Lucy held a book in her hands, its cover featuring that iconic silhouette—a figure wearing a hat and holding a pipe. The title The Great Detective Holmes stood out prominently, and the author's name, Marco Dreyar, was clearly printed in the credits. "Miss, would you like to go take a look?" The coachman asked, well aware that his young mistress had recently taken a liking to The Great Detective Holmes and was quite intrigued by this Marco Dreyar. After all, the young writer was also rumored to be an exceptionally talented Celestial Spirit Mage. "No, it's too crowded." Lucy shook her head, not wanting to trouble anyone. The crowd was packed so tightly that even Uncle Dole would struggle to push through. "It's fine, I don't—" "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future." Dressed in an elegant gown, Lucy sat primly in the carriage like a princess, her words cutting off the coachman's attempt to insist. The coachman fell silent and continued driving toward the Heartfilia Mansion. At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly—Miss Lucy was always so considerate of others, such a kind and understanding girl. It was just a shame... Ever since Lady Layla passed away, Master Jude had been coming home less and less, and Miss Lucy's smiles had grown fewer and fewer. Lady Layla's sudden death from illness was tearing apart what had once been a happy family. Everything had changed because of it. As the carriage slowly rolled away, Marco finally managed to extricate himself from the crowd. It was only thanks to his training as a Mage and his years of physical conditioning that he could escape on his own—otherwise, there would have been no way out. "I need to be more careful from now on." After barely managing to break free, Marco reminded himself that, at least for the time being, he had to be more cautious. Only once the hype died down could he move around so freely again. Right now, as a sudden sensation, he was the center of attention wherever he went, causing a stir every time. Walking down a quiet path, Marco summoned two large crows and stepped onto them, flying toward the Heartfilia Mansion. There was no need to search—from the sky, the huge Heartfilia Mansion was impossible to miss. Just like how Fairy Tail's guild hall stood out in Magnolia, visible even from the mountains outside the city, this was the symbol of the city itself. The two crows vanished as Marco landed on the ground, right in front of the main gates of the Heartfilia mansion. Naturally, this caused another commotion, but the guards at the entrance acted as security, automatically preventing the crowd from gathering. "Hello, I'm Marco Dreyar. I'm here to visit Mr. Jude." Facing the head of security, Marco politely introduced himself and stated his purpose. The security chief naturally recognized Marco and didn't bother asking foolish questions like whether he had an appointment or not. Instead, he immediately ushered Marco inside and quickly sent someone to inform Mr. Jude. Marco hadn't been waiting in the reception room for long when Jude hurried in. This self-made railroad tycoon greeted Marco with a warm and friendly expression. "Mr. Marco, what an honor! I'm Jude Heartfilia. Your visit truly brings glory to the Heartfilia Conglomerate!" Jude didn't look particularly old, being in the prime of his life. This man was highly capable, having built a great enterprise from scratch in just ten years, primarily in the railway business, contributing significantly to the spread of railways across the Fiore Kingdom. The land owned by the Heartfilia family, including their gardens, was said to span several mountains. The women of their household were required to wear Western-style dresses, and they employed numerous maids and servants, along with specialized magic tutors. Their status could even rival that of the great nobles. Achieving such heights in just a decade was truly remarkable. "Mr. Jude, you're far too kind. I'm already relieved that you don't want to see me because of my sudden visit." Given Jude's graciousness, Marco—who had come seeking help—naturally didn't put on airs and responded with polite pleasantries and compliments. This surprised Jude, who didn't expect someone as young as Marco to be so polite and humble. For someone like Marco—a prodigious young talent, a once-in-a-generation genius who excelled in multiple fields—it would have been normal for people to label him with stereotypes like "arrogant," "overbearing," or "full of himself." After all, if one imagined themselves achieving Marco's level of success at such a young age, pride would be inevitable. Marco's unexpected humility and lack of youthful sharpness naturally caught Jude off guard, making him view the suddenly emerged 'Star Rose God' in a new light and with greater respect. "Mr. Marco, what brings you here?" After exchanging a few pleasantries and sharing a cup of tea, Jude took the initiative