Chapter 7 Ten Years in a Flash
-------------------------------------
Translator: JayM
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Ten Years in a Flash
-------------------------------------
Time passed in a flash...
In the peaceful small town.
A little girl wearing a long knight's dress with armor, her long scarlet hair braided into a ponytail, with a delicate face and looking to be about ten years old was closely following behind a little boy with short brownish-red hair who looked to be of a similar age. In their arms, the two were holding some daily necessities such as toothpaste, facial cleanser, towels, and the like…
"Oh? Isn't that Evan and Erza? Out shopping?"
The two were walking forward briskly, but due to their height, they couldn't walk too fast. When some shop owners in the surroundings saw them, they immediately called out to greet the two.
"These are the fish we just caught, take them for you to eat!"
"Thank you, Uncle Tom!
Though we decided to eat apple pie tonight..."
Hearing this, the little boy with short brownish-red hair immediately smiled and shook his head at the enthusiastic boss.
"Take it, take it. Just remember to prepare a few more of your family's newest croissants for me tomorrow morning. My boy has been clamoring to eat them, but every time I go, they’re all snatched up already!"
The uncle named Tom insisted and stuffed the fresh sea fish in his hands into the arms of the boy with short brownish-red hair.
"Then thank you very much, Uncle Tom!"
That boy, who was precisely Evan, bowed slightly toward the fish shop owner to express his thanks.
Then, leading the girl with long scarlet hair behind him, he continued to walk forward.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. Hurry and go! Isn't your mom still waiting for you two?"
The fish shop owner waved his hand nonchalantly.
"Sigh, why are other people's children so sensible?
Why does that stupid boy of mine only know how to fight and play around all day long? Otherwise, he's just rolling around in the mud~
However, that girl Erza has grown more and more graceful and upright in recent years. If I could get her to be my boy's wife, hehe..."
The fish shop owner watched the boy and the girl walk further and further away while imagining such things in his heart. However, in no time at all, he shook his head helplessly and muttered.
"I'd better forget it! My boy doesn't deserve such a good girl like Erza!"
The fish shop owner seemed to have a lot of self-awareness.
The boy and the girl continued forward, and the scenes that had just played out in front of the fish shop owner's door happened again all throughout the entire town. It seemed as if the two were extremely well-liked in this town! By the time they arrived at their own shop, the things in their hands were almost too much for them to carry.
"Erza, put the things down first! Today’s your tenth birthday, and your big brother has prepared a gift for you!"
Seeing that there was no one around, the boy with brownish-red hair directly used a single thought to lift all of the things on the girl behind him using his gravity ability. In fact, these things had already been subjected to weightlessness by the boy at the start. The two carrying these things were merely them putting on an act to not attract too much attention.
"A gift?! What gift?"
The girl walked excitedly in front of the boy and asked.
"You’ll know once you open it!"
Saying this, the boy handed her a strange little treasure chest.
"This is..."
The girl was puzzled. After opening the chest, she found that inside was a bizarre-looking fruit.
This was exactly the Paramecia-type Magnet-Magnet Fruit.
It was also the last Devil Fruit that Evan hadn't eaten.
Yes, the boy with short brownish-red hair was naturally Evan, and the girl was naturally Erza.
Ten years had passed since the latter was born.
Because the time Evan and Irene met was earlier than when Irene met Zeref in the original timeline…
As such, it ultimately resulted in Erza, who should have been born in the year X765, being born one year earlier, in the year X764.
After ten years had passed, the current year was now X774. Today was Erza's tenth birthday, so Evan handed the last Devil Fruit that he had prepared over to Erza.
In fact, he had planned to leave this Devil Fruit for Erza back when the latter was still very young.
At that time, they encountered a few rogue mages acting wildly and were preparing to rob Evan and Irene! At that moment, the former planned to make a move to finish off these small-fry mages! But then, Erza shouted that she wanted to protect the two. So just like in the original work, she awakened the Requip Magic: The Knight, manipulated the surrounding iron tools, and instantly defeated those small-fry mages...
Evan, who watched Erza awaken her innate magic at that time, felt exceptionally shocked!
Innate magic was different from magic learned post-birth. The former was a type of magic similar to a divine protection from the world. It couldn't be compared to what was learned during one's lifetime, as it was more like something directly bestowed by the world. Often, those who could awaken innate magic usually had immense talent within them!
