Inside the Fairy Tail guild hall:
"Ugh… This time, I won't be able to clear my name even if I jump into the ocean!" Makarov exclaimed. "Evan, what are you doing? Stop it! How did you bring the king here? That's the king of Fiore! Do you understand the consequences of this?" Makarov looked at the middle-aged man with the crown, who exuded authority despite his small stature, with terror in his eyes.
Makarov recognized the king of Fiore, King Toma, and knew that he wasn't an actor. The mere thought of the ministers in the Fiore palace discovering that their king had been kidnapped by members of the Fairy Tail guild made Makarov shudder.
Regardless of whether the king wanted to come to Fairy Tail or not, forcibly abducting the king from his palace was a monumental crime. Even if the Magic Council supported Fairy Tail, it wouldn't be enough to prevent the guild from being branded as a dark guild.
But that wasn't the worst of it. Soon, they would likely face an invasion by the kingdom's army. The thought of Fairy Tail fighting against an army of tens of thousands made Makarov's scalp tingle.
"No, with Evan's magic, it's possible that no one in Fiore knows the king is here at Fairy Tail," Makarov thought, wiping the sweat from his brow. He convinced himself that if they could return the king after the competition without anyone realizing he was gone, they might avoid punishment.
Meanwhile, in the Fiore capital, Crocus, inside the royal palace:
"His Majesty? His Majesty is missing?" The Minister of Public Affairs stood trembling before the empty throne. Just moments ago, he had been chatting with the king, who now seemed to have vanished into thin air.
"This is bad! Very bad! I must alert the kingdom's forces to find His Majesty!" After a moment of shock, the minister's eyes cleared. He knew he had to act quickly. He turned to find the guards and explain the situation, intending to mobilize the soldiers to search the palace and the capital for the missing king.
"What's this?" As the minister turned, he noticed an envelope on the king's bright red throne. Curious, he picked it up, opened it, and read aloud: "To the people of the Fiore royal family, I am Evan from the Fairy Tail guild. Do not worry about the king's safety. He is currently watching a magic performance at Fairy Tail and will return in a few hours. Please be informed."
"Fairy Tail guild? How arrogant can these mages be? This is outrageous! They not only kidnapped the king but left a note bragging about it!" The minister's forehead throbbed with anger as he crumpled the note in his hand. "This matter must be addressed with Fairy Tail, but first, I need to consult with the captain of the guards and the leaders of the knight order to understand what this Fairy Tail guild is and why they are so arrogant."
Back at Fairy Tail:
After organizing the participants for the competition, Evan set up a few tables near the guild's bar and arranged two comfortable chairs to provide a clear view of the stage.
"Oh, Evan, you even prepared a chair for me? How thoughtful!" King Toma exclaimed with delight, seeing the chairs. His legs weren't in the best shape, and a comfortable seat was exactly what he needed.
"Sorry, but these chairs aren't for you," Evan replied as he gently lifted the king by the back of his collar, making him dangle like a child.
"Huh? Aren't these for me?" King Toma asked, confused. He had thought the chairs were for him and Evan.
"Of course not. These chairs are for the highest-ranking and most powerful individuals in this guild," Evan explained, shaking his head.
"The highest-ranking and most powerful? Is it your guild master?" King Toma asked, looking over at Makarov and Precht.
"Everyone, tell King Toma who holds the highest status in this guild!" Evan called out to the guild members.
"The highest status? That's easy! It's Lady Irene and Goddess Selene!" the guild members shouted in unison.
"Exactly," Evan nodded in agreement.
In the next moment, two incredibly beautiful women appeared on the previously empty chairs in a flash of golden light. One had scarlet hair, fair skin, and eyes that glowed with wisdom. She smiled at the king and said, "I used to be a queen of a country long ago."
"What? You were a queen? Which country did you rule?" King Toma asked, astonished. He prided himself on knowing all the kings in Ishgar but had no recollection of a queen as stunning as Irene.
"Haha, that was a long time ago," Irene replied casually. "My country was destroyed in a battle against dragons about four hundred years ago."
"Four hundred years ago? Does that mean you've lived for four centuries?" King Toma's forehead beaded with sweat. If anyone else had made such a claim, he would have thought them mad. But hearing it from a member of Fairy Tail, he believed it.
"Now you understand, King Toma? These seats aren't for us," Evan continued. "But rest assured, aside from Irene and Selene, our guild treats everyone equally. You can join the other guild members to watch the match."
Evan then escorted the king to stand with the guild members gathered around the stage.
"…" King Toma wanted to say something but held back, knowing it was pointless. There was a good chance the rowdy Fairy Tail members might just throw him out if he caused trouble. Even though this was within Fiore, Fairy Tail operated beyond the king's authority.
"Phew…" Makarov sighed in relief as he saw the king safely among the guild members, mingling without conflict. The potential disaster of the king clashing with the powerful mages had been averted for now.
"Haha, you're dressed like a king but act like one too?" a guild member teased the king. "The only ones with special privileges here are Irene and Selene."
"But don't worry. Once you're here, you're one of us!" another member chimed in, offering the king a drink.
"Thank you," King Toma replied, surprised by the warmth. He downed the offered drink, feeling more relaxed.
"You're brave! Have another!" the members cheered, impressed by the king's willingness to drink.
"Drink!" As King Toma continued drinking, he began to lose count of the number of cups he had downed, his eyes becoming more glazed and his demeanor more relaxed.
"Phew…" Makarov felt relieved seeing the king blending in, but his collar was soaked with sweat from the anxiety.
"Hey, old man, isn't that hat heavy? Doesn't it bother you?" Natsu asked, approaching King Toma and casually taking the crown off his head.
"What are you doing, Natsu? Put it back! Do you know what that is?" Makarov exclaimed, his eyes widening in horror.
To Makarov's further dismay, Natsu placed the crown on his own head.
"Hey, you like it?" King Toma asked, frowning slightly.
"Uh-oh, the king is angry," Makarov thought, his heart racing.
"This hat is heavy, but it's interesting," Natsu smiled.
"If you like it, it's yours," King Toma said with a kind smile.
"Thank goodness he's not angry," Makarov sighed in relief, seeing the king's reaction.
"Great!" Natsu exclaimed, running around the guild with the crown on his head like a child with a new toy.
"You're a good man, old guy. Can I borrow your clothes too? Someone stole mine," Gray said, approaching the king, naked except for a strategically placed basketball.
"Gray? Now you're in on this too?" Makarov thought, his eyes wide with panic.
"Sure," King Toma replied, surprising Makarov by giving Gray his clothes without hesitation.
"Thanks!" Gray said, running off after Natsu, now dressed in the king's attire.
"So refreshing," King Toma remarked, his face flushed from the alcohol. He stood naked and held the basketball with a bright smile.
"Yeah, it is!" Lyon agreed, standing next to the king, also naked and smiling in understanding.
"Please, spare me! My heart… my heart hurts again," Makarov groaned, collapsing to the ground, overwhelmed by the situation's absurdity.
Everyone envied Fairy Tail as the number one guild in Fiore, but who could understand the pain of being its master, Makarov thought, as he knelt on the floor, exhausted by the chaos around him.