Fairy Tail : The Eminence in the shadows

The gates of Crocus loomed in the distance, their golden embellishments glinting in the afternoon sun. Shadow, now dressed in a ordinary civilian attire, walked beside Alpha, dressed now in a white dress—as the two approached the capital. Ultear's gaze was full of curiosity looking at the big city from afar, having lived all her life in the barren north and having never seen such a prosperous city.

"Alpha, you can tour around the city. I am going to find us a house and also attend to some others matters"

"That won't do Shadow-sama" Ultear shook her head "If you have others matters to attend to, they must be super important. Allow me to find us the house"

"Well, that's fine too. Take us a small house at the edge of the city, with few neighbors" respond Shadow, giving her a small sack of money, spoils of his bandit slayer outings, enough to rent a house for a couple of months

"My first mission" murmured Ultear, "I will do my best, Shadow-sama" Nodding decisively, she went ahead towards Crocus determined to complete the assigned mission to the best of her capabilities.

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My name is Cid Kageno, Alias Shadow. In this life, I was born to ordinary mages in the kingdom of Bosco, being their sole child. I lived with them till 2 years ago, the day they died in a crusade against an ordinary dark guild. Since then, after having destroyed the remnants of that dark guild that attacked me out of revenge, I travelled the continent of Ishgar, continuing my training, experimenting with magic, slaying bandits to amass enough wealth for my Shadow Eminence collection.

In my last life, apart from my training to be the Eminence in the Shadows, a story that I will count later, my parents forced me to learn to play piano. In the beginning, I found it a waste of my precious training time, but as time passed, I discovered that it could be a powerful skill to appear profound the day I launched myself as the Eminence in the Shadows.

And here I am today, in the capital of the Kingdom of Fiore, playing the piano in the entrance test to a musician school, awing all the teachers and students alike.

The final note lingered in the air like the fading shimmer of a star, delicate yet powerful, resonating in the hearts of everyone present. For a moment, there was nothing but silence in the room, as though the world itself had paused to absorb the brilliance of the performance.

Then, like a thunderstorm breaking over the horizon, applause erupted. It was wild and unrestrained, the sound of hands meeting echoing off the high ceilings of the musician school's grand hall. Students stood up, cheering, their faces a mixture of awe and disbelief. Teachers, normally reserved and critical, clapped with fervor, some even exchanging stunned glances with one another.

Shadow, seated at the grand piano, let his fingers rest gently on the keys. He inclined his head slightly, an expression of modest gratitude on his face. Inwardly, though, he was basking in the success of his carefully crafted persona. Ah, yes. A brilliant musician prodigy child that honed his craft for years, humble and unassuming, having no time to learn magic and be a magician

One of the teachers, a man with graying hair and a stern demeanor, approached, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Young man, that was… extraordinary. What was that piece? I've never heard anything like it before."

Shadow smiled faintly, keeping his tone soft and humble. "It's an original composition, sir. Something I've been working on for quite some time."

"An original?" gasped another teacher, a woman with an elegant demeanor. "You composed that yourself? At your age?"

"Well," Shadow said, scratching the back of his head as if embarrassed, "it's just something I felt inspired to create. The melody came to me one night, and I couldn't rest until I wrote it down."

The crowd murmured in amazement. A group of students gathered closer, their expressions ranging from admiration to envy.

"That was insane!" a boy exclaimed, his voice cracking with excitement. "I didn't even know a piano could sound like that!"

"Yeah," a girl chimed in, her eyes sparkling. "It was like… like the music was telling a story! I felt like I was in another world."

Shadow tilted his head thoughtfully, as if considering their words. "Music is meant to do that," he said. "It's not just notes and rhythms—it's an expression of life. A way to connect with something greater than ourselves."

The room fell silent again, the students and teachers hanging onto his every word.

The older teacher stepped closer, his voice more serious now. "Young man, I've been teaching music for over thirty years, and I've seen countless talented students, but what you've just done… It's beyond talent. It's a gift. You have something rare, something that could change the world of music."

"Thank you," Shadow said, bowing his head slightly. "That means a lot coming from someone as experienced as you."

The teacher shook his head. "No, thank you. You've reminded all of us why we fell in love with music in the first place. I know that I have nothing much to teach you, but I still ask you, are you willing to join this school ?"

Shadow rose from the piano bench, offering another humble smile as he scratched his head timidly "Yes, I've still have much to learn from all the teachers here. I came here from Bosco to further my studies in musics"

"Didn't you come with your parents ? " inquired the old teacher

"Unfortunately, my parents passed away some time again" explained Cid, with a downcast look "So I came in this peaceful country with developped art, seeking a road to the future before I spend all the inheritance they left me"

The woman with the elegant demeanor took Cid hand with a warm smile "Don't worry child, you are fully worthy to have an internship here. Your tuitions fees will be waived and we will even support your basic necessities till you graduate from school and become a sensational musician"

The others teachers around nodded and agreed with her point of view. A musician genius like Cid able to change the future of music is worth a free scolarship. Meanwhile, the less fortunaty students look on enviously, while the sons of nobility just watch carelessly, not finding anything noteworthy about that little money.

"Thank you very much" beamed Cid for real '1 less jewel spent is 1 more jewel for my Shadow collection!' "Now, if you would excuse me, I have to go back to tidy up my lodgings" embarassedly said Cid.

"It's alright, go and do your things, I will take care of all the paperworks here for you" answered the teacher holding Cid hand with a warm smile.