"You're telling me, you only have two hundred Jewels left on you?!"
Ian said, lifting Makarov off the ground with one hand...
He tightly pinched the old man's face, angrily demanding, "Old man, are you sure you're not just pulling my leg?"
At this moment, the respect Ian had when introducing Makarov to young Erza was completely gone.
The Makarov in Ian's heart—the one who had rescued him at his most vulnerable when he had just arrived in this world, suffering alone, homeless, wandering the streets of a small town, starving...
The one who not only gave him food and shelter but also offered him the guild's bathhouse and a place to stay for free, who spent time patiently teaching him magic, who never judged him and always showed respect...
That Makarov, the guild master of Fairy Tail, the "Saint Ten" wizard loved by all his guild members, was dead.
Yes, dead!
Now standing here was a penniless, debt-ridden, old fool named Makarov.
"Old man, old man!"
"What am I going to do with you?!"
Ian threw Makarov back down to the ground, speaking in a tone of utter helplessness.
"Ian, you've left me no choice!"
"Don't you dare forget…"
"Who was it that brought you back to the guild back then?"
"Who gave you free meals every day?"
"Who taught you magic?"
"And who lent you the bathhouse and the basement?"
"Who gave you a job so you could support yourself?"
Makarov took a deep breath and unleashed his "super-tier magic"—emotional blackmail.
"Heh! Old man, if you're going to bring that up, we might as well settle everything once and for all…"
"First of all, yes, you did bring me back to the guild…"
"But if I remember correctly, I paid for my food that day by washing the dishes, didn't I?"
"And as for the bathhouse and basement, yes, you lent them to me…"
"But wasn't I the one who's been cleaning them ever since?"
"And do you know why I learned cleaning magic as my first spell?"
"But that's all water under the bridge now."
"Let's talk about how much I've spent for the guild over the past three years!"
Ian said, pulling out a calculator.
"Ian, are you really going to stand by and watch your beloved guild master get taken away by the Magic Council, just because he can't pay a measly 5 million Jewels fine?"
Makarov interrupted Ian's calculation with crocodile tears, playing the sympathy card.
"Actually, I think letting the Council take you away so you can reflect on your actions in their prison wouldn't be so bad after all."
"Do you know why our guild members keep screwing up their missions—either demolishing buildings or sending the people they're supposed to protect flying along with the assassins? Take a guess, old man."
Ian said, utterly exasperated.
"Ugh, I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"
Makarov hung his head, looking like a scolded schoolboy.
"I was just in such a good mood that day... I had a little too much to drink…"
"And then that scumbag Jose had the nerve to insult Fairy Tail right in front of me!"
Makarov gritted his teeth as he recalled the argument.
"Huh? What else did Jose say?"
Ian's face darkened as he asked.
"He said our Fairy Tail mages were nothing compared to Phantom Lord's wizards!"
Makarov clenched his fists in anger.
"What else?"
Ian's forehead began to twitch as he pressed on.
"He also said our S-Class mages were useless!"
Makarov's voice trembled with rage as he mimicked Jose's arrogant sneer.
"And then what?"
Ian's patience was wearing thin.
"And he said you and Gildarts were nothing special…"
Makarov, trying to look as disdainful as Jose, finished his sentence.
"That old bastard…"
Ian smirked, knowing full well that Makarov had exaggerated a bit.
But he also knew that Jose wasn't exactly an angel, so it wasn't hard to believe.
Without another word, Ian started walking out of the basement.
"Ian, where are you going?"
Makarov sensed trouble, realizing he might have gone too far.
"I'm going to tear down Phantom Lord!"
"And after that, I'm going to beat the crap out of Jose in front of his guild members!"
"So he'll know…"
"Who's really the weak one!"
Ian cracked his neck, looking ready for a fight.
"Ian, calm down!"
"If this escalates, it'll turn into an all-out war!"
"Attacking without a valid reason would ruin Fairy Tail's reputation."
"We're already a thorn in the Council's side…"
Makarov quickly blocked Ian's path, trying to reason with him.
"Heh…"
Ian chuckled softly.
To be honest, Ian never took the Magic Council seriously…
Those guys were always talking about removing Fairy Tail from the official list of guilds.
But the real issue was that as long as Fairy Tail remained a legal guild, the Council had some authority over them.
If Fairy Tail ever became a dark guild…
Well, they'd be at the top of the Balam Alliance.
That would change the game.
Though, in reality, the Council was just all talk.
If they ever seriously considered kicking Fairy Tail out, even someone like Warrod would get involved...
"Sigh…"
After this brief chaos, Ian eventually pulled out 5 million J and handed it to Makarov.
To be honest, most of this money came from the gambling losses of the guild members earlier that morning.
The money hadn't even had a chance to warm up in Ian's pocket before he had to give it away, and it pained him deeply.
"I knew you wouldn't abandon me, Ian..."
Makarov said as he shamelessly pocketed the money without a care in the world.
"Ian, there's actually a secret I need to tell you."
With the money business out of the way, Makarov's expression turned serious.
"Don't even start. I don't want to hear it."
Ian raised an eyebrow, dismissing Makarov's sudden shift in tone.
"No, Ian, this is really important…"
"I'm about to tell you something that only the guild masters of Fairy Tail have ever known—it's our guild's greatest secret!"
"I've tested you many times and decided that you're worthy of this knowledge!"
"Yes, you are my chosen successor as the fourth master of Fairy Tail…"
Makarov placed his hands behind his back, his expression unusually solemn.
"If the First Master knew you were selling Fairy Tail's deepest secrets for 5 million J, she'd probably rise from the grave in a rage just to strangle you."
Ian chuckled, teasing Makarov.
"This has nothing to do with the money you lent me!"
"I'm completely serious about this, Ian…"
"Don't you want to become the next master of Fairy Tail?"
"The truth is, I'm getting old, and I'm not as strong as I used to be."
"In a few years, I plan to retire completely…"
Makarov spoke earnestly, his voice filled with urgency.
"Me, the guild master?"
"Sorry, I'm not cut out for that, and I have zero interest in the position!"
Upon hearing that Makarov wanted him to become the next guild master, Ian felt his head spinning—he definitely didn't want that responsibility.
There was no way he'd take on such a stressful job.
Ian looked at Makarov and firmly declared, "Old man, you're going to stay in that position as master of Fairy Tail until the day you die!"
"No! Even after you die, I'll dig up your grave, use necromancy to bring you back, and make you continue working!"
"So don't even think about retiring!"
Ian patted Makarov on the shoulder, flashing a radiant smile.
"That's… that's outrageous!"
"How dare you even think about using necromancy on me?!"
"And to think I was going to entrust you with Fairy Tail's greatest secret!"
"You brat, you're going to be the death of me!"
Makarov shouted at Ian, his voice filled with frustration.
"Exactly! So don't bring up this nonsense about me becoming the master again."
With that, Ian turned and left.
If there was one person who embodied the true essence of Fairy Tail's spirit, it had to be Makarov.
While the Second Master Precht may have been more knowledgeable, Makarov taught the guild what it meant to love.
So dear Master Makarov…
The position of Fairy Tail's master is all yours—forever!
---
Thank you everyone for the stones! Here is the bonus chap for reaching 150 stones!
Next Milestone is 200 Power Stones.
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