Watching Laxus's decisive departing back, Shane gently shook his head in his heart.
The rare harmony during the game just now vanished instantly with Makarov's return.
The relationship between this grandfather and grandson seemed even more tense than it appeared on the surface.
Shane clicked his tongue silently and placed the paddle gently on the table beside him. Every family has its own difficult scripture; this saying was indeed true.
On the other side, Makarov seemed to have long been accustomed to his grandson's attitude, the trace of disappointment in his eyes fleeting.
Then, he strode towards the bar, grumbling unhappily, "It's rare for me to come back early, and none of you know how to welcome me..."
Seeing this, Shane hurriedly stepped forward and blocked the little old man.
"Master," his tone was solemn, "I have some questions to ask you."
Erza, following behind Shane, immediately understood. She turned to the curious Cana and whispered, "Cana, wait for us here for a moment."
Cana's gaze shifted back and forth between Shane and Erza. Although full of curiosity, she nodded and obediently stayed put.
Blocked by Shane, Makarov looked up to size him up, then glanced at the serious-looking Erza beside him. Only then did he slowly climb onto the bar stool to sit firmly and pour himself a glass of alcohol.
"What is it, Shane?"
His tone returned to the kindliness he had when he first met Shane, treating him like a "good student" of the guild.
Although this young man caused quite a stir with his first commission upon arrival, he hadn't caused any trouble for the guild since then.
In Makarov's eyes, Shane, who knew how to correct his mistakes and lived a stable life in the guild, was simply a model member compared to those brats who tore the house down every day.
Shane weighed his words. "Master, do you know a man named 'Brain'?"
"Pfft—cough!" The mouthful of alcohol Makarov just gulped down almost sprayed out.
He swallowed it hard, put down the glass, his eyes instantly becoming sharp. "Why are you asking about him?"
He had just praised this kid in his heart for being well-behaved, and in the blink of an eye, he heard this troublesome name. It really didn't give him any good premonitions.
This kid... is he holding back something big for me?
"Um... some personal matters, might be related to him." Shane tried to downplay it.
Makarov thought of the intelligence exchanged at the Master's regular meeting just now. Anything related to this man was never simple.
But looking at Shane's incredibly serious eyes, he sighed helplessly.
"Alright, this isn't some top secret. In fact, this man was mentioned at our regular meeting just now."
Seeing the Master willing to talk, Shane immediately pulled Erza to sit on the stools next to him, placing his hands on his knees, assuming the posture of a well-behaved student listening to a lecture.
But the more "well-behaved" he acted, the more Makarov felt this guy was up to no good.
"Hmph!" Makarov grunted grumpily. "I can tell you the intelligence, but afterward, you have to tell me, what exactly do you want to do by asking about him?"
He had to grasp the bottom line and couldn't let the little guys mess around.
Shane pondered for a moment. It wasn't something he couldn't say, so he nodded. "Okay."
Having received the promise, Makarov's expression softened a little.
He lowered his voice and said, "Brain used to be the director of the Bureau of Magical Development. But just a few months ago, the Bureau was suddenly completely destroyed by someone. The Council intervened to investigate, and it turned out that this guy had been secretly engaging in child trafficking!"
Speaking of this, undisguised disgust appeared on Makarov's face.
"He used his position to specifically search for children with good magical aptitude and conducted human experiments to satisfy his own desires! Now, this guy's whereabouts are unknown."
After finishing, Makarov took another sip from his glass before looking at Shane. "Alright, that's all I know."
Child trafficking... human experiments...
It really matched up.
Shane's hand resting on his knee unconsciously cracked his knuckles, making a light click-clack sound.
A large portion of the slaves imprisoned in the Tower of Heaven were children.
Now it seemed that besides being used to build the so-called R-System, some of them were selected to become materials for human experiments.
Truly... infuriating.
Shane's gaze turned cold, his fingers unconsciously exerting force, bending past a dangerous angle.
Makarov didn't rush him, just watching Shane quietly. Only after confirming he had sorted out his emotions did he speak, "Alright, now it's your turn."
He knew the other party was hiding something, but since his own child didn't speak up, he had to have the leeway a parent should have and not probe too much.
Shane took a deep breath, regained his calm, and told him everything about their experience in the Tower of Heaven, as well as his plan with Jellal.
"This... is indeed a bit troublesome." Makarov frowned, not expecting Shane and Erza to hide such a past.
His gaze toward the two couldn't help but become softer.
Both are strong, good kids.
But this matter was indeed difficult to handle.
According to Jellal's letter, Brain's movements were secretive, and even Jellal hadn't seen him many times. Even for the new R-System, Brain had given Jellal full authority to handle it, almost never showing his face.
Even the Council couldn't find traces of the other party. Even if they wanted to search, they had nowhere to start. Perhaps only after Jellal gained more of the other party's trust could the guild find a way to take action.
"Brain has lost the Bureau of Magical Development and the soil for research, so rest easy for now. Besides, you have your friend controlling the field over there; trust him!"
Makarov comforted him and said he also had old friends in the Council. if there were other clues about Brain, he would notify them immediately.
Shane nodded. He and Jellal formulated this infiltration plan, to a certain extent, to prevent such things from happening.
But he couldn't do nothing. Thinking of this, Shane suddenly remembered that Ultear seemed to be connected to Brain.
Brain's traces were hard to find, but Ultear had always been in the open.
Moreover, she held a deep grudge against me... Perhaps this could be a good breakthrough point.
If I let her come to find me, maybe... The more Shane thought about it, the more reliable it felt, and his eyes couldn't help but light up.
After this, I'll find a way to contact Jellal!
Having figured this out, he looked up solemnly at Makarov and emphasized seriously, "Master, thank you."
Shane sincerely thanked Makarov. In fact, he completely didn't expect the other party to accept this story so easily.
And so naturally, offering help as if it were a matter of course.
"Don't put on that face. The guild is a place to introduce work, but also a place for comrades to gather. And for those homeless children, this is also their home."
Looking at Shane's polite manner, Makarov got a bit angry and couldn't help raising his hand to knock on Shane's forehead.
"Alright, you've asked what you needed to ask. If there's nothing else, let me drink in peace.Talking to you gives me a headache."
"I should be the one with the headache," Shane covered his reddened forehead and complained in a low voice.
Immediately after, as if suddenly remembering something, his tone became hesitant.
"Um... actually, there is one more thing."
"It's about Zeref..."