Makarov's words stirred up a heated discussion on the spot.
"Lamia Scale? I've heard of them before, back on Galuna Island. That was the guild Lyon and the others wanted to join, right?" Lucy said after thinking for a moment.
With Ur revived, Lyon's obsession had been lifted. Back when they had all parted ways, Lyon had already announced his decision to join the same guild as Yuka, Sherry, and the others.
"Blue Pegasus... I don't know why, but just hearing that name makes me break out in goosebumps." Erza crossed her arms defensively, showing a rare look of unease.
"Master Bob has his... peculiar tastes, but he's still a man, and he probably won't be directly involved in this subjugation, will he?" Mirajane asked curiously.
"No, Master Bob is fine. What I'm worried about is running into a certain pervert." Erza let out a deep sigh.
Ichiya, Blue Pegasus's S-Class mage, was one of the few types of people she had difficulty dealing with.
"Wait, Master, does Sabertooth even have any elite members they can send out?" Gray asked with a skeptical expression.
Compared to the guild Lyon was in, he was clearly more interested in Ur.
Sabertooth had only been established recently. It was still in a transitional phase—on the verge of disbandment, slowly moving toward steady development. Wouldn't it be too much of a stretch for them to go to war with Oración Seis?
Or perhaps—
"You guessed right. Though it's somewhat against the usual rules, the councilors made it very clear this time: Ur, the master of Sabertooth, must participate in the operation."
Recalling Ur's frustrated expression when she was called out at the meeting, Makarov's lips curled into a faint smile. He remarked, "Even with my recommendation and Ultear's support, as a candidate for this year's Ten Wizard Saints evaluation, Ur—being from out of town—needs to accomplish something to gain public recognition."
And that was the fundamental reason Sabertooth, which wasn't originally on the coalition guild list, had been added to the subjugation operation!
"Then count me in, old man!" Gray clenched his fist excitedly after receiving a clear answer.
After so many years, this would be his first time fighting alongside Ur. He was very much looking forward to it, wanting to show his teacher how much he had grown.
"Ur... Gray-sama's mother-and-master figure... Juvia's future mother-in-law..."
In a nearby corner, listening to Gray and Makarov's conversation, Juvia's face was full of regret as she pounded her chest in anguish.
Just moments ago, she had accepted a quest from Mirajane. It was already registered and couldn't be canceled.
"There's no need for that at all, old man!"
Upon hearing there was a fight to be had, Natsu immediately put down his premium flame-grilled dish and came scampering over. "To deal with Oración Seis, our guild—no, I'm enough all by myself!"
"Natsu! Did you not listen to what the master said? This isn't a matter of whether it's possible or not! There are many subsequent implications to consider!" Erza scolded him harshly.
Natsu, being too dense to bother thinking through the consequences, looked at her with sarcastic eyes. "Erza, don't tell me you're scared? If that's the case, I wouldn't mind—"
THUD!
Before he could finish, Erza's Love Fist came crashing down.
Natsu, with clear, innocent eyes, clutched the lump on his head and immediately became well-behaved.
Taking advantage of this opening, Makarov—having finished explaining the situation—had already switched back to his usual lecherous old man persona. Hopping along, he came over to Chase and Éclair.
"An unfamiliar face! Who might this beautiful young lady be? A friend of Chase's? Would you mind if this old man invited you for some afternoon tea?"
The moment he had returned to the guild, his pervert radar eyes had spotted Éclair in her unusual priestess outfit.
"That was fast! And he didn't even try to hide it!!"
Macao and Wakaba, fellow lecherous old men, immediately understood the old master's intentions.
"Uh, well, I..." Éclair was frozen in place, with no idea how to respond.
Just moments ago, Makarov's serious and earnest speech had made her feel somewhat relieved, thinking, "This guild is full of weird people, but at least the master seems reliable."
And now, for some reason, she inexplicably felt like kicking this smelly old man!
Momon, her eyes full of vigilance, stepped forward to shield Éclair.
"Master! Don't you dare scare Éclair and Momon! They're new members who just joined!" Mirajane walked over with a stern face.
Feeling that exceptionally sharp oppressive presence, Makarov instinctively shrank his neck, revealing the same well-behaved expression as a certain pink-haired idiot nearby.
"Oh, I see, so they're new guild—wait! New members?!"
After recovering from the shock, Makarov exclaimed, "How come I didn't know?!"
"The stamp hasn't been applied yet. We were waiting for you to come back so we could tell you," Chase answered from across the table.
In reality, joining Fairy Tail didn't
come with that many restrictions. And given the old man's nature of never turning anyone away, it was basically just a matter of a word.
Still, he was the guild master. The most basic respect had to be shown—otherwise, things would fall into chaos. Not that the Fairy Tail members themselves weren't already a chaotic mess.
This was a matter of principle.
Following up on Chase's words, Lucy quickly came over and told Makarov the general story of the SS-Class quest, as well as Éclair and Momon's background.
"So that's how it is. But don't you think you're being a bit too careless?!"
After hearing her out, Makarov frowned. He didn't seem to fully agree with Éclair and Momon joining.
"Master, Éclair is a really good person—"
Lucy obviously hadn't expected the master to react so strongly. Her own joining had gone incredibly smoothly.
Chase and Mirajane, being seasoned veterans, simply smiled—a calm expression that showed they had already seen right through the old man.
Just as Éclair was nervously clenching her fists, thinking she should leave so as not to trouble Lucy, Makarov's tense face suddenly relaxed. He said, with great regret:
"What a shame. Once you join the guild, you're family. I was hoping this old man's life might have a second spring of romance!"
So THAT'S what you were actually concerned about?!
Lucy, who had been full of worry, twitched at the corner of her mouth. She also felt like kicking the old master's butt.
"Well, absolutely no problem! I approve. Éclair, Momon, hello there. Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Makarov smiled, giving the anxious Éclair and Momon a sense of security.
He didn't care about any Phoenix Priestess or dangerous destiny. Once someone came to Fairy Tail, they were family—someone he would protect no matter what.
Only at times like this did the lecherous old master slightly resemble the head of a family.
"Hel-hello..." The huge reversal left Éclair and Momon completely bewildered.
"Ahaha! That means Éclair and Yellow Happy are real comrades now~" Natsu said cheerfully.
"Aye~!" Happy chimed in.
"It's Éclair and Momon!" Lucy corrected Natsu's mistake with utmost seriousness.
Watching Lucy playfully arguing with Natsu, gentle Chase and Mirajane, the kindly old master, and all her smiling guildmates...
Éclair was stunned for a moment. Then, without being able to control it, her eyes grew wet.
Not a single person had feared her or pulled away because she was the Phoenix Priestess.
After living for over four hundred years, this was the first time she had ever felt such a warm atmosphere among strangers.
Agreeing to Lucy's invitation to join Fairy Tail... was truly the best decision she had ever made.
***
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