Noah brought Erza to a nearby forest not too far away from Fairy Tail. It’s the usual place he goes to for magic power control training. He stood there and inhaled deeply.

“Been quite a few days since I was last here, this place is as refreshing as always.”

“I never knew you had a secret base like this.”

Erza said after scanning the surrounding. Seems like she is pleased with this area as well.

“The surrounding is pretty nice and it’s quiet, talk about a good place for training.”

“Right?”

Noah winked.

“This is the place where I normally go to for magic control training.”

“It’s not bad.”

She looked back at him before turning solemn.

“But guessing from the fact you brought me to somewhere where people rarely travel to, your request is something that you don’t want other people knowing about right?”

“Well, it’s not to that the extent.”

He shook his head, signalling to Erza not to be so formal.

“This place would make my request easier to fulfill that’s all!”

“Easier to fulfill you say?”

“Yes!”

Noah stared straight down those cool barrels of hers.

“I wan to learn combat techniques from you!”

“Combat techniques?”

Her serene face turned into one of surprise at this outburst.

Can’t blame her, his request came as too much of a surprise for her.

“I know my request came out of nowhere.”

Noah chuckled.

“But, this is my request.”

Seeing his bitter laugh, Erza frowned. She could somewhat understand what’s going through his head.

Clearly, this is an urge to get stronger born from the encounter with Phantom Lord 3 days ago.

However, the sheer amount of magic power residing within him and his inability to control them excludes the alternative of growing stronger through learning magic. So, he turned his attention towards strengthening his combat techniques.

And when it came to that, Erza clearly knows what she’s doing. It isn’t that strange for Noah to come and find her for tutelage.

Erza finds another peculiar point to this obvious matter.

“Why me?”

Erza got straight to the point.

“Maybe it’s because you saw me one shotting 3 magicians and thus you came to me but there are a lot of magicians that are outstanding in Fairy Tail, should you be finding them?”

“True, Fairy Tail has a lot of excellent magicians.”

Noah shrugged.

“But you’re wrong when you say I should go find them.”

Erza felt bewildred.

“You said it yourself, they are great magicians but just from pure skills, I don’t think I can count with my finger how many of them can best you in that category!”

He didn’t beat around the bush, he made his point clear.

“Plus, those guys might gather in the guild everday but they are mature magicians, they can’t stay everyday at the guild. They’re going to have to go out on quests from time to time. You on the other hand won’t be going on any quest soon and have a lot of time for training. In other words, n.o.body else but you is more apt to train me!”

Erza could see the reason in his words, as she silently admired his a.n.a.lytical abilities.

An 11 year old kid that can plan so far. Not an easy feat.

Furthermore, she hasn’t forgotten about how this same age boy before him who hadn’t touched magic before, stood out and took a shot for her. Giving Mogria a magnificent sucker punch in the process as well.

It didn’t matter where one viewed it from, that’s something a normal 11 year old can’t achieve easily.

Thus, Erza has tremendous respect for this fellow.

Alas, Erza hasn’t given her answer yet.

“I should tell you though, I know a bit of battle techniques but it wasn’t learnt from any master or anything like that. I just pieced them together on my own!”

Erza kept her stern expression and gaze on him.

“Of course, that means I can’t guarantee that these skills will come out excellent, I can’t even guarantee their effectiveness. Even so, you have no problem with this?”

Without a shred of hesitation, he grinned.

“Well that only makes me want to study with you more!”

Erza flinched subconsciously.

“I may not have partic.i.p.ated much during the Phantom Lord encounter but I can clearly see you beating down 3 magicians with just your sword skills. Can anyone call that kind of performance ineffective?”

Noah blurted out.

“And now you’re telling me you learnt those skills on your own, I can’t find a reason not to study with you now!”

“Well..”

Erza didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“What? Too troubling?”

Noah scratched his cheeks.

“if you’re feeling troubled over something then forget what I said.”

“No. It’s nothing like that. I never thought you had such a high evaluation of me that’s all!”

Erza relaxed her expression and chuckled.

“If it’s like that, don’t regret this afterwards!”

2 eleven year old boy and girl laughed as they looked at each other. They reached out their hand with the river as the background and they shook their hands firmly.

….

It’s only after dark did Noah part ways with Erza at the ground floor of the guild. He returned to his room with fatigue weighing down on his body.

Noah didn’t expect he would begin his first training session without delay after requesting and Erza agreeing to them.

That’s not a big deal, he himself wanted to learn it earlier and he’s not a slacker. Otherwise he wouldn’t be training so hard everyday for years just to get his magic power under a sufficient enough control. He’s happy to see Erza being so fired up.

But, right now, he thinks that he was too naive.

Erza said it herself. Her combat techniques are self taught, n.o.bdy else taught her and she didn’t learn it from some other place. And so, she didn’t know how to teach others as well.

The only way she knows how to teach is through real combat.

And so, he trained with Erza for the whole day. It would be strange if he isn’t tired.

“It seems I have to strengthened my physique or else I can’t keep up with this kind of pace…”

Noah muttered as he pushed his door open.

But his foot stopped the moment he saw what is inside his room.

On his bed is something he didn’t recognize to be a belonging of his.

It’s a sword!

It had a hand guard, a slightly curvy long shape and it looked like a resplendent arming sword made of ice!

Right next to the shining blade is a piece of paper with the word ‘good luck’ written on it.

Judging from the handwriting like that of an old undisciplined pine tree. He didn’t need to think too much about who gave him that blade.

In the first place, the one who suggested to him there are other venues for strength is that old man is it not?

A warm feeling spread out within him. He took up the arming sword carefully and examined it. He could feel the sharpness and extraordinary aura around it before continuing.

“thanks… Gramps..”