"Father, we're back…"
"Speaking of which, it's strange, where is Mother?"
As soon as Erza and Eresh, the two little angels, returned to Fairy Tail guild, they came straight to Ian's side. Looking around and not finding Irene, they blinked their large eyes and asked Ian.
"Irene?"
"She went back to Alakitasia, the Western Continent, to rest during her pregnancy."
Ian responded with a smile.
"Huh?"
"Does that mean we're going to have a little brother or sister soon?"
Erza and Eresh exchanged glances and spoke with excitement.
"Yes."
Ian smiled, rubbing their heads and nodding.
"Speaking of which..."
"Where's Aunt Selene?!"
"Aunt Selene… could it be she's planning to harm our unborn brother or sister?!"
Erza seemed to have thought of something, and especially after realizing that Selene's presence was also missing from the guild, her expression turned nervous, and beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
Even though, deep inside, Erza had always respected "Moon Dragon" Aunt Selene...
After all, in the world of dragons, where they are born with power that surpasses the "Ten Wizard Saints" level of humans, immune to almost all magic except Dragon Slayer Magic, treating humans like ants…
Selene of the northern continent Guiltina was a rare exception—a dragon willing to coexist peacefully with humans.
But if Selene ever planned to harm her family, Erza would never forgive her, no matter what. Even if it meant sacrificing everything, she would stop Selene.
"Don't worry! Everything's fine."
Ian saw Erza's tense expression and waved his hand dismissively.
"Selene has already returned to Elentear. Last time, she came back just to show herself and prove she was still alive."
"Actually, Selene hasn't completed the suppression of the rebellion in Elentear. Those White Priestesses, who have obtained Dragon Slayer power, are much tougher than Selene expected."
Ian explained Selene's whereabouts to Erza and Irene.
"No way?!"
"Those priestesses are actually strong enough to go up against Mother?"
Eresh was stunned by this. In her impression, those weak priestesses were like ants before her mother Selene, not worth mentioning.
"Because another force has invaded Elentear."
Ian shook his head, explaining softly.
"Another force?"
Eresh furrowed her brows. Across the entire Earthland, the only ones capable of invading Elentear and putting pressure on her mother were other Dragon Gods!
Or strong individuals on par with the Dragons Gods.
This made Eresh worried about Selene's situation—she was afraid her mother would get hurt.
Yes, Selene was still Eresh's birth mother. She couldn't bear to see her mother get hurt.
"That force opposing Selene was orchestrated by Irene!"
"Trust Irene; she knows what she's doing."
Seeing Eresh's anxious expression, Ian smiled reassuringly.
"Then there's nothing to worry about."
Upon hearing Ian's words, Eresh visibly relaxed. She smiled and nodded.
Clearly, Eresh still had a lot of faith in Irene.
At least in Eresh's eyes, Irene seemed far more reliable than her own mother, Selene.
Meanwhile, in the world of Elentear…
"Who would have thought!"
"We'd be working together someday…"
Next to Selene was an old dragon with a long beard. This dragon exuded a powerful aura, which, though not quite as strong as a Dragon God, wasn't far off.
"To think that the help Irene said she'd find for me turns out to be you?!"
Selene glanced at the huge dragon by her side, showing slight dissatisfaction.
"No matter what, our goals are aligned, at least for now, aren't they?"
The old dragon replied coldly as he looked at Selene.
"Then let's work well together, Elefseria!"
"Knowing Ignia and the others, those foolish dragons will likely launch their first attack on Elentear soon."
Selene chuckled but didn't say anything more.
Indeed, there had never been a large-scale rebellion in Elentear…
Even if the White Priestesses had gained Dragon Slayer power, in Selene's eyes, they were still insignificant.
Selene's purpose for staying in Elentear was simple—
It was to guard against an invasion by "Flame God Dragon" Ignia and "Earth God Dragon" Dogramag, who had already found Elentear.
Though Ignia had convinced Dogramag, "Wood God Dragon" Aldoron, "Water God Dragon" Mercphobia, and "Gold God Dragon" Viernes to form an Anti-Ian Alliance after discovering that Ian was still alive…
The only Dragon God to actually respond to Ignia's call was his close friend Dogramag. The others had their own plans and only verbally agreed to Ignia's proposal but had taken no action, each waiting for an opportunity.
Everyone was waiting to see who would make the first move.
As for Irene and Selene, to counteract Ignia and Dogramag, one returned to Elentear, preparing for battle on home ground…
The other returned to the Western Continent, the Alvarez Empire, to use the empire's power while awaiting Ignia and Dogramag's arrival.
Moreover, Irene wasn't alone—besides herself, she had the mighty "Magic King" August, and if necessary, she could even summon the "Black Wizard" Zeref. This made it highly unlikely that Ignia would attack her.
In Irene's view, Ignia had most likely set his sights on Elentear, which was occupied by Selene. So, to help Selene fend off Ignia's attack, Irene contacted Elefseria, the Dragon Slayer Mage of Guiltina in the north, and asked him to head to Elentear to assist Selene.
