The morning mist had not yet fully dissipated from the streets of Magnolia, and the air was filled with the fragrance of earth and the fresh scent drifting from the distant forest. In the backyard of the Fairy Tail Guild, a layer of crystal-clear dew covered the lush green lawn, reflecting the faint light of the rising sun.
Riyao, dressed in loose clothing, stood in the center of the yard with his feet spread in a relaxed T-stance. His hands rose slowly as he began to perform a set of movements that looked slow and soft to outsiders—Tai Chi. This was the same set of exercises he had often seen retired old men practicing in parks in his previous life.
In order to earn credits and to strengthen his body to alleviate cervical spondylosis, he had enrolled in Tai Chi elective courses several times. He never imagined that this set of exercises, which in his previous life was only used for stretching and was even jokingly called 'elderly radio gymnastics' by young people, would produce such incredible effects when combined with Healing Magic.
Riyao bent his knees slightly and quietly activated his Healing Magic. Coordinating with his Tai Chi movements, he lowered his center of gravity, his hands moving as if embracing the cosmos, slowly tracing a smooth arc in front of his chest to generate a surge of internal force.
'It's a pity I didn't learn other martial arts in my previous life. If only I had learned Baji Quan, Bagua Zhang, Palm Thunder, Nine Heavens Thunder Kick, or Rasengan...' He shook off his messy thoughts.
Riyao turned around and looked at the two hungover drunks. A gentle yet chilling smile immediately curled at the corners of his mouth. He unhurriedly pulled two glass test tubes filled with an eerie purple liquid from his wide sleeves.
"Good morning, Macao, Wakaba." Riyao walked forward with a beaming smile, his voice so gentle it could practically drip with sweetness. "It seems you enjoyed yourselves at the party last night. As the guild's exclusive doctor, how could I bear to see you suffer the pain of a hangover? Come, try the 'Sobering Potion 3.0 Enhanced Version' I developed for you overnight."
Macao and Wakaba's pupils dilated instantly. Although their minds weren't clear yet, their physical survival instincts made them sense extreme danger. The pungent odor hit their brains directly, making their eyes water. "No... no need, Riyao. I feel fine, ugh..." Macao tried to back away while dry-heaving, but his hungover, weak legs refused to cooperate.
"Avoiding the doctor is not a good habit." Riyao was quick as a flash, grabbing Macao's chin and forcing his mouth open. Without hesitation, he poured the tube of purple liquid down his throat. Then, using the same technique with fluid precision, he poured a tube into Wakaba as well.
"Gulp!"
The moment the potion went down, Macao and Wakaba's faces underwent a violent transformation from pale to greenish-blue, then to purple-red, and finally to an eerie liver-like color. Their eyes bulged, bloodshot, and their hands tightly gripped their own necks as if someone were burning their esophagi with hot coals. An indescribable bitterness and spiciness exploded in their mouths and stomachs simultaneously; it felt like swallowing a whole live poisonous toad that was frantically spraying venom inside their bellies.
"Aaaaah!!! Water! Give me water!" Macao let out a pig-slaughtering scream, rolling frantically on the lawn. Wakaba knelt directly on the ground, tears and snot streaming down his face, his hands pounding the earth so hard he didn't even notice his pipe falling to the ground.
"See, the effect is immediate. Don't you feel a hundred times more energetic and not sleepy at all?" Riyao looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction, quickly recording in his notebook:'Subject showed violent struggling after ingestion, mental state extremely excited, hangover symptoms completely disappeared. Side effect is potential temporary loss of taste and psychological trauma... Hmm, next time I could consider adding a bit of Coptis chinensis to neutralize the spiciness.'
Just as this 'human tragedy' was unfolding in the backyard, the second-floor dormitory window was gently pushed open. Cana, who had just woken up, was wearing a slightly oversized nightgown. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and poked her small head out to look down. She was originally a bit dazed, but when she saw Macao and Wakaba rolling frantically on the ground, she was instantly startled awake. Her little face turned pale as she looked helplessly at Riyao, who was standing aside and recording with a smile.
Riyao keenly noticed the gaze from upstairs. He looked up, his black-bellied smile vanishing instantly as he seamlessly switched to being a gentle and reliable older brother. He waved at Cana and called out softly, "Good morning, little Cana. Did you sleep well last night? Come down and wash up. I've prepared hot milk and freshly toasted buttered bread for you. Ignore these two stupid uncles doing their morning exercises."
