Fairy Tail: Becoming stronger by spending money.

"Is this Edolas?"

Caesar rushed out of the rift. What he saw were various floating islands, completely unfamiliar plants and animals, and rivers flowing in the sky—like a dreamlike world.

"However, it seems that we're not in the right place."

Caesar sighed, because he was surrounded.

Surrounded by a group of cats with wings.

"Mortal, this is no place you can set foot!"

"Get out!"

"No, he's actually hovering in mid-air. It's magic!"

"What happened? He must be eliminated!"

Listening to the chirping around him, Caesar sighed. "Speaking of which, are you Exceeds always this annoying? I'm just a traveler. I really don't want to deal with you guys, so could you let me pass?"

Not a single cat gave way. More and more Exceeds gathered, and even Transcendent soldiers began to appear.

"This is really troublesome."

Caesar had a headache. If he really angered the Exceeds, his Edolas trip might end before it even began.

"Anesthesia Deterrent!"

Caesar activated Take Over magic and received Jiro in an instant. A terrifying aura swept out. The Exceeds, already not strong to begin with, froze the moment the pressure hit and fell straight out of the sky.

With clear skies, Caesar didn't bother engaging with them. He vanished in a flash.

There was no way those Exceeds could catch up with Caesar, who was flying at full speed.

"Intruder detected! Alert the humans! He must be captured and brought to justice!"

To the Exceeds, Caesar was a dangerous variable. Though they couldn't beat him, they believed the humans below could.

Meanwhile, Caesar had no idea he'd become the most wanted man in Edolas just moments after arriving.

He flew swiftly, enjoying the Edolas scenery and looking for Fairy Tail.

He had two purposes.

First, of course, was to find Lisanna and bring her home.

It would be unreasonable to leave her behind when he had the chance.

As for whether Fairy Tail would let her go, Caesar figured it wouldn't be too hard. After all, they were all members of Fairy Tail—different worlds, same guild. Surely, they'd understand.

His second goal was curiosity. He wanted to see what kind of person he was in Edolas.

Since he existed in Fairy Tail's world, there had to be an Edolas version of him.

Even if that version was dead, Caesar just wanted to satisfy his curiosity.

As he flew, Caesar noticed a continent below, including a human town.

He descended and entered on foot.

It seemed far from the capital—no magic in sight.

It was worn-down, quiet, and mostly empty.

Caesar walked through the streets, observing the people who, despite their situation, still lived with optimism and laughter. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Magic or not, people always found a way to live.

Mystogan's idea made sense. Rather than clinging to stolen scraps of magic, maybe starting over truly was better.

As he passed a small vendor, Caesar glanced at it, and just as he was about to walk away, he froze.

And so did the other person.

"What a coincidence?"

That was Caesar's first thought.

"Why do you look exactly like me?"

That was what the other person thought.

Indeed, Caesar had completed one of his objectives.

He found himself—in Edolas.

"But... selling fruit? Am I a vendor here?"

Caesar stared in confusion.

"Wait, what do you mean 'in this world'? What are you talking about?"

Xi Sa rubbed his temples, confused and struggling to make sense of it all.

Caesar smiled and walked over to Xi Sa's stall, then explained everything in detail.

"So you're a mage from the Fairy Tail Guild in another world, where there's still magic. And the kingdom here is stealing that magic. You followed the portal and came here, right?"

Xi Sa looked at Caesar. He clearly wasn't ready to believe such a story but couldn't deny what was in front of him.

"That's right."

Caesar nodded. "And you? Selling fruit?"

Xi Sa looked around before gesturing for Caesar to follow him. "Come with me."

Without even packing up his stall, Xi Sa led Caesar through an alley.

Caesar's curiosity peaked. Did he have a part-time job in this world?

After navigating twists and turns, they stopped at a dead end.

Xi Sa walked to a wall, pressed a hidden switch, and a small passage opened. He motioned for Caesar to enter.

The two stepped through, and the entrance vanished behind them.

After descending some stairs, Caesar arrived at an underground space.

Weapons lined the walls. Magic tools and gear were everywhere.

Caesar's lips twitched.

So Xi Sa looked like a fruit vendor, but was actually a weapons dealer.

Caesar picked up a weapon and tested it.

They weren't particularly strong, but maybe Xi Sa couldn't get top-tier items.

Still, Caesar learned from Xi Sa that Fairy Tail had visited him before.

No need to search—they'd be coming back tomorrow to buy more goods.

Xi Sa invited Caesar to stay the night so he could meet them.

Caesar agreed.

He could let the other Fairy Tail members connect with Lisanna and arrange her return through him.

After that, Xi Sa led Caesar back to the surface via another route and took him to his home.

Caesar expected a shack.

Instead, he was greeted by a manor.

As they walked in, a crowd of beautiful women swarmed around Xi Sa.

Caesar had the expression of a tired commuter on a subway.

What the…

"I probably scared you," Xi Sa said sheepishly. "Business has been good. So... yeah."

He gestured to the girls. "Let me introduce you. This is Ivy. That's Mei. And that's Hetty."

"Hey, brother, why is your hand on fire?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just suddenly felt like burning something."

"Wait! Don't come near me!"

"Relax. Deep breath. Pain is totally normal."

"Noooo!"

"."