Chapter 8: Meeting Makarov on the Road! What a Truly Mature Kid!
"Ah—my food is going to burn!"
Erza suddenly yelped and rushed outside with the spatula in hand.
Outside, Ren watched Erza busying herself in the corner of the yard, her small back looking oddly like an adult's.
Not long after, Erza looked at the few dishes on the table and broke into a pure smile.
Satisfied, she nodded—then noticed Ren sitting on the doorstep, smiling as he watched her.
Erza's cheeks reddened a little as she pouted at him. "What are you staring at? Hurry up and eat!"
Ren nodded, sat at the table with a smile, and looked at the dishes that didn't look very appetizing.
He took a deep breath, then started eating with gusto.
Seeing Ren wolfing it down, Erza immediately beamed, propping her chin in her hands as she quietly watched him.
"You should eat too. Why are you just watching me?"
Ren swallowed his bite and lightly tapped Erza on the forehead.
Erza stuck out her tongue, then picked up her bowl and ate in small bites.
After they ate their fill, Erza moved to wash the dishes.
Ren stopped her as she gathered the bowls and chopsticks. "Don't bother. We don't even know if we'll come back. Just leave it."
Erza shook her head firmly. She washed everything clean and stacked it neatly before leaving the house.
With a tiny bundle on her back, Erza walked beside Ren, glancing back at the shabby village with reluctant eyes.
The two stood at the village entrance, and sadness surfaced in Erza's gaze.
She was born here and grew up here.
This was the first time Erza was leaving, and she truly couldn't bear it.
She turned to look at Ren not far away. Her eyes gradually firmed up, and she ran to him without looking back.
"Let's go!"
Smiling brightly, Erza lifted her head and looked at Ren.
"Let's go."
Ren ruffled Erza's hair, then looked back once at the village behind them. After that, the two of them headed into the mountains and forest.
It was the only way out.
After leaving the village, they walked for over a day without seeing any other village or town.
Before setting off, Ren had brought a rabbit-fur blanket from home.
The nights were cold. Ren's body wasn't afraid of the cold, but Erza couldn't handle it.
At mealtimes, Ren took Erza hunting, and at night they found a place to sleep.
After several days of walking, they were finally about to leave the vast forest.
That day, Ren was processing a rabbit he'd just caught while Erza stayed nearby.
The aroma of roasted rabbit drifted through the woods.
Suddenly, there was rustling behind them in the bushes.
Erza tensed instantly and hurried behind Ren.
This had happened often over the past few days.
Wild beasts would suddenly burst out of the bushes and attack the two of them.
In a large bundle off to the side, there was a complete tiger hide.
Ren watched the bushes cautiously. With Observation Haki, he sensed a person inside.
"Ay, ay… I'm exhausted."
A carefree voice sounded as a short old man crawled out of the bushes, vigorously patting the leaves stuck all over him.
He looked up and saw the two kids staring at him warily.
The old man smiled and waved at them.
"Hello there!"
"Who are you?"
Seeing the old man's kind-looking face, Erza's tension eased a lot.
She stepped out from behind Ren, curious, and asked, "Grandpa, why are you alone in the forest?"
"Well… that's a long story."
The old man fell silent for a moment, then scratched his head and laughed.
Then his eyes suddenly landed on the roasted rabbit beside them. His eyes lit up, and he asked Erza expectantly, "I'm kind of hungry. Can you share some food with me?"
Erza looked up at Ren.
Ren stared at the short old man for a moment, then smiled. "Of course. Eat."
After the old man ate his fill, he braced his hands on the ground and asked the two of them curiously, "Why are you two in the forest? There are lots of fierce beasts in here."
"Ren is really strong! Wild beasts are totally no match for him!"
Hearing that, Erza looked proud and patted Ren's arm.
"Oh? That strong, huh?"
The old man sized Ren up, then asked, "Do you have no home to go back to?"
Erza fell silent for a moment, then grabbed Ren's arm and smiled. "Wherever Ren is, that's where Erza's home is!"
"So your name is Erza. That's a nice name."
The old man muttered under his breath as he looked at them, smacking his lips. "Kids this young, already so grown up… you two starting to date already?"
"Grandpa, are you leaving the forest? We're getting ready to head out."
After burying the campfire with dirt, Erza asked him.
"Where are you going?"
The old man stood up and brushed the dirt off his backside.
"If you don't have anywhere to go, then come with me."
The moment he said that, Erza's eyes turned wary again.
"I'm not a human trafficker. I'm the guild master of a wizard guild!"
The old man grinned, flashing bright teeth.
"A wizard guild? What's that?"
Erza looked up, confused, then glanced at Ren beside her.
From the moment this old man appeared, Ren had recognized him.
Fairy Tail's guild master—Makarov.
"A wizard guild is a place where lots of wizards gather together, like one big family. In the guild, everyone is like family."
As he spoke of Fairy Tail, Makarov looked proud.
"Ren, should we go with him?"
Erza had little experience with the world. After hearing Makarov talk like that, she felt tempted and asked Ren with hopeful eyes.
"Then we'll go with you."
Going to Fairy Tail had been Ren's goal anyway—he just didn't expect to run into Makarov on the road.
The two of them followed Makarov out of the forest and soon arrived at a nearby small town.