Chapter 33: Returning to the Guild, and Makarov’s Sudden Change of Heart

Under the glow of the campfire, everyone sang, danced, and reveled through the night.

By dawn the next morning, Ian and the others were already packed and ready to leave the village, not waiting for the villagers to wake up.

This time, Ian didn't forget anyone, including the drunken Cana. He dragged a small cart filled with her and some local specialties that the villagers had gifted, like frozen fish and fine wine.

"Gray, benefactor, and everyone from Fairy Tail!"

"Make sure to come back often! You're always welcome!"

Although most of the younger villagers were still blissfully asleep near the now-dying fire, the elderly village chief, along with a few senior villagers, had already woken up. They had followed Ian and the group to the village entrance, seeing them off with warm smiles and grateful hearts.

"Chief, you can head back now."

"We'll manage the rest of the way on our own," Gray said, his voice filled with gratitude. He walked to the village gate but hesitated to look back, knowing his eyes would reveal the deep emotional ties he had to his home.

After they had left the village by several hundred meters, Gray finally turned around and waved fiercely toward his village as if saying goodbye not only to the place but also to a part of himself.

"You don't have to act like it's a final farewell."

Ian, standing beside Gray, noticed the young man struggling with his emotions. He placed a comforting hand on Gray's shoulder and said, "You'll be able to come back often. Soon, the village will be connected by train, so visiting will be much easier."

Ian then continued, "Before, the village couldn't connect to the rail system because of the wyverns and the bandits posing as Fairy Tail wizards. But now that we've cleared out the threats, the village can finally develop as it deserves."

Gray nodded firmly, his face softening.

"Father is so thorough," Erza commented with a smile, standing on Ian's other side. She admired how much Ian had thought of everything.

"I've been wondering for a while…" Natsu, with his dragon-scale scarf wrapped tightly around his face, mumbled as he stared at Ian and Erza. "What's the deal with you two? You seem… really alike."

Ian smiled gently. "I suppose I can't keep it hidden anymore. Erza is my daughter."

"Your goddaughter?" Gray asked, unsure.

"No, no, I'm his biological daughter!" Erza retorted, looking slightly offended.

"What?!" Gray and Natsu exclaimed simultaneously, their faces full of shock.

"Wait, so you're married?" Gray asked, almost panicked.

Ian nodded calmly. "Yes, I've been married for a long time."

"And… you're not divorced?" Gray pressed further, still in disbelief.

Ian chuckled and shook his head. "No, Gray. My wife and I have a very strong relationship."

"Oh… I see." It took Gray about ten minutes to come to terms with Ian being both married and the father of Erza. He wiped the sweat off his brow, muttering to himself, "I guess Ur never stood a chance… I should probably tell her to return to the guild soon."

He sighed inwardly, thinking, Let the adults deal with their own problems.

"Father," Erza chimed in. "It looked like you were discussing something important with the village chief last night. Did you reach some kind of agreement?"

Ian smiled. "The village grew rich overnight, but they lack the strength to protect themselves. Bandits and rogue wizards frequently extort them. So, as one of the only two S-Class wizards in the guild, I decided to lend Fairy Tail's banner and name to protect them."

"Even though our guild's reputation isn't the best, and we're called the 'plague of the continent' by the Magic Council, it still has enough of a deterrent effect to ward off small threats. With our banner, the village should be much safer now. And Gray, without needing to worry about your home, you can focus on training in the guild."

Gray looked at Ian gratefully, though a bit of doubt remained. "Ian, I really appreciate it, but… are you sure this is okay? Won't Master Makarov be upset about lending out Fairy Tail's name?"

Ian waved off the concern. "Don't worry. I'll handle Master Makarov."

Two days later, the group finally returned to Magnolia Town.

In total, it had taken them only five days to complete the S-Class mission. It was an impressive speed.

"Bam!"

As they arrived at the guild's entrance, Natsu couldn't wait and kicked the doors open, bursting inside. 

"We completed an S-Class mission!" Natsu yelled loudly. "That's right, an S-Class! And you all weren't good enough to come along!"

The entire guild fell silent for a moment as everyone stared at Natsu, irritation growing on their faces.

"This brat…"

"Damn it! Natsu, do you want to fight?!"

Natsu's boasting had obviously struck a nerve, and the members of Fairy Tail were not the type to take it lightly. The guild was quickly consumed by chaos as Natsu's fiery display ignited tensions all around.

"You want a fight? Bring it on!" Natsu's body was already engulfed in flames, eager for a brawl.

"You're not even an S-Class wizard yet, you idiot!" someone shouted back. "You only got to tag along on Ian's mission!"

And just like that, the guild descended into a chaotic magic-fueled brawl, with multicolored magic circles lighting up everywhere.

Normally, this is where Master Makarov would step in to calm things down. However, at that moment, Makarov was too preoccupied with something else.

Standing in front of Ian, Makarov was blowing his mustache in frustration and shouting, "Ian! How could you lend out Fairy Tail's name and banner so easily?!"

"You realize that our guild has been around for over a century, and never—not under the First, not under the Second, and certainly not under me—have we ever done such a thing!"

"That's a betrayal of Fairy Tail's spirit, a betrayal of the First and Second Masters!"

Ian, unfazed, casually cleaned out his ear and said, "Oh? Well, if that's how you feel, I'll just head back and tell the chief of Ice Lake Village that you've changed your mind, and we'll be taking back our banner."

"Which is a shame, really. The chief was willing to sponsor the guild with ten million jewels annually if we lent them our name…"

Makarov's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Ten million jewels?"

"Yeah, it's not a big deal. Just a simple ten million a year," Ian said casually. "But I guess that's not important to you."

"Sssss…" Makarov sucked in a breath, his anger vanishing instantly as the weight of the amount sunk in. "Wait a minute, Ian, let me think this through…"

After a moment, Makarov cleared his throat and said, "Ahem. I may have spoken too harshly earlier. You see, back in the Second Master's time, he always emphasized innovation and thinking outside the box."

"I now realize that your actions are in line with the spirit of Fairy Tail! If the First and Second Masters were here, they'd be proud of you!"

Just moments ago, Makarov had been ready to chew Ian out, but now, hearing about the potential funding, he had completely changed his tune. 

It seemed no one could resist the power of money—not even Makarov.

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Bonus chapter for reaching 400 power stones!