The time arrives at year X778.
On this day, it is another bright and sunny morning.
Three thin, small figures appear on the streets of Magnolia.
These are two girls and one boy, three children all around ten years of age.
They all have pure white hair on their heads, and their faces bear a thirty percent resemblance to one another; barring any surprises, they should be three siblings.
On each of the three children's shoulders sits a bundle that does not match their body size. Their faces and bodies are stained with the dust of travel, and moreover, they exude a heartbreaking fatigue, clearly having wandered all the way here.
When people passing by on the street see them, they all stop in their tracks, eyes filled with concern, ready to step forward and help at any moment.
"Little friends, where did you come from? Do you need help?"
Magnolia has always had simple, kind, and enthusiastic folk customs. Seeing three disheveled children appear before their eyes, they couldn't help but want to lend a helping hand.
However, faced with the kindness of the town residents, the three children appear at a loss and are full of wariness.
The two younger siblings hold hands, not daring to speak, only looking toward their older sister.
This older sister is the strangest one among the three.
She uses a black hooded garment to cover her body tightly, clutching the hem from the inside, refusing to reveal even a single gap, as if there were something shameful hidden there that cannot see the light of day.
On the only part exposed, her face, there is also nothing but alertness, like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, guarding against a crisis that could appear at any time.
Seeing someone take the initiative to approach, the young girl subconsciously takes half a step back, shielding her younger siblings behind her, her eyes fixed deathly on the newcomer.
"We... we don't need help for the time being..."
"Thank you!"
The kind resident: "..."
Do I really look that much like a bad guy?
I finally managed to be enthusiastic for once, only to end up looking like such a clown.
Don't they know that a single instance of rejected kindness might result in a lifetime of standing by with folded arms...
Sensing the girl's wariness, the kind resident gave a sheepish smile: "Well... alright then, but if you do need help, you can go look for Fairy Tail!"
"Fairy Tail?"
"It's the magic guild of this town!"
Upon hearing the term "magic guild," the light in the girl's eyes suddenly dimmed.
She was indeed in trouble and indeed needed help.
But previously, when passing through other towns and seeking help from the local magic guilds, they had been driven out without exception.
Therefore, hearing now that the place where they could seek help was yet another magic guild, she no longer harbored any hope.
Children have always found it difficult to hide their thoughts.
The change in the girl's expression fell into the eyes of the kind resident and was immediately seen through.
"You might not know Fairy Tail; it is the strongest magic guild in our Kingdom of Fiore. There are many powerful wizards inside, and the members are quite friendly. If you really run into trouble, feel free to go find them!"
The girl seemed somewhat moved upon hearing this: "...Is what you're saying true?"
"It's true, really true!!"
The kind resident nodded repeatedly: "Besides that, Fairy Tail also has deep connections with the Fairy Academy... oh, the Fairy Academy is a school specifically for teaching magic, and it is also the most impressive magic school in the Kingdom of Fiore."
"Many children your age in our town go to school there."
"Looking at your large bags and small bundles, you must have wandered here from somewhere else, right?"
"If you have no place to stay for now, you can go check out 'Fairy Tail.' If you happen to have magic talent and successfully join the guild, you might even be able to attend the Fairy Academy for free!"
Is there really such a good thing?
The three siblings looked at each other, their hearts not quite daring to believe it.
"What he says is true!"
Another resident leaned in from the side: "If you don't believe it, I'll personally take you there!"
Seeing someone cut in, the original kind resident was suddenly displeased: "Hey, stop interfering, I got here first!"
The later arrival sneered: "How can there be 'first come, first served' for this kind of thing? Naturally, whoever grabs them first gets them!"
Why did these two suddenly start arguing?
They couldn't be human traffickers, could they?
Seeing this, the white-haired siblings took several more steps back, preparing to slip away first.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they turned around, they bumped into someone head-on.
The three quickly halted their steps, looked up, and found it was a very, very old man.
"Don't worry, they aren't bad people."
"It's just that a while ago, Fairy Tail issued a notice saying that if someone can recommend a wizard to join the guild, they can receive a certain reward. They want to take you over just to get that reward."
"Plus, recently the town Mayor is conducting the selection for the 'Top Ten Enthusiastic Residents,' so..."
So that's how it is!
The girl realized the truth upon hearing this, secretly grumbling in her heart: I knew there wouldn't be kindness out of nowhere in this world!
The old man continued: "That being said, what he said is indeed true!"
"Your talent is quite good. If you go to 'Fairy Tail,' you will definitely be able to join successfully!"
"Go on, just keep walking straight along this street and you'll see Fairy Tail!"
After saying this, the old man did not linger and continued his walk.
Watching his gradually receding back, the three children stood dazed on the spot, feeling even more confused in their hearts.
Compared to the previous two people, although this old man's attitude was colder, he didn't seem like the type to covet anything from this matter; instead, it was rather reassuring.
However, what did he mean by "talent is quite good"?
"What a strange old man..."
"Sister, are we going? To that Fairy Tail..."
The eldest girl hesitated on the spot for several seconds, then took a deep breath and made a decision: "Let's go!"
Soon, the three children arrived at Fairy Tail.
Before the three had a chance to enter the guild, they saw an NPC refresh at the guild entrance.
"Hello there, children!"
"Standing at the guild entrance, are you here to find someone, or do you want to join Fairy Tail?"
"Shall I take you inside?"
The three turned their heads and saw it was yet another strange old man.
The reason he was called strange was that this old man before them was clearly younger than the one they saw earlier, but his hair was pitifully sparse and he was very short.
However, whether it was the one just now or this old man now, their faces were quite kind and their attitudes were very gentle.
Are the elderly in this town all this enthusiastic?
The girl in black thought for a while and asked: "Gramps, are you from Fairy Tail?"
"Yes, indeed!"
"Then you are a wizard too?"
"Of course. By the way, this old man is very powerful!"
Makarov said this while stroking his few remaining hairs quite cockily.
The girl was overjoyed to hear this.
"Then... can you help me break a demon's curse?"