The next day.
"Boom!"
When Makarov returned from the Magic Council after paying the fine, he kicked open the guild's door. Standing at the entrance, arms crossed, he looked at everyone inside the guild and shouted loudly, "Little ones! The old man is back! While I was away, did you all miss me?! Or did you do something to make me mad again?!"
"Huh?"
"Are you really Makarov, the guild master?!"
"Wait, weren't you gone for a few days?!"
As Makarov's voice echoed through the room, the response he received was weak and weary—the Fairy Tail guild members looked like they had had the life drained out of them, lacking their usual vibrancy.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"What's going on with you guys?"
"Why do you all look so sluggish...?"
"Young people should act young."
"All of you, snap out of it!"
Originally, Makarov had feared that the over-the-top mages in the guild would cause havoc across Fiore while he was away. So, when the Magic Council passed judgment, Makarov rushed back as quickly as he could. However, upon arriving, he saw everyone sprawled across tables, lifeless and exhausted, which filled him with anxiety. He looked around nervously, raising his voice.
"Master, it's not that we're not motivated; it's just that during the few days you were gone, Ian's training has totally drained us," Macao complained, his back hunched as though he was in great pain.
"Huh? Ian put you all through special training?" Makarov asked, bewildered.
"Yeah! While you were gone, after the 24-hour endurance contest ended, Ian put us—the ones who couldn't retrieve the Wyvern Scales in time—through a brutal special training program."
"Don't even mention it. My back is killing me; my muscles are sore all over. Though I admit, my magic power has indeed increased quite a bit."
As Macao spoke, he snapped his fingers. In an instant, purple flames ignited around him, dancing like a nimble serpent under his control.
"By the way, Ian also suggested that I should start learning Flame Molding Magic."
"No time to rest, I have to get going... In a month, Ian is going to test us again. If we don't pass, we'll have to endure that awful magic development training again."
Hunched over, Macao headed to the Fairy Tail guild library.
Unlike in later years when Natsu burned it to the ground, the Fairy Tail guild library still housed a wide array of books on general magic. Standing at the entrance of the library was Wakaba, puffing on his cigarette. In addition to recommending Flame Molding Magic to Macao, Ian had also suggested that Wakaba learn Mist Molding Magic.
As for Ian's advocacy of Molding Magic? It was purely because Molding Magic was considered a part of the common magical framework in Ishgar—a step above mediocre, but still fairly standard.
Molding Magic was easy to pick up and, if mastered, could be incredibly powerful. Although not many could master it, having a mentor would speed up the learning process. Fortunately, they had such a mentor in their guild.
Ur—the greatest molding mage in Ishgar, and one of the Ten Wizard Saints—was more than capable of instructing others. Even just spending a bit of time pointing out the basics would help beginners quickly improve their skills.
Meanwhile, Ian didn't just provide general guidance to everyone in the guild. He also set up a special training class.
The "special class" consisted of the S-Class mage candidates—Laxus, Erza, Mirajane, and Ultear—along with a few others: Natsu, Gray, Lyon, and Cana, who could be seen as "candidates of the candidates." Finally, Elfman and Lisanna were included as far-off hopefuls.
With hard work, anyone could pass the guild's S-Class mage trials someday. They just had to believe in themselves.
"You all better train hard," Ian warned them with a grin. "Anyone who slacks off will face more punishment."
"I'm just worried that your punishments might not be... to my satisfaction," Laxus said, eyeing Ian with a hint of defiance.
"Then why don't you find out for yourself, Laxus? Don't worry—my punishments will definitely be... satisfactory." Ian gave Laxus a sharp look before smiling. He was already working on an upgraded magic power developer that could be used even by S-Class mages someday.
"Why am I even here? Training with all these monsters?"
Cana sighed, looking utterly dejected. She was well aware of her own strength—she was nowhere near Laxus' level.
"Cana, believe in yourself. You're one of those 'monsters' too," Ian said, his eyes narrowing. "After all, you are the 'Strongest's child.'"
"The Strongest's child?" Cana's eyes widened as she realized what Ian was implying. "You figured it out?"
"Yes. The magic signature is too similar to miss. That guy is just too oblivious to realize it... Please, forgive him if you can, though I know I have no right to ask that."
Putting himself in her shoes, Ian figured that if he were Cana, he wouldn't worry about forgiveness—he'd probably just punch Gildarts in the face for being a clueless idiot.
"Sigh... I've never blamed him," Cana muttered, her voice slightly trembling. "I'll work hard, until I'm truly worthy of being called the 'Strongest's child.'"
For the first time, someone had discovered her secret. Even if it wasn't Gildarts, it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Hey! Cana, did I hear Ian call you the strongest child?! No way am I ignoring that!" Laxus said, appearing beside her, his arm slung over her shoulder. Sparks crackled around him as he issued his challenge with a sly smile. "It's a nice day. Let's see who's really worthy of the title of 'strongest'!"
"Uh..."
Cana stiffened.
"Cana, we're friends, but I can't ignore what I just heard," Erza said, drawing her sword. "Just as Laxus said, let's have a duel! I'm taking the title of strongest!"
"No hesitation, Cana—face us head-on!" Mirajane demanded, already channeling part of Deliora's soul.
"I didn't know you were hiding this much power, Cana! Let's fight right now! I'm fired up!" Natsu roared.
Suddenly, Cana found herself the center of everyone's attention. In Fairy Tail, emotional appeals got you nowhere. This was a guild without mercy—one where only the strong thrived.
"No! Ian, help me explain!" Cana pleaded, her gaze turning to Ian.
"Cana, just give it your best shot," Ian said with a salute of respect. Then he turned and left.
"Hey?! Ian, don't just walk away!" Cana shouted, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
Left alone, she knew there was no avoiding a fight with everyone. Winning would be great... but the real problem was, she stood no chance.
If the original timeline's Laxus, the internal conflict arc's boss, could see what Ian had turned Fairy Tail into—a guild of warriors—he would probably be drenched in sweat and mutter, "Ian, aren't you being a bit too extreme?"
---
Bonus Chap for 100 Power Stones!
Next one will be at 200 Power Stones.
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