Though Erza claimed she "wasn't in the mood for the Harvest Festival celebrations," she still signed up for the "Fairy Tail Beauty Pageant."
As the "Fairy Queen," Erza naturally aimed to win the "Beauty Pageant Champion" title.
With her earnest and meticulous nature, she would prepare for the competition with unwavering dedication.
Fairy Tail boasted a diverse roster of female mages, each with her own unique style.
The Beauty Pageant was destined to be a dazzling spectacle of talent and beauty.
Marco was fortunate enough to be selected as a judge for this year's Fairy Tail Beauty Pageant.
Despite the title, judges held no special authority; their sole privilege was a better, independent viewing position and five votes.
The Beauty Pageant's voting process involved every member of the Fairy Tail Guild, each casting a single ballot for their favored contestant.
The "judge" position was also chosen from among the Guild members, essentially a rotating duty.
Members who hadn't previously served as judges were randomly selected, and this time, Marco was chosen.
These mechanisms, of course, were subtle changes he had gradually influenced.
Sitting on the judging panel and gazing at the newly erected runway, Marco felt the same anticipation as his guildmates below.
He had no ulterior motives, just a genuine appreciation for beauty.
The guild's female members, who usually dressed casually or in practical attire for missions, would undoubtedly put extra effort into their appearance for this "Beauty Pageant," eager to showcase a different side of themselves.
"Mirajane will definitely win again this year!"
While waiting for the competition to begin, Marco overheard his guildmates' discussions about the likely champion.
The name he heard most often was Mirajane Strauss.
This was hardly surprising.
Mirajane had already claimed the "Beauty Pageant Champion" title for two consecutive years.
Ever since she shed her "delinquent" persona, the crown had been firmly in her grasp.
Erza's fierce dedication to this competition might be partly due to Mirajane's unbroken reign—though Marco suspected it was only a tiny part.
"Not so fast! Levy's gorgeous too!"
"Exactly! Lucy's no slouch either! And what about Hisui?"
"I'm voting for Cana!"
"My vote goes to Evergreen!"
The last guild member to shout "Evergreen!" immediately drew everyone's attention, and many eyes turned toward him.
"Wh...what? Is there something wrong?! She signed up too!"
Under the collective gaze, the guild member shrank back slightly, but he remained defiant while keep retorting.
"She's just my type! What's wrong with that?"
"Of course there's nothing wrong with it!"
"I just didn't expect you to have that kind of type~"
"Actually, I've always thought Evergreen was quite beautiful. It's the glasses that hide her true beauty. She's stunning without them!"
Someone chimed in—a person who had once been petrified by Evergreen.
He had truly met her gaze without her glasses.
"Exactly! I hope she takes them off!"
Emboldened by the support, the guild member shouted even louder.
Having been petrified by her himself just days ago, he was deeply impressed by Evergreen without her glasses and had instantly become one of her dedicated fans.
"That's impossible! We'd all be petrified!"
Of course, not everyone was eager to see Evergreen without her glasses.
Direct eye contact with her could petrify anyone.
Even if she did remove them, no one would dare to look at her!
"Evergreen isn't as terrifying as you think. She wears glasses just as a precaution because her Petrification Magic is so powerful and difficult to control. But that doesn't mean she can never take them off."
Marco turned to look and chimed in with a smile.
He was genuinely pleased that Evergreen had gained fans within the Guild, as it showed the Thunder God Tribe was truly integrating into Fairy Tail.
Marco's tireless efforts had been strikingly evident in the Thunder God Tribe's assimilation.
Even Laxus's die-hard fans were gradually being assimilated into Fairy Tail.
"Really? Then I'm really looking forward to seeing Evergreen's runway walk!"
Everyone naturally trusted Marco's words.
No longer worried about being petrified, they began to anticipate Evergreen's performance.
This was her first time entering the Beauty Pageant, and she was undoubtedly determined to prove herself.
Soon, the Beauty Pageant officially began.
Max Alors, dressed in a festive purple suit with a large red bow tie, took the stage as the host.
Max, ever the chatterbox, droned on and on until Marco nearly lost his patience.
Finally, he announced the start of the competition and introduced the first contestant.
"Let's give a warm welcome to Wendy! Carla!" Max shouted, then promptly made his escape.
"Ooooh! Ooooh!"
The Guild members erupted into cheers, their excitement palpable.
Max knew how to build anticipation: he'd kept everyone on the edge of their seats with his endless chatter.
But it was a risky game—another minute and they might have rioted.
The audience wasn't exactly a patient bunch.
If Max had lingered on stage much longer, some of the Guild members might have stormed up to knock his teeth out.
Amid the roaring applause, Wendy and Carla stepped forward together.
The girl and her feline companion were impeccably dressed.
Wendy wore a dazzling white gown that made her look like a fairy-tale princess, and Carla equally refined.
Wendy's participation in the Beauty Pageant felt a bit premature—she was only twelve years old, still a charming little girl.
With her youthful appearance, she looked no older than she had at ten.
Still, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers for Wendy and Carla.
Cuteness, after all, is a form of beauty.
The pair—the girl and her cat—were a visual delight, a soothing sight that left everyone feeling comforted and uplifted.
There was no doubt in anyone's mind: this was beauty in its purest form.
Wendy's cheeks flushed pink as she bowed deeply amidst the encouraging cheers and returned to her place.
Even Carla wore a slightly bashful expression—a rare sight, considering her usual mature demeanor.
Carla's gaze swept across the audience until she spotted her mother, Shagotte, watching her with tear-filled eyes.
After learning that her daughter would be participating in the Beauty Pageant, Shagotte had asked Panther Lily to bring her along to watch the competition.
Panther Lily was a full-fledged member of Fairy Tail, while Shagotte was merely an Exceed residing in Marco's territory, a simple service worker in Exceed Village.
She hadn't been sure if she'd be allowed to attend.
Panther Lily wasn't sure either, so he asked Marco directly.
The answer came without hesitation: "Of course she can."
Family members of Guild members were welcome, and Shagotte certainly qualified as family—after all, Carla was a full-fledged member of Fairy Tail.
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