"After the War"
"Everyone, let's move those beams over there... Elfman, stop throwing bricks everywhere... Cana, put down the bottle and come help!"
Mirajane, blueprints in hand, supervised the rebuilding efforts. Fairy Tail's old guild hall was now a construction site.
But they were building their new home, so everyone was enthusiastic. The site was a hive of activity.
The war between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail had ended with Phantom Lord's defeat, but that wasn't the end of the matter.
On the contrary, the most troublesome part was just beginning. Council forces arrived as soon as the fighting stopped.
Makarov, barely conscious, was immediately taken away. The Fairy Tail members underwent intense questioning and investigation; it took a week for things to settle down.
Since Phantom Lord initiated the conflict, eyewitness accounts and physical evidence confirmed their guilt. All blame fell on them.
The final judgment: Phantom Lord was disbanded; Jose was stripped of his Saint Ten status; Fairy Tail was found not guilty.
Even Saint Tens are tough. Drake's punch was merciless, yet Jose, thrown so far, only suffered serious injuries.
According to Makarov, Jose, at the trial, was completely demoralized. The defeat at Drake's hands had crushed his spirit. He likely wouldn't cause trouble again.
This was a fortunate outcome for Fairy Tail; before Makarov was taken away, he'd been weeping in despair.
With the situation resolved, Fairy Tail's focus shifted to rebuilding the guild hall.
The old guild hall had been completely destroyed by Gajeel, so they decided to demolish it entirely and start again.
Furthermore, due to the war, many residents near the guild hall moved further away, fearing similar incidents.
This, however, provided Fairy Tail with more space, allowing for a larger and more spacious guild hall upon its reconstruction.
Elfman put down the sack he was carrying and turned to Drake, "Drake, what's wrong with Erza and the others? They seem… off."
Drake turned to look. Natsu, Gray, and Erza were spaced out, looking pale and drained. They were muttering to themselves.
"Mountains are in the courtyard!"
"Miss Heartfilia!"
"The sky is so blue?"
After a moment's thought, Drake replied, "They're probably overwhelmed by the life of the wealthy."
"Aye!" Happy flew over, spreading his paws. "Lucy's house defeated them!"
Yesterday afternoon, the trio had again barged into Lucy's apartment, only to find a note reading, "I'm home."
The three had assumed Lucy was leaving Fairy Tail and had immediately set off in pursuit.
It turned out Lucy had simply gone home to settle things with her stubborn father.
After delivering a cool warning to her father to never again attack Fairy Tail, Lucy tore up the dress that symbolized her confusion and put on cheaper clothes that represented freedom, leaving her home behind.
After reuniting with Lucy, the trio discovered that what they had assumed to be a town was actually just the Heartfilia estate, leading to their current state of bewilderment.
"How embarrassing," Drake shook his head, turning away from the trio to resume his work.
Although the reconstruction had only been underway for two days, the basic structure of the new guild hall was already complete.
Drake leaned against the temporary bar, watching everyone's busy work, and let out a sigh of relief.
"Fairy Tail truly is the best, isn't it?"
Drake turned his head in surprise; Makarov, holding a glass of liquor, was sitting nearby, having just asked the question.
Makarov didn't look at Drake but continued, "The war with Phantom Lord was all thanks to you. It was my failure as their leader that forced you children to fight!"
Drake smiled, "Master, what are you saying? Fighting for the guild, for our family, is everyone's responsibility!"
Makarov set down his glass and suddenly laughed, "That's right, it is!"
Drake noticed Juvia hiding in the corner, watching Gray. "Master, what about that girl? We can't let her continue like this."
Drake wasn't sure how it happened, but Juvia was still smitten with Gray. Since the war ended, she'd been following him like a lovesick puppy.
Honestly, even if she was beautiful, Drake found it rather creepy.
Makarov said, "That girl was one of Phantom Lord's Four Elements. Let her join Fairy Tail! We don't refuse anyone seeking a home, especially someone with her potential."
Drake nodded. After Phantom Lord's disbandment, its mages scattered; Juvia was one of them.
Juvia, in the original story, was consistently among the strongest characters aside from the main protagonists. Her joining would be beneficial, and from the looks of it, she's clearly set her sights on Gray.
Makarov took a sip of his drink, "Speaking of Phantom Lord's other mage... you know him, right?"
Drake knew who Makarov meant and sighed, "Gajeel's quite troublesome, but I'll persuade him to join. He's always wanted close friends."
Makarov felt a connection to Drake's words; Fairy Tail was, after all, a group of people yearning for bonds!
However... Makarov cautiously added, "Drake, perhaps you could try a gentler approach."
Makarov said this because, on the day he opened the guild doors, he'd seen Drake beating Gajeel, delivering blow after blow with no mercy.
Makarov had wanted to ask Drake if he'd considered that his overly forceful methods might be the reason for Gajeel's reluctance to join, but he opted for a more tactful approach, considering Drake might have his own reasons.
Drake was also at a loss. Gajeel was even more troublesome than Natsu, attacking Drake the moment they met.
What could Drake do? He had to teach him a lesson. That's what Makarov saw.
Drake found it strange. In the original story, Makarov's invitation was enough. Why was Gajeel so resistant to him?
'I need to talk to Gajeel again,' Drake thought. 'I have to convince him.'
Somewhere, Gajeel suddenly shivered, feeling a sudden chill for no apparent reason.
Touching the bruise on his face, Gajeel muttered angrily, "Damn it, next time I'll definitely beat that annoying guy!"
Makarov, seeing Drake's strangely motivated expression, had a bad feeling but could only pray for Gajeel.
After a moment of silence, Makarov suddenly asked, "Drake, have you ever considered becoming Fairy Tail's master?"
Makarov's question startled Drake, who then laughed, "It's too early for that! With so many problem children in the guild, how could you possibly rest easy and retire, Master?"
With a wave of his hand, Drake left the bar, intending to have a serious talk with Gajeel.
Makarov watched Drake's departing figure in surprise; he hadn't expected such an answer.
He'd asked because after the trial, his old friend, Council member Yajima, had urged him to retire, fearing he wouldn't be able to handle the strain.
Makarov had indeed considered it, but with all the problem children in the guild, he couldn't possibly leave them.
Drake's mature and reliable performance during the war with Phantom Lord had given Makarov a new perspective. After all, in terms of both strength and character, Drake was a suitable candidate for the position of guild master.
Turning his head to look at the large-scale brawl that had erupted once again between Gray and Natsu, Makarov suddenly scratched his head and exclaimed, "You're right, how can I possibly retire peacefully with all this chaos?!?"
__________________
for more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.
For 10$- All advance chapters.