Chapter 76: Irene Officially Joins Fairy Tail! Mavis: Our Fairy Tail is Invincible Now!

After that...

Ian stayed in the hospital room for a full half month.

This was more than a week longer than he had originally anticipated for his recovery.

The reasons for this were... well, let's just say those who understand will understand.

Time, originally in the year X778...

Has now moved to the beginning of X779, January 1st.

Also, it's New Year's Day in this world.

The entire Magnolia Town was festooned with colorful decorations, and everyone was in high spirits celebrating the holiday.

Even the Fairy Tail guild, simple and classical, its exterior looking battered and patched up for three years running, hung up all kinds of decorated lanterns.

Perhaps it was because the world of Fairy Tail is a blend of multiple cultures...

Thus, New Year's in this world is a grand amalgamation of Chinese, Western, Japanese, and other styles.

On this day, you could see spring couplets, symbols of good fortune, Christmas trees, roasted turkey! There were also temple fairs in the evening, fireworks festivals, and all kinds of gatherings—offering something to satisfy every taste.

As for Ian, at this moment, his face was pale, as if he'd just recovered from a major illness. His once robust muscles seemed to have shrunk a bit, and he appeared listless, staggering into the Fairy Tail guild.

"Morning, everyone," Ian said with a faint smile, greeting his fellow guild members.

"Morning~"

Many of the guild members instinctively turned around to greet Ian, but when they saw what he looked like, they couldn't help but feel puzzled: "Strange, who is this guy again? Are we sure he's from Fairy Tail?"

"A cup of berry wine, please. Thank you."

Ian made his way to the bar and ordered a fine cup of berry wine from the server.

No helping it—life is tough!

He had to temporarily give up on his beloved white alcohol.

"Um..."

"Are you Ian?"

"What happened to you? You look awful."

"Are you sure your injuries have healed?"

"Was I too hard on you last time?"

"Hey, are you really okay?"

Gildarts, who was sitting at the bar, sipping on pure 'oolong tea' (alcohol in disguise) turned around upon hearing Ian's voice, and his eyes widened in shock. He immediately put down his drink and started inquiring about Ian's health.

"Rest assured!"

"My current state isn't because of you..."

Ian said, offering a wry smile, his face still looking haggard.

"Really? You better not be lying..."

Gildarts frowned; he distinctly remembered holding back when fighting Ian. How could Ian still be in such a bad shape?! He was baffled.

"Creak~"

Just as Gildarts was wondering about it...

The door of Fairy Tail's guild hall suddenly swung open. Irene, radiant and beautiful, her complexion rosy—clearly in great shape—entered with Erza and Eresh by her side.

"Uh..."

For a moment, the entire Fairy Tail guild fell silent.

Clearly, everyone still remembered the overwhelming power Irene displayed at the Harvest Festival last October when she, along with Selene, crashed Fairy Tail's beauty contest.

"That woman, could it be?!"

Even Gildarts felt his hair stand on end and his body tremble when he saw Irene enter the guild hall. Fear took hold of his heart once again.

If...

The reason Ian could beat Gildarts on Tenrou Island was partly because Gildarts was holding back, trying to teach his daughter Cana a lesson—then Irene defeating Gildarts in a second was simply due to the vast power gap between them!

To be honest, Irene and Gildarts were not too different in terms of their magical talent. One was a genius with "Enchantment" magic, while the other was a prodigy in "Crushing" magic. But Irene had been practicing magic for four hundred years longer than Gildarts, and that was the real gap between them.

Fortunately, Irene wasn't here to cause trouble for the others in the guild.

She scanned the guild hall for a moment before locking her gaze on Ian, her crimson lips curving slightly as she softly spoke, "Ah, Ian, you left the hospital without telling me or the girls?! We came all the way for nothing!"

"Here~"

"This is a special soup we made for you. Give it a try."

Irene said as she approached Ian, placing the thermos filled with the soup before him, then looked at him expectantly.

Ian gulped, staring at the dark, almost cola-colored concoction within, emitting a faint, unsettling aroma. He could tell just by the smell that it was potent. Very potent.

Just the faint scent drifting through the air told Ian this was going to be quite the "supplement."

"Ian, don't you want to drink it?"

