Marco could somewhat understand the changes in Laxus's attitude and personality.
As the grandson—and biological grandson at that—of Makarov, Laxus bore immense pressure and expectations.
After all, the name Makarov Dreyar was renowned throughout the entire Ishgar continent as one of the "Ten Wizard Saints."
This title, awarded by the Magic Council of Ishgar, represented the ten most outstanding Mages on the continent, each possessing remarkable contributions and Magic Power.
They could be considered the S-Class among S-Class Mages!
For the longest time, the biggest label attached to Laxus was 'Makarov's grandson'.
If he succeeded, it was simply what 'Makarov's grandson' ought to achieve.
If he failed, it was 'a disgrace to Makarov's name'.
The expectations and pressure brought by his grandfather's prestige twisted this once well-behaved, warm-hearted child into someone extreme.
Unable to receive genuine recognition, constantly scrutinized under critical and harsh gazes, Laxus grew obsessed with pursuing strength—he wanted to surpass the mountain that was Makarov, looming over him.
Compared to Laxus, Marco had it much easier.
After all, he was adopted and people tended to be more forgiving and understanding towards him.
When Marco displayed exceptional magical talent, people praised him, saying Makarov was lucky to have picked up such a gifted grandson.
In a way, this blatant disparity in treatment was one of the reasons behind Laxus current temperament.
Marco went upstairs and returned to his room on the third floor.
Makarov lived on the first floor, the second floor housed the study and 'that man' former room, while the third floor belonged to Marco and Laxus.
Once in his room, Marco immediately took out the 'Equuleus Bronze Cloth'.
This Cloth was stored within the Saint System's inventory space, where Marco could keep rewards from previous missions.
However, this space could only hold items produced by the Saint System.
Clang.
A square, intricately patterned box landed heavily on the floor.
It was sizable, adorned with the constellation symbol of Equuleus.
This box was also a treasure—a special Cloth Box designed to store the Cloth, functioning similarly to a 'life-support device for the Cloth'.
Tailored for each specific Cloth, it enhanced the garment's self-repair capabilities.
Cloths possessed life, much like living beings.
They could self-repair and evolve, growing stronger with each restoration, their weight and appearance even changing as a result.
At this moment, Marco could clearly sense his connection to the Cloth, feeling its lively pulse.
Click.
With a thought, Marco channeled his Magic Power towards the Cloth Box.
The box immediately opened, revealing the Cloth inside—a blue-based garment accented with red and silver, shaped like a leaping horse.
"Come, show me your true form."
With another mental command, the Equuleus Bronze Cloth trembled before swiftly disassembling and transforming into armor components.
The armor from the four horse legs flew up and covered Marco's arms and legs, with red crystals adorning the arm and leg guards.
The horse's head contracted and unfolded into a circlet shape, settling onto Marco's head.
This circlet closely resembled that of the Pegasus constellation, featuring a small horse-head ornament at the front and a pair of tiny wings on either side.
The horse's body transformed into shoulder armor, chest plate and a combat skirt, protecting the upper body and waist.
This Cloth provided considerable coverage—among Bronze Cloths, it was one of the more extensive, shielding nearly all vital areas.
"Fits surprisingly well."
Marco flexed his body.
At just under twelve years old, he was still growing rapidly, changing almost yearly.
But there was no need to worry—the Cloth could adjust to its wearer's physique.
As its owner grew, the Cloth would evolve alongside him, always maintaining the most optimal fit.
"It really has been localized. Otherwise, I shouldn't have been able to wear it at all."
Marco threw a few experimental punches, feeling a surge of immense power coursing through him.
Beyond its protective functions, the Cloth significantly enhanced his physical abilities and Magic Power efficiency, proving far more effective than he'd imagined.
Under normal circumstances, a Saint would need to ignite their Cosmo to synchronize the Cloth with their spirit, unlocking its full potential.
Without this, the Cloth would merely be an extremely heavy suit of armor, offering no enhancements whatsoever.
But for Marco, none of this was an issue.
The moment he obtained the Cloth, it had already recognized him as its master—this was the effect of the [Saint System].
Clad in the 'Equuleus Cloth' Marco flipped open an illustrated book depicting various constellations.
Sure enough, 'Equuleus' was listed among the 'Northern Constellations' positioned just behind 'Pegasus'.
In the star chart, only the horse's head was visible, making it the second-smallest constellation, barely larger than the Southern Cross.
The book in Marco's hands was a guide on 'Celestial Spirit Magic'—a rare, ancient summoning magic deeply tied to the constellations.
Practitioners of this magic, known as 'Celestial Spirit Mages', they can summoned spirits from the Celestial Spirit World to fight alongside them.
Each summon required a Gate Key as a medium to call forth the corresponding spirit.
Clearly, this was an entirely different system from Marco's magic.
He was merely borrowing the name 'Celestial Spirit Magic' as a cover—he hadn't yet settled on a proper name for his own magic.
Calling it 'Saint Magic' outright would be far too blunt.
'Return.'
With a thought, Marco recalled the 'Equuleus Bronze Cloth' It immediately detached from his body and returned to its box, reassembling into the shape of the small horse.
Storing the Cloth box back into the [Saint System], Marco experimented a few more times.
He found he could summon and equip the 'Equuleus Bronze Cloth' directly without manifesting the box first, eliminating an unnecessary step.
"This is no different from Requip Magic."
Marco was quite satisfied with this ability.
'Requip' was a spatial-type magic and for close-combat Mages, it was essentially a must-learn spell.
After mastering this magic, one would open up a personal armory to store weapons.
During battle, using 'Requip Magic' allowed for rapid weapon swaps, eliminating the need to carry weapons around—extremely convenient.
Erza was a master of this magic, though she was even more exceptional.
The magic she wielded was 'Requip Magic: Knight' granting her a vast armory that could store not just weapons but also numerous sets of armor for quick changes.
Basic 'Requip Magic' typically opened only a small armory, limited to swapping weapons in hand.
High-tier variants like 'Knight' weren't something just anyone could master.
Now, Marco had essentially acquired 'Requip Magic: Knight' by proxy, though his storage space was even larger, ensuring he'd never run out of room or need to stash items elsewhere.