Laxus's expression seemed slightly unnatural.
Recently, he had received too much praise in the guild—so much that it made him uncomfortable.
In the past, everything he did was taken for granted in people's eyes, simply because he was Makarov's grandson.
Many of his achievements since childhood were worthy of praise, such as becoming the youngest S-Class Mage in the guild.
He had always been breaking records, accomplishing things others couldn't.
Yet the only praise he ever received was, 'As expected of Makarov's grandson'.
No one remembered Laxus—only 'Makarov's grandson'.
His efforts were erased.
But this time, things seemed different.
After defeating Jose Porla, he finally had a name of his own.
People no longer referred to him as 'Makarov's grandson'.
Laxus began to be mentioned, even earning the title of 'Thunder God'.
His lightning magic left a deep impression.
In truth, this change had a lot to do with Marco.
When the two of them worked together, people couldn't just collectively call them 'Makarov's grandsons', could they? If neither had any fame, that might have been possible.
But Marco's reputation was undeniable.
Ignoring his name was impossible and once Marco was mentioned, Laxus had to be as well.
Using 'Makarov's grandson' as a substitute wouldn't work, since Marco also shared that identity.
When news outlets gathered information on Laxus, they were immediately astonished.
This young man was an incredibly powerful mage, a genius no less remarkable than Marco.
Thus, the 'Thunder God' was born, standing alongside the 'Star Rose God'.
The titles 'Fairy Tail Twin Stars' and 'Fairy Tail Two Prides' quickly spread.
Laxus's name suddenly became widely known—though it also came at the expense of Jose Porla's reputation.
The former guild master of Phantom Lord had contributed greatly to the rise of Marco and Laxus's fame.
"Let's go, Laxus! We'll take this job. Lead us to the place you picked, and we'll figure out how to build it."
After showering Laxus with praise, the Fairy Tail construction team, led by Reinhardt, decisively accepted the job.
They had just finished building the 'Lyre Concert Hall' and were currently free.
Since Laxus had already submitted the request, of course they would help—especially since he was being so generous.
They were determined to do their best.
"Follow me." Laxus nodded and led the group out.
His attitude had noticeably improved—no longer scowling or ignoring people.
In the past, he would barely acknowledge the guild members who handled miscellaneous tasks, believing they didn't belong in the guild.
Marco who sat nearby watching this scene with a smile on his face.
He felt he had found a way to change Laxus.
The current Laxus wasn't as extreme as the mission description had suggested.
A gradual, subtle approach could reshape him.
As for the guild members, none of them held any ill will towards Laxus.
In fact, they all recognized his talent and strength.
It was only natural for people to praise Laxus while also complimenting the old man in passing.
After all, Laxus had still been a child before, and praising parents alongside their children was perfectly normal—everyone would assume it was due to good upbringing.
Children were often seen as extensions of their parents, especially when the adults in their family shone particularly bright.
Subjectively, no one meant any harm to Laxus.
Now, as Laxus gradually grew up, people began to see him more as an independent individual.
Though Makarov's presence still made them unconsciously hold higher expectations for Laxus, their praise no longer invariably included Makarov every time.
This, to some extent, helped ease the tension between Laxus and the others.
'I wonder what happened later that made Laxus grow increasingly extreme. Was there some kind of accident?'
Marco pondered this but couldn't grasp the key point.
There was no helping it—the mission details hadn't provided any useful hints.
'With my presence here, will those accidents still happen?'
Marco couldn't guarantee that.
"Miss Mira! Miss Mira! Please reconsider! The benefits we're offering are extremely generous! We can negotiate further!"
Just as Marco was contemplating potential future mishaps, Mirajane entered the guild with Lisanna and Elfman in tow.
Trailing behind the trio was a sharply dressed man, speaking persistently.
"I already said I'm not signing any contracts to debut. Stop pestering me!"
Mirajane was thoroughly annoyed and refused him again with a stern expression.
"Miss Mira... Please think about it. We truly believe in your potential—"
The man maintained an ingratiating smile, unwilling to give up.
