Fairy Tail: This Healing Mage's hits hurt so much!

Sunlight glanced helplessly at Kana, whose small figure looked particularly frail in front of the noisy guild gate.

In the end, Kana did not acknowledge him. She swallowed the word "Dad" back down her throat, and it turned into a fleeting look of disappointment in the corner of her eye.

Riyao didn't say much, but simply extended his broad, warm palm and gently took Kana's slightly trembling little hand.

Upon entering the Fairy Tail guild, I went straight to the bar counter, which exuded the scent of aged wood and alcohol.

Just now, when Kana looked at Gildarts' towering figure, her heart pounded as if it were about to burst out of her chest.

That rugged face, yet with a hint of cynical smile, gradually overlapped with the description her mother had given her.

She hurriedly lowered her head, using her slightly messy brown bangs to conceal the turbulent emotions in her eyes, and exclaimed in a trembling voice, feigning adoration, "I...I'm your biggest fan! I've always wanted to join the guild to see you up close!"

There was a barely perceptible sob in her voice, and her small fists were clenched tightly on the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning blue and white.

Gildarts, with his carefree nature, had no idea what a little girl was thinking. He just chuckled, scratched the back of his head, and laughed a few times.

He believed it to be true and turned to leave, his broad back quickly swallowed up by the guild's clamor.

Watching him leave, Kana tugged at Riyao's sleeve, her large, watery eyes pleading softly, "Riyao, you have to keep this a secret. I'm not ready... I really am not ready, please!"

Her eyes were filled with helplessness and fear, as if she was afraid that her sudden "daughter" would cause trouble for that free-spirited man.

Looking into Kana's uneasy eyes, Riyao nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. This is a secret between the two of us."

Hearing this assurance, Kana finally breathed a sigh of relief, her grip on her clothes loosening slightly, but the tension in her eyes hadn't completely faded.

Riyao, holding Kana's hand, shouted at Makarov, who was sitting at the bar drinking alone while watching the guild brats fooling around, "Old man, I've brought back a cute little sister! She's a huge fan of Gildarts and wants to join the guild, what do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Makarov put down his huge wine glass, and his wrinkled old face immediately broke into his signature kind smile.

He jumped down from the small stool, took short steps to stand in front of Kana, and carefully examined the somewhat timid little girl.

Cana took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound steady: "My name is Cana Alperona, and I want to join Fairy Tail."

Makarov reached out his rough, large hand and gently patted Cana's head. His voice was gentle and deep, as if it could soothe any unease: "Child, welcome to Fairy Tail. From today onwards, this is your home."

As soon as Makarov finished speaking, the already lively guild members instantly erupted in excitement.

Marcao raised his glass and shouted, while Wakaba exhaled a smoke ring and clapped with a smile. The young mages whistled excitedly.

Riyao skillfully took out a slightly yellowed membership application form from the drawer under the bar and handed it to Kana to fill out.

Watching Kana carefully write her name stroke by stroke, Sunshine turned around and took out the magic crest seal that symbolized a member of the guild.

"Little Kana, what color emblem do you want? Where do you want it stamped?" Sunshine asked with a smile, playing with the magical seal in his hand.

Kana bit her lower lip, thought for a moment, and whispered, "Then...can I have a black one...to cover here..." As she spoke, she shyly lifted the hem of her top a little, revealing the fair and delicate skin on the left side of her lower abdomen.

"Of course, no problem." Sunshine happily adjusted the color of the stamp, and then carefully stamped the black Fairy Tail pattern on the left side of Kana's lower abdomen.

With a faint fluctuation of magical energy, the black emblem was perfectly imprinted there, as if it had always belonged there.

"Alright, all done!" Riyao straightened up, clapped his hands, and said, "From now on, we're family, little Kana. If anyone dares to bully you, just tell me, and I'll prescribe them the bitterest medicine!"

Upon hearing this, Kana finally couldn't hold back her tears any longer and let them spill out. She nodded heavily, her eyes brimming with tears. Her wandering and helpless heart had finally found a place to rest in this noisy yet warm guild.