Irene spoke, staring deeply at Ian, her eyes full of anticipation.

"Drink! I'll drink it right now..."

Ian dared not hesitate and took the thermos, downing at least five liters of the soup in one go, "glug glug glug."

"Ugh..."

After finishing the soup Irene had made, Ian wiped the residue from his lips, feeling a numbness spreading through his mouth, an indescribable discomfort.

"Ian, you really have it tough."

At that moment, Gildarts seemed to understand.

Yes, he understood—he understood everything...

Simultaneously, Gildarts gazed at Ian with a strange, sympathetic expression.

"Pfft..."

However, the smile on Gildarts' face betrayed his feelings. He wasn't sympathetic at all; he was simply mocking Ian's fear of his wife.

"Heh heh..."

Ian just chuckled softly. Once he had read all of Porlyusica's medical books, he would bring back Cana's mother, Cornelia, and he would teach her Dragon Slayer Magic. Only then would Gildarts get to enjoy the same "joy" he was experiencing now.

"Good morning, everyone!"

While Ian was busy making these resolutions, the current guild master of Fairy Tail, Makarov, the first master, Mavis, along with one of the guild's founders, Warrod Sequen, walked in, greeting the guild's mages.

"Morning, Master!"

"Happy New Year, Master! Hand over the red envelopes!"

Yes, the world of Fairy Tail also has the custom of wishing elders a happy new year and 'demanding' red envelopes.

"Take them! Take them..."

Makarov was in an unusually generous mood today, holding a thick stack of red envelopes, handing them out to everyone who wished him a happy new year—regardless of whether they were members of Fairy Tail.

"Master Makarov is truly generous!"

"As expected of the master..."

"Master, you're my idol!"

The mages in the guild praised Makarov's behavior as they opened their red envelopes in front of him. Then, they were dumbfounded.

"So, what exactly is this?!"

Led by Macao and Wakaba, the guild's mages held pale IOUs in their hands, frowning in confusion.

"Don't you get it?!"

"These are the debts you've racked up over the year from the damage caused to the guild!"

"You brats dare to ask me for New Year's money?! Pay back what you owe first!"

Makarov crossed his arms over his chest, speaking loudly.

"Huh? Why like this?"

"Master, give me back my compliment!"

In response, the guild's mages cried out in lament.

"I knew it would be like this..."

Wakaba, calm and collected, seemed to have seen through Makarov's ways long ago.

Holding the IOU, he flicked it lightly, and it immediately caught fire. Wakaba then used the flames to light the cigar in his mouth.

"Puff, exhale~"

After taking a deep puff, Wakaba revealed a look of numb satisfaction.

"Damn it."

On the other side, Macao also cursed under his breath, reducing the IOU to ashes.

"Haha, that's just like Master Makarov."

Gildarts, glancing at the commotion, spoke with a chuckle.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"That's something given by Makarov, after all..."

"These youngsters dare to receive it?! They're too naive."

Ian shook his head. People with experience like them would never accept anything Makarov handed out! Anything Makarov voluntarily gave surely had a catch.

"Father, happy new year!"

Just as Ian spoke, Erza and Eresh approached him, bowing to him in greeting.

"Hahaha, well..."

"Your father's received your blessings."

"Here! Red envelopes for you two."

Ian smiled and handed out red envelopes he had prepared beforehand to Erza and Eresh.

"Thank you, Father."

After Erza and Eresh opened their red envelopes excitedly, they found each contained a bill worth ten thousand Jewel.

"Thank you, Father!"

"It's nothing~"

Ian spoke as he gently patted their little heads.

Next, Ian raised the thick stack of red envelopes he had prepared and called out to everyone in the guild, "Anyone else want to wish me a happy new year?! I've got real red envelopes—unlike Master Makarov's—red envelopes with actual money."

"Happy New Year, Brother Ian!"

"Happy New Year, Ian!"

"Brother Ian, wishing you a long life, prosperity, and all the best!"

Naturally, Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna were the first to respond.

"Hehehe..."

"Happy new year to you all too."

Ian smiled, giving each of the three siblings a red envelope, all with ten thousand Jewel.

"Brother Ian, I also want a red envelope..."

After that, Natsu ran up to Ian, extending his hand for money.

