Fairy Tail: My Edgy System - 10 (Patreon)

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[New sword]
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| Hours later… |

…

“Another chunk of my money gone,” Kane muttered, staring at the stack of bills in his hands with a pained expression. “3,500 Jewels for a day… At this rate, I won’t make it past next week.”

▸[Do I need to remind you that, since you’re officially a mage now, you can take requests from the board?]

“Pfft… no? I already knew that.”

‘I completely forgot about that.’

▸[I’m not even gonna comment on that thought of yours.]

“Fuck, do I have no privacy?!”

▸[Nope.]

“Whatever.” Kane sighed. Having already paid for his room and left his belongings there, he exited the inn Mira had recommended and returned to the bustling streets of Magnolia.

He looked around the lively town, caressing his chin as he studied his unfamiliar surroundings with interest.

“Hey, Bob, let’s do a little sightseeing since I’m probably gonna be living here for a while. Who knows, there might be interesting stuff around.”

▸[For once, what you’re spouting isn’t complete bullshit. Lead on. Fated encounters are for those who search for them, not for lazy bastards who do nothing.]

“Uh, no? What the hell are you saying?”

▸[What?]

“Fated encounters are supposed to happen to anyone, so long as it’s their fate. Even if they’re a lazy bum, they’ll still run into one—that’s why they’re called FATED encounters.”

▸[You know nothing.]

Kane snorted. “Whatever.”

With that, he and Bob began their stroll through town.

Surprisingly, there were a lot of pastry shops for what was supposedly a medieval world, and things were much cleaner than he’d expected.

When he first arrived, he’d assumed things would be unhygienic—pretty much like those YouTube videos that portrayed medieval times as filthy. But it turned out this whole society was a lot more advanced than he’d thought.

Not as advanced as his old world, sure, but still pretty damn close.

They even had cars—powered by the magic of the driver, of course—but cars nonetheless.

‘All thanks to Magic,’ Kane mused as he walked, eyeing the unlit lampposts. Each contained a mysterious gem inside—probably magic-powered.

Everything in this world revolved around magic.

‘There might even be magical underwear or something.’ Kane sneered.

▸[In fact, there’s—]

“Shut up for a minute.”

Kane cut Bob off as something caught his eye. He stopped in his tracks, squinting.

‘Is that…?’

On one side of the street, a peculiar store stood out from the rows of restaurants, pastry shops, and stalls.

A blacksmith shop.

The steady ringing of hammer on metal drifted out from inside, pulling Kane’s attention even more.

“Should we go inside?”

He half-expected Bob to make one of his usual remarks—like saying his skills weren’t enough to wield anything beyond the bandit sword he carried—so he should give up on buying anything. But this time, Bob was unusually silent.

So, curious and admittedly a little excited, Kane stepped inside.

-Clank!-

-Clank!-

The smell of iron hit him instantly as the air grew hotter. The hammering sounded even louder within.

He was greeted by rows of swords, spears, shields, and other tools, either mounted on the walls or stored in barrels.

It was the very definition of a blacksmith shop.

“Ahem, calm down, Kane… they’re just big pieces of metal…” He faked a cough and looked around with a wry smile.

He hated to admit it, but his inner brat was dying to swing some of these weapons. Sure, he still had the bandit sword, but compared to the knightly blades and finely crafted arms displayed here, it looked crude.

These weapons made him want to spend all his money.

▸[Don’t be stupid.]

‘There you go, I was starting to worry since you’d actually kept your mouth shut for more than a minute.’

▸[Why is this scrub talking to me? Oh, it’s you, host. I didn’t notice.]

‘What’s with that lame insult? Can’t you do better?’

▸[I can. I’m just lowering myself to your level.]

‘Huh, why is a stupid, delusional bastard talking to me? Oh, it’s you, Bob—I did notice.’

▸[…]

“You looking for something?”

A voice snapped Kane out of his mental bickering.

He turned to see a big, bearded old man wearing only an apron, pants, and boots, wiping sweat off himself with a rag as he walked over.

‘The blacksmith…’ Kane noted, mostly because of the ridiculously cliché outfit. Still, it was work attire, so maybe that was the point—easy to recognize, aside from its practicality in the field.

