I muttered.
Erza glanced at me. "What?"
"Any time someone says we're almost there… that's usually when something goes wrong."
She tilted her head.
I sighed and raised my hand.
From the golden card, I summoned my Metal Golem.
It slammed into the earth with a thud—towering nearly two stories tall, its iron body gleaming in the sunlight. Heavy, plated, with a rotating cannon arm and a shield large enough to block a building's door.
Harlon screamed and nearly fell from his seat.
Erza jumped back slightly, wide-eyed.
"W-What is that thing?!" the merchant yelped.
"Precaution," I said, somewhat embarrassed. "Just in case something does go wrong."
"…You could've warned us," Erza muttered.
The golem followed silently as we crested the hill.
And… nothing happened.
No ambush.
No monsters.
Not even a lost bird.
Just the gates of a peaceful village waiting quietly in the distance.
Thirty minutes later, the delivery was done.
Harlon handed over the payment pouch with a warm smile. "80,000 Jewels—thank you both. Honestly, I've never felt safer!"
He waved farewell and trotted off toward the inn.
I turned to Erza and handed her 40,000 Jewels.
She hesitated.
"I… didn't contribute," she said. "You handled everything."
I blinked. "That's not true."
"It is."
I smiled. "We're comrades. Even if you don't lift a sword, the risk is shared. 50-50, always."
She stared at the pouch in my hands. Then, slowly, she took it.
"…Thank you."
I turned to leave—
Then paused when I heard it.
A soft sound.
Barely audible.
I turned back—and saw her wiping at her eye.
One tear.
Her only eye.
I panicked immediately. "W-Wait! Are you okay?! Did I say something wrong?! I didn't mean to—uh—I just—sorry!"
She looked up at me.
And laughed.
Soft. Genuine. Light.
For the first time, I heard it.
I froze.
Erza Scarlet… laughed.
And for the first time in a long while, I felt something ease in my chest.
Maybe this partnership… wasn't going to be so bad after all.