Rayn followed the sound and saw a boy sitting in a corner.
He had spiky blond hair, his arms were crossed over his chest, his face was slightly tilted up, and his eyes were full of scrutiny.
Seeing Rayn look over, the boy raised the corner of his mouth in a scornful smile.
"Hey, newbie! Listen up, this is Fairy Tail, the strongest guild in Fiore!"
"Laxus!"
Makarov frowned and scolded in a deep voice, trying to stop him from continuing.
"Don't think you can just slack off here because the old man brought you back. If you're just a crybaby weakling, don't drag the guild down and get out of here!"
The boy named Laxus paid no attention. In fact, after his grandfather spoke, he spoke even faster.
"…Hey, kid, did you know?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, making the corners look a bit long, and Rayn's mouth curved into a smile.
Although he was indebted to Makarov, it didn't mean Rayn would tolerate Laxus's words because of it.
"Only people who lack confidence are the ones who always talk about the strong and the weak."
As soon as these words were spoken, the guild fell silent.
Makarov, who was about to deal with his grandson, stopped in his tracks and looked back at Rayn in astonishment.
Laxus hadn't expected Rayn to dare talk back and was stunned for a moment.
The onlookers were also surprised, looking at Rayn. They had thought he was quiet and easy to bully.
They didn't expect him to be able to say such things in the face of Laxus's bullying.
Even though Rayn was smaller in both body and age, the situation in the room seemed to have reversed, which was a bit strange.
"Wow, little Rayn is so right!"
"After hitting puberty, Laxus isn't as cute as he used to be."
"I still like him when he was soft and weak."
"Yeah, back then Laxus would obediently call me big sister."
The discussions from the side made Laxus's body freeze instantly, and his face visibly flushed.
After all, he had just been acting all serious in front of someone.
Then, his 'dark history' was exposed in the blink of an eye. Laxus was quite embarrassed.
"Shut up! You guys are so annoying!"
He slammed his hands on the table and shouted angrily at the hecklers.
Then his eyes glared at Rayn, and he was about to speak.
But Makarov's enlarged hand pressed him down on the table.
"Alright, that's enough!"
Hearing the old man's angry voice, Laxus's lips moved a few times, but he chose not to provoke his grandfather further.
After confirming that Laxus was no longer speaking, Makarov retracted his giant hand and led Rayn to the counter.
"Rayn, our guild doesn't have many rules. There are only three you need to remember!"
As he said this, Makarov shed all his usual easygoing and playful demeanor.
His short body stood straight at the bar, his expression solemn.
And the noisy crowd behind him fell completely silent at this moment.
First: You must never share detrimental information about Fairy Tail with others for your entire life!
Second: You must not have unauthorized contact with past clients for personal gain!
Third: Even if our paths diverge, you must live strongly. You must never take your own life for granted. And you must never forget your important friends for your entire life!
Makarov didn't deliberately raise his voice, but it became unusually steady. Every word was powerful and carried an unquestionable weight.
His old eyes, which were usually smiling, now shone with a wise and determined light.
"Rayn, can you do this?"
"Yes!"
Rayn's expression also became solemn as he earnestly responded to Makarov's expectations.
"What color mark would you like?"
Makarov nodded in satisfaction at his posture and asked with a grin.
"Black… no, white. Right here."
He had originally thought of black, but the image of the white dragon he saw before passing out flashed in Rayn's mind, and he changed his answer.
At the same time, he placed the back of his right hand on the counter.
As someone who had also seen the white dragon, Makarov nodded in understanding.
After some fiddling, the old man took the stamp and pressed it down.
A white fairy emblem immediately appeared on the back of Rayn's hand.
Pulling his arm back, Rayn examined the strange pattern as Makarov's voice sounded in his ear.
"Do fairies have tails? Do fairies even exist?"
"This in itself is an eternal mystery."
"And because it's a mystery, it's worth the adventure."
Rayn looked up and met Makarov's softened gaze.
"So, child, I cannot give you the answer to that question."
"It requires you to embark on a never-ending journey throughout your life, to measure with your feet, to witness with your eyes, and to verify this answer that belongs to you."
"This… is the meaning of being a member of 'Fairy Tail'."
After speaking, Makarov picked up a large wooden mug and drank deeply.
The crowd behind him seemed to have returned to their lively state, or perhaps in response to his words, they also drank from their cups.
"I will find… my own answer."
Putting his arm down, Rayn's clear eyes swept over the now noisy guild, and he muttered to himself in a barely audible voice.
As a minor, Rayn naturally couldn't drink with them.
So after Makarov took Rayn to finish dinner, he led him to the guild's male dormitory.
"Sorry, I've spoiled Laxus."
On the way, Makarov apologized first, his face showing a weariness that suited his age for the first time.
"You are you, and Laxus is Laxus. So you're not the one who should be apologizing."
Rayn shook his head gently, his tone still as calm as ever, not matching his age.
After a pause, a faint smile appeared on Rayn's lips.
"Master, you don't have to interfere. We'll settle things between us ourselves."
"…This way, it won't be boring later."
From Laxus's defiant expression, it was clear he wouldn't change his mind because of this.
So let this already noisy guild become a little more 'lively'.
Hearing the child's low words, Makarov suddenly understood what he meant.
For some reason, an ominous premonition rose in his heart.
This child, whom he had thought was quiet, might not be a worry-free one either.
But as long as things didn't get too out of hand, it would be fine.
After all, he wasn't a quiet person in the guild when he was young.
The male dormitory wasn't too far from the guild, so the two soon arrived at a standalone building.
Although it was a dormitory, it at least had single rooms.
This made Rayn feel relieved.
Though he looked like a child, he had the mind of an adult and valued his privacy.
Of course, it wasn't for being a pilot.
It was about matters of magic.
After Makarov arranged everything, he told Rayn to rest early.
He himself hurried back to the guild.
To arrange things for Rayn, he had forced himself to hold back from drinking earlier.
Now that he was back, he would let those guys know the consequences of embarrassing the master in front of a new member!
Rayn washed up briefly and returned to his room.
His tired mind felt much more refreshed.
But he wasn't done for the night. Rayn sat on the bed, closed his eyes, and lowered his gaze.
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