Under Erza's distribution, the nine exchange students from the Royal Capital Magic Academy were sent respectively to the third year of middle school, the first year of middle school, and the second year of primary school.
The largest group went to the third year of middle school, totaling five people: Jellal, Macbeth, Erik, Sorano, and Richard; they were in the same class as Ultear.
The two youngest, Rufus and Orga, met Sting, Rogue, and Wendy in the second-grade primary school class.
As for the final remaining one, Juvia, she was in the same class as Erzi and the others.
First year of middle school.
"Let me introduce you all, this is the exchange student from the Royal Capital Magic Academy. From today onwards, she will be studying with everyone..."
"My name is Juvia. Please take care of me over the coming year!"
With Juvia's appearance, countless curious gazes were immediately cast her way within the classroom.
"What a gloomy girl!"
"Yeah, she looks like she'd be difficult to talk to."
Being girls themselves, the deskmates Erzi and Cana saw through Juvia's personality at a glance.
After observing Juvia for a few moments, Cana withdrew her gaze: "But since we're going to be studying together for a whole year, it's necessary to get on good terms with her."
Erzi agreed completely: "You have a point! Do you have any good ideas?"
Cana tilted her chin up proudly: "It's simple! When class is over, I'll treat her to a drink!"
Erzi was instantly speechless: "Uh, no, that's not a normal way to make friends at all!"
"Don't worry!"
"Trust me on this, I'm very experienced!"
Cana thumped her chest with confidence: "As long as three glasses of wine go down, I can become friends with even the person with the worst personality!"
Nonsense! If someone is willing to drink three glasses with you, is there any worry about not becoming friends?
If the girls were more concerned with Juvia's personality, the boys cared more about her strength.
"Since she's from the Royal Capital Magic Academy, she must be somewhat of an expert, right?"
"I wonder what magic she uses? I might as well find an excuse to pick a fight after class!"
Gajeel and Natsu exchanged looks, already plotting in their hearts.
Gray, on the other hand, appeared quite uninterested: "Challenging a girl, you two really have no shame!"
Hearing this, Gajeel and Natsu were stunned for a moment, then simultaneously let out a faint mock.
"Did you hear that, Salamander? This guy seems to look down on girls."
"Hilarious. I wonder who gets his butt spanked by his older sister at home every day!"
Gray's face instantly flushed a heated red.
Beside them, Elfman leaned in: "What funny thing are you talking about? Tell me too?"
"Well, it's—"
"Shut up!!"
Gray shouted, interrupting Gajeel.
Heaven be his witness, he, Gray Fullbuster, did not get his butt spanked by his sister at home every day!! That day, it was simply because he challenged Ultear, lost, and was given a spanking as punishment—and Natsu and Gajeel just happened to see it when they came over. Who knew that the two of them would never let it go and mock him every single day!
"First of all, I must emphasize that I absolutely do not look down on girls."
"Secondly, I'm not the only one in the guild who can't beat my sister; you two are exactly the same!"
Gray glared fiercely at Natsu and Gajeel, deciding to mock them back in kind: "Finally, don't think I don't know about the time you two challenged Erzi and Brandish and ended up being hung up and beaten by them!"
Gajeel's face stiffened: "No such thing happened, stop talking nonsense!"
Natsu also turned his head guiltily: "T-That's right... we're not like you!"
Gray just sneered: "Still faking it? Cana told me all about your embarrassing moments!"
Among these three "problem students" who gave the homeroom teacher headaches, Gray was always the most popular with the girls, so he could always get some unknown intel from the female classmates.
Once, Natsu had excitedly run over to duel Erzi, only for Erzi to pull out her Celestial Spirit keys and use her absolute numerical advantage to beat Natsu into the dirt!
Gajeel had also had such a "shameful" moment, except his target was Brandish, who was one grade above them. He ended up being shrunk, put in a bottle, and hung from a window with a string for an entire day!
Both girls were kind-hearted and, to save the boys' face, didn't publicize the incidents, only telling their best friend Cana. But in the end, Cana "accidentally" leaked it to Gray during a drunken episode.
From the expressions of the three before him and the snippets of words revealed, Elfman roughly pieced together the details, and for a moment, his heart was filled with a mixture of emotions.
As expected... the girls in the guild are all like Mira-nee—strong like monsters! It seems he needs to work even harder, otherwise, how can he protect his sisters in the future?
He couldn't help but look at Juvia on the podium again, thinking to himself: Is this new exchange student also strong like a monster?
Suddenly, Elfman's peripheral vision caught Lyon sitting not far away. Lyon was also staring intently at Juvia.
Could it be that even Class master Lyon—who usually wasn't very bellicose and was the representative of a good student in the eyes of teachers—actually had the desire to challenge an expert?
But it makes sense. After all, he is also a wizard of Fairy Tail and Gray's senior brother; how could he not have the desire to grow stronger or be willing to fall behind others? Even these talented people are working harder than him, so what reason does he have not to work hard?
At this thought, Elfman secretly made up his mind to double his training efforts from now on!
Elfman did not realize that Lyon's current thoughts were worlds apart from his guesses!
The moment he saw Juvia, Lyon suddenly felt an inexplicable flutter he had never experienced in his life. This groundless surge of emotion made his heart bloom with joy, his blood boil, and his breath hitch, to the point where he could no longer look away.
When the physical abnormality reached his brain, he was left with only one thought—
"This new female classmate is so cute!!"
The shift in the students' movements below happened in just one minute, and within that minute, the homeroom teacher had finished deciding Juvia's seating arrangement.
"Juvia, you sit at—"
"Teacher!!"
Suddenly, Lyon stood up. His face was still flushed with a faint blush.
"There's an empty seat next to me, let Juvia sit with me!"
The deskmate: "???"
Am I not a person?!!