"Chen Fan, I was wrong, haha, don't torment me anymore. I can't take it!" Makarov, the Master of the Fairy Tail Guild, whined, his body trembling violently as he lay bound tightly at all four corners of the bed. His eyes pleaded for mercy, yet his lips couldn't stop grinning from the unbearable sensation. This certainly wasn't some insane game; the leather whip Chen Fan held wasn't for hurting. Its thin tip merely continued to tickle the soles of Makarov's feet, a sweet torture that made the old Master beg for mercy, his laughter breaking through his cries.
Hearing Makarov's almost desperate cries, Chen Fan stopped his movements. The whip hung still in the air, mere centimeters from Makarov's wrinkled skin.
"Tell me, how did you bring me here?" Chen Fan's voice was sharp, piercingly cold. His eyes narrowed, his gaze demanding. "And how dare you not let me see my darling, Xiao Shasha?" There was an echo of controlled anger in his tone.
Makarov had just managed to take a deep breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "I... I just brought you as I pleased," he answered, trying to normalize his hoarse voice.
A frown appeared on Chen Fan's forehead. 'As he pleased?' he thought, the idea fleeting. 'No further explanation? Alright then.' A small unease settled in his heart. He didn't like things that were unclear.
Without a word, Chen Fan raised the tip of his whip again, slowly aiming it at Makarov's feet. Seeing the shadow of the whip moving closer, Makarov immediately panicked. His eyes widened, genuine fear etched upon them. "Stop, stop! I'll talk, can't I just talk?!" He shrieked hysterically, his voice shrill.
After taking another breath, gathering the last shreds of his courage, Makarov finally spoke, "I... I drugged you and brought you here."
Chen Fan's eyebrows rose. A flicker of confusion crossed his face. He didn't remember eating or drinking anything strange. Besides, with his abilities, he could usually detect common sleeping drugs, like an experienced wizard sensitive to magical energy. 'Could something have been missed?' he muttered inwardly.
As if reading the confusion in Chen Fan's eyes, Makarov continued, "It was Hades' Drug." Makarov sighed slightly, as if a heavy burden had just been lifted. "By the way, it was put in the food Mira gave you."
Hearing Mira's name, Chen Fan finally understood everything. A long sigh escaped his lips. He quickly unbound the magic ropes that tied Makarov. The glowing restraints vanished instantly, like a mirage. Chen Fan then sat beside Makarov, looking directly at him. "Why did you do this?" he asked, his voice now calmer, yet still demanding.
Makarov's cheerful smile faded, replaced by a rare serious expression. He looked at Chen Fan with a heavy gaze. "Do you like Mira... or Erza?" he asked, his voice low, laden with a burden.
'Ah, here it comes,' Chen Fan thought, sighing inwardly. This question had become an eternal theme among the guild members, resurfacing whenever there was a moment of silence. Almost everyone in the guild had asked this, except perhaps a few who were still too young to understand the meaning of love. Even Chen Fan himself was confused. Originally, he was just playing along, fulfilling a desire from his previous life full of regrets. He had a deep-seated inferiority complex (which would be revealed later, after he "conquered"—ah, too much talking). He never believed that extraordinary women like Mira and Erza could truly fall in love with him. Therefore, he was always a subtle talker, which ultimately made some women in the guild feel less confident. The main reason was that Chen Fan never explicitly acknowledged his feelings.
As time passed, some of the more intelligent women, including Erza and Mira, did fall in love with Chen Fan. One of the reasons Erza became a "task maniac" was because she wanted to avoid direct competition with Mira for Chen Fan. For independent and strong women like Erza, surrendering to 'male' feelings sometimes felt like a sign of weakness. Yet, ironically, she never thought that running away from this situation was also a form of weakness.
Meanwhile, Mira, after losing her younger sister, had transformed. From a highly competitive figure in everything, she became the gentle and kind Mira, who always smiled every day. Erza didn't think this new Mira was bad; compared to the old Mira who constantly competed with her, the current Mira even felt more perfect.