"Speak properly."

Ian couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Brother Ian, wishing you good health~"

At this moment, Happy flapped his wings, flying over to Ian, wishing him a happy new year.

"Two for you..."

"None for Natsu."

Ian handed both Natsu's and Happy's red envelopes to Happy.

"Aye!"

Happy shouted in excitement, holding the red envelopes.

"What do you mean, aye?!"

Natsu glared at Happy, who had snatched away his red envelopes, and the two brothers "fell out."

"Brother Ian, wishing you boundless wealth."

"May blessings overflow upon you!"

"Wishing you and your wife everlasting love~"

This time, Gray, Lyon, and Ultear approached Ian, offering their blessings to him and Irene.

"Ah~"

"I like you, little girl~"

In response, Irene stood up and pinched Ultear's cheek, giving her an extra red envelope on top of what Ian had given.

"Have lots of children!"

"Grow old together!"

"Enjoy your golden years!"

All of a sudden, the other kids in the guild seemed to have found the secret to riches. Instead of just congratulating Ian, they began congratulating both Ian and Irene.

"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"

"This one's for Cana, this one's for Bickslow, this one's for Freed, this one's for Laki, and this one's for Laxus..."

Seeing this, Ian didn't hesitate and distributed the red envelopes like they were playing cards.

"What? I got one too?"

"Who cares about that?!"

"Anyway, congratulations to you, Ian, and Irene-senpai."

Laxus, blond and arrogant, carefully put away the red envelope Ian gave him, refusing to even open it, intending to frame it at home.

Given Laxus' financial situation, he didn't care how much money was in the envelope. After all, he was one of the top earners in the guild. What he cared about was that someone had finally given him a red envelope. No one had forgotten about him; they were thinking of him...

"Kid, you even remembered my name?"

"You're quite meticulous! In that case, here's another red envelope~"

Irene hadn't expected Laxus to remember her name, and with a light smile, she handed him an extra red envelope.

"Th-Thank you."

Laxus' face turned slightly red; it was the first time an elder had complimented him for being considerate.

"Ian, I also wish you..."

At that moment, Macao and Wakaba, their faces adorned with sly smiles, approached Ian, speaking cheerfully.

"Adults, get lost!"

"If you want red envelopes, find a way to earn them yourselves!"

Ian refused Macao and Wakaba's blessings with a grin.

However, Ian did give Macao a red envelope—not for Macao, but for his one-year-old son, Romeo Conbolt.

After Ian had finished handing out all the red envelopes...

There was a muffled bang, and suddenly the guild was thrown into chaos.

"Natsu, give me back my clothes and my red envelope!"

Yes, because Happy could fly and Natsu couldn't get his own red envelope back, he ended up targeting Gray instead.

"Ahahaha..."

"If you want the red envelope, then fight me for it!"

Natsu laughed, tightly holding onto Gray's red envelope.

"Damn it! Ice Make: Holy Sword!"

Gray didn't hesitate and used his strongest Ice Make magic at the moment.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!!"

Natsu didn't hold back either, one hand gripping Gray's red envelope, the other blazing with flames as he charged at Gray.

"Boom!"

When fire clashed with ice, the entire guild filled with misty steam.

"Cough, cough..."

"Who's stealing my red envelope?!"

"Stop stepping on my feet, you jerks!"

"I swear, you're all asking for it..."

Once the Fairy Tail guild members' vision was obscured by steam, a new round of brawling seemed to start.

Indeed, the first brawl of X779 within the Fairy Tail guild was triggered by a single 10,000 Jewel red envelope.

"Stop! Don't smash the table!"

"Elfman, you just stepped on the floor I just repaired..."

"Gray, stop destroying the chairs! Take your fight outside."

"Ah, my heart is so tired!"

Makarov looked at the scene before him, tears the size of peas welling up and falling.

The debt from last year still hadn't been paid off!

And now, at the very beginning of the new year, the guild's finances were already in the negative...

"Yes! This is Fairy Tail!"

"If only I had a physical body, I could join in the fun with everyone."

Mavis, the first master, stood with her hands on her hips, beaming with pride.

"First Master, please don't stir things up any further."

Makarov, looking down at the first master—who wasn't even as tall as a table—sighed helplessly.

