Fairy Tail: My Magic is a Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck — Chapter 123

Chapter 123: News from Ur

The Northern Continent. A small, remote town blanketed in perpetual frost and howling winds.

Ur sat casually on a wooden crate in front of a modest fruit stand in the central square, tossing a crisp red apple into the air and catching it.

“I have to admit, when I first wandered back into town, it gave me quite the shock. I never expected this freezing little outpost to become so lively.”

Looking out at the dense clusters of newly built brick houses and the bustling crowds of merchants and adventurers handling the snowy streets, Ur took a loud, crunching bite of her apple.

“It really changed two years ago when the railway finally connected us to the main lines,” the freckled fruit stand owner replied, her eyes crinkling into a warm, sweet smile. She didn’t look at the crowds; her gaze remained entirely fixed on her old friend. “Transportation got easier. Naturally, the tourists and Guild Mages followed.”

The woman’s smile wavered slightly, and she reached up to wipe a stray tear of joy from the corner of her eye. “But compared to all of that… I’m just so incredibly glad you managed to break free from that ice, Ur.”

Ur chewed thoughtfully. She knew exactly how much chaos and danger the devastating truth of her “resurrection” would bring to Chase’s doorstep if word ever got out. To protect him, she had carefully crafted a public cover story: she had spent the last ten years in a dormant state, slowly resolving the fatal side effects of Iced Shell to reconstruct her physical body.

Given her legendary status as a master of Ice-Make Magic, the Magic Council and the public found the explanation just plausible enough to swallow. More, the fabricated ‘ten-year recovery penalty’ served as a massive deterrent to any foolish Mage attempting to cast Iced Shell in the future.

“Hahaha, what can I say? I just got incredibly lucky.” Ur flashed a wide grin and scratched the back of her head, though a deep, quiet gratitude flickered deep in her dark eyes.

She truly was lucky. If she hadn’t met Chase, she never would have lived to see Gray and Lyon grow into fine young men, let alone experience the miracle of reuniting with her daughter.

Her only lingering regret was missing the chance to personally crush Brain for deceiving her and experimenting on Ultear. Unfortunately, the Bureau of Magical Development from back then had long since been reduced to rubble.

“Oh, right,” the fruit stand owner said, leaning over her colorful display of winter berries. “You mentioned you already tracked down those two little boys of yours, Gray and Lyon. How are they doing?”

Thanks to the new railway, news from the outside world frequently reached the frozen north. She had read plenty of sensational headlines about the Fairy Tail guild, though she was never quite sure if the ‘Gray’ constantly destroying public property was the same little boy she remembered. As for Lyon, the papers rarely mentioned him.

“Gray is running wild in Fairy Tail. As for Lyon, last I heard, he’s getting ready to officially join Lamia Scale.” Ur rested her elbow on the wooden counter, dropping her chin into her palm with a heavy sigh. “Gray turned out alright, but that brat Lyon has completely forgotten my teachings!”

“Your teachings?”

“Taking off your clothes to properly feel the natural environment and absorb the ambient Magic Power in the air!” Ur declared, gesturing vaguely at the freezing, snow-covered square.

“Uh…” The fruit stand owner froze, a massive sweatdrop practically materializing on her forehead.

That didn’t exactly sound like a proper habit for civilized society. Lacking any understanding of a Mage’s eccentricities, she offered a strained, awkward laugh and swiftly pivoted the conversation. “W-Well! They’re both in very famous guilds now! What about you, Ur? What are your plans?”

“If nothing unexpected pops up, I’ll be heading back to Ishgar in a few days. The kids are all over there, after all.” Ur looked down at the half-eaten apple in her hand, her expression turning serious. “Besides, the overall level of magic over there is leagues ahead of what we have here in Isvan.”

Before her sacrifice, Ur had been a fanatic for magical research—the kind of obsessive scholar who regularly forgot to eat or sleep when unraveling a new spell formula. Now, she had a ten-year blank period to fill. The magical world had evolved, birthing richer systems and deeper knowledge that demanded her attention.

Even setting her personal curiosity aside, she had to catch up. If she let her magic stagnate, she wouldn’t be strong enough to protect Gray, Lyon, and Ultear from whatever threats the future held.

