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The clear moonlight streamed down.
The ancient trees on Tenrou Island, which had grown for an unknown number of years, rustled in the gentle night breeze, their shadows swaying, the moonlight dappled—a scene of profound tranquility and peace.
A small figure ran along the forest path in the night, yet eerily left no shadow; after all, how could a ghost, without a physical body, cast a shadow?
After winding and turning for a good while, Mavis stopped, seeing that no one was pursuing her. Although, as a spirit, she didn't feel tired, she still habitually panted heavily, just as she did when she was alive.
"I was too careless; I actually exposed myself because of mere food."
"But those seafood feasts looked so delicious..."
"Slurp~"
Mavis quickly wiped away non-existent drool, looking up at the stars and moon in the night sky. A hint of melancholy appeared on her innocent and carefree face.
She had been dead for a very long time.
Time to go home and sleep.
Ghosts have no physical body; they can't eat food or smell scents. But being able to look at delicious food and satisfy her eyes was already enough for Mavis.
With cheerful steps, Mavis walked toward her "home" on Tenrou Island.
The place where Mavis lived on Tenrou Island when she was alive had long since decayed and withered, becoming one with nature through the passage of time. Her current "home" was actually the place where she lay in eternal rest after her death.
After passing through a forest where various strange creatures and plants coexisted, Mavis saw her tombstone from a distance. She usually slept inside the tombstone.
However, Mavis stopped, because two old men, one tall and one short, stood before her tombstone.
Looking closely, Mavis realized that the shorter one was Makarov, and the other tall old man... gave Mavis an inexplicable, difficult-to-describe feeling.
Could it be that he didn't have a guild emblem on him?
Regarding that indescribable feeling, Mavis pondered it back and forth, finally attributing it to the man not being a member of Fairy Tail.
Although he was an outsider, since Makarov brought him, he must also be a good person, right?
But why would Makarov bring him to my tombstone late at night? If it's for worship, shouldn't he bring the guild's younger generation along?
Mavis's eyes flickered, and she decided to quietly sneak closer to eavesdrop on their conversation.
As for whether she would be discovered, Mavis wasn't worried in the slightest.
As long as she didn't actively reveal herself, or forget to hide herself like she did before when attracted by food, then no matter how high or strong one's Magic Power was, it would be impossible to discover her existence.
Because the legend that had existed for who knows how many years beneath her feet—Tenrou Island, whose true name was "Fairy Island"—protected her...
Makarov respectfully bowed to Mavis's tombstone. "First Guild Master, I apologize for disturbing you. I hope you won't blame me. It's just that the guild has been through a lot this past year, and I wanted to report to you."
"The guild's mortal enemy, Phantom Lord, formerly the Dark Guild Blue Skull, has disbanded. The guild also took in two very promising young people from them."
"Mystogan and Noah annihilated Oración Seis, one of the three major Dark Guild powers."
"Oh, right, Noah is Mystogan's younger brother. They are actually from a parallel world. We even went to that parallel world for a trip later."
"Speaking of that kid Noah, he really is..."
Makarov talked endlessly, recounting the recent events of the guild to Mavis's tombstone.
In fact, ever since he took over as the Third Guild Master, Makarov had been under immense pressure. His father, elders, teachers, and close companions left one after another, leaving him nowhere to confide.
Once, when he came to pay respects, Makarov, for some reason, poured out all his accumulated pressure to Mavis's tombstone.
Since then, he did this every time he came to Tenrou Island.
Whether it was the guild's troubles and interesting anecdotes, his worries and family heartaches, or news from all corners of the world, Makarov would talk about it all.
It felt as if Mavis, who wasn't actually buried there, was truly listening to him, her junior.
Mavis, who had secretly approached and hidden herself, listened to Makarov's outpouring with a look of confusion, because the things Makarov spoke of were far more numerous than what he used to say in a single visit.
It was fine that there were many events, but they were either thrilling and exciting, or exotic sceneries. She really wanted to participate in such adventures...
"Last month, we went to the Western Continent, where it has been unified by a powerful military empire called Alvarez."
When Makarov mentioned the Alvarez Empire, Mavis's eyes suddenly widened. When she was alive, she had heard of this country from someone's mouth.
That person regarded this country as a chess piece in a game and invited Mavis to join, which Mavis, of course, refused.
And she and that person eventually...
Mavis eagerly wanted to hear news of the Alvarez Empire from Makarov's mouth.
However, Makarov did not continue but stepped aside for the old man who came with him. "August, it's better for you to tell the First Guild Master now."
August nodded slightly, his gaze sadly fixed on the tombstone.
Although he had already seen Mavis's remains in the secret space beneath the guild, when he saw his mother's tombstone, he couldn't help but feel the sorrow in his heart.
That sorrow was so profound that even Mavis nearby could feel it. Her heart suddenly felt a stinging pain, as if pricked by a needle.
Mavis clutched her chest, her gaze fixed on the old man named "August."
She watched him slowly kneel before the tombstone, watched him wipe away non-existent dust from the tombstone, watched him embrace her tombstone, and watched him weep silently.
Who exactly is he?
Why... do I feel sad?
Mavis's heart ached as if it were being torn apart, and tears even appeared in the corners of her eyes. She didn't know if it was because of the pain in her heart or because of the old man weeping at the tombstone.
"August, who exactly are you?"
The ghost loli murmured, her barely audible voice buried in the rustling of swaying leaves.
But then, an answer suddenly came to her ears.
"He is your son, First Guild Master."
Mavis was startled. She, in her hidden state and protected by Tenrou Island, had actually been discovered! Turning around in a panic, she saw a white-haired young man squatting beside her, chewing on a piece of crab meat.
Noah slurped the crab meat into his mouth, then peeled out the last piece of crab meat from a crab leg and ate it in one bite. "Hello, First Guild Master. Let me introduce myself."
"Noah, a newcomer who joined the guild just a year ago."