For context, Elefseria was the one who had issued the Hundred-Year Quest. He called himself the "Law Dragon" and regarded all knowledge in the world as his own power.
As for the continent of Ishgar, where Ian was currently located?! It had the strongest guardian in the world—the invincible "Black Dragon King," Acnologia. Therefore, Irene and Selene had nothing to worry about there.
While Fairy Tail guild continued their celebrations…
A game of chess that could determine the fate of Earthland and Elentear was beginning.
"By the way…"
"Selene, did you return to defend Elentear in such a hurry because you already sensed Ignia's movements?! When do you think they'll invade?"
In the world of Elentear…
"Law Dragon" Elefseria looked at "Moon Dragon" Selene, puzzled.
Elefseria thought that if Ignia's invasion was going to happen in the next few weeks or months, he'd just stay in Elentear for the time being, without going anywhere.
"Yes…"
"Based on my estimates, if Ignia and Dogramag's plans go well, they will take action within the next twenty years!"
"In fact, if they act quickly, they could be ready in as little as ten years to launch an all-out attack on Elentear."
"We don't have much time to prepare…"
Selene answered seriously.
"Huh?"
Elefseria was stunned by the response.
So when Selene said Ignia was about to act, she meant "soon" in terms of years?! Well, considering the different perception of time between dragons and humans, it made sense.
For these dragons, who could live for a thousand years, practically immortal…
Ten or twenty years might be equivalent to a few months or weeks for humans.
It was understandable that Selene felt time was pressing.
It just left the Dragon Slayer Mage Elefseria feeling somewhat speechless.
Back at the Fairy Tail guild…
"Everyone, drink up! Drink up!"
The Fairy Tail members were drinking heavily, singing joyously, fighting, destroying tables and chairs, and wrecking the guild.
"You all really need to stop."
Makarov sighed powerlessly, looking at the scene before him.
"Natsu, hit him in the face!"
"Gray, use your Ice-Make to freeze Natsu's feet!"
"Lyon, I've told you repeatedly, while your ice sculpting is flexible, your attack power is too weak. You need to work on that..."
Next to Makarov, "Fairy Strategist" Mavis was cheering on and even guiding Natsu, Gray, and Lyon in their brawl, enthusiastically throwing punches into the air.
"Mavis, guild master, you need to stop too."
Makarov's heart nearly broke.
What could he do with a guild like this?!
Originally, Makarov thought that the return of Mavis, the First Guild Master, in her spirit form would somewhat help alleviate the burden of leading the guild.
However, after coming back, Mavis didn't help at all. In fact, under Mavis' leadership, the whole Fairy Tail guild had grown even more chaotic.
"Click!"
Just as Makarov didn't know what to do...
The doors of the Fairy Tail guild were pushed open gently. Such a soft action was definitely not typical of Fairy Tail members, and Makarov noticed immediately.
Fairy Tail mages always kicked the door open.
"The Fairy Tail guild, huh?! It's been a while since I returned."
An old man in a white cloak with a staff shaped like the Fairy Tail emblem walked in, smiling broadly.
"Hey! Makarov, you grew up and got old! Anyway, it's been a while."
The old man was none other than Precht Gaebolg, the second guild master of Fairy Tail and one of its founders. Upon hearing that Makarov had started keeping dragons in the guild, he couldn't stay still and rushed back from Grimoire Heart to Fairy Tail.
"You…"
"No, you, you are…"
Upon seeing who had entered, Makarov stood up from his seat at the bar in the deepest part of the Fairy Tail guildhall…
Makarov, overcome with emotions, had tears in his eyes. His face turned slightly red, and a soft "drip, drip" sound echoed on the bar top.
Because both of Makarov's parents—Yuri Dreyar and Rita—passed away far too early…
It wouldn't be wrong to say Makarov was practically raised by Precht.
Seeing the man who had been both like a teacher and father to him standing before him again, Makarov was overwhelmed. His old face was tear-streaked.
"Makarov, I'm back!"
Precht smiled, gripping his staff firmly as he walked steadily towards Makarov.
"Splatter!"
But, halfway there, half a cream cake fell from above, landing right on Precht's head.
"…"
Precht touched the cream on his head, tightening his grip on his staff as the kind smile on his face grew stiff.
Had this been Grimoire Heart, he would have already exploded in anger.
But this was Fairy Tail!
He had to endure it. He had to endure it.
"Haha…"
"Your guild's mages sure are energetic, Makarov."
Precht chuckled and continued towards the back of the guild.
"Damn it, Natsu, give me back my shorts!"
Gray, holding a black basketball, charged at Natsu once more.
"Where did this perverted brat come from?!"
Seeing Gray with the basketball, Precht was momentarily stunned—what an eyesore.
What was Makarov doing, welcoming him like this? Was it intentional, or just coincidence?!
"Enough!"
Just as Precht was close to snapping his staff in frustration, a piercing thunderous voice suddenly echoed through the first-floor hall of the Fairy Tail guild.
"Zzzzzz!"
Golden lightning crackled and rumbled as it descended from above, directly aiming for Natsu and the others.