“I’m just looking around,” Kane answered, giving the surrounding metalwork a glance.

The old man scoffed, waving the hammer in his hand toward him. “Look all you want, but if you try taking something without paying, I’ll crack this hammer on your skull.”

“...” Kane sweatdropped slightly.

▸[I like him.]

‘Of course you do.’

With that, the old man went back to the counter, leaning back in his chair to rest while Kane wandered through the shop.

One sword, in particular, caught his eye.

It was beautiful, in a word. A speckless blade, a handle wrapped in some kind of luxurious material, and a pommel set with a mesmerizing gem at its center. The kind of weapon that looked like it belonged to a legendary hero.

‘This one’s pretty cool…’ Kane thought greedily before turning to the old man. “How much is this one?”

“100,000 Jewels,” the old man replied.

Hiss…

Kane’s eyes immediately slid away from the sword, as if just looking at it might cost him extra.

‘Yeah, that’s not in my budget.’

▸[That sword’s average at best. Its only plus is its looks, so don’t bother.]

‘You know about swords?’

▸[Hmph, I’m an expert.]

Kane blinked—then deadpanned.

‘I’d be stupid to trust your boasting blindly… So, please explain exactly what this sword is lacking.’

▸[…]

‘Well?’

▸[Ahem, for starters, the blade should be longer, more curved, thinner, and with an edge on only one side. The handle’s also too extravagant—if it were simpler, without the pommel, and the crossguard shorter, then its quality would be—]

‘Isn’t that just a katana?’

▸[…]

‘I knew it. You’re just a katanard.’

▸[You dare insult the katana?!]

‘Hey, I like katanas as much as the next guy—they look cool. But I’m not trusting advice from someone who’s clearly biased and doesn’t know what they’re talking about.’

▸[Tsk, foolish as always.]

Deciding to ignore Bob, Kane kept browsing the shop, repeatedly stopping at weapons that caught his eye, asking their price, and hissing cold air through his teeth at the outrageous numbers.

Finally, after stepping back from a saber priced at 70,000, he sighed, shoulders slumping.

“I don’t think I’ve got the budget for anything.”

The old man huffed knowingly.

“Well, you’re looking at my finest works. Their price was never meant to be something any random passerby could just afford.” Then, he gestured to a barrel stuffed with assorted weapons in the shady corner of the shop with his thumb. “But if you’re really desperate, those might suffice. A lot cheaper, even if not the best.”

Kane raised an eyebrow and moved over, rummaging through the pile stuck in the barrel.

Most had tags stuck that ranged from 5,000 to 10,000 Jewels—still expensive, but far more reasonable than the display weapons.

‘These don’t look impressive, but they should work fine. Still, I’ve already got the bandit sword, so should I really be buying something when I already have a weapon? What do you think, Bob?’

▸[Hold on, it can’t be… that sword… could it be?!]

Kane blinked in surprise at Bob’s sudden alert, digging through the barrel eagerly.

‘What is it? Don’t tell me you found a valuable sword hidden in here?!’

▸[I was screwing with you. These are all crap.]

Kane nearly tripped, jaw tightening in anger.

▸[As for your question, you should buy at least a cheap one. The bandit sword’s already worn down—it could snap in any minor fight.]

Kane sighed, letting the anger go, then glanced through the barrel one more time before picking up a decent-looking blade.

One of the cheap ones—4,300 Jewels. And to be honest, it looked exactly like what it was.

There were small dents, and it wasn’t perfectly straight. But with his funds running low, this was what he’d have to settle for.

-Tack-

After making his way back to the counter, the sword clinked as Kane set it down, earning a raised eyebrow and a faintly disdainful look from the old man.

“I don’t know about your economic situation, kid, but you shouldn’t put a price on your own safety. This one’s turned pretty bad—even I admit it.”

Kane waved him off and pulled out the bandit sword. “I’m just buying it in case this one breaks. It’s taken some nasty hits, so it’s not impossible.”

The old man leaned forward, squinting at the weapon.

“What the hell have you been doing with it? This poor thing looks like you’ve been using it as a hammer instead of a sword.”