Seeing how adorable Kana was as a child, with her tearful yet well-behaved appearance, Riyao's cunning side instantly kicked in.

With lightning speed, he pulled a portable magic camera from his pocket and snapped a precious "embarrassing" photo of Kana.

He secretly thought to himself that when Kana grew up and became that unrestrained, alcoholic boss, he would take out this photo and have a good laugh. That scene would definitely be quite interesting.

Just then, Makarov suddenly jumped onto the bar and shouted in his booming voice, "To celebrate Cana joining Fairy Tail, let's have a party tonight! Everyone, drink to your heart's content!"

The atmosphere in the guild was instantly pushed to its peak, almost to the point of blowing the roof off.

"Oh! Welcome, Kana! The president is awesome!"

"Angela, give me a keg of ale! I'm going to drink my fill today!"

"With your alcohol tolerance? I'm going to drink you all under the table today!"

Seeing this group of guys starting their unrestrained revelry again, Riyao cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted as if he wanted to stir up trouble.

"Great! Everyone, drink to your heart's content! I can cure your hangovers again tomorrow! I recently concocted a new 'cure-all' that tastes incredibly tangy and refreshing—I guarantee you'll never want to touch alcohol again after drinking it!"

Upon hearing the words "Sunlight's Potion," the noisy guild members collectively quieted down for a second, their hands, which were holding wine glasses, freezing in mid-air.

But then, someone, seemingly leading the laughter, shouted, "Go to hell with your Sunrise! Don't try to scare us with your poisons!"

Afterwards, everyone forgot about the warning and continued to indulge in an even more frenzied revelry. The sounds of clinking glasses, laughter, and playful fighting mingled together, creating a unique symphony of Fairy Tail.

Amidst the deafening noise, Riyao brought over a plate full of exquisite pastries and a glass of warm sweet juice, bypassing the drunkards who were already staggering, and came to Kana, who looked a little awkward in the corner.

He smiled and handed her the plate: "Eat up, Kana. Everyone's really happy that you joined the guild today, even though their way of expressing it is a bit... wild. After you finish eating, I'll take you to the guild's dorm to settle in."

Watching Kana eat her snacks in small bites, her eyes filled with confusion and worry about the future, Riyao added softly.

"Don't worry about the fees; our guild's dorms are very cheap. You can pay them gradually once you're more familiar with the guild and can take on commissions and earn bounties. For now, just relax and settle in, okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Riyue-ge," Kana replied softly, feeling a warmth in her heart. Looking at the young man in front of her with his gentle smile, she felt that he was like a reliable older brother.

The banquet lasted until late at night. When most people were already drunk and snoring under the tables, Riyao took Kana away from the guild hall and went to the dormitory area located at the back of the guild.

He specially chose a sunny and quiet single room for Kana. The room wasn't large, but it had everything she needed. Together, they tidied the bed, changed the sheets and blankets, and wiped down the tables and chairs. In no time, the somewhat deserted room became clean and cozy.

"Alright, you should get some rest. I'll show you around the guild tomorrow morning." Sunshine stood at the door and waved to Kana.

"Goodnight, Riyao." Kana stood inside the door, watching Riyao's departing figure, and gently closed the door.

She lay on the soft bed, smelling the sunshine on the blankets, closed her eyes, and replayed everything that had happened that day in her mind.

Although she did not reunite with her father, she has a new home.

Meanwhile, Riyao returned to his room. Unlike Kana's cozy little house, Riyao's room was practically a cluttered laboratory.

The corner was piled with various herbs that emitted strange smells, some of which were even faintly glowing.

Several notebooks with messy handwriting were piled on the large table, filled with formulas and experimental data for various medicines.

Next to the notebook were several vials of strangely colored, unidentified potions, which were occasionally bubbling.

Riyao walked to the table, picked up the vial of eerily purple potion, and a sly smile crept across his lips: "Tomorrow morning, those hangover sufferers are in for a treat..."