In game (Volume 2): Fairy Tail

Chapter 1 On board!

I put my bag on the ground and look at myself in the mirror at the entrance to my apartment. I run my hand over my face, sighing.

"Still so trying..."

Once again I ask myself the same question: "Why? ". It's always the same thing every time you visit. Always the same one-sided complaints, always the same guilt, always the same finality and, let's be honest, the same naivety on my part. Once the money is recovered, it's the same way of making me understand that they have things to do and that I'm disturbing. But despite this, I keep coming back, giving and suffering in silence. I'm waiting for something that will never happen, because they are incapable of giving it to me. I should stop... Yes... I should. I smile bitterly at my reflection. He seems to be amused by my pitiful resolutions. He knows I won't hold them. I am pitiful.

I open my fridge and pull out a prepared salad. I had bought it, just in case, thinking that maybe this time I would be allowed to share their dinner. The salad is bitter and the tomatoes have difficulty going through. Barely started, I put it back in the fridge and head towards my office. I take the virtual reality headset out of its box, sit in the chair and connect to my favorite outlet: Manga online. I decide to let the game choose a universe at random. I immediately regret it when I see the Fairy Tail logo appear.

I love this manga, but honestly, I don't want to see people helping each other in a spirit of solidarity: I want to beat up the mob, to let off steam. I already saw the manga in the game list, but put it aside thinking that it would hurt too much to immerse myself in this world. I would be too afraid to like it. Instead of the usual character choice menu, I see the loading bar. I imagine that the game will also choose the character that I will play.

When the loading finishes, I have a silver key in front of me: "So you take it? It will cost you 20,000 jewels! »

I look at the key in the box. I feel the energy that emanates from it and which attracts me. I understood who I was: Lucy Heartfilia. At least I wouldn't be disoriented in terms of a toxic family. Besides, Lucy is currently on the run. Why would she spend 20,000 jewels on this unimportant key? This constellation is only a more or less pleasant company without offensive or defensive power.

But on second thought, what Lucy lacks most right now is affection. I know the dog's spirit will be important much later in the series, but I don't have time to think if I can live without it. The merchant seems to be getting impatient and Lucy had more than enough money to pay for the key, a meal and a place to stay... So for now I'll follow the scenario.

I know that charming the man who extends his hand will allow me to earn 1000 jewels if I play the ingénue. Except that I'm not an angel and innocence hasn't been one of my qualifiers for a long time. Besides, when I glance at my outfit, I can't believe that the protagonist is naive enough to believe that she won't attract attention.

Damn it! When we're on the run, we try to dress soberly or in general clothes. Slowly Ondine! Let's not forget that she is 16 years old. I see the man eyeing my neckline, but 1,000 jewels is still a small amount, so I play along. I smile at him with all my teeth and casually brush my hair from the back of my neck, then look for my purse. I grimace and sigh:

"Damn, I'm not going to have enough... For 1,000 jewels, it's a shame! Especially since I'm leaving town tonight...

- If that's all, I'll spare you these 1,000 jewels.

- You would do that, I say, fluttering my eyelashes.

- It's not every day that a constellationist passes through the town of Haru-Jion (Hargeon in the anime). I don't know when the Dog's spirit will find a new master.