Inside his office at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Makarov leaned back in his enormous chair, rubbing his temples.
He looked at the preliminary report filed by Erza regarding the Eisenwald incident, which detailed Arthur's "impossible" actions.
"The council is likely not approving of them creating a guild,"
Makarov sighed, the thought of bureaucratic resistance compounding his headache.
He knew the Magic Council didn't tolerate variables, and a group led by an individual who could conceptually nullify magic and move entire teams across vast distances was the ultimate variable.
They didn't like outsiders, especially ones whose power was immeasurable.
A sudden, cheerful voice broke his somber thoughts.
"Hey, Old man. You are very strong. Do you want to have a fight with me?"
Milim asked, seated casually on his desk, already halfway through a massive bag of Makarov's emergency high-calorie snacks.
Makarov looked up at the terrifyingly innocent girl who treated his office like her personal pantry.
He shook his head wearily.
"I am too old for that, and my desk is not a chair."
Milim merely shrugged and continued happily munching.
Watching her innocently mulching on his snacks, Makarov felt a fresh wave of dread.
He knew, with a certainty that chilled him to the bone, that even in her current state, Milim could destroy their entire guild hall and the surrounding town without a second thought.
'If it wasn't for that seal... everyone here might have been killed by her playful boredom,'
Makarov thought, focusing his magical senses on the suppression field around her.
He couldn't decipher the seal's nature, but he knew it was absolutely suppressing her innate destructive power.
And yet, even suppressed, the residual energy she leaked was as strong as his own fully released power!
'What a scary group of people,'
He mused, leaning forward.
'Hopefully, the Council wouldn't be stupid enough to offend them.'
Makarov sighed, adding another sigh to his running count for the day.
He had a feeling his quiet retirement was permanently canceled.
In the bustling Magnolia marketplace, Arthur had successfully set up a stall.
Above the counter, a banner read: "Stark & Co.: Consumables for the High-Level Mage."
"Wow, these potions are very good!"
A burly customer exclaimed, clutching a newly purchased blue liquid.
"My reserves feel topped up instantly!"
Arthur could be seen diligently selling his high-grade Mana, Health, and Stamina Potions, assisted by Rimuru, Shion, and Shuna.
They also had an unexpected, yet valuable, assistant: Lucy Heartfilia.
Lucy was there for the money.
"Danger-free jobs are always good!"
She'd told Arthur with wide eyes.
Helping sell Arthur's powerful, fast-moving potions guaranteed her a cut equal to a small, low-risk mission—a massive boost to her current finances.
As midday approached, the frantic flow of customers began to taper off.
Arthur tallied the receipts.
"Alright, you all take care of the shop for me,"
Arthur said, satisfied with the morning's haul.
"I have something to do that requires a little privacy and focus."
"Okay, I will take care of the shop for you,"
Rimuru replied, her eyes twinkling with understanding.
She knew exactly what Arthur was setting off to do: attempt the creation of a Conceptual Celestial Key.
If he succeeded, the possibilities were limitless, and she certainly planned to ask him to make one for each of them.
Handing the money pouch to Rimuru, Arthur slipped away from the market and headed back to their temporary apartment, leaving the team in charge of their surprisingly lucrative side business...