to ask. He knew Marco didn't come without a purpose—they had never met before and had no prior connections, so Marco must have had a reason for visiting. "I'm here for Master Valtava. I heard he was invited to your estate." Marco took a sip of tea and stated his purpose. Compared to coffee or other drinks, he still preferred tea. "Master Valtava? He is indeed here. Are you interested in attending his concert? If so, I'm afraid you're a bit late—it ended yesterday." Jude looked surprised. He hadn't expected this to be Marco's reason for visiting. Master Valtava wasn't the kind of figure someone Marco's age would typically admire. This further proved how different Marco was, explaining how he had risen to such fame so suddenly. Unconsciously, Jude found himself growing more and more impressed with Marco, his expectations rising. Marco's composed demeanor simply resonated with him, solidifying certain ideas in Jude's mind. His gaze toward Marco grew increasingly enthusiastic. "That's perfect—I didn't come for the concert. I wanted to ask Master Valtava to take me on as his student. I also hoped to invite him to hold another concert in Magnolia." Since the master had already finished his business here, it would be the perfect time to bring him back to Magnolia. The master seemed quite fond of earning money—or perhaps he simply enjoyed spreading his art. Either way, convincing him to go to Magnolia shouldn't be difficult. "Take you on as his student...?" Jude's eyes widened. This was a development he hadn't anticipated at all. "Is there a problem with that?" Marco asked curiously, though it was just a niche hobby. "No problem, I'll have someone call Master Valtava over right away. I'm sure he'll be very interested in this." Jude quickly regained his composure and smiled as he spoke, instructing someone to fetch Master Valtava. Regardless of what Marco wanted to do, Jude only needed to cooperate. He hoped Marco would also cooperate with him later. "Thank you, Mr. Jude." Marco expressed his gratitude to Jude while also feeling somewhat puzzled. Why was this guy being so friendly toward him? Did he have some ulterior motive? Could it be that he wanted him to be a spokesperson? But wasn't the Heartfilia Conglomerate in the railroad business? What use would they have for a spokesperson in that industry? Besides, such industries didn't really need spokespersons, did they? "Mr. Marco, may I ask what your thoughts are on railroads?" While waiting for Master Valtava to arrive, Jude finally revealed his purpose, asking him directly. "Of course, they're a great thing. They've made travel much more convenient for everyone. It would be even better if they could be faster and cover more areas." Marco answered frankly, expressing his genuine opinion. Currently, the railroad network in the Kingdom of Fiore wasn't very extensive, with only the northeastern region having a relatively dense network. Moreover, the speed of trains still had significant room for improvement. "Exactly! I also want trains to be faster, but that will require a lot more research. Right now, the most important thing is to expand the railroads to more places. Once everyone experiences the convenience of railroads, it will naturally drive the entire industry forward." Jude agreed with Marco's words and shared his own goal: to extend the railroads to every city in the Kingdom of Fiore. What did this have to do with him? He knew nothing about railroad construction—why was Jude telling him all this? "We've actually been working hard to expand our railroad business into the southern cities, but we've encountered a lot of resistance and malicious competition. The local nobles and conglomerates aren't easy to deal with." Jude continued, but Marco still looked confused. Nobles, conglomerates—he had never interacted with such people before and didn't understand much about them. Why was Jude bringing this up? "The Fairy Tail Guild holds considerable influence in the south. My idea is whether the Heartfilia Conglomerates could establish a cooperative relationship with Fairy Tail, leveraging the guild's influence to help the Heartfilia Conglomerates break into the southern market and lay railroads in the southern cities sooner." Finally, Jude laid his cards on the table, revealing his true intention. He wanted to collaborate with Fairy Tail and use the guild's influence to open up the market for the Heartfilia Conglomerates. Marco's expression turned odd. Fairy Tail was located in the southeastern part of the Kingdom of Fiore and indeed had more influence in the southern cities. However, they had never been involved in such matters before—they had always stuck to accepting and completing missions. -------------------------------- If you boys like harem and lemon i release a new one piece fic. One piece : Capturing beauties makes me stronger. Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on . (.)com/Newbietranslator