The Magnolia Town was a strange place...
Not because of its people—they were quite lively and didn't mind the occasional fight breaking out somewhere between Fairy Tail members. But because this huge town had a secret. The System had noticed it the moment Allen arrived: while the city looked like a classic fantasy town, it actually had a massive mechanism hidden underneath. One seemingly designed to rearrange buildings and streets. It was something that broke the Isekai aesthetic of trains and horse-drawn carriages and felt more like something out of a sci-fi novel.
"Why?" Allen complained; he didn't think that underneath Magnolia, there would be a Gundam; what was the point of making this mechanism?
In fact, it wasn't the first time he'd encountered such a strange mix of modernity and fantasy.
Allen watched with suspicious eyes as he walked through the streets, "I don't get it… on one hand, the buildings have a modern aesthetic, but they still travel by horse-drawn carts… I guess at least they have decent bathrooms..."
A fantasy world sounds charming and fascinating, but the moment you realize you have to do your business behind a tree or in a hole in the ground, the charm fades fast. Luckily for Allen, that wasn't a problem in this world. Despite everything, they had invented toilets, showers, bathrooms, and even damn spas.
"But they still ride around in freaking horse-drawn carriages!" Allen raised his voice.
MJ – Chill... hahaha.
Gwen – Wow, those four hours in a cart just to reach the next town really got to you...
Allen sighed, "Gwen, I just want to understand how they can make Magnolia turn into a Transformer, but nobody's made a proper vehicle... I mean, even Rebecca's cyberpunk world doesn't have something like this."
The Chat probably knew the answer to Allen's question, but as usual, they couldn't respond.
Lucifer – You complain too much, Allen. Just fly. You should be able to do that, you know, turn into smoke or whatever magic nonsense.
"It's called Smoke-travel... or something... whatever." Allen decided to ignore Lucifer's comment.
And even though he was complaining, it wasn't like Allen actually hated riding in horse-drawn carriages. It just seemed illogical to still use them as a main mode of transport in a world with magic. He had heard that magic vehicles existed, but they were rarer than five-leaf clovers.
"Alright, fine," Allen put aside his complaints and decided to just go with the flow.
"As the saying goes, when in Rome, dress like a Roman... or something like that. Next time I'll bring a book or something. Besides, you guys are lucky the scene cuts and you don't have to spend four hours watching grass fly past the window."
[If you're okay with that, let's move on~]
...
Allen continued down the streets but noticed that people occasionally stared and whispered. It was inevitable. Even though he'd only arrived at Fairy Tail a few days ago, his name had already spread to nearby towns—maybe a bit too fast.
'Some idiot from the guild must be spreading it on purpose.' Allen shook his head and kept walking.
Before heading to Onibas Town, he had to pick up Lucy—if she wanted to come, that is. But truthfully, there might not be much Lucy could help with this time.
Evaluating a magical artifact was complicated for many, but easy for Allen, so he didn't need help. Besides, Lucy had just earned a million, so she wouldn't have money problems for a while. It all came down to whether the blonde girl felt like going.
Allen glanced at his Chat. They were still talking about the so-called "Queen." Apparently, anything could happen—from her attacking him without reason to her falling in love with him. That only confused Allen more, since both extremes were too damn dramatic.
Another important thing: Allen was ahead of the canon—or so some subtle comments suggested. He assumed it was because he may have completed some mission or event faster than expected. Or maybe it was due to his cheat of teleporting back from missions instead of spending hours in a horse cart.
But what did being "ahead" really mean? Allen had no idea what was going to happen, so did it really matter?
Still confused, Allen chose to walk instead of using "Apparition." After all, what was the point of rushing if he didn't even know what to expect—what enemy would appear, or what problem might arise? Was it better to just live unprepared and deal with it when it happens?
No.
Allen wasn't one to sit around and do nothing. He couldn't afford to—not when he only had magic to face the challenges ahead. So while making some changes, like replacing a few pieces of furniture and buying a massive bed—which was absolutely necessary for his "lifestyle"—he started doing some research. He couldn't know the future of the world, but he could learn a lot that any average person might know.
