"..." Zack, nor did Cana or Gray said a word, besides opening their months either slightly or fully at Makarov's words. While the old man himself nodded to himself inwardly.
While there are many reasons why Makarov wanted to retire from being a Guild Master, mostly due to his own age, times like these, times when his wisdom can help these damned brats of his, are moments that Makarov liked the most as his role, as both an elder, and as well as a leader.
"I… did not know that… you are right, master… I needed that, thanks." Zack honestly went, after a moment of silence, which Makarov nodded in understanding.
"No need to thanks me, my boy, that is my role, as both as your Guild Master, as well an adult. So, please tell me lad, when will you be leaving?" Makarov went, hopping down from the table he was standing on, and took the empty seat besides Gray, across from Cana, who is next to Zack.
"I don't know… but I don't want to leave, without giving my goodbyes to everyone. As for money, I don't really need that to travel around." Zack simply told, while Makarov sighed upon hearing that.
"While I wouldn't deny that lad, but I still think it is necessary to have money. Luckily there is a way to gained the money you need, remember about the guidebook you were given when you joined us?" Makarov askes, taking out what seems to be a small book from the inside of his yellow jacket.
"Guidebook…?" Zack went in confusion, as this is the first time he heard such a thing.
"Oh… I forgot about there was that book… what was written in it again?" Cana simply went.
"I don't think you given Zack one, Master, and is it me, it looked less… thicker compared to the one you given me." Gray went, recalling about the guidebook he was given, is nearly twice as thick as the one in Makarov's hands.
Upon hearing the teenagers, Makarov sighed at Cana's words, causing him to think why does he even bother, while he also realised, he had indeed forgotten to give Zack a guidebook, and yet again, it was no wonder why Makarov forgotten to give Zack one, especially the state Zack was in 2 years ago.
"Hahaha, you are right, it must slip out of my mind… and yes, I had to updated the current guidebook, making it simpler and more straightforward, here Zack, and sorry not giving you one. Normally when we gained a new member, they will be given a guidebook, this explains what are our Guild's rules, as well our ethics.
Of course, it also explains how the Job System works, what they are, as well, another thing this book has, is the services the Guild can offer to their members, outside offering them both knowledge and work." Makarov went, placing the guidebook onto the table, before tossing it at Zack.
"Wait… we have rules??" Both Zack, who picked up the guidebook, as well Cana looked in beyond shock, in complete disbelief, that their Guild actually has rules??
Of course, seeing the two teenagers having such expressions, like they just found out the world is actually round, caused this old man to flinched at their words.
"Putting Zack aside, Cana, I take it, you had not read the guidebook? Otherwise you wouldn't be so shocked seeing we have rules, what Guild has no rules? Uou damned brats, I put in a lot of effort in making those damned guidebooks, least read them!" Makarov went, causing Cana to not only look away from the raging small old man, but also awkwardly laughed while doing so.
"You… not talking about loans the Guild offers, right?" Gray, who seems to read the old version of this guidebook, seen what Makarov is on about.
"Aye, that is right, least one of you brats read the damned thing, but yes, there is indeed a system in placed that can offer members of our Guild loans that are called Guild Loans." Makarov told.
(AN: This is not a canon thing, but I do think it is realistic enough for there to be a system like that, within the services a Guild can offer their members.)
"I don't know about that, Master… Erza warned me to not get involve with anything that related to loans and all." Zack went, as he recalled the warnings Erza often told Zack over a year ago, when he was still completely clueless about the world.
Someone like him, will be the perfect target for such people, is what Erza often said regarding loans and such.
"Hahaha, that is good insight to have, but in life, anything can happen. Not to mention Guild Loans are different to normal loans, they just reduced the Base Fee and increased the Guild Fee until the Guild Loan is paid off." Makarov went.
"Guild Fees?? Base Fee??" Cana and Zack went, Makarov expected this from Zack, since he just learnt by this, but from Cana? Makarov does not know to sigh or cry at this.
"It has to do with how taxes work here, Cana." Gray went, the only one besides Makarov who wrote the damned thing, that knew how commissions work within the guild.
"Nope, I am too sober to care about something like taxes…" Cana went with clear no interest in this matter.
"Well, lass, let me explain it to you." Makarov went with a smirk, enjoying the annoyed look on Cana's face. If this was not a serious conversation, without a doubt, the young heavy drinker might move to another table.
"As you may know, one of the main incomes of any Guild, is the portion they get from the commissions of Jobs that you guys earned, this is what we call the Guild Fee, the money that the Guild gets from any Job. While the other portions are called the Base Fee, the money the Wizard who complete the commission gets, while the other portions are taxes that goes to both the Magic Council, as well the government, therefor the Tax Fee as well the Council Fee." Makarov went, explaining this, mostly to Cana, who looked bothered having Makarov focused on her.
