Makarov's impassioned words instantly ignited everyone's enthusiasm.
After a brief period of revelry, the practical problems still lay before them; even if they wanted to build the most luxurious guild on the entire continent, they first had to clear away this ruin.
Driven by the immense power of money, the Fairy Tail members erupted with unprecedented labor enthusiasm; even the usually most sluggish members were now full of vigor, as they were, after all, adding bricks and mortar to their future new guild.
Lorne didn't lift a finger, merely leaning against a relatively intact broken wall, watching the bustling scene with a helpless smile on his lips.
"If I had known money could make them so diligent, I should have asked the Council for the money first," he muttered softly.
However, this was also good; a home built with their own hands would always have a stronger sense of belonging.
With everyone working together, the efficiency was surprisingly high, and it wasn't long before a large open space was cleared from the originally messy ruins.
Some simple wooden sheds and tents were quickly erected to serve as temporary mission reception areas and rest areas.
A few days later, the Magic Council's envoys arrived again.
This time, they were not there to demand accountability but to fulfill their promise.
Leading them was a seemingly very rigorous middle-aged official, followed by several guards and... a huge armored transport vehicle driven by magic.
"Master Makarov," the official's attitude was very respectful, even carrying a hint of imperceptible awe.
Phantom Lord, a large guild as famous as Fairy Tail, had been completely defeated in a direct confrontation.
This level of strength was enough to make anyone re-evaluate Fairy Tail's danger level.
"We have come at the Speaker's command to handle the follow-up matters."
The official handed over a thick stack of documents.
"This is the official announcement regarding the dissolution of the former Phantom Lord Guild, as well as the resolution document stripping its Master, Jose Porla, of his Ten Wizard Saints title."
Makarov calmly took it, glanced at it, and then put it down.
The official seemed to have anticipated his reaction and continued speaking without a hint of concern:
"Additionally, the compensation for your guild has also been prepared."
He turned sideways and gestured towards the armored transport vehicle.
"Crack--"
The heavy metal door slowly opened.
At that moment, all the Fairy Tail members present felt their breath catch.
"Gulp."
Looking at the massive amount of cash, someone, it was unclear who, swallowed hard.
"According to the liquidation results, all assets of Phantom Lord have been sold, plus the fines imposed by the Magic Council, as well as compensation for your guild's reputation and repair costs..."
"Totaling, 480 million J."
"The first batch of funds, 200 million J, has all been delivered."
"..."
The scene once again fell into a deathly silence.
If the hundreds of millions of J Lorne had mentioned earlier were a vague concept, a shocking number...
Then this mountain of real gold and silver before them, emitting a scent of money... no, a fragrant aroma, was a concrete impact strong enough to break anyone's psychological defenses!
"Heh..."
Makarov's lips began to curl upwards uncontrollably again, and his familiar dazed, silly grin reappeared on his face.
"Hehehe..."
"Master!"
Erza, quick-witted, quickly supported the tottering old man, preventing him from fainting again due to over-excitement.
That night, Fairy Tail's temporary base held the grandest party in its history.
Barrels upon barrels of fine wine were brought out, huge sizzling cuts of roasted meat emitted an enticing aroma, and laughter, playful shouts, and music mingled together.
"Cheers!!!"
Natsu raised his cup and downed it in one gulp, then immediately started wrestling with Gray.
"Damn Natsu! You stepped on my foot!"
"You were the one who froze my roasted meat with ice first!"
"Bang! Bang!"
The two exchanged punches and kicks, having a blast, and the people around them, instead of trying to stop them, cheered loudly and placed bets.
Cana directly hugged a giant wine barrel taller than herself and gulped down wine with abandon.
Mirajane, meanwhile, smiled as she moved through the crowd, serving food and drinks to everyone.
Lorne, holding a glass of juice, found a quiet corner and silently watched the joyous sea before him.
At the same time, the news that Fairy Tail had directly defeated Phantom Lord and that its Master, Jose, had been stripped of his Ten Wizard Saints title, spread like wildfire throughout the entire Kingdom of Fiore.
The front pages of all major newspapers reported the event with the most exaggerated headlines.
"The Battle for the Strongest Guild Concludes! Fairy Tail Victorious!"
"Ten Wizard Saints Falls! The Era of Jose Porla Declared Over!"
"Magnolia's Heroes! Fairy Tail Protects the City!"
For a time, Fairy Tail's prestige reached an unprecedented height.
Even though the guild's headquarters was still a temporary shantytown, commission letters from all over the country piled up like snowflakes.
However, as Lorne watched all this, a strange feeling arose in his heart.
The strongest guild?
He glanced at Natsu and Gray, who were still fighting tooth and nail over a piece of meat, and then at a large group of his companions who had already drunk themselves unconscious.
Were these people really reliable?
Most of the people in the guild, like Macao and Wakaba, usually just spent their time drinking and chatting at the guild and would never actively take on any commissions.
And those who frequently took commissions, like Natsu and Gray, were all kings of destruction; whether the commission fees they earned would be enough to cover the damages incurred during missions was still an unknown.
Thinking about it this way, the guild's future financial situation seemed... still a bit concerning!
Lorne shook his head helplessly.
"Forget it, things will work themselves out."
...In a heavily guarded secret meeting room of the Magic Council, the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.
Speaker Crawford Seam sat at the head of the table, his fingers lightly tapping the surface, his face grim.
"Speak your minds, what do you think about Fairy Tail?"
The several Council members present were core members of his faction; as for Agitama, who was close to Fairy Tail, and a few neutral parties, they had been deliberately excluded from this meeting.
"Too dangerous!"
A hawk-nosed Council member spoke first, his voice agitated,
"They are completely out of control! Directly defeating Phantom Lord forced us to strip a Ten Wizard Saints of his title! This is a blatant challenge to the Magic Council's authority!"
"Exactly!" another chimed in, "Their power is growing too fast, especially that brat named Lorne... This kind of power should not exist in a regular Mage guild!"
Crawford raised his hand to stop their argument.
"Jose brought it upon himself." His voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority, "However, you are right. Fairy Tail has become an uncontrollable dangerous element."
"Speaker, then you mean..."
"We need a force." Crawford's eyes sharpened, "A force strong enough to counterbalance them, and even, if necessary... capable of completely eliminating them."
"Magic Spirit Power?" someone suggested softly.
"No." Crawford immediately rejected it, "That is our last deterrent, the ultimate weapon to deal with Dark Guild alliances like the Balam Alliance. Once used, it will only make the situation in the entire magic world even more chaotic."
He looked around at everyone and slowly said, "We need a new kind of power. A power that... only obeys the Council, capable of precisely eliminating any unstable elements."
His words plunged everyone present into deep thought... A few evenings later, the temporary guild headquarters was still bustling with activity.
Lorne, Natsu, Lucy, and Erza were gathered around a table, having dinner.
"Bang!"
The temporarily erected wooden door was violently slammed open.
Gray rushed in, covered in sweat, his face filled with anxiety and disbelief, and uncharacteristically, he was even wearing a shirt.
"This is bad!"
Gray's voice was hoarse from urgency, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
"Loki... Loki he..."
He panted, shouting with all his might:
"He suddenly said he was leaving Fairy Tail! Now he's run off somewhere!"
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