He needed to understand this world better—its structure, how it worked, the importance of guilds, etc. So while Lucy was struggling to decide between pale pink or soft yellow wallpaper for her room, Allen visited the guild from time to time and spoke with Mirajane, Laki, and even Makarov himself. Asking about common knowledge wasn't weird. Even Lucy didn't know how Fairy Tail's recruitment worked, so it was normal.
Of course, Allen wasn't the rookie mage Lucy Heartfilia. For someone as powerful as him to lack this kind of knowledge must've seemed odd, but neither Mirajane, Laki nor even the Guild Master questioned him—and he was grateful for that.
From this, Allen learned the basics:
Fiore had two main power structures. One was the government, formed by the king and the nobles. The other was the Magic Council, composed of ten of the most powerful mages in Fiore, in charge of regulating official guilds.
Of course, there were also unaffiliated guilds, known as dark guilds. While Fairy Tail often broke rules and caused destruction, they weren't criminals. Dark guilds, on the other hand, accepted jobs like assassination or kidnapping. These guilds were a threat, but in a world where anyone could be a mage, there would always be people choosing that path.
"Official guilds aren't just places to request jobs from mages—they're also a shield against dark guilds. I'm not surprised they forgive Fairy Tail mages for destroying a town every now and then..."
Rukia – Oh no, you can't say that as an outsider anymore~
Barbara – Allen, you're part of Fairy Tail now. Even if you don't do anything, you'll still be partially responsible for their dumb actions~
"..." Allen stopped walking.
Maybe he had underestimated the role of guilds in this world. Calling them "comrades" didn't even begin to cover it. Fairy Tail acted like one big family, standing together even in the worst situations. It was very different from Allen's image of a fantasy-world guild, where your closest ally was the cute receptionist who bought your healing herbs and monster cores.
"Well, too late now... I'm in too deep." Allen smiled and simply accepted it. It was too late to back out, and truth be told, he didn't really mind being surrounded by a bunch of loud idiots constantly fighting or doing something dumb.
...
Allen arrived at his "hotel." From the outside, the building looked just like any other, with a large reception area that currently wasn't in use. Inside, it was cozy. A red carpet ran from the entrance to the front desk. The magic-powered lamps lit up the entire area. The stone floors and wooden ceiling enhanced the classic inn atmosphere.
"Welcome, Master."
"Hello, Virgo..."
Virgo bowed gracefully before Allen. She was the Celestial Spirit of the Maiden, after all. She knew how to show respect to her master.
"Here you go, Master." Virgo handed Allen a whip, then turned around and presented her backside.
"What are you doing?"
"Don't worry. I just thought it would be appropriate to greet you warmly..." she replied, not understanding what was wrong with her actions.
"What's going on in your head?" Allen walked over to the counter and placed the whip on it, then turned to Virgo. "By the way, if you're having any issues with your body, don't hesitate to return to your world."
"Yes, Master. But the only issue I have is my deep need to be dominated by you... if you could tear off my clothes and–..."
"That's not what I meant... Pervert Maid" Allen replied, cutting her off. Not even Albedo was this shameless.
"What a shame..." Virgo responded, disappointed.
Spirits weren't from this world. They had their own realm—large enough to support their own society, lives, hobbies, and even romantic relationships with other spirits. Normally, they only came when summoned, and even then they couldn't stay long. One reason was the magical cost to the summoner, and the other was simple incompatibility. A spirit was a spirit, and they didn't belong in this world.
"Don't worry about me. Ever since you marked me as your possession and sex slave, I haven't felt the need to return..."
"I didn't do that, and you mean the spell I used to avoid side effects, right?"
"That's what I said, Master." Virgo was an unabashed pervert, but every line came with an inexpressive face, making it hard for Allen to scold her.
[Host, just give her what she wants.]
' I'm not going to dress up in black leather to whip her with a whip...' Allen shook his head.
"Virgo, how's Lucy?"
"Yes, Hime woke up fine and is taking a bath now. Would you like to go in and help her get pregnant?"
"I will not..."
Allen wanted to punish Virgo, but with her personality, she'd probably enjoy it. So ignoring her lewd comments was the best strategy. He made his way to the back of the hotel, where the baths were located. While each room had a private one, they couldn't compare to the large communal bath, which was literally an onsen.
