"Tsk! What a stingy Old Man. Do you not care if your First Generation goes hungry?"
Crack!
Makarov's old face twitched instantly.
"Can you accept your First Generation sleeping on the streets in the cold wind?"
"Ugh…"
Makarov hung his head in shame.
"Forget everything else! How can you be so heartless as to let such a cute girl suffer from hunger and cold?!"
"As the Third, you mustn't forget your roots!! Have you forgotten who established this guild for you?"
"It's just food and lodging, how can you be so ruthless?"
Phoenix stood up, puffing out his chest, and continuously lectured Makarov. Makarov's body bent lower and lower, almost to the point of prostrating on the ground.
This was not only due to Phoenix's intimidating gaze but also the contemptuous looks from a large group of guild members.
"Exactly, exactly. It's just a meal, the Master is making too much of a fuss."
"This is our lovely First Generation Master. Such a cute girl should, of course, be protected well. How can you bully her?"
"Sigh, it's all the Master's fault for being so stingy. Now look what happened, daring to provoke the First Generation Master. This really brings shame to our guild Master!"
"When did I bully her?"
"Shut up!!"
"…"
Makarov quickly covered his mouth. Now "betrayed by all," no one stood by his side.
"Don't make a fuss, Fini-chan. And everyone, thank you for your concern."
Mavis stood up from her seat, and the other members, who had been sitting, also rose. After all, she was the First Generation. Even if she looked like a harmless, fragile girl, no one dared to show the slightest disrespect.
"Everyone…"
Mavis's gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally resting on Makarov.
"No matter what, I am long dead now; what stands here is merely a ghost. There's no need to be so reserved, or else Fairy Tail will no longer be Fairy Tail. Third, please continue to be the Master. Don't mind me; just treat me as an ordinary member of the Fairy Tail guild."
"Eh, eh, eh, how, how can that be? It should still be you who guides Fairy Tail. Only you are the most suitable person!"
"Hehe~" Mavis chuckled softly, slowly shaking her head, "I am just a memory from a past era. If I suddenly appear, it will definitely cause negative impacts. Don't tell anyone else about my appearance, but… well, even if people find out, it doesn't matter; they might not believe it. In my current materialized state, anyone can see me, but once I dematerialize, no one but you can perceive my existence."
"But…"
"You're so long-winded, Old Man. Since Mavis has said so, just agree. Besides, I still want to continue traveling with Mavis in the future. If she becomes the Master again, it would be utterly boring."
"The one who's bored is actually you!!"
Makarov turned his head and roared at Phoenix. Although he was grateful to Phoenix for bringing Mavis back from Wolf Island, and could even genuinely feel Mavis's presence, Makarov would not forget the massive debt Phoenix owed him because of this.
"Mavis, since we've seen this guild, let's continue our next journey!"
"STOP!!"
Makarov roared again.
"Boy, don't be so arrogant! The First Generation belongs to our Fairy Tail. Don't just abduct her so casually!"
"Abduct… abduct her…"
A row of black lines instantly appeared behind Mavis.
Swish, swish, swish!!
All the members instantly retreated, leaving Makarov completely exposed to Mavis's intense, oppressive gaze.
Click, click, click, click—
Makarov stiffly turned around, a smile on his face that was uglier than crying.
"I… I'm sorry!! I'm extremely sorry!!"
"…"
Mavis silently watched Makarov. Just as Makarov's heart was about to give out, Mavis suddenly broke into a bright smile.
"Hmm, I forgive you!"
"I am eternally grateful!"
Makarov, his face streaming with tears, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The tears in his eyes simply wouldn't stop. The feeling of being reborn was truly wonderful.
"Fini-chan!"
"Hmm?"
Seeing Mavis looking at him with a radiant smile, Phoenix suddenly felt a chill in his heart, as if he had been tricked.
"Become a Mage of Fairy Tail!"
"Huh?"
Phoenix was instantly dumbfounded. The others weren't much better off, but compared to Phoenix's conflicted expression, theirs was much more joyful.
"Oh, oh, oh, is Phoenix joining our guild? That's fantastic."
"I originally thought it would be very troublesome, but I didn't expect his relationship with our First Generation to be so good already. It's only natural for him to join us!"
"The youngsters nowadays are getting more and more formidable. He will definitely become the strongest in our guild, after the Master and the Old Man."
"No matter what, the legend of Phoenix is very famous. Now the rumors of Fairy Tail's Phoenix will truly live up to its name."
Looking at the enthusiastic gazes of the people around him and Mavis's expectant face, Phoenix, who had originally intended to flatly refuse, hesitated.
"Fini-chan! Join us here! This guild will not disappoint you."
"That's right, Phoenix. Our last duel was just a draw. This time, we have plenty of time, so let's spar a few more times!"
"A draw!!!"
As soon as Gildarts's voice fell, the guild immediately erupted.
"No way! The Old Man is incredibly strong. It's unbelievable that this kid could fight him to a draw."
"As expected of Phoenix. The rumors outside haven't exaggerated; in fact, they seem to have understated his power."
"Old Man, you actually fought Phoenix? What exactly happened then?"
Seeing everyone looking at him curiously, Gildarts scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.
"Hahaha, there's nothing I could do. I couldn't defeat him, and he couldn't defeat me, so it was a draw."
"You weren't going all out, Gildarts!"
Phoenix said, clearly annoyed.
"Weren't you also not going all out?"
Gildarts grinned. The two looked at each other, then burst into laughter.
"Old Man!"
The laughter ceased, and Phoenix seemed to have finally made up his mind. He walked up to Makarov and extended his right hand.
"I want to join Fairy Tail. Starting today, please take care of me!"
"Hmm! The pleasure is ours. We definitely won't disappoint you."
Shaking Phoenix's hand, Makarov's face was beaming with joy.
This was an exceptionally promising talent, capable of being a pillar of the guild even now.
"By the way, where do you want the guild emblem placed on your body? And what color?"
To quickly finalize Phoenix's membership request, Makarov swiftly retrieved Fairy Tail's exclusive stamp. After scrutinizing Phoenix, Makarov asked.
"Left hand! Emerald green!"
Raising his left hand, Phoenix said without hesitation, choosing the most convenient spot and the same color as his eyes.
Snap!
As an emerald green light bloomed, a small, emerald green emblem was stamped on the back of Phoenix's left hand.
"Hahahaha, now I declare! Phoenix Viviamillion is officially a member of Fairy Tail!"
"Oh!!!"
Everyone cheered wildly.
"Furthermore—"
Raising a hand to quell the uproar, Makarov continued: "I declare that Phoenix is hereby promoted to S-Class Mage and can freely accept all missions on the second floor!"
"Oh! That's incredible, Phoenix! Becoming an S-Class Mage right after joining the guild is unprecedented!"
"Oh dear, the younger generation is truly formidable. I feel like I've lived my life for nothing."
"This is… no, this is a world beyond genius. It's truly far beyond us."
"But no matter what, Fairy Tail gaining another S-Class Mage is truly cause for celebration!"
"Yes, yes…"
No one doubted Makarov's sudden decision. Aside from Phoenix's numerous achievements, Gildarts himself had personally acknowledged Phoenix's strength as comparable to his own, leaving them with no right to dispute anything.
"Hahahaha, that's great, Phoenix! Interested in joining me for a few Ten-Year Quests?"
Gildarts laughed heartily and approached Phoenix, ruffling his golden hair into a bird's nest in front of Phoenix's angry gaze.
"Take your hands off me!! I already have a partner; I don't want you, an Old Man!"
Crack—!!
Gildarts's heart instantly shattered.
"Old… Old Man… Am I already considered an Old Man?"