However, it was a given that Erza possessed talent. After all, her mother was Irene Belserion! Even in the original work, Erza only took three to four years from awakening her magic to becoming an S-Class mage. In just a few short years, she walked a magical path that ordinary people couldn't finish in a lifetime. Her talent was so powerful that it could be called terrifying!
It was precisely because she awakened the Requip: The Knight magic that Evan decided to give his Paramecia-type Magnet-Magnet Fruit to Erza.
Because coincidentally, the characteristics of this Devil Fruit matched Erza's magic perfectly. With the help of magnetic force, she’d be even more at ease when fighting using the armor of the Knight Requip magic. Moreover, through the characteristics of the Magnet-Magnet Fruit, she could also make up for some of her shortcomings like her lack of long-range offensive power!
After all, the ability of the Magnet-Magnet Fruit after awakening was the Super Electromagnetic Gun. An Erza who was invincible in close combat paired with the long-range output of the Super Electromagnetic Gun would have virtually no shortcomings to speak of.
"So pretty!"
Just as Erza was looking at the fruit in her hands, unable to bear parting with it, the front door of the bakery was opened by someone, and three girls wearing different clothes with different personalities, but were equally beautiful and moving, walked out.
"Young Master Evan, and Miss Erza, you’ve returned~"
"Come in quickly! The food’s already prepared. Lady Irene’s already waiting for the Young Master and Miss."
"..."
As the three girls spoke, they immediately took the various daily necessities floating in the air back into the house, and they simultaneously beckoned Evan and Erza to enter the shop.
"Alright!"
Evan first nodded, then he smiled faintly at the three girls.
"Ilya, Ian, Eden, you three have worked hard. Come in quickly and rest!"
“"Yes, Young Master!"”
Hearing this, the three girls immediately followed behind the two and entered the bakery as well. At the same time, before Eden came in, she didn't forget to swap out the sign hanging on the bakery door, changing it to the "Closed" sign.
And these three girls, one wearing a maid outfit, another a white chef outfit, and the last a black combat outfit, were precisely the products of Irene's personality enchantment: Ilya, Ian, and Eden.
"You’ve returned~"
The group went upstairs and arrived at the second floor where they usually rested. In the living room, Irene, who was wearing casual loungewear, was already waiting for Evan and Erza.
"Uh, we're back!"
Evan nodded toward Irene, a trace of a faint smile on his face.
"Irene! I'm back! And big brother gave me a gift!"
Erza ran excitedly in front of Irene and, as if presenting a treasure, took out the gift Evan had prepared for her.
"You should call me Mother instead!"
Irene first feigned anger, gently tapping Erza's small head, before observing the bizarre fruit inside the wooden box in the little girl’s hands.
"So it’s this thing?"
Irene looked at the bizarre-looking fruit and was first stunned for a moment. Then she revealed a gentle smile. She recalled the scene of when she first met Evan. At this, she gently stroked Erza's small head and smiled.
"This is a very precious thing. Erza must cherish it well!"
"Mm! I know! I’ll definitely eat all of it!"
Erza nodded. She decided to eat the gift her big brother had given her in its entirety.
"No! As for eating it all up, that’s largely unnecessary..."
Evan, who knew the terrifying taste of a Devil Fruit, moved his lips slightly. He wanted to say more, but he ultimately couldn't bring himself to say them out loud.
"Speaking of which, eleven years have passed..."
Irene looked at the warm family inside the room, a smile on her lips.
"Indeed, time passes really fast!"
Evan nodded. He knew that it was also time for them to leave this small town.
Not only had the quests in his mind updated, adding an advanced quest for him to join any magic guild…
More so, in the span of eleven years, the town was undergoing many changes. A new generation had come to live in the small town, but Irene's appearance remained as youthful as ever. In order to reduce troublesome matters, it was now time for Evan and the others to move out.
-------------------------------------
T/N - Obligatory but timely timeskip. The MC’s family is now finally moving out of the small town. Though I wonder why the system waited for so long before giving the MC the task of joining a guild? Was it also waiting for Erza to become 10 years old?
Also, the MC gives his last Devil Fruit to Erza, which is the Magnet Fruit. Honestly, I kinda feel that it’s a bit redundant. But the Magnet Fruit does have more utility than the Requip: Knight magic of Erza, so it should be a big help to her down the line.