...
Allen entered the women's bath area, which was divided into the locker room and the actual bathing area. He saw Lucy's clothes on a shelf and approached the door.
"Lucy..."
"Huh?! Allen?! Ah! Don't come in! Wait!"
"I'm not going in..." Allen replied, wondering if Lucy had that image of him.
"You're not coming in?" Lucy asked, a little more relaxed… though with a hint of disappointment.
"You're not going in, Master?" Virgo asked, her eyes sparkling—only to suddenly look devastated.
Allen cleared his throat. Sure, he'd done a lot of embarrassing things with his girlfriends and lovers, but he wasn't some perverted predator.
"Lucy, I just took a mission in Onibas. I wanted to know if you'd like to come with me?"
"Huh? Of course, I will!"
Lucy quickly slid the door open—forgetting entirely that she was still naked.
"Ah—"
"Nooo!"
Lucy screamed as she tried to cover herself. Fortunately, the system usually censors these moments… but that didn't work on Allen, who managed to confirm what he already knew: Lucy had an enviable body, and she was still growing.
"I'll wait outside," Allen said, respectfully turning his gaze away.
"...Okay," Lucy replied in a mosquito-like whisper. She was frustrated at her own mistake, but what she couldn't accept most of all was that—deep down—there was a part of her that wasn't really bothered about being seen naked by him.
After Allen left, Lucy lowered her arms and leaned against the wall, her face burning red, 'What am I doing? He's going to think I'm an easy girl, I want to die!?'
Lucy, with tears in her eyes and a racing heart, looked up at the ceiling.
...
(Half an hour later)
Lucy walked beside Allen with her cheeks puffed out. It was undeniably her fault, but women could be irrational sometimes—and Lucy was still annoyed.
As for Virgo, she stayed behind cleaning like any good maid, with help from 2B who had already recovered. Allen had no idea how Lucy would react once she saw another of her spirits wearing a rather sexy maid outfit just to serve him.
"..." Allen glanced at the grumpy Lucy. Then, after closing his eyes for a moment like he had decided something, he pulled out a small box from his inventory. Immediately, Chat alarms started going off.
...
Gwen – Huh?!
MJ – Wait, what kind of development is this?!
Felicia – How did we go from the intro arc to the marriage proposal this fast?!
Akeno – Ufufu, my little brother doesn't waste any time~
Rias – I can't believe this!
Eve – Don't get jealous, your turn is coming...
Rias – I'm not!... Just forget it...
...
Allen stopped in place, hearing the sudden flood of reactions. He realized the box he held was causing a massive misunderstanding. But before he could explain, Lucy had already seen the box—and her imagination took off.
'Huh?! No way! Is this real?! Am I dreaming?! Is he going to propose to me?! What do I do?! I knew it; after seeing my beautiful, sinful, goddess-like body, Allen was completely captivated! Now he wants to take the next step… no, wait, he's skipping like ten steps… no, no, no! Lucy, you're still a young girl, you know nothing about the world, are you really going to get married?! But if I say no and another girl takes him away?! What do I do?! I don't want to rush, but I don't want to lose my possible Prince Charming either!'
Lucy panicked, holding her head with both hands.
Allen sighed. He knew this was going to be hard for her to hear, but...
"Lucy, I just wanted to give you this protective pendant," Allen said, fully aware he had caused a monumental misunderstanding.
"Huh?" Lucy stopped panicking and blinked in confusion.
Allen gave her an ironic smile. "Well, you know..."
He opened the box and took out a shiny chain with a pendant shaped like the Fairy Tail symbol.
Lucy's eyes widened. It was gorgeous—probably the most beautiful pendant she had ever seen. She didn't even know what to say as she looked at Allen. He coughed and gently placed the pendant around her neck.
Realizing the whole thing had been a misunderstanding, Lucy's face went from red to blue, and finally, she lost all color… before fainting on the spot.
...
