During lunch back at the guild, Mira checked Yukino's luggage.
As Raizel expected, it was pitifully sparse—just some old clothes.
They appeared to have been washed many times and even had visible patches.
But this wasn't surprising.
After all, she came from a church orphanage where saving was prioritized, and reusing items was encouraged to survive.
"In that case, let's discard all of these. They're simply too worn out," Mira made the decision immediately after inspecting the canvas bag.
"Let's go buy new ones this afternoon!" Mira affectionately patted Yukino's head.
...
Raizel and Mira took Yukino to an affordable clothing store in the shopping district.
They didn't buy expensive luxury clothes for two reasons:
First, Yukino was still a growing girl, and her size would likely change significantly within six months as she started eating properly. It wouldn't make sense to buy expensive clothes that would soon become ill-fitting.
Second, since Yukino had just come from a humble orphanage, it wouldn't be appropriate for her mental transition to immediately plunge her into luxurious clothing and food.
Even so, the affordable, clean clothes were already a significant upgrade for Yukino.
She was dazzled by the variety of colorful options and struggled with decision-making, unable to make a choice for a long time.
In the end, Mira took charge and picked out several stylish outfits for her, while Raizel offered some input—though not much.
Because no matter how he looked at them, all the dresses seemed similar to him.
Raizel paid for the clothes, and true to the store's affordable nature, several sets combined cost less than a single luxury brand item Erza usually bought.
After purchasing some daily necessities like a toothbrush and pajamas, they paid to have everything delivered to Mira's house, completing the task.
...
Mira's House —
Mira had already purchased this property outright with her modeling and S-Class money.
It was a beautiful two-story villa spanning about 200 square meters, with four bedrooms, each equipped with its own bathroom.
Mira led Yukino to the second floor and opened the door to a long-unused guest bedroom.
"This will be your room."
Yukino carried her new luggage and surveyed the bedroom.
Mira had mentioned that no one had lived in this room for a long time, yet it remained incredibly clean and tidy. Mira's diligence wasn't limited to the guild hall, she often cleaned at home as well.
The dressing table, storage cabinet, and windowsill were all free of dust.
The bed, measuring two meters long and one and a half meters wide, was covered with a clean dust protector.
All they needed to do was remove the dust cover and lay out the fresh bedding to make it ready for occupancy.
"Do you like it?" Mira asked, noticing Yukino standing still in a daze in the doorway.
"Yes!" Yukino nodded vigorously, wiping her eyes.
How could she not like it? At the orphanage, she had shared a cramped room with three other girls, and the total space was smaller than this single bedroom.
"That's good." Mira could tell Yukino genuinely loved it and smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling.
"Let's get to work then. Do what you can to unpack," Raizel said, snapping his fingers.
Mira followed Yukino into the en-suite bathroom to show her the plumbing, while Raizel helped Yukino arrange the plush bedding.
...
Yukino's integration into the guild went smoothly without much fuss.
Since she couldn't use her magic effectively yet, she temporarily worked alongside Mira and Lisanna as a barmaid and receptionist to earn her keep.
Raizel knew about her latent canonical talent for Celestial Spirit Magic but planned to let her explore the underground library first to see if any other magic caught her interest.
If she didn't find anything she particularly liked or if she actively chose Celestial Spirit Magic, Raizel would support her either way.
After all, Celestial Spirit Keys choose their owners, as Celestial Spirits are living beings with their own thoughts and wills.
Raizel even speculated boldly that the 13th Gate, Ophiuchus, might have sought out Yukino on its own in the original timeline.
Otherwise, how would Yukino obtain a black key that is canonically stronger and more mysterious than the Golden Zodiac Spirits, or through what means?
Raizel had previously searched for the Ophiuchus key years ago, even resorting to Archive magic tracking, only to conclude with four frustrating words: no leads whatsoever.
So Raizel had given up.
After all, he doesn't practice Celestial Spirit Magic.
It was only upon meeting Yukino today that he suddenly recalled this unresolved matter from years ago.
"When can I see my sister?" Yukino blinked, looking at Raizel from behind the bar.
"Should be soon. Within a week. Once the other person arrives, I'll take you both to the prison together," Raizel smiled, taking his drink.
Raizel had estimated the travel distance from the city where Simon had last sent his letter.
"Will it take... a long time for my sister to be released?"
Speaking of Sorano, Yukino sounded both hopeful and a little dejected.
Yukino already knew that her sister Sorano had once been part of the Oración Seis, a core member of the Balam Alliance, and was now imprisoned by the Magic Council.
After a moment of thought, Raizel replied, "I think... it won't be too long."
"Really? You're not lying to me, are you?" Yukino's eyes brightened with hope.
"I'm not lying to you."
Raizel had political grounds for saying this.
Previously, when Warrod had asked why Raizel was helping Hoteye and Sorano, given that both were clearly Dark Guild members—perhaps not wicked, but certainly not innocent of wrongdoing—Raizel had told Warrod the grim truth.
He explained how they had been abducted from their families by Brain and, at an even younger age, taken to the Tower of Heaven for forced slave labor.
Warrod had been moved to tears by the tragic backstory—quite emotional ones at that.
So in Warrod's recent letters and conversations with Magic Council members regarding the Oración Seis, there was a subtle hint of hope for leniency toward Sorano and Hoteye.
Warrod's words carried significant political weight.
Not to mention Warrod's strength as one of the Four Gods of Ishgar, but also his years of selfless dedication to desertification control—just for that alone, the Council had to show his requests some respect.
Moreover, Raizel had another proposal that he believed the Council members wouldn't refuse, though he planned to discuss it with them in person.
Erza, Kagura, and Ultear had finished their respective missions and were on their way back to Magnolia.
The three hadn't taken on many long tasks, and they weren't far.
With Simon's impending return, they had one more reason to hurry—Kagura couldn't wait to see her brother again.
"Speaking of which... how long has it been since that guy Lyon showed up?" Raizel suddenly asked Ur beside him.
"Several years! And that brat—his letters are getting fewer and fewer!"
Mentioning Lyon Vastia, Ur's eyes held deep nostalgia, but her face was clenched in frustration, and she slammed her mug on the table hard.
"A few years ago, it was four letters a year. The last couple of years, only two. And last year? One! Just one! It arrived right before Christmas!" Ur held up one finger, shaking slightly from the force of her maternal annoyance.
"If not for the fact that his mailing location changed on the envelope, and he included photos that showed physical differences, I'd almost suspect he'd prepared them all in advance just to pacify me."
"Who knows how he's really doing out there... Ah, well, he's grown up after all..." Ur sighed, her anger deflating.
What Ur feared most was that Lyon only shared good news in his letters and hid his struggles, worried he might be pushing through harsh missions or injuries alone just to prove himself.
Raizel comforted Ur, saying, "Don't worry, he's your disciple, Ur. Even if no one else believes in his strength, you must."
Ur nodded slightly before changing the subject. "By the way, when you take Yukino to the Council prison later, call me along. My status as one of the Ten Wizard Saints should be somewhat useful for negotiations."
Raizel nodded.
Since she wanted to help, he wouldn't dampen her enthusiasm.
"Of course it will be useful, as long as you don't mind the political trouble."