A mother’s work was never done.

“I see.” The fruit stand owner’s shoulders slumped slightly, a flash of reluctance in her eyes. But seeing the absolute resolve in her friend’s posture, she quickly masked it with a supportive smile. “Then I wish you the best of luck! Just promise you’ll keep in touch this time!”

“Count on it. And when I get the time, I’ll drag those two brats back here for some proper survival training.”

“Really? Make sure to bring them by the stand! I’ll prepare a massive fruit feast for them!”

“You’ve got a deal!”

Magnolia.

Gentle morning sunlight pierced through the thin, drifting clouds, casting a warm golden glow over the chaotic Fairy Tail construction site.

Behind a makeshift wooden fence, a temporary open-air guild hall had been established. A sturdy request board stood proudly next to a fully stocked outdoor bar, surrounded by neatly arranged tables and chairs. Fairy Tail was a Mage Guild first and foremost; the members couldn’t just sit around moving rubble all day without taking jobs to feed themselves.

Starting today, the guild’s request system was officially reopened.

Behind the temporary bar, Lucy leaned against the wooden counter, chatting idly with Mirajane.

“Mira, if everyone starts taking jobs again, won’t the construction progress on the new guild hall slow down?”

Lucy glanced over her shoulder at the absolute circus unfolding behind her. Macao and Wakaba were huddled over a table, snickering with lewd, identical grins as they flipped through a gravure magazine. A few feet away, Cana was chugging directly from a massive rum barrel while simultaneously studying a glowing Book of Secret Arts Chase had given her—claiming the multitasking was ‘advanced training.’ Meanwhile, Jet and Droy were currently locked in a vicious wrestling match, fighting over who got the privilege of offering Levy a freshly baked pastry.

“Well, if you’re worried about the schedule, Lucy, I can always ask the Master to assign you to brick-moving duty.” Mirajane pulled out a Magic Communication Lacrima, her thumb hovering over the dial.

“Wait, wait, wait! Mira, that’s not what I meant at all!” Lucy waved her hands frantically, panic seizing her chest. She had just been making an observation! If she actually got exiled to the dirt piles to haul bricks all day, her delicate hands would be ruined!

“Oh my, what a shame. The daily wage for construction duty is ten thousand Jewel,” Mirajane hummed, offering a sweet, closed-eye smile.

“Ten thousand Jewel?! Why didn’t anyone tell me that?!” Poor Lucy’s eyes instantly transformed into literal Jewel symbols. For a fleeting, desperate second, she seriously considered grabbing a shovel. Rent was due soon, after all.

“It’s a special benefit, strictly for guild members.” Mirajane rested her cheek against her hand, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “I heard from the Master that an anonymous benefactor recently invested one billion Jewel into the guild’s reconstruction fund. He’s actually in a meeting right now, negotiating with the contractors to secure the highest quality materials and the best builders in Fiore.”

“What?! One billion?!”

Lucy’s jaw unhinged, her eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. Her reaction was somehow even more exaggerated than Makarov’s had been when he first saw the check.

“Even I was shocked when I heard the news.” Mirajane’s gaze shifted, landing squarely on the blonde Celestial Mage. She feigned a look of deep, innocent puzzlement. “Usually, the only things we receive from the outside world are property damage bills and angry complaints. I wonder who out there has that kind of staggering wealth. I’m really quite curious.”

There were very few individuals in the entire Fiore Kingdom capable of liquidating a billion Jewel on a whim—let alone donating it to a notoriously destructive Mage Guild without demanding an ounce of public credit or political favor.

If anyone in Fairy Tail had ties to that level of obscene, world-class wealth, it was the runaway heiress of the Heartfilia Konzern.

Combined with the stories Natsu and Gray had excitedly shared yesterday about Jude Heartfilia being a ‘super approachable, friendly guy,’ the true identity of the anonymous donor wasn’t exactly a mystery.

Hearing Mirajane’s pointed tone, Lucy lowered her gaze to the wooden grain of the bar counter, her mind racing.

Could it really be him? No, that’s impossible! He would never…

Wait. If it’s the way he is now…

Even if Lucy could be a little slow on the uptake sometimes, the pieces were far too obvious to ignore.