The carriage moved steadily and calmly, the scenery flowing past like a lullaby. But the reality was less peaceful—the solid wooden wheels, unlike modern rubber ones, made every little stone feel like a bump in the road. Luckily, the roads between towns in Fiore were well-maintained, making the trip less annoying.
Allen kept watching the scenery. At some point, he used the time to meditate while Lucy slept.
A few hours later, Lucy opened her eyes. "What happened?"
"You fainted," Allen replied from above.
Lucy realized she was lying on Allen's lap and immediately shot up like lightning, blushing furiously. It wasn't just because it was embarrassing—she also realized Allen must have carried her all the way to find transport.
Lucy wanted to bury her face in the ground, but before that, she managed to speak.
"Th-thanks."
"Lucy..." Allen said while looking out the window.
"Y-yes?!" Lucy jumped slightly.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have used that kind of box."
Even if it was Lucy who misunderstood everything, Allen could've avoided the whole embarrassing mess if he'd thought a bit more.
"..." Lucy opened her mouth, but she didn't have to say; after a moment's hesitation, she spoke, "Don't worry. I'm sorry for acting that way. Actually, I really like the gift—it's beautiful, and you made it to protect me, hehe~"
He turned to Lucy and saw her giving him a sweet smile. Unable to help himself, Allen pinched her cheek.
"Ouch! What was that for?!" Lucy got mad to hide her embarrassment.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist..."
"Hmph." Lucy crossed her arms, annoyed—but Allen could tell her anger wasn't as intense as it looked.
Bit by bit, they were getting to know each other. And for Allen, this was quite refreshing.
Although there were worlds where he knew the original story and the many women involved, that didn't change how real it was: every minute they shared had been constructed by him and them. And that made it genuine. Still, getting to know Lucy, Mirajane, and even Laki from scratch like this… was quite interesting.
The journey continued with both of them slowly letting go of the earlier tension...
...
(A couple of hours later – Onibas Town)
Onibas Town was your typical traveler's stop—not as big as Magnolia, but more on par with Shirotsume Town. Lucy and Allen had finally arrived. Their mission was to meet a client at the magic shop. It wasn't anything too complicated, but not just anyone could take on this kind of request.
Fortunately, if Allen had one thing in abundance, it was experience with magical artifacts.
"Hey, did you hear? Titania's in town!"
"No way—the famous Queen?!"
Allen stopped in his tracks after hearing those words.
'So, the Queen wasn't an actual queen… just a nickname.'
Just like with Lucy, Allen didn't need canon knowledge to understand that this "Titania" was someone important in this story.
"Titania... Titania... Oh! Titania!" Lucy exclaimed as she remembered where she'd heard the name. She grabbed Allen's arm and shook it. "Allen, Titania is—"
Rumble
Lucy's words were interrupted by tremors. Allen looked ahead with interest. These tremors were rhythmic—like footsteps. Lucy panicked, thinking it was a giant monster.
But no. It was worse.
"Oh... that's a solid entrance," Allen smiled slightly.
Just around the corner, the massive horn of a monster appeared—held effortlessly by a young and beautiful woman with scarlet hair blowing in the wind. Her dark eyes radiated discipline and strength—both toward others and herself. Her beauty was only matched by her power.
She walked with a calm but sharp gaze toward Lucy and Allen. On one hand, she casually carried a massive monster horn that weighed several tons—like it was nothing.
Lucy, standing behind Allen, went pale. Allen, on the other hand, found himself slightly hypnotized by the girl's appearance. Her skirt and armor combo gave her a regal, knightly look… very much like Artoria.
"..." Erza noticed Allen staring and stopped walking. This young man seemed ordinary—nothing special at first glance—but for some reason, he caught her attention. Why? She didn't know, but she couldn't ignore him. There was a magnetic presence about him.
There was a heavy silence as if, with one look, they could both sense the weight the other carried—and that sparked a silent connection.
Their eyes met in that shared silence. Not awkward. It's just strange… but impossible to ignore.
For a moment, everything else disappeared.
"..." This powerful woman looked fragile in Allen's eyes.
"..." This imposing man looked tired in Erza's eyes.
And so, Allen Walker and Erza Scarlet finally met...
===
A/N: Cliff-kun attacks again 👀
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