Fairy Tail - Eyes of Ice

Chapter 13 - Clover Town Pt. 3

Kai emerged from the tiny forest overlooking Clover Town and sighed with a bit of relief at the humble little place. His quest from the train tracks and meeting with Mystogan—and Grimoire Heart—hadn't taken too long but something started to plague him: doubt. The only thing spurring him forward was the thought of getting this far, accomplishing nothing, and then turning around.

He was ashamed enough to have left Fairy Tail as he did in the first place. But to go back now, not even stronger than when he left? Unbearable.

Kai approached the cliff. Clover Town reminded him a bit of Magnolia in that some of the buildings had similar structures and roofing, but otherwise, the streets were a lot more narrow and the town was built in a bit of a valley, unlike Magnolia. It added a bit more intimacy, and, Kai hoped, would allow him to complete his job faster. He rubbed the guild emblem on his body and grimaced.

It didn't take long to clamber down the cliff and arrive in the town proper. Kai adjusted the sword at his side and nobody took notice of him. He stood out quite noticeably in the town, as they wore clothing for warm weather, whereas Kai did not need for such. He brushed his white hair out of his face and glanced down at the paper in his hands.

"Ferdinand's Finest," he muttered and looked to some of the shops around. It wouldn't be long to find the place; Clover Town didn't have many places to hide a place that was named "Ferdinand's Finest."

Mystogan's final words to him, that the quest would be more than it initially appeared, rang through his mind again. He grimaced and ruffled the paper back into his pocket. All the job called for was a wizard to help with a bit of business. In Kai's past, that meant performing some sort of show or trick to garner a momentary boost in sales.

Not a problem, Kai thought. It was usually only for a day so Kai could be out of Clover Town by the following morning if push came to shove.

Then he'd be off, training for...

For as long as it takes.

Kai nodded at the thought that constantly rolled about in his mind. He wouldn't be able to affirm his strength against anything substantial—Iceberg had some magic cults but not the sort Kai had any intention of getting involved with. He'd be able to notice his progress, but how his progress would stack compared to Natsu or Erza's strength had to wait until his return to Fairy Tail later on.

He searched around the city for a bit, and just as he was ready to give himself a break, he rounded a corner and found a meager little shop on the corner with just the name he was looking for. Kai sighed and stepped through.

Ferdinand's Finest certainly had some fine items. Mostly wooden sculptures with a few paintings and even the spare wand or talisman in the back corner. A small fire purred in the hearth near the middle of the room, and some of the walls had an aesthetic that roots were growing, as if the entire story were something of a growing tree.

"Good day to you over there," a chipper voice called.

Kai snapped to attention and reached into his pocket for the request. "Hello, I came by because of your request."

The man, probably Ferdinand, walked up to the reception counter as Kai slid the paper atop the counter. He ruffled his fresh beard and nodded.

"So you're a wizard," he said. "What guild?"

Kai waved his hand. "Oh, um..." He shook his head. "Fairy Tail."

"Oh my, Fairy Tail out here? That's one hell of a journey you took out here, I wasn't sure it'd be worth it."

"I'm on my way somewhere," Kai said. "I found the job and figured I would do it while I was in town. Didn't seem too complicated?"

The man shrugged. "Depends on your definition of complicated. It's a matter of theft, really. I've a fellow small businessman in town who has not only stolen my gimmick, but has been swindling funds from the local bank out of my account for months, claiming to be me."