Chapter 59 - Report.

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[Adam C. POV]

Two days after the mission I had taken with Erza, we returned to the guild, having collected our reward.

As soon as we walked in, the sound of laughter, the usual brawl, and chatter filled the air.

I smiled at the sight, ducking under a few bottles someone had mistakenly thrown my way.

It was good to be home.

I remember the old days where I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for enjoying myself amidst all the chaos that usually took place in the guild.

Those moments were gone.

I wholeheartedly accepted this, heck, I looked forward to it. It was always good entertainment to see the guild fight, laugh and drink together.

"Stop this nonsense!" Erza scolded the group of rowdy mages, grabbing a nearby chair and slamming it on the head of one of them.

Silence fell over the crowd as they turned to face her, most of them, fearful to even move under her gaze.

I blinked.

They were already afraid of Erza?

But… why?

Had her headstrong personality already broken the wills of those around into submission?

Jesus, she works fast.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I made my way to the bar with Erza, where a few of our guild mates were already gathered. Ur was already halfway through her fourth pint of ale, while Macao was recounting a story of a job he had taken with Wakaba.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Ur, long time no see," I waved at her, taking a seat next to her.

"Adam! Erza! Welcome back," Ur replied, her words slightly slurred.

"Looks like you've been having fun," I commented, gesturing to the empty mugs in front of her.

"Well, there's nothing better than a good drink after a successful job," Ur said, downing the rest of her ale.

I chuckled, ordering a drink for myself and Erza, with Erza's drink being a soda, of course, after all, she was still a minor.

"Where are your brats?" I asked, tilting my head towards the back of the guild where the younger members usually hung out.

"Gone on a mission helping some of the local stores in Magnolia restock their shelves," Ur replied, a fond smile on her face. "You know how they are, they never can sit still for long."

I nodded in agreement, taking a sip of my drink. I hadn't interacted with them much, in fact, I had more of a close relationship with Ur than them.

Gray, avoided me for the most part, and it wasn't out of anger, or fear, he just seemed like… well, like he wanted to prove something to me.

Lyon on the other hand had a one sided rivalry with me, saying that one day he would become the strongest wizard in the world, all in order to defeat me… or something, I really didn't pay much attention to his rants.

Talking about that, where's Lilia? I haven't seen her in two days, and that's usually enough for her to burst through something when I arrive.

Almost as if answering my question, the window about the bar broke, and from it, Lilia came, spinning around, before landing gracefully in a kneeling position in front of me, her voice ringing out in delight as she exclaimed, "Adam-sama!"

"I'm not paying for that window," I replied, pointing at the window she had broken with her entrance.

Lilia simply giggled in response, getting up and taking a seat next to me. She was always so… weird, and full of energy, it was hard not to smile around her.

"Did you miss me?" She asked, her large eyes gazing up at me.

"I can't say I did," I teased, ruffling her green hair.

She pouted, but I could see the amusement in her eyes.

Seeing Lilia arrive, Ur leaned forward, sitting on the edge of her chair with a beer in her hand, swaying slightly while she eyed me. "So, brat," she said, with a lazy smile that revealed how drunk she was. "How was the mission?"

Erza's lips curved into a wide, triumphant grin as she declared, "We succeeded!" Her eyes sparkled with pride.

"We did," I chuckled.

Ur whooped in excitement, clapping her hands together. "Of course you guys did. You guys are always so reliable." She leaned over and patted me on the back.

"It was more… Erza's mission than mine, but thanks?" I shrugged, taking another sip of my drink.

Erza scoffed at my comment, crossing her arms, her demeanor becoming more serious. "Don't be so humble, Adam. Without you, I would've died thanks to inexperience! So yes, you deserve the praise, for you played a crucial role in this success. Without your skill, quick thinking and strategic planning, who knows what the outcome would've been."

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe, but I still like to think you would've done well without me, I mean, you did defeat that last monster all by yourself."

Erza's cheeks flushed at the compliment. "Thank you, Adam. But I still couldn't have done it without your guidance, so I stand my point, you deserve the praise."

Ur watched us with a soft smile on her face before clearing her throat. "Well, enough of that mushy stuff. Let's celebrate!" She raised her glass, and we all followed suit.