A bead of sweat ran down Kane’s forehead. 

‘I guess it’s better to skip the part where I just swung it recklessly at the pack of bandits without caring for where the edge was.’

Seeing Kane not answering, the old man sighed and leaned back on his chair again, scratching his bushy beard with a pensive expression. “If you feel like it, I also offer maintenance services. 2,000 Jewels, and I’ll have it ready by tomorrow.”

‘What do you say, Bob?’

▸[The better our chances of survival, the better our chances of reaching the peak. Do it.]

‘I have a feeling you’re not very responsible with money.’

▸[Foolishness.]

Shaking his head, Kane nodded and paid upfront for both the extra sword and the maintenance, handing the bandit sword over once the payment was done.

“I’ll take you up on that, then.”

“Good.” The old man gave a satisfied nod before extending his hand. “Name’s Hans, by the way—the best blacksmith in this town. And if anyone says otherwise, tell me so I can bash their heads in. Maybe that’ll fix whatever’s wrong with them.”

Kane let out a wry laugh. This old man sure had a personality. A funny one, though—not bad at all.

As Hans carried the bandit sword away, Kane picked up the new one and waved goodbye, getting nothing more than a grunt in return.

But just as he was about to leave, Hans’s voice stopped him.

“By the way, here’s some advice, kid. Learn how to wield a sword properly, or your new sword won’t be faring much better than this one here.”

“I’ll… try.” Kane laughed wryly. Even if he wanted, who could teach him? ‘ I guess my best chance is to try and practice on my own.’

▸[As if you could achieve something on your own. Fortunately, you have me here.]

‘You know how swordsmanshi—? No, forget it, you’re probably just being delusional like with everything else.’

▸[You dare?!]

Ignoring Bob’s indignant cry, Kane stepped back outside on the rocky street, taking a deep breath as the cold air hit him. His face soured, though, when he noticed the darkening sky.

“When did it even get so late?”

▸[You spent a while trapped in the guild’s library.]

“Damn.” Kane sighed. “Guess we’ll have to explore town tomorrow. Let’s head back.”

Bob, for once, didn’t reply.

Kane strolled back toward the inn, making sure to stop at a few stalls for snacks along the way.

…

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| ??? pov: |

…

Hahaha… to think the day would finally come.

Hundreds of years since my creation. Frowned upon, reforged, only to be discarded once they realized they couldn’t “fix” me.

Oh, how foolish, believing there was something to fix.

For I was better than any other sword out there… I was the sword destined to kill Zeref!

I am Vergetten, the demon sword!

My appearance is a simple means to deceive those not worthy, a tactic that worked perfectly, for I have had no wielder since the moment of my creation, believed to be a faulty sword.

Maybe too perfectly…

Ahem, but now, that has changed.

At last, a worthy wielder who was able to push past his prejudice has arrived, and thus, my time to descend upon this world has too!

The moment he swings me against an enemy, will be the moment I awaken, and establish a connection with him.

Not much time is left before my time comes… Hahaha.

I can’t wait.

…

°

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|Kane’s POV, now in his room at Tim’s Rest and Food Inn:|

…

“What a day.” I sighed, scratching my hair as I sat on my bed, enjoying the calm as the day finally wound down.

So much had happened since I got to this town, so I couldn’t help but feel a bit tired. 

First, I got into a fight, fell unconscious after kicking the guy’s nuts, then woke up to join a guild and learn some magic. Then I went and decided to explore the city, buying a sword in the process.

‘I’ve been quite busy, huh?’ I sneered at the thought.

Then, my eyes landed on my newly bought sword, the supposed replacement I would use in case the bandit sword snapped.

But with Hans working on the old sword now, I wasn’t even sure I needed this one. I’d mostly bought it just in case.

And since the bandit sword would be ready by tomorrow, this ugly thing wasn’t even useful in the meantime.

Honestly, it looked so unsightly that I was worried people might laugh if I carried it around.

▸[Indeed, the one who created it must have been a complete amateur.]

“I think it was Hans, though?”

▸[Maybe he forged it back when he was an amateur.]

I suppose that was plausible.

