"Ehhh??!"
"New companions joined the guild today too!"
At noon, the children returned to the guild in groups.
As soon as they entered, everyone heard about the new companions joining the guild. Curious, they gathered around the Mira siblings, greeting them enthusiastically.
"I'm Natsu, what's your name?"
"El... Elfman!!"
"Why are you acting so timid? As a boy, you should be more brave and outgoing!"
"S... Sorry..."
Although Elfman was a boy and stood taller and broader than Natsu at the same age, his personality was very gentle, even to the point of being weak. Furthermore, being a newcomer, he naturally appeared stiff and formal.
"Idiot Fire Dragon, what does his personality have to do with you?"
Not far away, Gajeel was propping his chin with one hand and resting his right foot on his left knee. He looked at the two while laughing, appearing exactly like a delinquent student who skips class every day to hang out with gangsters.
Seeing this, Elfman subconsciously took half a step back. He felt that if he became friends with a boy who looked like a bad person, Mira-nee and Lisanna would definitely worry about him!
"Ha? Gajeel, you're looking for trouble on purpose, aren't you?"
"What if I am? If you have an objection, come and fight!"
"I'll fight you! Who's afraid of who?!"
Natsu let out a loud shout and pounced toward Gajeel with teeth and claws bared.
"Come at me!"
Gajeel let out a wicked grin and stood up, turning his hands into iron rods to strike at Natsu.
"Um... please don't fight because of me..."
Cold sweat poured from Elfman's forehead. He really didn't want to become the fuse for a brawl on his very first day, but as for stepping in to stop them... Although the two boys were about his age, they seemed to be very powerful wizards; he couldn't mediate at all!
Just as he was at his wit's end, a hand suddenly rested on his shoulder from behind.
"This has nothing to do with you. These two are just like this; they feel uncomfortable all over if they don't fight every day. You don't need to care too much!"
The newcomer was Gray. Although he often fought with Natsu, he was always observant and understood what kind of comfort a new companion needed at a time like this.
While the boys "played" together, the girls naturally found Mira and Lisanna.
"Are you the older sister of the other two?"
"What a coincidence, I also have two younger brothers."
"I feel like we'll have a lot in common to talk about in the future!"
Ultear came before Mira, curiously sizing up this new companion who wasn't much younger than herself.
"Barring any surprises, the three of you should be assigned to the Fairy Academy later. If you run into any trouble at school or get taken advantage of by anyone, just say the name Ultear. I guarantee you'll be fine!!"
Ultear was already a third-year middle school student at Fairy Academy. Other students of the same grade were mostly busy with university entrance exams at this time, or planning how to survive in society after graduation. Only she still acted like the "Academy Big Sis" every day, patrolling the various grades to maintain discipline.
"That... then I'll thank you in advance..."
Due to her past experience of being treated like a demon by her fellow villagers, Mira found it difficult to open her heart to outsiders. However, upon learning that Ultear was an "older sister" like herself, her tone softened significantly.
On the other side, Erzi also greeted Lisanna.
"I'm Erzi. My hobbies are reading and writing, what about you?"
"I'm Lisanna. As for hobbies... I don't have any special ones."
"I see... it's okay, hobbies are things you can cultivate slowly later. Let's start as friends first!"
"Okay!!"
Erzi nodded and asked, "By the way, did you come to Fairy Tail this morning?"
"Yes!"
"Who approved it?"
Lisanna answered truthfully, "It was Grandpa Makarov!"
Erzi understood and reminded her, "Grandpa Third is indeed the person in charge of screening new members, but if you want to go to the Fairy Academy later, you'll still need the Master to step in."
"But don't worry about it. Once he comes back and learns about your situation, he'll handle it immediately."
"If he moves quickly, you might be able to go to school with us as soon as tomorrow!"
"Judging by your age, you might even be assigned to the same class as us!"
As they were speaking, Descartes happened to return from outside. However, he didn't return alone. Beside him were three Exceed, and among them, the white female cat had a regal bearing and was richly dressed, clearly possessing an extraordinary status.
"I've truly troubled you regarding this matter, Master Descartes."
"Queen Shagotte, you needn't be so polite. The Exceed and Fairy Tail have always been on good terms; this favor is but a small effort."
"Moreover, this matter is a rare attempt for both of us. I believe the Academy will be pleased to see it succeed!"
As the person and the three cats stepped into the guild, their conversation was immediately interrupted by the noisy atmosphere. Shagotte was slightly stunned but then smiled, "The atmosphere of your guild is indeed as rowdy as the rumors say!"
"I think if the Fairy Academy also has such a vibrant environment, the children will like it very much."
Descartes smiled faintly, "You can rest assured on that!"
"With so many children around, life at the Academy is definitely ten times more rowdy than here!"
At this time, the guild members had stopped their chatting and scuffling, turning their attention toward them. Although Exceed were not rare in Magnolia, receiving a personal reception from the Master himself piqued everyone's curiosity.
"Ahem..."
"Everyone quiet down, I have an announcement to make."
Seeing the inquisitive looks from the crowd, Descartes didn't hide anything and spoke loudly, "The one standing beside me is Queen Shagotte of the Exceed! She has come this time because she wishes to send one hundred children of her tribe to the Fairy Academy..."
The Fairy Academy did not refuse Exceed students; years ago, cats like Lily had already entered the academy to study magic. However, the admission period for this year had passed, and the number of children the other party wanted to send was too large—nearly filling an entire grade—so Queen Shagotte made the trip in person to show her sincerity.
Hearing this news, the guild members were all excited.
"The Exceed are sending a hundred children to the Fairy Academy?!"
"Such a large number... it's truly unprecedented!"
"Going to school with so many cute cats, the kids today are simply too lucky!"
"Hey, is there still a chance for me to go back to school?!"
"Master, I want to learn magic too!!"