Noah followed Makarov to the main counter. Since he couldn't read, he asked a nearby guild member to help him fill out the registration form.
Then, Makarov took out a magical stamp. "Where do you want your guild mark, and in what color?" he asked Noah.
Noah thought for a moment before answering.
"On the back of my right hand, and I'll choose orange, please!"
Hearing this, Makarov adjusted the stamp, had Noah hold out his right hand, and pressed it firmly against his skin. A moment later, the official emblem of Fairy Tail appeared on the back of Noah's hand.
Noah brought his hand close to his face, admiring the mark. The warm orange color felt comforting.
Unable to contain his excitement, he raised his hand into a fist and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"I've joined Fairy Tail!"
The guild members around him roared in approval. Makarov leaped from the floor onto the countertop and addressed the entire guild.
"To celebrate Noah joining our family, let's throw a party!"
An even louder cheer erupted, and the atmosphere in the guild hall became electric.
Noah followed Makarov around, meeting the other members. He saw a young Macao and Wakaba, along with many other wizards who only had a panel or two in the manga, and even more who he had never seen at all.
The rowdy celebration lasted for a long time. Once everyone had their fill of fun and started to go about their own business, Makarov called Noah over to the counter.
"Noah," he asked, "do you know any magic?"
"Then what kind of magic do you want to learn? The guild has records of many different types. Tell me what you're thinking, and I can give you some advice."
"Gramps, I want to learn it all! I want to see the wider world, and I want to know more and more about everything!"
Noah's eyes sparkled as he looked at Makarov. Since he was in Fairy Tail and had the chance to learn magic, why wouldn't he want to learn as much as possible? Broad knowledge was the path to the pinnacle of the magical world. Besides, wasn't the idea of all the different kinds of magic completely fascinating?
"You're still young," Makarov advised. "You need to choose one type of magic to be your primary focus. This will help you build a strong foundation and, more importantly, give you a way to protect yourself."
"Then what kind of magic are you good at, Gramps?"
"My specialty is Giant Magic, which allows me to change my size. I am also proficient in Light, Fire, Ice, and Wind magic."
"I'll learn Light Magic, then! I want to learn from you, Gramps!" Noah answered immediately.
It was just as Makarov had said. He would master one magic to build his foundation, and he could learn all the other weird and wonderful spells later. And when it came to building a foundation, there was no better or more trustworthy teacher in the entire guild than Makarov himself.
"Light Magic, is it? I will accept you as my student. However, you still can't read. You must first learn to read and write, otherwise you won't be able to learn more advanced magic."
Noah knew that while he could somehow understand the spoken language here, the writing was completely foreign to him. Whether for daily life or for learning magic, mastering the written word was essential. Otherwise, even if a grimoire was placed right in front of him, it would be useless.
"For now, you'll come live with me," Makarov said. "I have a grandson about your age. I hope the two of you can get along."
Noah thought for a moment. Makarov's grandson had to be Laxus. At this point in time, Laxus hadn't entered his rebellious phase yet, so they should be able to get along just fine. He nodded in agreement.
Seeing Noah agree, Makarov led him out of the guild. He helped Noah buy some daily necessities and a few sets of clothes before taking him to his home.
When they walked in the door, they saw a young, blond-haired boy sitting in a chair, reading a book. The boy's face lit up when he saw Makarov, and he immediately put down his book and ran over.
"Grandpa, welcome home! Hey, who's this?"
"Laxus, this is Noah Flair. He'll be living with us from now on. He's forgotten many things, so you'll need to look after him."
A happy expression spread across Laxus's face. He didn't have any friends his own age, so he was naturally thrilled to see another boy who was about the same size.
Seeing Laxus's genuine smile, Noah knew that he was still a kind and innocent child, not the arrogant young man he would later become. Noah quickly replied, "I'm Noah! It's nice to meet you, Laxus!"
"You too! It's nice to meet you, Noah!"
After their introductions, the three of them worked together to clear out and prepare a room for Noah.
Noah noticed that Laxus's father, Ivan, didn't live here; he must have already moved out. Noah wondered what Ivan was up to now, and if he had already discovered Lumen Histoire.
Once the room was ready, they all went to prepare dinner.
Back in his old life, Noah had lived alone and often cooked for himself, so he was decent in the kitchen. He offered to help and ended up making a dish that earned high praise from both Makarov and Laxus.
After dinner, upon learning that Noah couldn't read, Laxus eagerly volunteered to teach him. Noah happily agreed. Laxus rushed to find the picture books he had used when he was first learning and excitedly pulled Noah over for a lesson.
Laxus was a very careful and serious teacher; he seemed to be truly enjoying himself. Noah, in turn, studied with great concentration, wanting to show respect for his new friend's efforts.
They were so absorbed that they didn't realize how late it had gotten until Makarov came to call for them.
They hurried to wash up, wished each other goodnight, and went to their respective rooms.
Lying in bed, Noah replayed the day's events in his mind. It all felt so surreal.
Before coming here, he had loved Fairy Tail. He would rewatch the anime and reread the manga from time to in time, always feeling a deep sense of envy and longing for the bonds the guild members shared. Who wouldn't want a group of people who cared for you, a family you could trust your back to without a second thought?
Now, that fantasy had become his reality. He had cheated death and been reborn in this world. Was this what luck felt like? It was incredible.
Then, he thought about how he would start learning magic tomorrow. Magic! The thing so many people dreamed of. What kind of brilliant and novel world was about to open up to him?
Noah tossed and turned, his mind racing with thoughts, and only fell into a hazy sleep late in the night. The next morning, he was woken by Laxus knocking on his door.
He hurriedly washed his face and brushed his teeth. After a quick breakfast, he went with Makarov and Laxus to a nearby clearing.
Laxus began his own training routine off to the side. It was an intense physical workout, but he didn't seem to be struggling. Seeing this, Noah thought to himself:
It looks like Laxus already has the Thunder Dragon Slayer Lacrima implanted in him at this point. That would explain how his body can handle his naturally immense magical power.