As we drank and chatted, the guild slowly filled up with more members returning from their own missions. The noise level increased, and the air filled with the scent of alcohol and laughter.

I couldn't help but feel content as I sat there with my friends, enjoying each other's company.

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[Makarov Dreyar POV]

After dealing with some paperwork, in regards with Gildarts' latest mission.

The bastard had destroyed two towns!

And his mission was in a forest one thousand miles away from any civilization!

How he had managed to destroy two towns, each one being one hour apart from one another, this kind of shit, was beyond me!

Anyway…

With that done, I summoned Adam to my office to discuss about his mission with Erza. I wanted to see how things had gone, this was after all, Erza's first combat oriented mission.

As he entered, I couldn't help but feel pride as I looked at him. He had grown so much since he first joined the guild, moments like this made being the father of these children worth every moment of stress those brat brought on me.

"Old man, you wanted to speak with me?" Adam asked, bowing respectfully.

"Yes, yes, come in, my boy," I replied, gesturing for him to take a seat.

As he sat down, I leaned forward, my hands clasped together on the desk in front of me. "I heard about your recent mission with Erza. Tell me, how did she perform?"

A smile spread across his face. "She did exceptionally well, old man. There was a moment of hesitation during the mission, but she broke through her doubt in less than a few moments. She was able to hold her own in combat, showing prowess beyond her years."

I nodded, pleased with his report. "That's what I like to hear. I knew from the moment I saw the girl that she had potential, and I'm glad to see it being fulfilled under your guidance, Adam."

"Thanks, but with or without my help, I know Erza will become a great warrior someday," he replied, confidence in his voice.

I chuckled at this. "Well, I have no doubt about that either. But still I must say, Adam, despite her talent, you have been doing an excellent job as her mentor, especially seeing your fighting style works well with what she has to learn."

Adam chuckled, a hint of faint blush on his cheeks, it seemed the brat was still getting used to getting praised from others. "Alright alright, enough compliments, I'm just doing my job as a fellow guild mate, old man."

I chuckled, "Is there anything else you wanted to discuss, Adam? You seem to be in good spirits."

At this, he hesitated for a moment before leaning forward. "Actually, there is something I wanted to talk about. It might be nothing, but… it could be something."

I leaned back in my chair, intrigued. "Go on."

Adam took a deep breath before continuing. "During… my mission with Erza, I felt as if someone was watching me, at first, I thought it was just my paranoia talking, but… as the mission progressed, the feeling grew stronger to the point I couldn't shake it off, and it was in the back of my mind the entire time."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Watching you? You mean, like a hidden enemy or some sort of magic?"

This was problematic, while Adam wasn't the best at detecting those trying to hide themselves, he wasn't a bad sensor, so whoever or whatever was watching him, had to be someone very skillful, at least more than Adam when it came to magic detection.

Adam shook his head. "I'm not sure, old man. It didn't feel like an enemy, at least not one very close, it felt more like… an observer. Not only that, but I feel whoever was watching me, was behind the monsters we had to kill."

I leaned forward, my curiosity peaked. "I see, perhaps that explains why you felt that way. Do you have any suspicions as to who or what it could be?"

Adam paused for a moment before shaking his head. "No."

I nodded, deep in thought. "Very well, I'll have to look into this. It could be nothing, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Adam."

He nodded in return. "Of course."

"Keep your guard up, just in case," I added, standing up from my seat. "I'll look into this matter further, but until we have more answers, we can't afford to let our guard down."

Adam stood up as well, nodding in agreement. "Don't worry, if there's one thing I learned thanks to my upbringing, is that dropping your guard means giving your life away."

With that, Adam left my office, leaving me with my thoughts. Whoever or whatever that Adam had felt was watching him, I needed to find out what we were dealing with and what their intentions were.

Adam was one of my kids, and like any father worth a lick, I would do anything in my power to help my children!

It was better to be prepared for any possible threat, no matter how small it may seem.

I smiled.

"I'm getting old."

I wonder what awaits him in the future.

I also wonder how long will it take Gildarts to realize the brat bankrupt him again with his vengeance plot.