"I'm outta here!"
Natsu, seemingly all too familiar with this kind of lightning, immediately ducked his head at the sound of the crackling.
"Boom!"
The golden lightning narrowly missed Natsu's head, instead striking Precht directly.
"Uh..."
Precht's once well-kept hair now resembled the fur of an angry cat, each strand standing on end. His face was blackened, and he looked more like a comedic character than the wise elder he had once seemed.
"This is a power move! Makarov set this whole thing up to humiliate me!"
Precht muttered to himself, his face darkening in frustration.
There was no doubt about it—Makarov feared Precht would seize control of the guild, and this chaos was deliberately arranged. He had instructed these reckless kids to play pranks on him… Cake thrown on his head, lightning strikes—it had to be intentional!
"Darned Makarov."
Precht could no longer hold back his anger, and he crushed the staff in his hand.
"QUIET!"
Just as Precht was about to lose control of his rage, Makarov, who had been sitting at the bar, his eyes wet with emotion as he watched Precht, finally managed to calm his feelings and shouted in anger. His shout echoed through the rowdy guild, silencing it.
"Uh..."
At Makarov's command, the once chaotic Fairy Tail guild immediately became dead silent. It was so quiet that if you dropped a pin, everyone would hear it.
It was only after the members quieted down that they noticed Precht's presence.
"Makarov, you did this on purpose."
Precht, glaring at Makarov with an angry expression, felt absolutely no gratitude towards him. Instead, he was blowing his mustache and glaring, practically ready to teach Makarov a harsh lesson.
If looks could kill, Makarov would have already been dead a hundred times! Precht's anger was simmering. Makarov could have easily stopped all this chaos before it even started. But instead, he let the guild members mess with Precht for so long—throwing cake at him, electrocuting him—before finally intervening...
If that wasn't deliberate, what was?!
"Hey! Isn't that the second guild master, Precht?"
"What brings you here?"
In the silence, Laxus, who was lazily leaning against the second-floor railing, looked at Precht and spoke in his usual casual tone.
"You brat."
Precht looked up, and upon seeing Laxus, his eyes narrowed.
He knew of Laxus, Makarov's grandson, and was aware of his powerful strength.
"Laxus! Shut your mouth!"
"What kind of attitude is that?!"
"The person before you is none other than Precht Gaebolg, one of the founders of Fairy Tail and the second guild master!"
Makarov sternly reprimanded Laxus before introducing Precht to everyone loudly.
"The second guild master? He's still alive?"
"Wasn't he said to have gone missing a long time ago?"
"Incredible! It's like we're witnessing history..."
Upon hearing Makarov's words, the Fairy Tail members were stunned. They widened their eyes and looked at Precht in disbelief.
"So that means, right now, the first guild master Mavis, the second guild master Precht, and the third guild master Makarov are all here?!"
Someone among the guild members suddenly pointed out this fact, causing everyone to gasp in astonishment.
After all, seeing the three Fairy Tail guild masters together was no ordinary event. The first master, Mavis, had already passed away, while the second master had been out of sight for many years. Witnessing them all together was like striking a goldmine of luck.
"Hmph."
Precht only snorted coldly in response. A burst of powerful magic energy exploded from his body as he retaliated against Makarov for his earlier prank. The intense magic pressure was meant to show these young wizards what the true depth of magic was.
After showing his overwhelming power, Precht used a cleansing spell to remove the cream from his head, activated his Requip magic, and donned a fresh outfit. He then walked with big strides towards Makarov and his beloved first guild master, Mavis.
"Oh?"
On the second floor, Laxus, who had recently become an S-class wizard and found everything else dull, suddenly raised an eyebrow.
As he sensed the overwhelming power emanating from Precht, he grew interested, his eyes lighting up.
"Second guild master, huh?"
"I heard the second master was the most talented of all the Fairy Tail founders..."
"In other words, his strength now must be above Master Warrod's!"
"I wonder, if they really fought, how much stronger the second master would be compared to Master Warrod?"
Laxus's eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at Precht, eager to see his strength firsthand.
"Mavis, I'm back."
"This time, I absolutely won't let what happened in the past happen again..."
"I will protect you."
Because Precht had mistakenly thought that the chaos in Fairy Tail had been orchestrated by Makarov to teach him a lesson, he didn't show Makarov any goodwill. Instead, he turned directly to his beloved first master, Mavis, and declared his loyalty.
"Huh?"
"No need!"
"Precht, I told you before that you need to have your own dreams and ambitions."
"As for me, I'm well-protected by the current guild master Makarov and all of Fairy Tail's members."
Mavis tilted her head and, with the most innocent expression, said the words that broke Precht's heart the most.
What's the greatest harm to a simp in this world? It's not when the goddess dislikes you—it's when she never cared about you to begin with.
"Ugh…"
Hearing Mavis's words, Precht smiled—a bitter smile—before coughing up blood.
"Second master? Second master, what's wrong?"
"Second master, you have to stay strong!"
The only one in the entire Fairy Tail guild who still had deep feelings for Precht was Makarov, whom Precht didn't even care about.
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