However, whenever Erza saw Mira in her new form, she always felt a piercing pain in her heart. This was one of the reasons she couldn't always confront Chen Fan directly and chose to be a "task maniac." Although one of the main reasons she suddenly returned from this mission was the threat of 'Lullaby', the deeper reason was that she heard rumors that Chen Fan had confessed his feelings to Mira, and Mira had almost agreed. This crisis hit her like a sledgehammer, though she wouldn't admit it aloud.
Mira herself, similar to Erza, also deliberately distanced herself from Chen Fan. This was why her relationship with Chen Fan hadn't progressed further for years.
Recently, as Mira and Erza matured, this topic became more taboo, and no one dared to bring it up again. Suddenly, Makarov, the Guild Master, brought it up again, and Chen Fan truly didn't know what to do. Actually, there was always a voice in Chen Fan's heart shouting, "Take both!" However, the exceptional virtue of a traditional Chinese man was perfectly embodied in Chen Fan.
He truly didn't know what to do and covered his head with both hands, looking helpless, a sweatdrop appearing on his temple.
Makarov patted Chen Fan's shoulder, his wrinkled hand warm. "You are all my children. I watched you grow up. I understand Mira and Erza. As for you, Chen Fan, although I don't know what you're hiding in your heart, I know that you love Fairy Tail very much, and that's enough." His voice was now full of tenderness, yet firm. "Now, don't act like a little girl. Lift your head. Bringing you here this time, your issues with Mira and Erza are just a side note."
Chen Fan looked up, his eyes widening slightly in confusion, staring at Makarov, not knowing what Makarov would say next.
At this moment, Makarov said, his voice lowering, "I'm old." Hearing this, a wave of realization struck Chen Fan. An anxious expression appeared on his face, as if he desperately wanted to interrupt, wanting to say something to reject the idea.
But Makarov cut him off with a wave of his hand, gesturing for Chen Fan not to speak, and continued, "I know what you want to say, but listen to me first."
Seeing Chen Fan's now more stable expression, Makarov said in a low voice, laden with deep emotion, "I'm old, but Fairy Tail doesn't have anyone I can trust, except you. Goldmine was right today; actually, I just want you to inherit Fairy Tail and become the next Master."
Seeing Chen Fan beginning to fidget again, Makarov quickly cast a binding spell. A circle of magical light appeared, enveloping Chen Fan, and Makarov uttered the "Shizune" spell. The magical light illuminated the entire room, reflecting in Chen Fan's eyes.
Chen Fan didn't stop Makarov. He knew that Makarov, as the Master, must have something important to say, so he simply allowed himself to be bound, staring at Makarov with wide eyes, his face full of attention.
"Of course, not now. My body can still last. I still want to see guild members laughing joyfully, drinking happily, and calling me Master every day." A faint smile, full of nostalgia, graced Makarov's lips. "Bringing you here this time was just to let you get acquainted with the Masters of various guilds and build good relationships with them. You don't have to respond to me now. Just tell me after you've thought about it when you return," Makarov said, his tone now softer, a touch of emotion in his voice.
He reached out to lift the spell on Chen Fan when suddenly,
"BANG!"
A sound like shattering glass echoed, filling the room. The circle of light that had entrapped Chen Fan shattered into pieces, falling to the floor and gradually dissolving into shimmering magical particles. The room returned to darkness, with only soft moonlight piercing through the window, making it feel incredibly silent, a meaningful stillness.
Chen Fan walked towards the door with his head bowed, his shadow stretching across the floor. Makarov didn't stop him. As his hand reached the doorknob, Chen Fan, with his back to Makarov, said firmly, his voice calm yet full of conviction, "Old man, you don't need to worry too much. Fairy Tail will always be the strongest guild. It won't be destroyed, and everyone in the guild will be happy." A burning determination radiated from every word.
"BANG!" The door closed with a soft sound, ending that important conversation.
Only then did Makarov close his widely open mouth. He said with a self-mocking tone, "Good kid, I'm really getting old and not as good as the young ones!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a lewd grin appeared on his face, and he thought, 'I hit the jackpot.' He buried his head in his blanket and let out a cold laugh, completely ruining the touching atmosphere from before, replacing it with typical Fairy Tail humor.