Reyn had to admit—just for a moment—he actually found the short man in front of him surprisingly handsome.
That thought vanished when the tightly shut door suddenly swung open and a figure came flying out, landing squarely on the steps above Makarov.
The two tumbled down together like a snowball.
"Hmm—" Reyn's lively response to Makarov's earlier comment stretched out, then turned into confusion.
"Wakaba, you're still too short!"
"Haha! Drinks are on Wakaba tonight!"
"Oh!"
The energy in the air seemed almost tangible, spilling out from the doorway.
Even without stepping inside, Reyn could picture the rowdy scene.
His eyes fell on the two who had stopped rolling. The one who crashed into Makarov was a young man, now pinned beneath him.
What made Reyn want to laugh was that, despite all the tumbling, the man's eyes were still spinning in dizziness—yet the cigarette in his mouth remained firmly in place, smoke curling lazily upward.
Makarov, sitting on top, opened his eyes. A very real anger burned in them.
Reyn instinctively stepped back, putting distance between himself and the two, half-expecting blood to splatter on his only clean clothes.
And he wasn't wrong—Makarov clearly intended to deal with the troublemakers inside.
He had been saying something important to Reyn when this whole commotion broke out. If Reyn decided the guild was a disreputable mess and chose not to join, they'd lose a recruit with excellent potential.
Well… the guild wasn't exactly known for being respectable. But still, he couldn't let himself be made a fool of.
Makarov glanced at Reyn, then stood up, forcing down his anger and putting on a kind smile.
"Sorry you had to see that. The guild gets a little noisy sometimes."
"Um… it's fine. I think lively is good," Reyn replied.
Looking at the little old man's bulging forehead and then at Wakaba pinned under him, Reyn smiled—genuinely.
After all, he'd always known Fairy Tail had been a noisy guild since the day it was founded.
"That's good, then. Let's go in."
Seeing Reyn's sincerity, Makarov breathed a sigh of relief and hopped off Wakaba.
"Aren't you getting up? Or do you want the newcomer to laugh at us?" he barked at Wakaba.
"Sorry, newcomer, did I scare you?" Wakaba sprang to his feet, dusting himself off and catching up to them with a gentle smile.
As a magician, he wasn't about to lose face just from rolling down some stairs. He had simply stayed down because he sensed Makarov's temper.
"No, it was pretty entertaining," Reyn said, looking at Wakaba, unable to connect this composed man with the one who'd just been tumbling moments ago.
"Haha! That's right—our guild is interesting and lively!" Wakaba said, pride shining in his eyes.
"Yo, Master, you're back!"
"Come have a drink, Master! Wakaba lost today, so he's treating everyone!"
"That's right!"
The moment Makarov stepped inside, the noise doubled.
Hearing the shouts, Wakaba's face twitched, and his hand instinctively went to his pocket.
"A newcomer's joining today, so why not have me treat everyone?" Wakaba declared, lifting his chin.
"A newcomer?"
"Did Master bring one this time?"
"Isn't that just a kid?"
In an instant, curious eyes turned toward Reyn.
A chill ran down his spine, and goosebumps prickled under his clothes.
They might be a rowdy bunch, but they were still people who lived on the edge. Even without malice, a dozen stares could be intimidating.
Reyn stood tall, refusing to show weakness—because if he did, they'd never let him live it down.
Makarov nodded slightly, pleased. From the walk from Porlyusica's to the guild, Reyn hadn't complained once. Now, even under scrutiny, he showed no fear. This boy was a natural magician.
"That's right," Makarov announced, pulling Reyn closer. "From now on, he's one of us."
"Hello everyone, my name is Reyn."
"Little brother Reyn, how old are you?" a female mage asked excitedly.
"Nine," he replied. She wasn't anyone from the original Fairy Tail cast he knew, but that wasn't surprising. There was still time before Natsu's generation arrived—plenty of time for people to come and go.
"What magic do you use?" another mage asked, drawing even more attention.
"Summoning Magic," Reyn said calmly.
It was the answer Makarov had suggested on their way to Magnolia. Magic that could summon dragons was best kept quiet. Creatures that had been gone for four hundred years would draw dangerous attention. Fairy Tail's name could deter many, but not the rats lurking in the shadows.
"Alright, that's enough for now," Makarov cut in. "This child's tired. I'll take him to get something to eat."
The crowd backed off. They'd have plenty of time to learn more later.
"Hmph. I wonder where the old man picked up this brat," came a disdainful voice from the side.
The drinkers perked up instantly, keeping their cups in hand but clearly ready to watch whatever happened next.
Makarov's expression shifted, a mix of exasperation and irritation.