Upon hearing Laxus's words, Makarov gritted his teeth and spoke again, tears already welling in his eyes. Those tears held reluctance for his grandson, pain over his own failure in upbringing, but even more, they held pride in Laxus's growth.
Through this battle, Laxus had truly changed a great deal. Though only three days had passed since that day, Laxus seemed to have undergone a baptism.
Some of the obsessions in his heart had been shattered, and he had even willingly accepted everything.
Laxus nodded, but he did not leave.
Instead, as if remembering something, he glanced at Makarov, then at Marco, and finally couldn't help but speak.
"It was all my fault alone. Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen—they only acted that way because I forced them."
Laxus wasn't trying to defend himself, he was taking all the blame upon himself, absolving his followers.
It was enough that only he was expelled from "Fairy Tail."
The three members of the "Thunder God Tribe" were all powerful, loyal, and steadfast in character.
Keeping them in "Fairy Tail" would allow them to live better lives and create great value for the guild—a result beneficial to everyone.
Laxus didn't want the guild to lose three such capable members because of him.
He now regretted dragging them into this.
"Laxus! Why?!"
Freed was the first to react to Laxus's words, his face shocked as he widened his eyes and questioned Laxus.
Freed couldn't understand.
They had prepared to follow Laxus into exile, but Laxus didn't want to take them.
Instead, he was absolving them, wanting them to stay in "Fairy Tail."
Staying in "Fairy Tail" was certainly not a bad thing, but Freed's loyalty made him willing to abandon his life in "Fairy Tail" and follow Laxus into exile.
Bickslow and Evergreen were equally shocked.
Clearly, Laxus hadn't discussed this with them beforehand, and all three of them had already prepared to leave with Laxus.
"Why? Because 'Fairy Tail' is our home. Though I can no longer stay here, I hope you, the Thunder God Tribe, can take my place and help protect 'Fairy Tail' for me, contributing on my behalf as well."
Facing the confusion and questioning of the "Thunder God Tribe," Laxus spoke slowly.
This stubborn man rarely showed his true feelings, but at this moment, he did.
It was clear that being expelled from "Fairy Tail" had deeply affected him, to the point that Laxus would say such things.
The three members of the "Thunder God Tribe" were all stunned by these words.
Not just them—everyone in the guild gaped in shock.
Some even slapped themselves, wondering if they were dreaming.
How could Laxus say such things?!
The most intense reaction naturally came from old man Makarov. He bit his lip tightly, but tears and snot streamed uncontrollably down his face.
The old man's emotions were completely unrestrained, for Laxus's growth had exceeded even his expectations.
If things had been this way from the start, how could the current situation have arisen? If it had been like this all along, how could he have ever expelled Laxus?
First, he drove away his son, and now he has expelled his grandson.
Makarov's emotions today were also extremely unstable; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so moved upon seeing Laxus's growth.
"Since they were coerced and didn't harm anyone, why not forgive them? What does everyone think?" Hisui suddenly spoke up.
She wasn't asking Marco or Makarov but was seeking the opinions of the other companions who had been attacked by the "Thunder God" trio.
As one of the victims herself, it was more appropriate for her to ask.
"No problem!"
"Sure, sure, it's no big deal."
"Yeah, after all, no one was hurt."
As soon as Hisui spoke, everyone immediately responded, chiming in one after another.
Since the three members of the "Thunder God" trio hadn't caused any real damage or even injured anyone—they had only petrified and knocked out a few companions in a sneak attack before being subdued by Erza and Mirajane—no one really objected to letting them off.
Moreover, thanks to Marco's presence, everyone in "Fairy Tail" had grown closer.
Even the most reclusive and mysterious member of the "Thunder God" trio, Freed, had moved into the "Fairy Home" and established connections with many guildmates.
Evergreen and Bickslow had also made friends.
Everyone had come to know the three members of the "Thunder God" trio quite well and understood that they weren't malicious at heart.
Thus, no one minded letting them stay.
Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen had shown restraint precisely because they were at least familiar with everyone.
Even while following Laxus in the "rebellion," they found it difficult to truly harm their guildmates.
If anything, the one who suffered the most was probably Loke, as Bickslow couldn't resist exposing his identity.
However, it was hard to say whether this was a harm or a help.
Upon learning Loke's identity, Lucy was now trying to help him return to the Celestial Spirit World.
Lucy, who adored Celestial Spirits, treated them as companions, and possessed a simple sense of justice, clearly didn't believe the Leo Celestial Spirit had committed any serious wrongdoing.
Being unable to return to the Celestial Spirit World and facing potential death without Marco's help—such punishment was far too severe.
Lucy couldn't accept it and stubbornly insisted on changing the outcome.
In any case, the three members of the "Thunder God" trio had indeed gained everyone's forgiveness.
Not just the "Thunder God" trio—even Laxus's current state made everyone feel that he genuinely wanted to make "Fairy Tail" better, even if his methods had been misguided.
"In that case, they are allowed to stay. As long as you are willing, you will still be members of 'Fairy Tail.'"
Amid everyone's anticipation, Marco finally spoke.
Makarov had clearly lost his ability to make decisions, sitting there with tears streaming down his face, overwhelmed with pride in his grandson's growth.
"Yay! That's great!"
"You can stay!"
Upon hearing Marco's words, the members of Fairy Tail erupted into cheers, though it was unclear what exactly they were cheering about.
"Stay here with peace of mind, and carry on with my share as well."
Laxus was not surprised by this outcome.
He forced a carefree smile, patted the shoulders of the three members of the Thunder God squad, and after leaving these words, he turned away decisively, refusing to look back at the jubilant Fairy Tail.
The three members of the Thunder God squad were deeply conflicted and moved, their emotions in turmoil, leaving them frozen in place for a moment.
Laxus's departure and transformation, along with the understanding and forgiveness of their Fairy Tail comrades, stirred their emotions intensely.
Everything seemed different from what they had imagined, yet it also felt like it was meant to happen.