Support me and be 20 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
******
"We won! We won!"
Seeing the defeat of the three-eyed demon, Lucy and Happy hugged each other, cheering with joy.
The guild masters around them were also full of praise. After all, the demon was created by the dark mage Zeref. Ordinarily, it would have taken the combined efforts of three S-class mages to defeat such a foe, and even then, it wouldn't have been easy.
Watching his guild mages receive such admiration, Makarov was beaming with pride and satisfaction.
However, his moment of pride was short-lived as he heard George's resentful voice:
"Guild Master, if you don't get me that cursed flute, I may have to consider finding a new guild!"
Originally, the city of Clover had only been reduced to ruins. But with Natsu's final attack, the city center now had a massive crater, making the repair job even more troublesome.
"Leave it to me! Leave it to me!"
Hearing George's words, Makarov shivered, dashing forward at lightning speed. Before the kingdom's army could arrive, he scooped up the cursed flute.
Glancing around, he quickly tore off the skull from the top of the flute and discreetly handed the remaining piece to George.
"Hide it quickly. Don't let the Royal Knights see it."
"Thank you, Master!"
Taking the cursed flute, George's spirits lifted immediately, and he gleefully tucked it into his bag.
Earlier, he had planned to discreetly carve off a piece of the flute when no one was looking, intending to use it as a core for his new magic staff.
But now, with the kingdom's soldiers and guild masters present, even with the demon defeated, it would be impossible to approach the flute unnoticed.
So, he had told Makarov that he was working on a magic tool to greatly enhance his restoration magic's efficiency and needed a piece of the cursed flute as a key material, hoping Makarov could assist him.
Little did he expect Makarov to go so far as to break off the skull from the flute entirely and give him the remaining flute body.
The larger the staff body, the better his chances at crafting a powerful magic staff.
"Um…you must be the commander of the Royal Knights here. This is the cursed flute, though it's now broken and only a fragment remains. When the Council's representatives arrive, please hand it over to them for safe sealing.
"Oh, and tell them we'll send people over in a couple of days to repair the city. That's all."
Makarov, still clutching the severed skull, sped over to the Royal Knights, who were still frozen in shock. He shoved the skull into the captain's hands.
Without waiting for a response, he dashed back and quickly led Erza and the others away, vanishing from sight.
The Council could use teleportation magic, so once they received the report, they would likely arrive shortly. If they didn't leave now, things could get complicated.
"Makarov, that guy is still the same as ever!"
Watching Makarov lead the retreat, the guild masters of Four Hounds and Blue Pegasus exchanged a smile. They had once been mages of Fairy Tail, Makarov's closest friends.
Though they had left Fairy Tail to found their own guilds in pursuit of their individual ideals and dreams, their bond with Fairy Tail remained strong.
Later that evening, in a forest on their way back to Magnolia City—
"George, I had no idea your magic could be used like this. It's amazing! You should join us on missions more often!"
Natsu, gnawing on a perfectly roasted lamb shank, looked over at George, who was busily waving his staff and casting cooking magic.
Due to Eligor's train hijacking, the trains had been shut down. With their rented magic vehicle destroyed in the battle, they had no choice but to walk back to Magnolia.
Luckily, George had packed cooking utensils and some ingredients in his backpack, just in case, which meant they wouldn't go hungry through the night.
"Agreed!" Happy cheered, holding up a paw while munching on a grilled fish.
"Forget it. For now, I'm not planning to go on missions," George replied, handing a fresh bowl of meat stew to Natsu—and taking the opportunity to snip a small tuft of hair from the back of his head. When it came to wand cores, Natsu's hair made the perfect ingredient.
"George, if you ever want to, teaming up on missions could be good for you. Magic grows best in real combat," Makarov chimed in suddenly.
For the guild's overall interests, it would be ideal for George to stay as the guild's go-to support mage. But Makarov knew that limiting George this way wouldn't help him reach his full potential. Between the guild's needs and each mage's individual growth, Makarov always prioritized the latter, which is why he'd allow them to take risks rather than confine them to safe jobs within the guild.
"Honestly, I just don't want to go out on missions right now. I want to spend more time reading and figuring out my path in magic. Once I have a clearer sense of direction, then I'll team up for missions," George replied casually.
It wasn't just an excuse—he did plan to read through every book in the library before venturing out to explore the world. But truthfully, Makarov's encouragement to take on missions surprised him. As a guild master, Makarov truly was a natural leader, well deserving of the respect he received from his mages.
Two days later, George took a newly restored train back to Clover City.
The city was still in ruins, though the massive crater in the center had been filled in, likely the work of an earth-magic user. All the residents had been moved to military tents outside the city for temporary shelter.
"So, you're George, Fairy Tail's restoration mage?"
Ultear, the leader of the Council's investigation team stationed in Clover, narrowed her eyes as she examined the golden-furred cat with a backpack.
Upon hearing that Fairy Tail had a mage capable of restoring an entire city, Ultear had volunteered to lead the team. She wanted to observe if he was using the lost magic, Arc of Time, like herself. She hadn't expected the restoration mage to be a cat.
"That's me. If there are no issues, I'll get to work," George nodded.
The sooner he repaired the city, the sooner he could return to studying magic. Seeing the true strength of Erza, Natsu, and Gray had made him realize just how much room he had to grow.
His proficiency in Giant Magic and Light Magic was still at the beginner level, and rapid progress would take time. He knew he had to improve step-by-step. Meanwhile, he could also use the Wind-Whisper Glasses to learn other types of magic to enhance his versatility.
"By all means, George. Please proceed!" Ultear smiled, stepping back to watch George as he began his spellwork.
George paid her no mind and pulled out his new wand, crafted from the cursed flute and Natsu's hair. He began casting his restoration spell over the ruins before him.
(End of Chapter)