Compared to the wide, open space of the first floor, the second floor of the Fairy Tail guild was far quieter and smaller.
Only a few square tables were scattered in the center, and the request board held only a handful of mission slips rare, elite jobs meant only for the strongest.
Makarov walked straight over to the elegant little bar counter tucked in the back. With a quick hop of his short legs, he lightly pushed off the floor and landed smoothly on a high stool.
Ches followed behind and took a seat beside him. His posture was relaxed, movements casual and comfortable, as if chatting with an old friend rather than reporting to the Guild Master.
But that was just how Fairy Tail was rules and formality took a backseat to bonds and family.
Behind the counter, Mira, in her flowing wine-red dress, gracefully began mixing drinks. Her hands moved with quiet ease, skillfully preparing both juice and light cocktails suited to the preferences of both elders and young mages alike.
Makarov accepted the glass she handed him with a nod, then turned to Ches with a steady, curious gaze.
"Ches," he asked bluntly, "what exactly were the characteristics of the dragon you encountered on the Kilteana Continent? Was it really that overwhelming?"
In a world ruled by Magic, especially in a land like the Kingdom of Fiore, dragons were feared as near-unstoppable beings.
According to ancient lore, they were monsters capable of leveling an entire town with just a breath creatures beyond human strength or understanding.
The very concept of Dragon Slayer Magic, like what Natsu used, had been born to challenge them.
"That dragon…" Ches began, his voice low and steady.
"It was entirely crimson. Huge beyond belief. Its fangs and claws were razor sharp, its scales harder than iron. You could feel the pressure in its limbs the raw magic power surging through its tendons was like a living storm."
He spoke plainly, not trying to dramatize the experience. Just facts.
Then he reached for the cup of coffee Mira had placed in front of him, took a small sip, and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"It's hard to say if a human could ever defeat something like that… but one thing I can say without exaggeration is that even if you tied ten of me together, we wouldn't stand a chance."
If it had been just an ordinary dragon, maybe he could've fought back especially with the unique power of his Duelist Soul magic.
But the creature he encountered wasn't ordinary.
It was one of the Five Dragon Gods beings said to rival even the fearsome Black Dragon Acnologia.
Sure, that kind of claim might sound like how every general suddenly becomes unbeatable after Laxus or Gildarts leave the room… but Ches wasn't trying to flex.
He had never fought Acnologia.
But even if the Five Dragon Gods weren't on the exact same level, their power was still far beyond that of normal dragons.
And just standing before one… filled him with despair.
"Really? Even ten of you couldn't defeat it?"
Mira's voice broke the tension, soft with disbelief.
She raised a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.
Mira knew Ches's strength better than most.
Among all of Fairy Tail's S-Class Mages, he wasn't just powerful he was top-tier.
Even Erza, proud and relentless as she was, had once admitted that if both of them went all-out in a no-reservations battle… she wouldn't be able to beat Ches.
By the Kingdom of Fiore's standards, Ches was more than qualified to receive the title of Ten Wizard Saints the same prestigious rank held by the Guild Master himself.
And yet, here he was, saying that even ten of himself wouldn't stand a chance?
Just imagining it made Mira's blood run cold.
That must have been a truly terrifying encounter.
She looked at Ches again physically unharmed and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Even though he looked fine, just the thought of what he had survived filled her with lingering dread.
"Actually," Ches said, gently setting down his cup of coffee, "even saying 'ten of me' is being generous."
He had noticed the worry in Mira's eyes.
A faint smile crossed his face, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"But that thing wasn't just any dragon."
His voice dropped slightly.
"In that encounter… it called itself Ignia, the Flame God Dragon."
Flame God Dragon…
Ignia?!
The name was so familiar so shocking that both Makarov and Mira visibly paled.
Makarov drew in a long breath, trying to calm the unease rising in his chest. His voice came out low and heavy.
"Ignia… Is this dragon related to Igneel, the Fire Dragon King who raised Natsu?"
"According to what it said," Ches replied evenly, "Igneel is its biological father."
"That would make it Natsu's half-brother… different mothers, same father."
His voice was calm, almost casual.
But the truth behind those words wasn't so simple.
Of course, Ches only knew this because he was a Crossing a transmigrator with knowledge of this world's future and secrets.
The real situation was far more intense.
