"Perhaps we can think about increasing the number of feathers. Marco, can you control more crows?" Makarov suggested.
The feathers from one crow weren't strong enough for control, but what about ten, twenty, or even a hundred?
A sky full of crow feathers raining down, burying someone beneath a mountain of black feather—the restraining force would undoubtedly be stronger than a single layer, which was too easy to break through.
"I'll need to test it with more crows," Marco replied, still experimenting.
He wasn't sure if it would work, but fortunately, these technique were essentially conjured from magic power—otherwise, the crows would become disposable resources.
"There are plenty of crows around. It'd be great if you could control them all," Makarov said with a shake of his head before taking another swig of liquor.
Having Marco manage all the crows was a fine idea—out of sight, out of mind, sparing them from incessant cawing.
Amidst their banter, the three returned to Magnolia.
By then, the sky was pitch black.
Natsu headed back to the boys' dorm, while Marco and Makarov returned home.
The lights were still on—Laxus was home, though he remained in his room.
Hearing Marco and Makarov return, Laxus didn't come out, silently turning off his room's light instead.
"Grandpa, this magic book..." Once inside, Marco hesitated briefly before deciding to show the book to Makarov.
If there was one person Marco trusted most in this world, the answer was obvious—it had to be Makarov.
Moreover, the magic described in this book was far too dangerous.
Marco feared he couldn't handle it alone and needed someone more experience to examine and interpret its contents further.
"Let me see." Makarov set down his bottle and took the magic book.
"This is a book that involves time and space magic. Using its power, one can travel back to the past."
Marco briefly explained the book's function.
"Don't worry about it. The next time it can be used will be six or seven years from now." Makarov merely flipped through the pages before tossing it back to Marco.
"Six or seven years later..."
Catching the book, Marco froze momentarily.
'That's quite a long time.'
Looking at the magic book in his hands, Marco smiled wryly.
All his previous mental preparations had been for nothing—like winking at a blind man.
The book couldn't be used now, so there was no need for him to guard anything.
Six or seven years later, when it could be used again—wouldn't that be when Erza and the others used it?
What kind of bizarre loop was this?
"Do we have this book in our guild?" Marco suddenly thought of this question.
Where did this book originate? Could it really be the very one in his hands?
"Who knows? Maybe we do, maybe we don't. When it comes to time-traveling, it's best not to dwell too much on the details."
Makarov waved his hand, leaving behind these cryptic words before staggering back to his room.
"..."
Watching the old man's retreating figure, Marco couldn't help but blink.
So the old man had already noticed something amiss?
Then this book...
"Never mind, I'll just put it away for now."
Holding the magic book, Marco felt the weight on his shoulders lighten considerably.
In any case, not being able to use it was actually a good thing.
He wouldn't have to constantly worry about it anymore.
After returning to his room, Marco casually placed the book on the shelf.
The unassuming Memory days, with its four-leaf clover cover, showed no trace of magic power.
Surveying the bookshelf, Marco nodded in satisfaction before sitting at his desk and beginning to write furiously—a novel about sherlock holmes.
The idea of adapting stories from his original world had been on Marco's mind for a while.
He had no interest in this world's primitive magical adventure tales.
"Ignorant otherworlders! Prepare to be enlightened!" Marco was now brimming with confidence, all thanks to Lucy.
Initially, he hadn't been sure these stories would be popular.
After all, this was a different world—cultural differences were to be expected.
Until the stories were actually published, there was no telling whether people here would like them or not.
Lucy's words had been like a shot of adrenaline, boosting Marco's confidence in the story he was writing.
*****
Early in the morning, Marco rose as usual, though slightly sleep-deprived.
His excitement from the previous night had carried him away, and before he knew it, it was already very late.
Still, despite only getting a few hours of sleep, his rock-solid biological clock roused him from bed. (meaning he got a morning wood)
At four in the morning, Marco's figure appeared punctually on the streets of Magnolia, as he began his daily training routine.
After completing his morning exercises, Marco returned to the guild hall for breakfast, where the guild was already bustling with activity.
The little ones were clamoring to go play in the eastern forest, with Natsu being the most boisterous.
Yesterday's events seemed to have left no impact on him—this simple-minded kid was like that.
Though he'd been thoroughly frightened yesterday, a good night's sleep had restored his spirits completely.
However, Marco was surprised to see numerous scars left on Natsu's body.
"Let's go see Granny Porlyusica and get these scars removed," Marco suggested, feeling somewhat responsible for the matter and wanting to proactively help Natsu resolve it.
With Granny Porlyusica's medical skills, such issues could be easily fixed.
Though injuries were common during their outings, no one else had ever been left with scars.
"Great! We can explore the forest while we're at it!" Natsu, Gray, and Cana all cheered excitedly.
Marco noticed Wendy wasn't at the guild and asked around.
It turned out she had left early in the morning with Macao on a mission.
Macao's task was to head to Clover and Wendy had tagged along to visit Cait Shelter.
She'd return with Macao once his mission was complete.
Not getting motion sickness certainly had its perks—she could go anywhere she pleased.
Taking the train was convenient, allowing them to travel directly to their destination.
"Let's go, let's go! Forest adventure time!" Natsu dashed ahead, completely unfazed by the scars.
All he cared about was exploring the forest with everyone.
Though Magnolia's eastern forest wasn't considered highly dangerous, it was still home to many magical beasts.
The kids occasionally encountered them during their forest excursions.
Fighting magical beasts and rummaging through their dens for treasure was a fun pastime.
While they rarely found anything valuable, for the children, anything novel was a worthwhile discovery.
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