"Fees this, and fee that, that too many fees, Master, I always thought the money the Guild earns, are mostly from the pub or the bar." Cana went, as she sighed.
"Hahaha, sorry to disappoint you, my dear, but no, not even the money we get from all those drinks we sell, will cover for all the damages you damned brats cause! Anyway, the way how this works, the money from the commission is spilt into 15 shares, 10 shares will go to the Wizard, aka the Base Fee, then 2 shares will go to both the Guild Fee and the Tax Fee, making the last share will go to the Magic Council itself."
"So, that means, the client always pays 50% more we get from the Job?" Zack askes, reading from the guidebook, turning his eyes towards Makarov, who nodded at this.
"Aye, that is how it works. Least how it works for Normal Jobs, S-Class Jobs and above works differently, but the same way. Anyway, let go back to the topic, once you get a Guild Loan, reward money you will be getting will be reduced by anywhere 10% to 50%.
Oh, by the way, you brats, if you are curious, the one who created this Guild Loan system, was the First Guild Master of Fairy Tail herself. Back those days, life wasn't easy for our kind, so, in order not to burden newcomers that joined Fairy Tail back those days, this system was created.
Anyway, just keep in mind, the interest fee of any Guild Loan is 100%, meaning any amount you get from a Guild Loan double must be repay back. And another thing to knew about Guild Loans, you cannot take two Guild Loans out at once, and the amount of the Guild Loan itself is up to the Guild Master him or herself."
Makarov told, as he looked at Zack, who looked through the small guidebook in his hand, and flipped the pages.
"Guild Loan huh… but it says in the book, if no Job or any form of payment is pay within each month, you will be both expelled from the Guild… and fined ten times the amount you initial borrowed from the Guild… I wouldn't be able to pay anything until I returned, Master." Zack went.
At first this Guild Loan fixed the money problem of him leaving. However… seeing the rule of what happened if you do not pay anything back within each month, is a problem for Zack who would be bounded to not make any form of payment in a long time.
"Don't worry about that, it only put in place, to scared anyone with ill intentions, of course, there been cases when fools thought to take advantage of this system in the past. So, it is true that will happen, but there are expectations." Makarov went.
"I see…" Zack only said, still looking through the guidebook, shockingly enough, besides few things, most of them is what Erza already told him, besides the rules, which are very few.
Like do not betray your follow guild member, do not steal or murder, and other such rules, that are more common sense than anything.
"So, you going to take the Guild Loan?" Gray askes, as he looked at guidebook in Zack's hand.
"Yeah, maybe, it fixes the money issue, and I don't mind getting my commissions cut until I replay it all back. But how much will I be getting? And what do I even spend it on? Only things I can think of, is clothing, food and seasonings, but that just it." Zack honestly went.
While Zack has loads of information and knowledge regarding survival skills and such within his mind, but those methods and knowledge are all based on surviving alone, how to survive in any situation, how to create tools from the wildness.
In other words, the survival knowledge Zack has, is more primitive than modern, the kind of knowledge that ensures his survival in any place, in any kind of weather… but that just it.
So, it is no wonder why Zack is clueless what kind of preparations he needed with money, besides rations, and clothing, he has truly no clue what the other things he needed to prepare.
"Best one to ask will be Erza, you needed to talk with her when she comes back anyway, so just asked she what things you needed to do, for such long journeys, after all, Erza often take on Jobs that takes her all over Fiore, and even sometimes outside Fiore, she will be more help than anyone among our age." Gray simply told, while Zack nodded at his reasoning.
"Enough, enough about this talk of taxes or whatever else is there, I told you guys I am too sober for things like that! Speaking of being sober, since you leaving and all, how about we get blasted, a little farewell party, how about it?" Cana went with a smirk, causing Gray to sighed.
"It not been confirmed when he will be leaving Cana, isn't it too early for a farewell party?" Gray went with reason, but he inwardly knew, party or not, it just another excuse and reason to drink for, which only mattered to this alcoholic teenager.
"He will be leaving when he told everyone and got his things in order, right? What the best time and place to tell everyone, a party, Gray. And he can tell Erza and those who misses the party tomorrow, or on the day he leaves, so there is no backing away from this, right, Gray?" Cana's smirk got wider, causing Gray to place his hands on his face.
"Fine, fine, I get it." Gray went, knowing there is no way of backing away from this, especially knowing this might be the last time for a long time, for the three of them could get a drink together.
"But… I have no money." Zack went, even if he going to get a loan, he still only has 200 Jewels on hand, only enough to get a single non-alcoholic beverage.
"Fufu, that the thing about throwing a farewell parties, the one going away, does not pay." Cana went with a wide grin.
"Hahaha, that is a good idea, but not now you brats. It is still the middle of the day, wait until the evening, when the others will arrive. Now then, I still got other matters to attend to, so I will see you three later." Makarov went, agreeing with Cana's farewell plan, but it is still too early to have such a party, especially in this guild.