Nodding, I looked back at the sword with a wry smile.

‘I think I’ll just leave it in the closet for now.’

Decision made, I stood, opened the closet, and tossed it inside.

Once I learned Requip Magic, maybe I’d link it to it so I could get access to it whenever I wanted. But for now, I wasn’t gonna lug it around.

▸[Agreed, you’d look like a fool.]

“Well, isn’t that something? For once, we are on sync.”

▸[Although, you already look like a fool.]

And there goes our sync.

Well, no matter, I’m already getting used to this.

“Welp, time to sleep.”

With that thought, I closed the door of the closet and began walking to my bed.

“Noooooo…”

“Huh? Did you say something, Bob?”

▸[I think you’re schizophrenic.]

Fuck you too.

…

°

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| The next day… |

…

It was morning already, and Kane trudged through the streets of Magnolia, heading toward the guild.

“Ugh… I hate spring beds. Always leaving me all sore…” He muttered with a frown.

▸[Pussy.]

“Yeah, yeah…” Kane rolled his eyes, massaging his back as he walked. He didn’t even feel like arguing with Bob this morning. “... Maybe there’s magic to cure back pain? I’d prefer to learn that before Requip.”

▸[Don’t be stupid, and besides, why bother curing back pains when you can learn magic that blows backs?]

“Heh.” Kane snorted.

▸[Huh? Why are you—]

“Yeah, I bet back-blowing magic would be great.”

▸[Oh… You’re stupid.]

“Whatever you say, Bob the Great Back Blower.”

▸[That’s it. I’m not speaking to you anymore.]

“Is that supposed to make me feel bad?”

▸[…]

“Pussy.”

▸[Listen here, you—]

Their usual bickering carried them all the way to the guild’s front doors.

▸[… And that’s why I’m the superior being. A bug like you should be honored to receive my advice, so shut the fuck up and—]

“Huh, did you say something?”

▸[I’m gonna kill you.]

“You’re such a silly billy. Anyway, shut your trap—we’re about to go inside. Don’t want people thinking I’m talking to the air.”

▸[People already saw you. We’re still on the street, dumbass.]

Kane arched an eyebrow and glanced around. Sure enough, a few pedestrians were sneaking weird looks at him.

“Maybe I should just pretend you don’t exist.” He muttered with a heavy sigh, pushing the doors open.

Warm air washed over him immediately, carrying the smells of alcohol and all kinds of food. But that wasn’t what struck him first.

Instead—

“Hey, look who it is!”

“The guest of honor has finally arrived!”

“Took you long enough! Thanks to you, I had to down five beers!”

“Don’t listen to him, he would’ve drunk the same either way.”

“True!”

The boisterous greetings caught him off guard.

The guild was a lot fuller than yesterday, and for some reason, everyone raised their glass the moment he strode inside, greeting him with warm smiles as some immediately began gulping down their drinks.

He looked next to him just in case he would be mistaking their greetings to someone else, but he was the only one there.

—At least until Makarov popped up beside him, giving his back a hearty pat that startled Kane.

“Welcome, lad! This is your welcome party.”

Kane sweatdropped a bit, glaring speechlessly at the festive air around the guild. “Do you do this with everyone who joins?”

“Well, these brats look for any excuse to drink… so yeah.” Makarov faked a cough, avoiding eye contact.

‘What a lively place this is.’ Kane snorted.

But then, Makarov gave him another pat, this time showing him a big smile.

“But don’t get mistaken, our reasons aren’t that vain. We are also doing this because, from today onward, you’re not just a mage—you’re part of our great family!” He gestured to everywhere around, and everyone lifted a glass. 

“Welcome to Fairy Tail!”

…

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-To be Continued…-

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(A/N: I think the problem with Fairy Tail is that the world is a lot more chaotic. So many evil organizations, so many arcs with no apparent connection to the main storyline aside from minor stuff, and too many characters with their own story. So I can’t help but feel overwhelmed when trying to write this.

So I’m gonna try to take more creative liberties when writing this. Like with Vergetten, don't take him too seriously. I just thought it'd be a funny gag. Maybe he'll take more relevance in the future, or maybe he'll make honor of his name.)