"It's alright, Master~"

Ian, seeing Makarov at a loss, smiled gently, walked over, and patted Makarov on the shoulder in comfort, saying with a grin, "In the future, when these kids grow up and become even more powerful, that's when your real nightmare begins, Master!"

"Think about it, dear Master~"

"When Natsu and the others reach the level of the 'Ten Wizard Saints,' destroying towns today and blowing up small nations tomorrow, you might end up living at the Magic Council, unable to come back!"

Ian envisioned the future.

"Ian, if you can't comfort me, please don't try at all..."

"I was already sad, but now, thanks to you, I'm even more miserable."

Makarov collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he complained.

"Oh, right, Master~"

"Allow me to introduce—this is Irene Belserion..."

"The mother of Dragon Slayer magic, the one who created it four hundred years ago. The Queen of the Kingdom of Dragnof, known as the Dragon Queen, the Scarlet Empress!"

"Also, she's my beloved, my wife..."

"Starting today, she'll be a member of our Fairy Tail guild."

Ian spoke, picking up a Fairy Tail guild stamp and pressing it lightly onto Irene's forearm.

This was also where Ian had the Fairy Tail mark.

"Huh? Really?!"

Makarov was stunned; he finally noticed Irene Belserion standing in the corner of the guild, smiling gracefully and radiantly...

Maybe it was because Irene was in casual clothes today, her aura different from before, that he hadn't recognized her when he first entered.

"What an enormous magical power..."

"Is it really possible for a human to possess such overwhelming magic?"

Mavis had studied under the black mage Zeref and had witnessed the immense magical power of those at the peak of this world, Earth Land...

But perhaps because it had been too long since she last saw Zeref, or maybe because Zeref had held back when teaching her, when Irene appeared before Mavis, Mavis found that, purely in terms of magic power, Irene surpassed even the black mage Zeref!

"So this is the wife of Emperor Spriggan of the Alvarez Empire..."

"No, wait! To be precise, on this continent of Ishgar, she should be known as the wife of the black mage Zeref, the founder of the Fairy Tail guild and its first master, Mavis Vermillion..."

"At the same time, she's also what Zeref has been seeking all these years, the source of limitless magic power, Fairy Heart itself?!"

"Interesting~"

If she wished, Irene could take Fairy Heart from the Fairy Tail guild now and offer it to Zeref.

But there was no need for that.

Irene and Zeref were not simply superior and subordinate but were partners.

Their ultimate goal was to reunite with Ian.

Now that Irene's goal seemed to have been achieved...

If it weren't for the foreign enemies in the north on the continent of Guiltina, who had their sights set on Ian, Irene would have resigned from the Alvarez Empire.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Irene Belserion. I'm the mother of Erza and Eresh, and Ian's only wife."

Irene curtsied elegantly before Makarov, Mavis, and Warrod...

And when she introduced herself, she heavily emphasized being Ian's "only" wife, as if stressing something important to those before her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am the current guild master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar! Please take care of me..."

Makarov immediately bowed in return upon hearing this, his expression tense as he mentally screamed, "First meeting, my foot! I still remember you almost destroying Magnolia Town last time. That was terrifying, like it was the end of the world."

"Lady Irene~"

"A pleasure to meet you; I am Mavis Vermillion, the first master of the Fairy Tail guild."

At this moment, Mavis imitated Irene, lifting her skirt and curtseying.

"Pleased to meet you, First Master~"

"I am Warrod Sequen, one of the founders of the Fairy Tail guild~"

"Here, take this as a new year's gift~"

Warrod offered a red envelope with the demeanor of an elder.

"Thank you."

Irene said, accepting the envelope...

This symbolized Warrod's acceptance of her, which made her quite happy.

"Although Irene's magic power is enough to make one despair!"

"She does have a heart like any other guild member."

"In that case, there's no problem."

"Moreover, with Irene joining us, doesn't that make our Fairy Tail guild invincible?!"

Mavis's eyes sparkled, and she thought excitedly.

As for the trouble Irene might cause after joining Fairy Tail?

Mavis didn't care at all. As long as it increased the guild's strength, it was enough!

Indeed, Mavis was Fairy Tail's ultimate strategist.