"Master, Natsu's acting a little off!"
"That kid's going after Macao."
"Hmph. Still immature. That'll only hurt Macao's pride."
Makarov took a drag from his pipe and waved it off. "Let him go. Everyone chooses their own path."
"W-What's going on? Why'd he suddenly…?"
Lucy was confused by Natsu's sudden shift in mood.
Mirajane set down three mugs of beer and said, "He's probably remembering his own past. He and Romeo are alike."
"Huh?"
Lucy tilted her head in confusion.
"Natsu's dad also left one day and never came back. Well… not exactly his dad. More like his foster father. And… he was a dragon."
"A dragon?!! Natsu was raised by a dragon?! That's… no way…"
Lucy looked completely shocked.
"When he was a kid, a dragon found him in the forest. It taught him language, culture, and even magic. But one day, it disappeared—right in front of him."
Lucy suddenly understood. "So that's… Igneel…"
She remembered when Natsu had been searching for the fire dragon back in Harujion. That must've been his foster father.
Mirajane smiled. "Natsu's always hoped to see Igneel again. It's kind of sweet, don't you think?"
Gray scoffed. "What's sweet about that? He's just annoying."
Elfman crossed his arms. "You two have never gotten along. Since forever."
Kaien also recalled Macao's story. In the Fairy Tail anime, Macao didn't have much screen time…
But when the guild was at its lowest, it was Macao who stepped up as acting Master and kept Fairy Tail alive. His love for the guild was unquestionable.
Kaien hadn't been in the guild that long—he was just familiar with Macao. But if Natsu was already on the job, there was nothing to worry about.
After finishing his meal, Kaien spotted Cana hugging a keg and drinking deeply.
"Cana!"
Kaien sat down across from her.
"Mm? Kaien~ What brings you to big sis? Want to share a drink?"
Cana was clearly tipsy, her eyes sparkling as Kaien approached.
Kaien sighed. "You're eighteen. How do you already radiate such big sister energy?"
"What? Don't like big sisters? I can be the little sister too~!"
She quickly tied up her hair, instantly looking a few years younger.
"Alright, quit messing around. I'm here for something serious. I want you to give me a reading."
"A reading?"
Cana's eyes lit up, and she sobered a bit. "Is it about love? If so, no need. I already checked. Your fated one is… me! Ah—!"
Before she could finish, Kaien flicked her forehead with a finger.
"Ow! You actually flicked me!!"
"Stop joking. I mean it. I want you to tell me what day and time my luck will be at its absolute peak. Preferably down to the second."
Over the past six months, Kaien had done several 10x Draws. It felt like he'd burned through all his luck. Twice he'd gotten nothing, twice just purples. Not terrible, but not great either.
He hadn't pulled a single golden legendary—and it was stressing him out. He needed another way.
As the old saying goes: When science fails, try mysticism.
In a magical world like this, fortune-telling wasn't fake—it actually worked. So why not use it?
Cana blinked. "Huh? Down to the second? You think I'm the Goddess of Divination or something? I can maybe narrow it down to the right hour."
"That works too."
Cana rubbed her fingers together. "But I charge a premium, you know."
"How much?"
"Twenty—no, fifty barrels of booze!"
Kaien was a walking goldmine. She'd be a fool not to squeeze him a little.
"Then I'll go find someone else."
Kaien got up and turned to leave.
"Wait! Don't go! Twenty! Nineteen! Eighteen—!"
She leapt up and grabbed onto his leg in a panic.
"Ten! Ten barrels! That's my final offer!"
Kaien stopped. "Alright. Ten it is. And if I'm satisfied with the result—I'll throw in another ten as a bonus."
Ten barrels was about 500,000J. Not cheap, but not outrageous either. It would normally take Cana a month or two of jobs to earn that.
Hearing that, Cana's eyes lit up. She jumped to her feet. "Deal! That's a promise!"
Then, worried he'd change his mind, she shouted, "Mirajane! Ten barrels of booze over here! Kaien's paying!!"
"Drinks can wait. Let's handle business first. This is important to me."
Kaien's serious tone made Cana pause—she realized this really mattered to him.
She patted her chest. "Don't worry! The more I drink, the more accurate my readings!"
Still, she laid out her Tarot cards on the table.
"Draw three."
Kaien picked three at random.
Cana flipped them open one by one. "The Fool, The Devil… and The World?"
"Hmm… your peak luck will be exactly at midnight tonight."
"Midnight, huh? Got it."
Kaien stood and walked off.
"Thank you for your business! Next time, I'll give you a 20% discount!"
Just then, Mirajane approached Cana. "Cana, since when do Major Arcana predict time? That's what Minor Arcana are for. Don't mess with Kaien. What he's planning is really important to him."
Cana waved her off. "Relax~ I made up the time. I was just reading whether or not he'd succeed. The exact hour doesn't matter. Don't worry about your little boyfriend."
"L-Little—boy—You're talking nonsense!!"
Mirajane's face turned a little red.
"What? He's not? Then maybe I'll make a move~ Kaien really is a good man, you know."
Mirajane rolled her eyes. "To you, anyone who buys you unlimited drinks is a good man."
"Excuse you. I do care about vibes."
"More than booze?"
"Nope! Booze is my Boyfriend No. 1. Everyone else is Boyfriend No. 2!"
Cana snuggled her keg with a grin.
Mirajane just laughed helplessly and shook her head.
That evening, as the guild closed, Kaien walked Mirajane home like usual—and had her cast the Goddess's Blessing on him once more.
Back at home, he took a hot shower, then sat cross-legged and began cultivating with Sun Breathing, silently waiting for midnight.
DONG. DONG. DONG…
The clock struck twelve. Kaien's eyes snapped open, and he pulled up his system interface.
[Would you like to perform a 10x Draw?]
"Confirm."