Chapter 81: New Home and Cooking (Request Subscription!)

“Itachi don’t understand—fire is extremely useful!”

Ma Kaou wore an expression of absolute certainty, urging Mo En to include him.

“Ma Kaou is indeed useful—freshly cut wood can’t be used directly; it needs processing. Not all of it needs roasting, but forest wood is often damp and may harbor pests, so it needs to be dried.”

Uncle Reinhardt came over to explain.

“Wait—Itachi’re actually serious?!”

Mo En looked at Uncle Reinhardt; their Fairy Tail truly was brimming with talent, experts in every field.

“Hehe, just a little knowledge.”

Reinhardt chuckled, scratching his head. He wasn’t old for nothing—Kiladas’s house outside the southern city was built by him and a team back in his youth; they knew this inside out, a truly professional crew!

“Then we’re counting on Itachi, Uncle Reinhardt!”

Mo En immediately chose to trust Reinhardt—professional work belongs to professionals. He had no experience in this and had no intention of an amateur directing experts.

“We’re counting on Itachi!”

Mirajane also said to Reinhardt.

Though she wasn’t very familiar with Uncle Reinhardt, the man’s thick beard and square, resolute face made him look utterly reliable.

“Rest assured—I’ll get it done right!”

Reinhardt patted his chest, making a promise.

“Tell us your basic requirements—I’ll work with Lidas to draw up a plan. If it’s good, I’ll gather the team and get to work.”

Reinhardt called over the professional artist Lidas; with Lidas here, they could draw up plans on the spot.

As a user of painting magic, Lidas’s speed and precision were exceptional—he made his living from it, and any painter slow with his brush couldn’t survive in this field.

If Itachi haven’t finished your drawing and summoned your painted beast before the enemy’s attack lands, Itachi’re dead.

Both men turned to Mirajane, waiting for her to state her needs.

“Three bedrooms, one study, a kitchen, a dining room, two bathrooms, and a bath—yeah, that’s about it.”

Mirajane thought carefully and spoke seriously; her requirements were simple. She’d never lived in anything fancy—her old home was crude, lacking all this—and she already felt her demands were high.

Lidas and Reinhardt exchanged a glance, then looked together at Mo En, who stood calmly beside them.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

Mo En was baffled by their stares—just say yes or no and be done with it. Why stare at him?

“Really… just three bedrooms?”

Reinhardt whispered to Mo En.

“...What else?”

Mo En’s face darkened. It was a family of three—why would they need more than three bedrooms? Did he think Mo En needed a room too? And why ask him, an outsider?!

“Ah! Right—add one more bedroom!”

Mirajane suddenly realized and added quickly.

“If friends come over, having a guest room is important.”

To prevent misunderstanding, Mirajane explained.

“Alright, final? No more changes?”

Seeing Mirajane add another bedroom, Reinhardt and Lidas both relaxed.

There were four people—how could there be only three rooms? They were young; they couldn’t possibly share one bedroom.

“No changes.”

Mirajane glanced at Mo En, confirming the final plan.

Lidas immediately began sketching; soon he finished the draft—a two-story cottage drawn in rich detail, even including simple furniture layouts.

This was a conceptual house design meant for the client; detailed architectural blueprints would come after the plan was finalized.

“How’s this? Satisfied?”

Lidas asked Mo En and Mirajane.

His tone suggested he was building this home for Mo En and Mirajane themselves.

“It’s great—I’m very satisfied.”

Mirajane replied, her cheeks slightly flushed; she sensed something odd, but Mo En was the current financier—she couldn’t even let him look at it?

As for Lisanna and Elfman, Mirajane had no intention of giving them a voice—she planned to shoulder the debt alone.

Mo En said nothing. He was fully aware—he’d lent money to build a house, not given it away. The house belonged to them; what business was it of his to meddle?

Still, looking at the concept drawing, Mo En himself began to think—perhaps someday he’d move out too. He should build his own house.

The house he lived in now belonged to Master Makarov. Living with Makarov and Laxus wasn’t bad, but having his own house would surely feel more open, more free.

Seeing neither had objections, Lidas and Reinhardt took over Mo En’s role and began organizing the construction team.

Under their leadership, the “Fairy Tail Construction Team” assembled quickly—the saying “Illness breeds a good doctor” held true.

While the “Fairy Tail Demolition Team” was famous, it had also trained a skilled crew of builders—building yourself meant fewer losses.

Like Reinhardt—he originally learned this skill just to supplement his income when he was weak, but he ended up using it more and more, turning it into a crucial way to offset losses, until his skill improved greatly. Many others were the same.

In the following days, everyone in the guild grew busy, as many joined the “Fairy Tail Construction Team.”

With this many participants, even if the payment was five million J, each person’s share would be small—but still, everyone came to help.

They weren’t here for money, but for the feeling of working together toward a shared goal, for helping a comrade—this was about unity and camaraderie.

