When the magical era entered July of X777, Weston returned from Tenrou Island to Magnolia at the first available opportunity. He knew very well that the coming era would be a tumultuous one; the youths of the guild would gradually make their mark in the magical world, leading Fairy Tail to the world stage once more. This was undoubtedly a heartening prospect. At such a stirring time, as the founder of the guild, he had no reason to be absent.
However, Weston did not tell many people the news of his return. Between the guild and the academy, the number of people who knew he was back added up to no more than three. Weston simply wanted to witness the birth of a new era as a bystander; he didn't want to be too dazzling and steal the spotlight from the youngsters, turning a perfectly good "shonen" battle story into an "old man" battle story. It's not that old man battle stories are bad, but in Weston's eyes, there simply weren't many opponents left in this world capable of being "villains"—he had to save them for the children.
Therefore, after returning to this familiar town, Weston didn't even go back to the guild. Instead, he went straight to the Fairy Academy to take up residence in the Magic Library. Weston thought he would live a peaceful life in the library for a while. Little did he expect that his arrival would be like the turning of the gears of fate, beginning to silently influence the people and things around him. The Magic Library, which had never experienced a trespassing incident in the past, welcomed its first uninvited little guest just three days after his return...
Everything seemed so coincidental. It was as if a giant hand were controlling everything, sitting somewhere beyond the walls of the world, tapping on a keyboard and writing a brand new story of the changing eras.
...
Inside the Magic Library.
Two figures, one old and one young, sat across from each other at a table. The light from the magical spotlight overhead shone down, illuminating this small corner of the world as bright as day.
Ultear did not know Weston. Although records of him as the "First Master" were kept in Fairy Tail, those documents were all stored in the guild's underground library, strictly preserved, with no photos or portraits kept in public view. Even if one specifically went to search for them, one would only find photos from their youth. Thus, forget a child like Ultear—even the generation above her, or even the generation above that—knew nothing of the guild's "First Fairies."
"What a strange old man..." Ultear quietly observed Weston. She suddenly remembered a phrase Grandpa Makarov often said in the guild: "There may be people in the world who like being alone, but it is impossible for anyone to endure loneliness forever."
This old man in front of her must have been lonely for too long, which is why the moment he saw a young person, he couldn't wait to drag them into a game. Thinking about it, it was quite pitiful! Forget it... since she had nothing else to do, what did it matter if she played a game with him, relieved his boredom, and passed the time? She'd just consider it an act of kindness.
Sigh... Ultear, oh Ultear, you really are such a clever, beautiful, and kind-hearted child!! How can there be a girl as perfect as me in this world?
"Aren't we starting yet?" Weston was quite puzzled. Even though she had agreed to play the game, the girl in front of him just sat there giggling to herself incessantly. This child... she doesn't have some sort of brain illness, does she?
"Ahem..." Realizing she had lost her composure in front of the elder, Ultear's face instantly flushed with embarrassment, and she hurriedly faked a cough to cover it up. "What's the rush? Although I agreed to play with you, this is my first time here, and I know nothing about the magic books stored here. If you want me to test you, I obviously have to think carefully about how to phrase the questions!"
Weston nodded seriously: "That makes sense. Take your time thinking."
Ultear gave a soft huff, thinking to herself: Since this old man can be the librarian and dares to play this testing game, even if he hasn't learned every magic here, he must have mastered at least fifty percent. On the other hand, I'm a newcomer with zero understanding of the magic here. If I ask a question the normal way, I won't even know the answer myself, so I can't possibly win. To achieve victory, I have to find another way and strike from an unexpected angle.
Thinking of this, Ultear's eyes darted around as a plan formed: "Are you sure, as long as the question is related to the magic books here, it's okay?"
Weston smiled and nodded: "That's right!"
"Then..." Ultear grinned and said loudly, "Guess which magic book I'm thinking of in my head right now!"
"Eh?" Weston deliberately opened his mouth wide, pretending to be stunned.
Seeing this, Ultear was extremely pleased, laughing with her hands on her hips: "Hahaha... how about that? Can't answer, can you? My question is indeed related to the magic books here!"
Guessing the name of the book in her mind was the best method Ultear could come up with—not to mention the probability of him guessing correctly was microscopic, even if he did manage to get it right, she could simply refuse to admit it!
Just as Ultear thought she had victory in the bag, unexpectedly...
"Hahaha..." "You want me to guess the name of the book in your mind? That's too easy! The magic book you're thinking of right now is 'A Hundred Solutions for Maker Magic Weapons'!" "The book records various weapon styles specifically designed for Molding Wizards that are the fastest, most convenient, and most useful in battle!"
Ultear was instantly stunned: "!!!"
The smugness on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by shock and disbelief. How was that possible?! This old man actually guessed right?! No, it must be a coincidence; she absolutely could not admit it!
"Wh... what a shame, you guessed wrong! The magic book I was thinking of was clearly 'High-Level Maker Magic Techniques'!"
Weston was taken aback. Looking at the girl's gradually reddening face, his gaze was full of teasing: "Cheating at a game is not a good habit."
"I'm not cheating! You just guessed wrong!"
"It's no use even if you don't want to admit it." Weston could only shake his head and present the hard evidence: "To tell you the truth, I know Mind-Reading Magic, so I know everything you're thinking perfectly."
Ultear was stunned again, her eyes turning into blank dots: "Ah, this..."
"Do you want me to say everything you're thinking right now?"
"Hmm... what you're thinking now is..."
"'This old man is definitely lying' 'Could he really know mind-reading?' 'He actually knows what I'm thinking' 'I don't believe it' 'The stinky old man is a pervert' 'The egg fried rice at the school cafeteria tastes terrible' '2653937' 'Oh no, it seems he really can read minds'..."
The corners of Weston's mouth curled up. Ultear's face was full of awkwardness