"Marco went with the old man to attend the guild master routine meeting?"

Inside the Fairy Tail guild hall, Laxus heard the news.

His expression changed briefly before quickly returning to normal.

Even if the old man asked him to go, he wouldn't attend.

What was the point of this so-called 'Guild Alliance' ?

Its prestige was limited, with many weak guilds among its members.

Some guild masters might not even be able to defeat him in a fight.

What good would come from banding together with such weaklings?

Laxus turned and left, continuing to hone his skills in preparation for the final stages of the S-Class exam.

*****

Meanwhile, Marco had already set off with Makarov.

The two had boarded a train, a route Marco was somewhat familiar with—he had been to Clvoer a few times before.

The train headed north, passing several cities before crossing the Great Canyon of Clover and finally arriving at Clover Station.

"The meeting venue isn't in the city center but in the suburbs. Still, it's not too far—we can hire a carriage to take us there," Makarov said as they stepped off the train.

"Alright," Marco nodded.

Outside the station, many carriages were waiting for passengers.

They easily found one and after Makarov told the driver their destination, the coachman skillfully set off.

The location of the regular meeting was quite remote, nestled in the woods outside Clover.

Marco was slightly surprised that the driver seemed to know the way perfectly.

"Any experienced coachman working here for years would know how to get there. The Regional Guild Alliance has been around for a long time, and the meeting place has always been the same," Makarov explained.

Marco understood then—the venue was a notable landmark for the local drivers.

After a swift ride—with the coachman driving like a madman—Marco and Makarov soon arrived at their destination.

Stepping out of the carriage, Marco looked up at the building: a massive, luxurious villa, like a grand hotel nestled in the forest.

"Let's go in. I wonder how many have already arrived," Makarov said, leading the way with his short legs.

Marco followed, feeling quite intrigued by the meeting—the villa's extravagant exterior certainly set high expectations.

Upon entering, however, Marco was slightly taken aback.

The interior's decor didn't quite match the outside.

To put it bluntly, it was a bit too plain—almost jarringly so compared to the exterior.

From the outside, it looked like a five-star international hotel, but inside, it resembled a budget chain.

The contrast was strange.

Still, the venue was spacious, with large conference and banquet halls, as well as numerous rooms—many of them suites capable of housing multiple people.

Clearly, they had accounted for the possibility of guild masters bringing companions.

"Let's drop off our luggage first."

Unfamiliar with the layout, Marco naturally followed Makarov.

The old man effortlessly found a suite marked with Fairy Tail's emblem—evidently, it had been pre-assigned.

Every time he came for meetings, the old man stayed in this same room.

Of course, he knew the way by heart.

After helping Marco settle his luggage in the room, Makarov didn't linger.

It was already nearing evening when they arrived and tonight's banquet was about to begin—heading straight to the banquet hall now would be perfect.

Marco remained cautious and reserved, silently following his grandfather.

Along the way, they encountered many people, most of whom greeted Makarov respectfully, showing deep respect.

Makarov, however, carried no airs of arrogance.

He spoke to everyone with a cheerful smile.

At eighty-two years old, he bore the prestigious title of one of the Ten Wizard Saints and had single-handedly elevated Fairy Tail to its current heights.

His reputation stood at the pinnacle of the entire Fiore Kingdom.

"This is my grandson, Marco. I brought him along this time to broaden his horizons."

Makarov didn't forget about Marco as they walked, mentioning him to everyone who greeted them.

Many others had also brought their younger family members, allowing Marco to meet quite a few people.

Soon, the banquet hall was filled with a lively crowd and Makarov's closest circle of friends gathered around.

Among them, Marco recognized a few faces—for instance, Goldmine, the guild master of "Quatro Cerberus," and Bob, the guild master of "Blue Pegasus."

These two were Makarov's old friends, having known each other since their youth.

They had once been members of Fairy Tail and were also longtime acquaintances of Porlyusica.

"Grandpa Goldmine, Master Bob." Marco took the initiative to greet them.

