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Chapter 169 - Chapter 169

The preferential treatment Lucy received was indeed enviable, but Marco didn't need to explain anything, nor did anyone dare question him.

Even if asked, it would be pointless—Marco would simply smile without answering.

Thanks to Marco's efficient work, the book signing event concluded smoothly much earlier than scheduled.

His ever-present professional smile and steel-like signing arm accelerated the process, finishing over two hours ahead of time.

Fortunately, the next segment had already been arranged.

The concert could begin immediately without delay, sparing everyone from waiting idly.

Fans who attended the signing event regrouped in the theater seats, their signed books serving as both tickets and seat numbers, with their positions pre-assigned during the earlier session.

Lucy had naturally taken her seat as well—though she'd been escorted to the VIP section, where she spotted a familiar figure.

"Dad!"

Upon seeing Jude Heartfilia, Lucy exclaimed in surprise before rushing over.

Having not seen her father for some time, this unexpected reunion naturally thrilled her.

Hearing his daughter's voice and watching her approach, Jude froze momentarily—clearly not anticipating encountering Lucy here.

"Lucy? What are you doing here?"

Frowning as Lucy reached him, Jude spoke in a stern questioning tone.

"I came for Marco-san book signing..."

Seeing her father's disapproving expression, Lucy's excitement instantly deflated.

She answered softly, knowing her father disliked her wandering off alone.

This surprise meeting surely displeased him.

"..."

Observing Lucy's stubborn expression, Jude's face revealed complex emotions.

Though aware Lucy was Marco's fan, he hadn't realized her admiration ran deep enough to sneak out alone for his signing event.

Previously, Lucy's rebellious escapes from home had only been to find him—now someone else warranted such devotion.

Despite knowing Marco for so long, Jude had deliberately avoided arranging meetings between him and Lucy.

Partly due to his overwhelming busy schedule, but also because of personal reservations.

After truly understanding Marco and Fairy Tail's capabilities, Jude grew reluctant to let Lucy become deeply involved with them.

The death of Jude's wife, Layla, remained an unhealed wound for him.

Though Layla never explained the specifics, Jude wasn't foolish—he knew her sudden deterioration from perfect health to death's door stemmed from mage-related matters.

Since then, Jude became increasingly aware of the dangers in the mage world—the more skilled and renowned one became, the greater the peril.

Ordinary mages handling trivial requests faced minimal risks, whereas someone like Layla—a celebrated Celestial Spirit Mage known across the continent—could perish abruptly due to the hazardous nature of her task.

Marco and Fairy Tail's formidable power coupled with their notorious troublemaking tendencies struck a chord with Jude's deepest concerns.

This caused Jude's attitude to shift dramatically—from initially hoping Lucy could establish a mentor-disciple relationship with Marco, to now wishing she would stay as far away from Marco and Fairy Tail as possible.

It was a complete reversal of extremes.

As for Lucy's insistence on learning Celestial Spirit Magic, Jude couldn't stop her because it was something Layla had passed down to her.

Layla had said that as long as Lucy wanted to learn, she would support it.

She would have the Celestial Spirits she had contracted with take care of and protect Lucy.

But Jude thought that as long as Lucy only dabbled in it casually and didn't get involved in the messy affairs of the mage world, the tragedy that befell Layla could be avoided.

"Lucy, what do you think of Marco?" Jude suddenly asked Lucy.

"Marco-san? Of course, he's an amazing person! Not only is he an incredibly powerful Celestial Spirit Mage, but his books and music are fantastic too! He's exactly the kind of person I want to become!"

Facing her father's question, Lucy answered earnestly.

The person she aspired to be was someone like Marco.

She was also a Celestial Spirit Mage, inheriting immense power from her mother, who had left her many "legacies," including two Zodiac Celestial Spirits.

She also loved writing and had already begun compiling the stories her mother had told her into a collection.

In Lucy's eyes, Marco was her greatest idol and goal.

"..."

Jude was momentarily speechless.

He hadn't realized his daughter had been thinking this way all along, nor that she saw Marco as her role model.

Was that even possible? Wasn't her ambition a bit too lofty?

Though Jude knew his wife Layla had left Lucy with considerable inheritances, even his renowned wife would pale in comparison to Marco as he was now.

The fact that Lucy compared herself to Marco and saw him as a goal to strive for made Jude start comparing the two as well.

And this comparison made him think he might have overestimated things earlier.

'Maybe I'm overthinking this? Even if Lucy becomes a mage, she probably won't encounter any real danger? Her talent... compared to geniuses like Marco, it's probably just average, right?'

Whether Lucy could even reach the heights of her mother Layla was still unknown, let alone comparing her to Marco.

Jude began to think that maybe letting Lucy join Fairy Tail wasn't such a bad idea.

After all, if the sky fell, there were tall figures like Marco to hold it up—Lucy wouldn't need to bear such burdens.

Perhaps the reason Layla met such a tragic end was precisely because she had no organization, no guild, no one to rely on.

Watching her father's constantly shifting expression, Lucy grew worried.

She feared her words had upset him and cautiously studied his face.

However, Jude, lost in his swirling thoughts, didn't notice Lucy's concern.

He frowned, weighing the pros and cons.

"Lucy, answer me honestly—if I let you join the Fairy Tail guild and become Marco's apprentice, would you be willing?"

Just as Lucy was feeling uneasy, Jude suddenly spoke.

His words immediately made Lucy's eyes widen in shock.

She stared blankly at her father, wondering if she had misheard him.

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