Fairy Tail... Mage Guild... Based on the old man's previous answer and the names of the two boys he had shouted, Hope now understood which world this was.
Before transmigrating, he had also been an otaku, having watched many manga and anime.
And the world he had transmigrated into this time was the hot-blooded work "Fairy Tail"—which, at its peak, was popular enough to go toe-to-toe with the Big Three.
Good news: he recognized the world he had transmigrated into.
Bad news: he had only experienced this work through clips as a "cloud viewer."
Aside from having a vague impression of certain characters and plot points, the only thing Hope, as a cloud viewer, remembered clearly was that this world used "Magic" as its mainstream combat system, yet had a final boss who was immune to magic.
Looking back at the old man who was still "spinning the tops," Hope, having seen character introduction videos, naturally recalled his identity: the third Master of Fairy Tail—Makarov.
An old man who treated guild members as family and was quite protective of them.
And the two "tops" being spun left and right by Makarov were:
The fire-type top—"Fire Dragon Slayer Mage" Natsu.
The ice-type top—"Ice-Make Mage" Gray.
One fire, one ice—with such magical setups, even someone who didn't know the plot could guess that these two were likely classic rivals.
Perhaps he had his fill of spinning them, or maybe he remembered there was an outsider nearby, because Makarov finally let the two reckless boys, Natsu and Gray, go.
Returning to his original small stature, he stood on a chair and looked at Hope. "Young man, how is your body feeling? Is there anything unusual?"
Hope put on a troubled expression. "My body is fine, but I seem to have lost my Memory."
"Lost your Memory..."
Makarov stroked the white beard on his chin, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes, but he quickly returned to his kind demeanor. "It doesn't matter. Fairy Tail welcomes everyone in need of help. Since you have nowhere to go for now, just stay here and rest easy."
"It just so happens that the lounge hasn't been used by anyone for a long time."
The lounge Makarov mentioned was the very room where Hope had woken up. It was originally intended for guild members to take temporary rests, but since everyone preferred staying in the hall, it had remained vacant.
Hearing that Makarov not only didn't suspect him but also kindly arranged a place for him to stay, Hope felt grateful and relieved at the same time.
Fairy Tail was the "protagonist" of this world. By living in the guild, he could more or less avoid detection by the original host's faction, giving himself time to develop.
"My name is Hope. Thank you for taking me in."
Hope didn't stand on ceremony and accepted Makarov's kindness.
At this moment, Natsu and Gray, whose heads were covered in bumps from the beating, also crowded around.
"You lost your Memory? Doesn't that mean you've even forgotten if you can use magic?" Natsu asked with curiosity, his pink spiky hair almost touching Hope's face.
Gray pulled away the tactless Natsu. "Don't get so close to a patient! What if you infect him with your stupidity?"
"Who are you calling stupid? Droopy-eyes!"
"You, obviously, you single-celled organism!"
With just a few words, Natsu and Gray were at it again.
Makarov interrupted them and told the two of them to take brooms and clean up the area around the counter.
Seeing Natsu and Gray working honestly, Hope asked Makarov how he had ended up here.
Makarov's answer surprised Hope a little.
He had fainted by the roadside and was coincidentally found and brought back by Mirajane, the guild's receptionist, who was out shopping.
So he really was picked up... Hope wanted to ask Makarov more questions, but he saw the old man suddenly wave cheerfully toward the guild's main entrance.
Turning his head, he saw a white-haired young girl in a burgundy dress walking into the guild carrying a basket of fruit. Behind her followed a two-meter-tall muscular man with white hair, carrying a large crate on his back.
"Welcome home, Mirajane."
"Elfman, acting as your sister's laborer again, I see."
"Did you go buy fruit? We're counting on you for our vitamins and such."
"Mira-chan is beautiful today as well~"
...
The path from the guild entrance to the counter wasn't long, but almost every member warmly greeted the white-haired girl, and the girl named Mirajane responded to each one with a smile.
But the girl's smile quickly vanished.
"Oh my, what happened to my counter?"
Looking at the overturned counter and the drinks she had prepared in advance lying in a mess on the floor, a hint of mist actually welled up in Mirajane's eyes, looking quite aggrieved.
Makarov's smile froze on his face, and he hurriedly explained, "Don't be sad, Mirajane. It's all the fault of those two brats, Natsu and Gray. I've already taught them a harsh lesson."
After saying that, Makarov turned back fiercely and looked at Natsu and Gray, who were cleaning up. "You two brats, move faster! You'll be Mira's assistants for the day."
"What? The Master was clearly involved as well."
Natsu muttered under his breath, which immediately caused the veins on Makarov's forehead to bulge. His thin arm instantly expanded, and a single punch sent Natsu flying.
Looking at Natsu, whose head was stuck in the ceiling while his body hung limply in mid-air, Makarov finally withdrew his hand with satisfaction.
Brat, don't you know the Master needs to save face too?
Watching this scene, Hope couldn't help but ask Mirajane, Elfman, and Gray beside him, "Are you guys always like this?"
Gray lowered his head somewhat awkwardly. When he wasn't bickering with Natsu, his brain was actually functioning. He pretended not to hear and continued swinging the broom to clean the floor.
Elfman, meanwhile, gave a completely irrelevant response: "A real man."
Only Mirajane, who seemed the most like a normal person, responded to Hope. "Please don't mind it. Every day in Fairy Tail is full of bickering and fighting like this, but everyone is actually very kind."
Such a calm tone.
So fighting is actually a daily occurrence... Makarov stood on the chair and patted Hope's shoulder. "Your Memory will return slowly. Until then, if you don't mind, you can work as a handyman in our guild for the time being. It'll provide you with an income."
Hope certainly didn't mind; he was indeed penniless right now.
Makarov nodded with satisfaction; he had always liked down-to-earth children. "Mirajane, I'll have to trouble you to show Hope around the guild. It's fitting since you were the one who brought him back."
"Of course, Master."
Mirajane turned to Hope and smiled. "I am Mirajane Strauss, the guild's receptionist. Please follow me, Mr. Hope."
Hope returned the smile. "Just call me Hope. And thank you for saving me, Mirajane."