He had stumbled into Ignia's domain by accident, during a period when the dragon was in self-imposed sealing.
Ignia had been hiding, afraid that its presence might be sensed by the Black Dragon Acnologia.
In just a few exchanges, it had let out a roar so powerful, so wildly destructive, that Ches and the monster he had summoned were blown into dust in an instant.
There was no negotiation. No understanding.
Ignia hadn't even bothered to speak to him.
If Ches hadn't already known how terrifying the Flame God Dragon was and prepared in advance by activating the Magic Card: [Monster Reborn] which revived him on the spot he would have never made it back alive.
It wasn't a fight.
It was a massacre.
"Natsu's half-brother from a different father and mother, huh?" Mira tilted her head thoughtfully. "That's… really a weird way to put it."
Something about it didn't quite sit right with her.
Thinking about Natsu, Mira found her instinctive fear of the Flame God Dragon easing just a little.
After all, Natsu was silly, kind, and full of energy. How bad could his so-called "half-brother" be?
In fact, a curious and slightly gossipy urge welled up in her she wanted to know more.
But Ches, watching her expression closely, immediately caught the shift in her mood.
He set down his cup, his face turning serious.
"Don't be mistaken. That monster is nothing like Natsu," he warned flatly. "It's cold-blooded. Brutal. It sees humans as insects. A threat of the highest order."
Mira blinked, realizing she'd let her imagination run too far. "S-Sorry… sorry," she said quickly, bowing her head in apology.
Makarov, meanwhile, sat silently, his eyes lowered to the ripples in his untouched drink.
"You can talk about the dragon… to a certain extent," he said after a long pause. "But under no circumstances can you let Natsu know anything about Ignia."
His tone was heavy with finality.
He had raised Natsu himself. He knew the boy's reckless nature better than anyone.
If Natsu caught even the slightest hint of this connection, he'd be gone by morning sprinting across the sea to the Kilteana Continent without a second thought.
Ches and Mira exchanged a knowing glance and nodded in agreement.
"We understand."
"Also, Ches," Makarov added, shifting in his seat, "don't go running off again right away."
"Stay in the guild for now. Rest. Recover."
Although Ches had maintained a relaxed and confident attitude throughout the conversation, Makarov, with the sharp eyes of a seasoned father figure, still noticed the exhaustion hidden behind his cheerful mask.
It wasn't physical fatigue it was the kind of deep weariness born from life-and-death struggles.
The old man's heart ached a little. To him, every member of Fairy Tail was like family.
"But Guild Master…" Ches hesitated for a moment. "The aftermath of a failed Ten Year Mission... the client might demand compensation "
"But what but?" Makarov interrupted sharply, slapping the bar with his small palm. "It's just paperwork and a few nice words. Haven't I cleaned up enough of your messes already?"
His tone was firm and brooked no argument.
Hearing this, Ches's face lit up with a dazzling smile. He scratched his head and laughed. "Hehe, then I'll leave it to the Guild Master!"
That familiar mischievous grin made Makarov's eye twitch. A vague sense of doom welled up inside him, as if he'd just made a terrible mistake.
Still, since he had spoken, he wouldn't take it back. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Ches.
The conversation was over.
As Ches and Mira made their way back down to the first floor, the rowdy and chaotic Guild hall fell abruptly silent.
Dozens of curious eyes turned toward them.
Every Guild member even the ones pretending to be busy drinking was dying to know what had been said upstairs.
But Ches only raised his hand casually, grinned, and said:
"I'm back."
Everyone's eyes locked onto Ches, their gazes brimming with curiosity and anticipation.
All except for Lucy, who sat dejectedly in the corner, repeatedly drawing little spirals on the table with her finger like a defeated soul.
After struggling with her inner gossip demon for what felt like forever, she finally caved and paid Happy a hefty price in dried fish and coins to pry the truth from his lips.
And what did she get in return?
"Ches and Mira aren't a couple. They've never even gone on a mission together. And nope no juicy rumors either," Happy had said with an innocent grin.
Lucy stared at him in disbelief.
That was it?
No torrid affair? No unresolved romantic tension? Not even a love triangle?!
Watching Happy smugly rub his face against the coins that should have been her rent money, Lucy collapsed onto the table with a dramatic wail of regret.
Lucy Heartfilia, you are the biggest fool in the whole world!