It had been a while since they last met—back then, he had been much younger.

Goldmine wore a black tricorn hat, dark sunglasses, and an all-black outfit.

Most striking were the spiked collars around his neck and wrists—the kind typically used for aggressive or hunting dogs.

It was a very distinctive look.

"Marco-chan? You've grown so much already! you're twelve and you're almost as tall as me. Time really flies."

Goldmine looked at Marco with a nostalgic expression.

The last time they'd met, Marco had been a child of seven years old.

In the blink of an eye, he'd grown so much.

Then again, Goldmine himself was already eighty—these old-timers were only getting older.

Beside Goldmine stood a short, bald, and fat man.

He wore heart-shaped lipstick, pink blush, a pink-purple halter top, and even a pair of tiny white wings on his back—an exaggerated, almost flamboyant appearance, to put it politely.

"After all these years, Marco-chan has grown into such a handsome young man~ How adorable~"

His mannerisms matched his appearance perfectly.

This was Bob, the guild master of Blue Pegasus, gazing at Marco with affectionate eyes.

The sight of Bob made Marco's scalp tingle.

The reason he addressed Bob as 'Master' instead of the more familiar 'Grandpa' (as he did with Goldmine) was that during their last meeting, Bob had insisted Marco call him 'Grandma'.

Marco simply couldn't handle that, so he settled for the more neutral 'Master'.

Truth be told, whether in his past life or this one, Marco had never been good at dealing with such personalities—especially when they were elders who treated him with kindness and even fondness.

It was genuinely headache-inducing.

"Marco-chan, have you thought about what we discussed last time? Join Blue Pegasus~ Look, your magic is even called Pegasus Meteor Fist—doesn't that match us perfectly?

Plus, our guild is full of handsome men and beautiful women. You're quite the little handsome guy yourself—Blue Pegasus would suit you just right~"

Bob leaned in with a doting expression, one hand resting on his cheek.

"Bob! You bastard! Poaching right in front of me—and it's my grandson you're after! Have you no shame?!"

Bob's words immediately infuriated Makarov, who jumped up and started yelling.

Among the three elders, Makarov was the oldest, while Bob was the youngest at just seventy-four, so Makarov had no qualms about berating him.

Bob wasn't the least bit bothered by the scolding.

He simply smiled amiably and waved Makarov off.

"These things should be left to Marco-chan own decision, Makarov. You don't get to decide for him."

As he spoke, Bob looked at Marco expectantly.

Goldmine watched the scene unfold like a spectator, coiled like a hound ready to pounce.

If Marco actually agreed, he'd have to step in and try to snatch him up too.

Over the years, this Marco had grown so fast!

Just standing there, one could practically feel the vibrant life force radiating from him.

What kind of dumb luck did Makarov have to pick up such a talented grandson?!

Goldmine was genuinely envious.

His guild, Quatro Cerberus, was the weakest in reputation and strength among the three, so of course he'd be even more eager for a magical prodigy like this.

"I'm sorry, Master Bob, but I must refuse again. In my heart, Fairy tail is the only guild for me!"

Facing the gazes of the three guild masters, Marco stood at attention, placed a hand over his heart, and answered resolutely.

"This kid..." Makarov couldn't help but laugh.

He'd never been worried that Marco might be swayed.

Marco was so happy at Fairy Tail, warming everyone's hearts and being cherished by the entire guild—why would he ever want to join Blue Pegasus?

"What a shame~"

Bob shook his head helplessly and sighed softly, putting on an exaggeratedly wounded expression that Marco found hard to take seriously.

But out of respect for this kind elder, he had to suppress his amusement.

"Did you two not bring anyone with you this time?" Makarov first laughed heartily at Bob's failed poaching attempt, then asked curiously.

"We did. Might as well introduce them now." Goldmine spoke up, waving toward the distance.

A young man holding a gourd-shaped liquor flask quickly jogged over.

He didn't look much older than Marco, with his hair tied up and an unrestrained, wild expression.

-----------------------------

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