His continued persuasion made a visible vein throb on Mirajane's forehead—the hot-tempered singing prodigy was about to lose her patience.
"Sir, if you have a job request, please submit it at the front desk. If not, kindly leave."
Before Mirajane could resort to violence, Marco stepped in with a smile as he positioned himself between them.
This wasn't to protect Mirajane—it was to protect the scout.
Marco figured that if he'd arrived any later, the man might've ended up meeting his ancestors.
Mira was clearly at her limit with this guy.
"Marco Dreyar! Mr. Marco! Would you consider signing a management contract with us? Our company can offer you—"
Upon seeing Marco, the man's eyes lit up as he immediately switch targets.
Securing Mirajane would've been a major achievement, but landing Marco would be an instant career boost!
"Don't bother. Not interested. Please leave."
Before the man could finish his pitch, Marco cut him off outright and gestured toward the exit.
With the successful release of Masayume Chasing, representatives from music companies and talent agencies came knocking nonstop—their targets, of course, being Marco and Mirajane.
The focus was primarily on Mirajane, as she was the lead vocalist for Masayume Chasing and relatively unknown in the mage industry, making a career switch seem more plausible.
As for Marco, few held much hope anymore—at most, they'd ask in passing.
After all, Marco's fame was too immense and he hardly seemed like someone who'd pivot to becoming a celebrity.
Moreover, with Marco's current skill and reputation, he no longer needed anyone to package or promote him.
Whatever he did now—whether releasing books or songs—would instantly cause a massive sensation.
Under Marco's urging and the watchful gazes of the surrounding Fairy Tail members, the talent scout didn't dare linger any longer and could only apologize repeatedly before leaving the guild hall.
"Mira, you're a big star now"
After shooing away the annoying scout, Marco sat down across from Mira and joked.
As the lead singer, she had indeed garnered significant attention—her voice was truly a gift from the heavens, comparable even to the Celestial Spirit Lyra's singing.
"I have zero interest in being a celebrity." Mira pursed her lips.
She had no desire to become an entertainment star!
Singing was simply her way of relieving stress and emotions—a hobby.
Of course, if others could find comfort or joy in her voice, she'd be happy.
But that was where the relationship should end.
Connecting through music was enough—she had no intention of dealing with obsessive fans.
"Then what if I have more songs in the future that suit your voice? Will you refuse to sing them?"
Marco looked at Mira with a teasing smile.
"Of course I'll sing them. But only the ones you need me to. I won't sing for anyone else, and I won't sign with any company to become a star." Mirajane answered without hesitation.
She only planned to sing Marco's songs, becoming his exclusive vocalist as repayment for teaching her to sing—she didn't even charge for it.
"Not charging won't do. I'll give you 20% of all earnings from a song as payment for being the lead singer." Marco shook his head.
Since he handled everything—lyrics, composition, and arrangement—for each song, while Mirajane only had to sing, this split was fair.
"That's too much! I barely did anything—you even taught me how to sing!"
Mira shook her head vigorously.
She couldn't possibly accept the money.
Marco had already helped them so much—she wouldn't take his earnings when she'd contributed so little.
"If anything, I should be paying you for letting me sing your songs. There's no way I'd take your money. Don't bring it up again—I won't accept it."
Her expression turned stern.
If Marco insisted, she'd get angry—it felt like he was pitying her.
She was perfectly capable of earning her own keep; she didn't need his charity!
"Alright…" Marco smiled helplessly.
Mira was truly stubborn.
He had been hoping to ease her burdens this way.
At least help her get through the period when her younger siblings can't contribute much.
In a couple of years, when Lisanna and Elfman grew up, Mira's burden will suddenly lighten considerably.
But the stubborn and independent Mira obviously wouldn't accept this.
She could see at a glance that Marco's approach was completely unreasonable.
"At the very least, I should pay a buyout fee, right? A fee to buy out your voice, so you can only sing my songs. Consider it as me purchasing the exclusive rights to your singing voice." Marco said with a smile.
His words clearly caught Mira off guard.
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