If this weren’t for a guild member’s home, no one would bother—profit would be the deciding factor. No one would spend a month working for barely any pay.

Time passed quickly; over a month went by.

A professional team made all the difference—barely a month after taking the job, Reinhardt and his team had nearly finished; the two-story cottage was almost complete.

Mirajane’s family, Mo En, and the other children all came to visit; everyone was curious about Mirajane’s new home.

The final location was just outside the eastern city gate, not far from Magnolia, not directly in the forest. They walked there, chatting and laughing.

Outside the eastern forest, a wooden cottage stood alone on a small hill, with no other buildings nearby, surrounded by a wooden fence forming a small yard.

The two-story wooden cottage’s design was warm and cozy—the exterior used warm brown wooden planks, accented with light-colored wooden window frames, giving an overall feeling of comfort.

Mirajane was delighted; Lisanna and Elfman were too. A home should feel like a home—a warm, comforting refuge that put one’s mind and body at ease.

“Not bad.”

Mo En also commented. Though not luxurious, it had its own charm. With limited funds, luxury wasn’t possible—this cottage was designed for warmth.

“I told Itachi to have faith.”

Uncle Reinhardt laughed heartily—he was clearly pleased with the cottage.

He opened the door and led everyone inside. The living room greeted them; opposite the entrance, a fireplace stood against the wall, with an oak beam above it carved with the Fairy Tail emblem—this emblem would ward off evil spirits.

A rug lay before the fireplace, flanked by two sofas, with a delicate wooden coffee table in between—simple, yet tasteful.

All the furniture was handmade by the “Fairy Tail Professional Team”—Laqi deserved the most credit; her presence saved everyone a fortune.

“Don’t worry—this cottage is solid. Ma Kaou’s fire perfectly controlled the wood’s moisture content, and all pests were completely eradicated. The entire house was treated against insects—Itachi won’t be bothered by mosquitoes or bugs.”

Reinhardt walked ahead, explaining with unmistakable professionalism, leaving the children awestruck.

The little wooden house was truly well-built—though simple, it wasn’t crude; every detail, every carved pattern, showed careful thought. Clearly, Lidas had deeply contributed—Reinhardt didn’t seem like such an artistic man.

Lidas stood beside them, brush in hand, sketching the scene of everyone touring Mirajane’s new home.

The first floor held the living room, kitchen, dining room, one bedroom, and one bathroom. The second floor had three bedrooms, a study, another bathroom, and a bath—everything Mirajane asked for was there.

“But we’re still missing a lot of furniture. I suggest adding some magical furniture—it’ll make life much easier.”

After showing everyone around, Reinhardt offered advice.

The house was nearly complete, but the interior furnishings were still sparse—only basic pieces had been made.

Other items that would improve quality of life needed to be purchased by Mirajane herself; no one here had the ability to make them—they weren’t professional furniture makers.

“Thank Itachi, Uncle Reinhardt—we’re already very satisfied!”

Mirajane, no longer her usual sharp-tongued tomboy, bowed deeply to Reinhardt. She knew clearly—everyone had worked hard to build this house. No amount of money could have bought this kind of help.

After touring the new home, Mirajane was overwhelmed, tears nearly welling in her eyes. After all this wandering, they finally had a new home—a place to truly belong.

In Mirajane’s heart, her sense of belonging to Fairy Tail, her understanding of the guild’s ideals, grew deeper. Everyone here was family—treating each other with pure, unselfish sincerity.

“Haha, no need for that, Mirajane. Everyone’s proud we built this—it’s a beautiful memory.”

Facing Mirajane’s heartfelt thanks, Reinhardt waved his hands, smiling. To him, it was nothing—just basic mutual aid among guild members.

Though they often seemed careless and unserious, when it truly mattered, no one ever refused—this was the bond of Fairy Tail!

“Great opportunity! Mirajane, show us your cooking! I’ve waited for this day a long time—Itachi promised to cook after moving into your new home.”

Seeing the mood turning emotional, Mo En smiled and spoke to Mirajane, winking with clear anticipation.

“Mo En, Itachi wouldn’t have lent her money just so Itachi could eat her cooking, would Itachi?”

Erza stared at Mo En, suspicious.

“Haha~ That’s not wrong at all. After all, Lisanna and Elfman kept saying Mirajane’s cooking was amazing—I’ve been curious. Is it really that good?”

Mo En grinned, eyes half-closed, looking at Mirajane, his tone laced with playful doubt, deliberately provoking her.

Mirajane reacted instantly to Mo En’s words.

“Hmph! Just wait—I’ll shock Itachi all!”

Mirajane wiped her moist eyes, letting her complex emotions fade, then looked at Mo En with proud confidence.

“We’ll see.”

Mo En was genuinely looking forward to it—he’d made Natsu, Gray, and Elfman bring all the pots, pans, and utensils ahead of time.

(End of Chapter)