Chapter 23: Mo En

After arranging matters for Laqi, Mo En did not linger at the guild; he went to the Magnolia train station to take a train to the neighboring town for a mission request.

The Eslanden world also had trains, even cars—but all were magical artifacts powered by magic; the convenience of magic had distorted the world’s technological development.

“Magic-powered automobiles” were extremely expensive magical items and could not be widely adopted, so most travel relied on trains or carriages, creating a strange dissonance.

Other items, such as “Wind-Singing Glasses” and “Sound-Pot Players,” were also magical artifacts, each one costly.

The trains of Eslanden resembled the old green-bodied trains Mo En remembered, though slightly more refined, with a central table and seats facing each other.

“It’s fairly comfortable.”

Mo En sat by a window, watching the scenery outside—this was his first time riding a train in Eslanden, and his first true departure from Magnolia City.

Previous trips to the outskirts or East Forest didn’t count, as they were still within the “Fairy Tail” sphere of influence.

Since Mo En’s twelfth birthday was approaching and his strength had already met the standard, Grandmaster Makarov had agreed to let him take this mission; before this, Makarov had never allowed any of them to accept missions requiring travel too far from the guild.

This rule applied to all the children, not just Mo En—it was for their safety; only at age twelve were they granted access to more demanding missions.

This was also to protect “Fairy Tail”’s reputation: clients entrusted missions to “Fairy Tail” because they trusted its strength; sending a seven- or eight-year-old child, no matter how capable, would make it hard to gain their confidence.

To give the children something to do and familiarize them with mission procedures, everyone in the guild would reserve nearby, simple, and easy tasks for them to practice on.

Riding the train, Mo En soon arrived at Onibas. His only knowledge of the city was that it had a grand theater, where many famous theater troupes performed—hence its relatively bustling train station.

After disembarking, Mo En followed the address on the request to a villa—more accurately, an estate.

A vast courtyard contained meticulously pruned ornamental trees; a long stone path led to the luxurious main building, painted milky white and inlaid with gold trim throughout, crafted with great care and exuding opulence.

Accompanied by a servant who came to greet him, Mo En entered the main building and met the mission client.

“Hello, I’m Mo En, a mage of Fairy Tail. Are Itachi Mr. Deno, the mission client?”

In the spacious reception hall, Mo En politely greeted the man.

The reception hall also felt gilded and lavish—how to put it? A bit tacky, but undeniably wealthy.

Mr. Deno himself had a prosperous appearance: stout, dressed in luxurious garments like a noble, clearly rich—and indeed he was, as evidenced by his residence; the mission fee was also substantial, beyond the means of ordinary people.

“Huh? So young? Still a child? What’s going on with Fairy Tail? Why send a child? Are Itachi mocking me?! Isn’t my bounty high enough?!”

Upon seeing Mo En, Mr. Deno, wine glass in hand, frowned deeply; his gaze toward Mo En was dismissive and irritated, for Mo En looked far too young to be a powerful mage.

“Mr. Deno, please rest assured—Fairy Tail is professional and trustworthy. If I’ve come, I will resolve your problem. We never gamble with our guild’s reputation.”

In response to Deno’s skepticism, Mo En remained calm; though young in face, his aura was strong, his innate confidence in his strength unmistakable.

“I’ll… temporarily believe Itachi.”

After hearing Mo En’s words, Mr. Deno muttered under his breath a few times, then chose to trust him.

Or rather, he trusted “Fairy Tail.”

As Mo En said, “Fairy Tail”’s reputation was renowned, and its mission completion rate was exceptionally high—the undisputed No. 1 guild in the Fiore Kingdom.

Though they often caused unexpected trouble, that happened only after completing the mission—don’t ask how much damage was done; just ask whether the mission was completed.

“The mission request says the target is a Magic-Horned Lizard, correct?”

Having accepted Mo En as the assigned mage, he began verifying the mission details.

This meeting was essentially a mutual confirmation: the client paid, so he had the right to reject an untrustworthy mage; the mage, having accepted the task, needed to confirm the exact objective to avoid disputes later.

“Correct. I need the horns of the Magic-Horned Lizard—at least twenty. If Itachi bring more, I’ll pay extra.”

Mo En’s serious, professional demeanor eased much of Deno’s doubt; he thought, “Fairy Tail” wouldn’t send a child to die—this wasn’t a simple errand or retrieval task; this was a beast hunt!

“Fine. I have no further concerns.”

Mo En nodded, finalizing the handover with Deno.

This was truly a long journey—the Magic-Horned Lizard only lived in the Vass Tree Sea, far from here.

After confirming the price per additional “Magic Horn,” Mo En left the villa and went to the train station, taking the train all the way to the final stop: Kropa.

Mo En remembered Kropa—the location of the guild master’s regular meetings.

The Vass Tree Sea lay north of Kropa; beyond that, no train ran. Mo En rented a carriage, but the driver refused to go further than halfway into the forest.

The Vass Tree Sea was a primitive forest, home to all manner of beasts and magical creatures; ordinary people dared not enter, and without strength, few survived the journey.

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(End of Chapter)