"Need any help?"
At the kitchen doorway, Erza poked her head in and asked, her fiery red hair particularly eye-catching.
"No need."
Mirajane refused without hesitation, defending her territory.
"Uh..."
Marco closed his mouth.
He had wanted to suggest that Erza help him with the preparations, but Mirajane was the ruler of the kitchen.
Since the ruler had spoken, he couldn't bring himself to say anything more.
"Oh, got it."
Erza responded, then simply stood there, staring blankly at Mirajane with no intention of leaving.
Marco gave Erza a puzzled look, wondering why she was standing there.
Did she have something else to say?
But no, Erza just stood there without any intention of speaking, simply watching Mirajane the whole time.
"#####!"
Mirajane, holding a kitchen knife, stopped chopping.
She turned around and glared at Erza standing at the doorway, feeling veins bulge on her forehead.
"Didn't I already say we don't need help?" Mirajane asked, her face was full of confusion.
"I'm not helping."
Erza widened her eyes, answering as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
She spread her hands as if to prove she really wasn't helping.
"..."
This straightforward response left both Marco and Mirajane speechless.
"Then why are you still standing here?" Mirajane took a deep breath to calm herself.
This was Marco's new home—she couldn't start a fight with Erza here.
"I want to learn how you cook." Erza answered earnestly, not hiding her thoughts.
When it came to cooking, she truly admired Mirajane.
She admitted that Mirajane had far surpassed her in culinary skills—the gap between them was probably as wide as the difference in strength between them and Marco.
"Learn... how I cook?" Mirajane was stunned by Erza's words.
Clearly, she hadn't expected this response.
"Is that not allowed?" Erza tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"Of course it is! Come here."
Once she processed it, Mirajane immediately agreed, her expression growing excited.
She was more than happy to teach Erza—it gave her a sense of accomplishment.
"Come on, let's do this together."
Seeing the two reach an understanding, Marco sighed in relief.
He smiled and waved Erza over to join him in assisting.
"Marco, if Erza's helping, we don't need you anymore."
However, Mirajane didn't seem to want all three of them working together.
She directly told Marco, her tone leaving no room for argument
. This was the authority of the kitchen's ruler—within these walls, her word was law, and even Marco had to obey.
"Uh... seriously?" Marco looked incredulous.
He hadn't expected that letting Erza join would cost him his job.
Was Mira really insisting on giving Erza private lessons?
Couldn't she tolerate one extra person standing nearby?
"Fine, I'll leave. You two better get along and not blow up my new kitchen."
Though Marco grumbled internally, he acted decisively.
After a brief reminder, he simply walked out to make room for Erza.
"Don't worry, with me in the kitchen, nothing will go wrong."
Mirajane patted her chest as she guaranteed, the thumping sounds echoing without any cushioning effect whatsoever.
"Let's hope so."
Watching Mirajane make this promise, Marco pondered whether his decision to leave the kitchen was truly the right one.
"We're not Natsu and Gray, you know."
Seeing Marco's worried expression, Erza chimed in as well.
"Good luck with your learning."
Shifting his gaze to Erza, Marco offered her a word of encouragement.
As for Erza's argument, it made little sense
. The destruction caused by Natsu and Gray's fights couldn't possibly compare to the havoc Erza and Mirajane might wreak.
Moreover, Marco would bet anything that even if those two boys were given extra courage, they wouldn't dare cause any damage in his house.
With lingering concerns, Marco left the kitchen for the living room, where quite a lively scene greeted him.
Natsu, Gray, and the other boys had all gathered there.
Since everyone was moving into new homes today, it wouldn't make sense to hold housewarming parties at each place.
Thus, they'd decided to celebrate together at Marco's house.
Fortunately, Marco's home was spacious enough that everyone could enjoy the festivities without feeling cramped.
The new houses built by Natsu and Gray weren't particularly large—after all, as single men living alone, they didn't need much space.
Their homes lacked the specialized rooms Marco had, like the recording studio and study.
Having this big crowd at their places would have been uncomfortably tight.
Though Natsu had Happy living with him, the cat didn't even need his own room.
The pair could sleep together just fine, keeping each other company.
Watching the kids playing in small groups around the living room, Marco smiled but didn't join in.
Though they were technically guests in his home, this was a collective celebration rather than a formal hosting situation where he needed to entertain.
Everyone could relax and enjoy themselves without formalities.
Calling it a housewarming was really just an excuse for everyone to gather, rest, and unwind.
Without such an occasion, some might have been off on jobs, making it impossible to get everyone together.
Marco went upstairs and found Hisui playing the lyre in the music room—the source of the melodious notes filling the house.
In the study, Lucy was deeply engrossed in reading the unpublished manuscript of The Great Detective Holmes III.
The third installment had indeed been difficult to complete, mainly because Marco had been too busy to devote much energy to writing.
"Marco-san."
Noticing Marco's entrance, the golden-haired Lucy immediately set down the book and greeted him, her expression showing traces of nervousness and restraint.
Though unaccustomed to calling him "Master," she held Marco in high respect.
Her restraint came from still being relatively new to Fairy Tail, so while she got along well with everyone, her relationships naturally weren't as close as those who'd known each other for years.
As for the nervousness? That stemmed from her studies.
To date, Lucy still couldn't establish resonance with celestial constellations, which frustrated her and made her feel she was failing Marco's teachings.