The Pict Magic Of Fairy Tail

Chapter 34: Sufficient Funds

With Natsu completely restrained and unable to break free, Silver emerged as the unquestionable victor of the duel.

Although Natsu was far from accepting the result, he had to admit that he had no means of escaping the binding vines at that moment.

"Here you go, this is your prize," Mira said cheerfully, handing Silver a thick stack of bills.

While Natsu continued shouting for a rematch, only Silver, Mira, and Erza had won the bet, leaving the rest of the guild members sighing in disappointment.

They soon grouped up and headed to the mission board to select tasks, eager to replenish their lost funds.

Fairy Tail wizards were known for their tendency to lounge around drinking and chatting when they had money, only taking on missions when their funds ran dry.

This duel had left almost everyone penniless, resulting in an unusually quiet guild.

Aside from the kids, Silver, Mira, Erza, and a handful of non-gamblers, most of the members were already planning their next missions.

Initially, Silver was worried about the missions being snatched up, as this would delay his plans to buy a house.

However, after receiving the winnings from Mira, he realized he now had enough money.

While it wasn't enough for a house in the city center, it was sufficient to purchase a decent property on the outskirts.

With that thought, Silver stood up and began heading out of the guild.

"Hey, Silver! Don't leave, let's have another duel!" Natsu called after him, chasing with Happy in tow.

"Huh?" Mira, who had been sparring with Erza, turned her head upon hearing Natsu's shout.

Seeing Silver heading toward the door, curiosity got the better of her, and she abandoned her bout with Erza to follow him.

"You're not getting away!" Erza declared, her own curiosity piqued as she joined the pursuit.

"Cana, Elfman, let's follow them too!" Lisanna suggested, pulling them along. Soon, the entire group was trailing Silver out of the guild.

Barely a few steps outside, Natsu and Happy caught up to Silver. "Silver! Let's duel again. This time, I won't lose!" Natsu shouted energetically.

"Yeah, don't be stingy, Silver. Have another match with Natsu!" Happy added, flying beside them.

"Sorry, Natsu, Happy. I've got something to do," Silver replied, rolling his eyes in mild frustration.

"Something to do? What is it? Is it a secret mission or some special training?" Natsu asked, his imagination running wild as he threw punches at the air.

"Hey, Silver, what's the rush? What are you up to?" Mira's voice called out from behind.

"No need to be so secretive," Erza added, now walking alongside Mira. "If you're facing some difficult situation, just say it. As your guildmates, we'll help you."

Silver scratched his head, preparing to explain, but before he could start, Lisanna, Cana, and Elfman arrived, out of breath from running.

Seeing this growing crowd, Silver sighed and decided to stop, waiting to see who else might join in.

When they caught up, Lisanna looked around in confusion and asked Mira, "Sis, what's going on?"

"You should ask him," Mira replied, crossing her arms and gesturing at Silver.

"Why does this all come back to me?" Silver muttered, glancing at the growing crowd before finally explaining, "I'm just going to buy a house. That's it."

"Buy a house?" Erza blinked, puzzled. "Why the rush? Isn't staying at the guild comfortable enough?"

"It's not that staying at the guild is bad," Silver explained. "But buying a house is something I'll need to do eventually. Might as well get it done early and save myself the trouble later."

"Fair point," Erza nodded in agreement. "In that case, let's come with you. It'll be good experience for us when we need to buy houses in the future."

"Fine by me," Silver said, shrugging. "But I'm just heading out to ask around and see who might be selling a house."

"What? You didn't research this ahead of time?" Erza asked, looking surprised. "This kind of thing should be planned out in advance!"

Silver shrugged and explained, "Originally, I thought I'd need to complete a lot more missions to save up enough for a house. So, I hadn't started looking for one yet. But I ended up winning quite a bit in the duel bet, and now I've got enough money. So…"

Before Silver could finish, Cana suddenly spoke up. "If that's the case, I might be able to help."

"Oh?" Everyone turned to Cana, curious about what kind of help she was offering.

"You've forgotten? I can use divination," Cana said with a small smile, enjoying the attention. "I can help you find the right direction. That way, you won't waste time wandering around."

"Sounds like a great idea. Let's get started," Mira agreed with a nod, deciding quickly.

"Alright, Silver. How much money do you have, and where are you planning to buy the house?" Cana asked as she pulled out her deck of cards and began shuffling.

"I've got 4.7 million jewels. If I buy a house on the outskirts of Magnolia, that should be more than enough. Ideally, I'd like to get something close to the guild," Silver answered promptly.

"Near the guild, huh?" Cana nodded, finishing her shuffle. She handed the deck to Silver and said, "Draw one card."

Silver drew a card and handed it back to Cana, who studied the illustration. The card depicted a rising sun over a forest, with a riverbank at the edge of the trees.

"This means…" Cana interpreted the card, her gaze thoughtful. "The house you're looking for is to the east, where the sun rises, near the edge of a forest and close to a riverbank."