Cana was stunned for a moment. She looked at the'stupid uncles' on the ground, foaming at the mouth and twitching uncontrollably, then looked at Riyao's bright smile in the sunlight. Although she felt something was off, she still nodded obediently. "Okay, Brother Riyao, I'm coming down now."
In this Fairy Tail Guild full of weirdos and eccentrics, Cana's first daily routine began in this eerie yet lively atmosphere. Riyao put away his notebook, stepped over the two 'corpses' on the ground, hummed an unknown tune, and turned toward the guild's kitchen to enjoy his peaceful and beautiful breakfast time.
The guild's kitchen was filled with the aroma of baking wheat. Riyao skillfully took two plates of golden, crispy buttered bread out of the oven and warmed a full pot of fresh milk on the stove. Before long, light footsteps came from the stairs. Cana had changed into clean clothes and combed her hair neatly, though her large eyes still held a hint of the awkwardness of being in a new environment.
"Come, sit here." Riyao pulled out a wooden chair and pushed a steaming mug of milk and a plate of bread spread with thick jam in front of Cana. "Freshly baked, eat while it's hot."
"Thank you, Brother Riyao," Cana said softly, holding the warm mug with both hands and taking a small sip of milk. The rich milky flavor spread through her mouth, dispelling the last bit of morning chill. She secretly observed Riyao, who was unhurriedly cutting a fried egg across from her, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Brother Riyao... Uncle Macao and the others... are they really okay?"
Riyao swallowed a bite of fried egg, picked up a napkin to elegantly wipe the corner of his mouth, and smiled harmlessly. "Don't worry, they are doing great. Although my potion has a slightly peculiar taste, the effect is absolutely immediate. See, aren't they already heading to the guild hall full of energy?"
Just then, a resonant roar came from the direction of the guild hall: "Riyao! You bastard, get out here! My sense of taste has completely vanished! I just took a bite of salted fish and it felt like chewing wood!" That was Macao's voice.
This was followed by Wakaba's tearful wail: "My pipe... it tastes like nothing but your damn bitter melon! I'm going to kill you!"
Cana's hand holding the bread shook slightly, and she looked at Riyao with some alarm.
Riyao, however, acted as if he hadn't heard those accusations. He calmly picked up his coffee for a sip and winked at Cana. "Listen, how loud their voices are, full of vigor. This shows their lung capacity and mental state have fully recovered. This is the miracle of medicine."
Cana gave a couple of dry laughs and decided to lower her head to focus on the bread on her plate. She felt that in this guild, there were still many things she needed to learn.
"Yo, Riyao, are you using those strange potions of yours to torture people again?" An old but energetic voice sounded at the kitchen door.
Riyao turned and said cheerfully, "Old Man, I'm doing it for their own good. Without my'Sobering Potion', they'd be slumped on the tables like weaklings all day. I'm improving the guild's overall efficiency."
"Cut the crap." Makarov took a big gulp of water, then turned to Cana, his expression instantly becoming incredibly kind. "Little Cana, did you sleep well last night? Was the bed comfortable? Did anyone bully you?"
Cana, flattered, put down her bread and nodded quickly. "I slept very well, Master Grandpa. The bed was very soft, and no one bullied me."
"That's good, that's good." Makarov smiled and patted Cana's head. "In Fairy Tail, everyone is family. If anyone dares to bully you, just tell me, and I'll use Giant Magic to stomp them into a meat patty!"
"Mhm!" Cana nodded vigorously, her eyes feeling slightly warm. Although she hadn't found her father, she felt a long-lost warmth here.
"Brother Riyao, can you really make many magical potions?" Cana looked curiously at the seemingly inexhaustible supply of test tubes in Riyao's sleeves, her eyes shining with admiration.
"Of course." Riyao raised his chin proudly. "In Fairy Tail, if you are injured or sick, you can come to me anytime. However..." He paused deliberately and leaned in to whisper in Cana's ear, "If you want to play a prank on someone, you can also come to me. I have many 'interesting' little inventions here."
Cana's eyes lit up as if a new world had opened to her. She nodded vigorously, a mischievous smile curling at the corners of her mouth. From this moment on, she knew she had truly integrated into this eccentric, noisy, yet incredibly warm family.