"She's Mirajane, a new member."
Marco answered Erza's question with a smile.
"This girl is incredibly strong! She uses Take Over Magic—she can harness the power of demons! Another magical prodigy!" Macao chimed in, his expression full of admiration.
Though he was barely over thirty and had just become a father, hardly old by any means, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to be overtaken by the younger generation.
The children in the guild were all exceptional, each one a genius, making the older members like him seem rather ordinary in comparison.
"Strong, huh?" Erza's eyes sharpened, that strange sense of déjà vu growing stronger.
Powerful, sitting alone in the corner...
"Absolutely! She's taken over a demon!" Wakaba confirmed with certainty, standing nearby.
The two ever-present guild uncles—one drinking, the other smoking—went back and forth without a care, completely oblivious to Mirajane sitting quietly in the corner.
Marco sighed inwardly but didn't intervene.
In truth, Macao and Wakaba meant no harm.
They were praising Mirajane, their voices tinged with admiration and even a hint of envy.
At such a young age, Mirajane had already awakened her magic, capable of harnessing demonic power—she was undoubtedly S-Class Mage material.
Macao and Wakaba naturally felt envious, as they had already completely settled into their roles, and it was unlikely they would ever become S-Class Mages in their lifetime.
Therefore, they saw no issue in loudly discussing Mirajane's achievements.
Praising someone for being powerful and accomplished at a young age—why would that need to be done behind their back?
But for Mirajane, who deeply despised the demonic power within her, hearing such talk evoked entirely different emotions from her.
What others admired, she loathed with every fiber of her being.
Mirajane stood up and walked past the group.
Her head was lowered, making it impossible for anyone to see her face clearly—only her tightly pressed lips were visible.
Even after being in the guild for over ten days, no one had ever seen her smile.
Not just a smile—no one had even managed to hold a conversation with her.
If not for the fact that she had spoken to Makarov on her first day, everyone would probably have assumed the girl was mute.
"Hello, Mirajane, I'm—"
Seeing Mirajane pass by, Erza spoke up, hoping to get to know the new member.
She forced a smile, suppressing the irritation she had initially felt, believing she could get along with the other girl.
However, the result of her friendly overture left Erza deeply disappointed—even a little annoyed.
Mirajane kept her head down, clutching her cloak tightly as she walked straight past Erza without a word, quickening her pace as if fleeing from something.
Mirajane's blatant rudeness made Erza frown.
"Hey!"
That inexplicable irritation began to take over and Erza called out to Mirajane in a slightly sharper tone.
At the same time, she reached out to grab the fleeing girl.
Snap.
Marco caught Erza's arm, stopping her from pulling Mirajane back, which helped Erza regain her composure.
"What's her problem?" Erza looked at Marco, her expression full of confusion.
She had only meant to greet Mirajane kindly.
"Don't take it personally, Erza. She's been like this since she arrived—never speaking, never smiling, always wearing that scary expression. If you want to make friends, you're better off talking to her younger siblings."
Before Marco could respond, Macao and Wakaba chimed in again, this time truly whispering behind her back.
"..."
Marco shot the two men a look of disdain.
"You two should shut up."
His blunt remark made Macao and Wakaba burst into laughter.
"We're just bored lately! Once we head out on a job in a few days, you won't get to hear us rambling anymore!"
Unfazed by Marco's jab, the two began drinking together—both were fond of alcohol.
Truth be told, there weren't many in the guild who didn't drink.
Makarov, Gildarts, Macao, Wakaba—they all indulged in alcohol.
Marco sometimes worried the guild would end up raising a bunch of future alcoholics, so he made a point of keeping the younger members away from alcoholic drinks for as long as possible.
The legal drinking age in the Fiore Kingdom was fifteen, which Marco thought was a bit too early.
At the very least, one should wait until adulthood.
Aside from the risk of causing trouble, drinking at such a young age could also affect growth.
"Mirajane."
Macao and Wakaba's words eased the tension on Erza's face.
At least now she knew that girl wasn't targeting her specifically—she treated everyone in the guild that way.
"Marco, are you helping her?" Erza widened her eyes as she stared at Marco.
"Huh?" Marco was momentarily taken aback.
"Do you need my help?"
Erza blinked her large eyes earnestly, her emotions shifting quickly from one moment to the next.
Mirajane's current state reminded Erza of her own past self, so she was more than willing to help Mirajane integrate into the guild—just as Marco had once helped her.
As for how to help, Erza had no idea, but she knew Marco must have a plan and he was probably already working on it.
"No need for now." Marco shook his head with a smile.
Erza had made it sound so serious that he thought she had some objection.
"Oh."
Hearing that her help wasn't needed, Erza nodded, slightly disappointed.
Seeing her expression, Marco thought for a moment before adding,
"If you'd like, you could keep an eye on Mirajane for me occasionally. Just make sure she doesn't sneak off—otherwise, my plan won't work."
To give Erza a sense of involvement, Marco decided to assign her the task of watching Mirajane.
After all, Mirajane was a girl and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to stare at her all day.
"No problem! Leave it to me! I won't let her get away!"
With a mission in hand, Erza immediately perked up, her eyes gleaming.
She thumped her armored chest in assurance, the metal clanking loudly and without waiting for Marco to say another word, she dashed off—following Mirajane who had just left the guild.
"..."
Marco winced.
The way Erza carried herself made it seem like she was tailing some heinous criminal.
He also faintly sensed that the vibes between Erza and Mirajane seemed... a little incompatible.
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