"You really brought back some surprising news."
Makarov smiled helplessly.
This news about the "Black Dragon" truly shouldn't be spread.
For the entire magical world, it was explosive enough. If it got out, it could genuinely cause a major incident—it might even trigger riots.
"I couldn't help it. I didn't want this either," Gildarts said, sitting down.
He seemed deeply affected by the encounter.
"Just surviving something like that was a feat in itself. For a moment, I honestly thought I was going to die. That Black Dragon's Magic Power... it's terrifying."
He no longer bothered to hide his left arm and leg.
After all this time, he'd failed the quest and nearly lost his life.
For Gildarts, this was a novel experience—one he would have preferred to avoid.
"Well, at least now you can finally get some proper rest, Uncle," Marco said, looking at the battered Gildarts.
Three years spent on a single quest, only to end up like this, covered in injuries.
Gildarts truly needed to rest and, at the very least, recover from his wounds.
Although his arm and leg had been replaced with prosthetics, his damaged internal organs still needed to heal.
These were no small matters.
Half his body had been ravaged. It was only thanks to Gildarts's immense Magic Power that he survived; an ordinary person would have likely been turned to ash in that situation.
"Yeah, I need to go see Porlyusica for more treatment," Gildarts nodded.
The makeshift treatment he'd given himself couldn't compare to professional care, and these prosthetics were just standard-issue.
Fortunately, Fairy Tail had an expert in this field: Madam Porlyusica.
Everyone had seen how effective Erza's prosthetic eye was—it was practically indistinguishable from a real eye.
Porlyusica's skill in crafting prosthetics was nothing short of miraculous.
Gildarts knew he had to see her; there might even be a pleasant surprise in store for him.
"Go on, then. Don't delay any longer," Makarov urged.
He also wanted Gildarts to receive the best possible treatment.
The man looked absolutely miserable right now.
In truth, Gildarts had already delayed for a long time. After being injured, he had spent a while recuperating before returning.
With such severe injuries, he couldn't regain mobility immediately, so he had naturally needed to treat his wounds and rest for a period.
"I'll go right away." Gildarts nodded.
He clearly knew that.
Without further hesitation, Gildarts stood up to leave. This had been his plan all along—to see Madam Poluchka as soon as he returned.
He wanted to get back to some semblance of normalcy as much as possible.
"We'll go with you!" Natsu immediately shouted.
He and Gildarts were close, and he was deeply concerned about the older mage who had been gone for three years.
During that time, Natsu had wanted to search for Gildarts more than once, but he had always been stopped.
It wasn't just Natsu; many others had wanted to look for Gildarts, but the Guild couldn't allow them to go.
This was only natural.
First, the mission belonged to Gildarts alone.
Second, the Hundred-Year Quest was far too dangerous for the younger members.
Letting them go would only lead to their deaths.
For years, no one had ever returned alive from a Hundred-Year Quest.
While they couldn't stop Gildarts from insisting on going, Makarov had drawn a firm line: the younger members were absolutely forbidden from following.
He wouldn't even permit Marco to go.
Gildarts initially wanted to refuse, but seeing the concerned looks on everyone's faces, he couldn't bring himself to say no.
He could only let them all tag along.
Fortunately, there weren't too many of them, so they probably wouldn't get an earful from Porlyusica.
That woman despised crowds.
"It's just a check-up! Do you really need this many people here?!"
As it turned out, Gildarts had been overly optimistic.
Even if only two people—or even just one—had come for treatment, Porlyusica would have found something to grumble about.
And now, with six or seven of them crowding her space...
"The patient stays. The rest of you, out!"
Seeing the crowd, Porlyusica's expression turned stern.
She waved her hand dismissively, shooing the others away.
"Now, now, Porlyusica," Makarov said with a placating smile, trying to smooth things over.
"Gildarts just got back, and everyone's worried about him. Why don't you take a look at his condition first?"
Even as the Guild Master, Makarov was powerless against his old friend.
He could only try to coax her.
After all these years, Porlyusica hadn't changed one bit, her temper was exactly the same as when she was young.
"I'm already looking! Now shut up!" Porlyusica snapped back irritably.
True to her word, she had already begun examining Gildarts's condition the moment they arrived.
Though she was busy trying to chase everyone out, she would always patiently care for the injured. It was only her words that lacked patience.
'Such a classic tsundere.' Marco muttered the thought to himself.
Granny Porlyusica's personality was the textbook definition of the archetype: saying one thing while meaning another, her words full of disdain but her actions honest and caring.
She'd complain endlessly, but the moment someone needed her, she'd be the first to step up.
Her constant grumbling was just her unique way of showing she cared.
Of course, Marco would never dare say any of this out loud in front of Granny Porlyusica.
After all, she was Fairy Tail's very own Healer!
Countless guild members had been saved by her over the years.
If she ever truly decided to quit, everyone in Fairy Tail would tremble.
She was their lifeline—as long as you weren't dead or fatally wounded, a trip to Granny Porlyusica's would have you back on your feet in no time.
Porlyusica's revered status wasn't built on empty praise; it was earned through decades of her unparalleled medical skill.
For all her grumbling, this old woman was one of the greatest contributors to Fairy Tail's legacy.
For any active member of Fairy Tail, who hadn't been patched up by Porlyusica at some point?
Mirajane, Erza, Natsu, and Happy also remained silent, standing quietly to the side.
Even Marco and Makarov didn't dare speak up, so naturally, the others were even more well-behaved.
Never piss off the doctor—everyone knew that rule.
Besides, Erza held deep respect for Porlyusica.
She was extremely satisfied with her prosthetic eye, it looked so natural that no one could tell it was artificial, and it had even regained the ability to shed tears.
"You fool, you waited far too long."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Porlyusica examined Gildarts' injuries, inspecting his prosthetic arm and leg.
Finally, she shook her head, her expression grim.
"Huh?!" Natsu cried out, his face filled with terror, as if he thought Gildarts was beyond saving.
"Quiet!" Porlyusica glared at Natsu before continuing, "But judging by your condition, I assume you didn't manage to preserve the arm and leg, did you?"