Gildarts’ return made Fairy Tail wizards giddy all day long. It wasn’t just because he’s the strongest mage in Fairy Tail, it’s also because Gildarts would spend a long time outside of the guild to god knows where and would only very rarely return to the guild.
Some of the time, he would be out there because he has to solve some ridiculously tough which would require a significant amount of time to accomplish. On other occasions, Gildarts would be outside wandering around, training himself while at the same time living the life of a heroic nomad. All this led to him being away on distant land most of the time.
Coming and going like that, even if other people knew he was the strongest mage in Fairy Tail, most wouldn’t get much chance to see him in person thanks to him not being in the guild often. Once he comes back, you bet your ass everyone is going to be excited.
Due to the highly destructive properties of his [Crush] magic, even if he just so much as passes by Magnolia, he would end up causing a gigantic uproar.
Luckily, Gildarts isn’t planning on staying for long. He exchanged a few words with Makarov and then left with a ‘I will be back tomorrow’.
After he left, the guild returned to its usual status. However, all the buzz from before still remained, fueling the Noah and the other younger kids’ curiosity.
“So that guy is the strongest magician in Fairy Tail? If I defeat him then wouldn’t that make me the strongest?”
Natsu’s who is currently fired up said while spraying flames from his mouth. He then rushed out the guild.
“Idiot!”
Joining later then Kana but although never seeing Gildarts in person, Gray who had heard of him more or less sneered at Natsu’s joke like statement. He then proceeded to bust balls with other people, of course he would do it after he stripped his shirt.
“Gildarts huh?”
Erza murmured in thought for a bit before walking out the guild with a resolute face. Going by her personality, it seems she’s motivated by Gildarts, setting him up as a goal, she wants to train herself so that she can reach him.
“A Man amongst men….”
Elfman muttered while charmed, no really he had stars for eyes. It seems this guy had made Gildarts his personal idol already.
“….”
Kana still stared blankly in the direction where Gildarts had left, she didn’t make any sound at all.
“Why is everyone so flippy over such an old uncle.”
Mira’s contemptuous and sassy assessment of Gildarts.
“He’s manly but he looks a bit too messy, will all boys eventually grow up to become like that?”
The precocious Lisanna blinked in exasperation as she exclaimed so.
Noah on the other hand, surveyed the surrounding kids and silently made his way towards his room.
♦ ♦ ♦
“Phew…”
Lying down on his bed, Noah released his breath. He closed his eyes and then entered a silent state.
Honestly speaking, Gildarts appearance didn’t just motivate Erza and the others, it also excited Noah.
With his extraordinary sense of perception, Noah knows full well just how strong this man who is dubbed the strongest mage within Fairy Tail really is.
That intense and overwhelming presence, Noah had only felt this kind of aura from one person he met before.
Makarov!
That is to say, even if the strongest mage within Fairy Tail isn’t stronger than Makarov, he is most definitely a magician on the same level as the 10 saints.
Noah could never have imagined that such a strong existence was in Fairy Tail.
“Gildarts is definitely an S-class magician!”
S-class magicians, something that only those who passed the exams set by a guild and thereby obtaining the guild master’s acknowledgement can call themselves such.
Within the kingdom of Fiore, as long as it’s a guild ranking among the top, they would normally have 1 or 2 of these S-class magicians. Although because every guild had different exams, there are also differences to the strength among S-Class magicians. Not even Phantom Lord who boasts about their number and had a lot of branches have 5 S-Class magicians under them.
Fairy Tail’s S-Class magicians test is infamous for its difficulty. So hard that Noah had only heard of S-Class magicians being in this guild but never meeting any of them before.
Today, Gildarts convinced Noah of the existences of these S-Class magicians!
“Gramps would always forbid my entry into the 2nd floor saying how there’re extremely difficult requests that only someone recognized by him can do. I didn’t know just what kind of standard was expected by gramps, don’t tell me it has to be someone around Gildarts level?”
Noah sighed.
“It seems I am still lacking.”
Noah didn’t’ know his thoughts are biased by his first impression.
Only S-Class magicians can enter the second floor of Fairy Tail, there lies the requests only they can accept. The standard expected to be reached by S-Class magicians is indeed a tall one but how unreasonable would it be to expect only those that can reach 10 saints level to become one?
Gildarts no doubt belongs to the 10 saints tier, being an S class magician is only to be expected.
By equating 10 saints to S-Class magicians being the same is where Noah is making an error.
This however didn’t stop Noah from making his next decision.
Stretching his hand out, he looked at his palm reaching towards the ceiling and grasped it.
“I must solve my magic problem soon.”
With that, a thought entered his heart and it became something he fixated on.
At the same time, a light knocking sound came from outside his door and Lisanna popped her little head inside to peek on him. When she saw how Noah is blanking out while looking up at the ceiling, she sighed.
“Noah nii-san, why did you suddenly run off like that, you made me look so hard for you.”
“What’s the matter? Are you hungry?”
Noah nonchalantly replied to her without even turning his head to meet her.
“Sorry, Lisanna. I can’t eat together with you today, I am thinking about something at the moment, go ahead and eat with Mira et al.”
“It’s still morning at the moment and I already ate breakfast. I won’t get hungry that fast!”
Lisanna said in a puff as she walked over to him. She slapped his outstretched fist pointing towards the sky before taking she stood akimbo.
“Noah nii-san, I find you growing more and more distasteful!”
“Ha?”
Noah asked in confusion as he looked at her.
“I didn’t do anything that would make you hate me right?”
“Are too! You totally did!”
Lisanna’s eyes started moistening.
“Noah nii-san, could it be that you don’t like me anymore?”
“Wh-where did this come from?”
Noah quickly got up, when he saw how she might cry any moment now he felt his head hurting.
“Lisanna, please don’t cry. If you stop crying I promise I will do whatever you want!”
“Really?”
Lisanna’s with her wet eyes snuck a peek at him before she spineed the eyes around.
“Th-Then, close your eyes!”
He promptly did so.
The next moment, something soft covered his lips, he raised an eyebrow but didn’t suspect anything and kept his eyes closed.
“Hehe…”
The soft sensation soon left him and he could hear her giggling. When he opened his eyes, he could see Lisanna standing there looking all pleased with herself and blushing.
“Now I am even with Mira-nee!”
With tha tline, Lisanna skipped cheerily out his room.
Noah rubbed his cheek.
“What in the world..?”