The atmosphere returned to normal as everyone headed to the guild together.
Today was a big day—there was an important announcement to be made at the guild, which was why they had all gotten up so early.
Otherwise, they didn't need to go to the guild every day—it wasn't like a job.
You only needed to visit the guild frequently if you wanted to take on requests.
If you wanted to rest, you could stay away for as long as you liked without any issues.
"Marco, did I qualify?"
Walking toward the guild, Cana asked Marco quietly, her voice filled with nervousness.
She was terrified of hearing a disappointing answer.
"I don't know either. We'll have to wait and see the results."
Marco shook his head.
As for this year's list of candidates for the S-Class promotion exam, he genuinely didn't know.
He only had the right to make recommendations—whether they were accepted or not was up to Makarov's judgment.
"Alright..."
Cana was a little disappointed, her heart still pounding with anxiety.
She had worked so hard last year—surely she wouldn't fail to even qualify this time, right?
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll make it."
Marco tried to ease Cana's nerves, though deep down, he didn't actually believe she could pass the exam.
Still, qualifying for the test shouldn't be a problem.
"Yeah! I definitely will!"
Encouraged by Marco, Cana nodded and regained her confidence.
If even Marco acknowledged her efforts last year, there was no way master Makarov would deny her the chance to take the exam.
"This year, I'm definitely going to succeed!"
Unlike Cana, Erza and Mirajane weren't worried about qualifying for the exam at all.
Both of them were already prepared to compete for this year's S-Class Magic user title.
By the time the group arrived at the guild, the hall was already packed with people, all waiting for the announcement of this year's exam candidates.
Marco glanced around and noticed some new faces—like Freed, with his green hair, dressed in a red double-breasted coat and carrying a rapier; Evergreen, with her long brown hair, wearing a green dress and holding a fan; and Bickslow, who looked like a strange knight with his helmet on.
The three of them stood together, immediately catching Marco's attention.
They had one thing in common—they all belonged to a squad called the "Thunder God Tribe."
Just from the name, it was clear this squad was closely tied to Laxus.
These three had formed the group out of admiration for Laxus's power and ideals—they were his "followers."
Among them, Freed was Laxus's number one fan.
Bickslow and Evergreen had been recruited by him.
Evergreen had joined Fairy Tail simply because she had loved stories about fairies since childhood.
She adored "fairies," and the guild's name was the main reason she joined—she didn't care much about anything else.
As for why she joined the "Thunder God Tribe," it was mostly because Freed had extended an olive branch to her.
Before that, she hadn't made any friends, so she naturally blended into Freed's circle, becoming a member of the Thunder God Tribe and a fan of Laxus.
If we were to rank these three by "loyalty," there's no doubt it would be Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen in that order.
Marco glanced around, feeling like there should be an original member of the "Thunder God Tribe" who had been a fan of Laxus far earlier than these three.
That's right—it was Chico!
Marco suddenly remembered that girl with an extremely low presence and couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
Chico's "Urban Legend" magic had practically turned her into an "urban legend" herself.
"Ahem, is everyone here?"
While Marco was searching for Chico, Makarov appeared on the second floor of the guild—standing on the railing, of course. If he stood below, he'd be completely hidden.
"Whether everyone's here or not, I'm going to announce this year's list now."
Without waiting for the guild members below to respond, Makarov continued.
"Exam proctors: Marco, Laxus, and Gildarts."
First announced were the proctors for this year's exam.
All three S-Class Magic users would participate.
Though Gildarts and Laxus weren't present now, they'd return by the time the exam began.
Marco leaped up, landing directly on the second floor beside Makarov—a space reserved for S-Class Mages, drawing envious looks from everyone below.
"Next, the examinee list: Erza, Mirajane, Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Hisui, Juvia, Elfman, Lisanna, and Cana."
Makarov announced the names, eliciting mixed reactions—joy from those selected like Cana, and disappointment from those left out, like Levy, who was comforted by Lucy.
Though Lucy herself hadn't made the list, she wasn't surprised.
She'd spent most of her time training and hadn't been very active in taking on jobs.
Besides, with her father covering her tuition and living expenses, she had no reason to worry.
Levy's exclusion was due to her spending much of her time reading and writing.
After Lucy joined Fairy Tail and mentioned compiling her mother's stories for publication, Levy had also been inspired to write.
Those with other pursuits simply couldn't compete with those who lived and breathed the guild's work.
"Master, don't we qualify to participate?"
Unlike Levy, who silently accepted her disappointment, someone spoke up boldly, drawing everyone's attention.
"You haven't been members long enough. You'll be considered next year."
Marco answered on behalf of Makarov, recognizing the questioner as Freed of the Thunder God Tribe.
There was no denying that the three members of the "Thunder God Tribe" were quite skilled—certainly qualified for the exam.
But eligibility wasn't just about strength; it also depended on contributions and trustworthiness.
Something like becoming an S-Class Magic user immediately after joining?
That would never happen in Fairy Tail.
"I understand."
Freed responded respectfully to Marco's explanation.
Freed was somewhat of a loner, rarely interacting with others in the guild, almost as if he was cut from the same cloth as Laxus—even emulating his idol's mannerisms.
However, when it came to Marco, Freed always showed great respect, just slightly less than what he reserved for Laxus.
Marco was actually a bit curious about this.
His interactions with the three members of the "Thunder God Tribe" had been limited.
Firstly, they had only recently joined, and secondly, they had their own exclusive little group—the "Thunder God Tribe"—making it difficult for others to get close to them.
So why did Freed treat him so differently? Marco couldn't quite figure it out.
Was it simply because of his identity as the Thunder God's brother?
Wait a minute, if he was the Thunder God's brother, wouldn't that make him Loki?