"Damn it! What exactly is going on?! You brat!"
Marco's words made Makarov so angry that his beard bristled and eyes bulged.
Clearly, this wasn't just about Erza.
"I told you to go ask Erza."
Marco spread his hands in a bear-like gesture, wearing an expression of helplessness.
He really wanted to explain, but he couldn't betray Erza's trust.
"Hmph!" Makarov left in a huff.
It seemed he truly couldn't contain his curiosity and was going to ask Erza.
Previously he could let it go, but now that Erza had already told Marco, it was clearly acceptable to ask.
Not long after, Makarov returned looking dejected.
"She didn't tell you?"
Seeing this scene, Marco basically guessed the outcome.
"Ungrateful bunch." Makarov sighed and complained helplessly.
Erza actually wouldn't tell him!
She told Marco but not him - did she think Marco was more trustworthy than him?!
Although he felt pleased about the trust between the younger generation, Makarov was also hurt.
He had indeed been gradually transferring authority to Marco, preparing him to take over as guild master, but he hadn't retired yet!
How could he lose trust so quickly?!
"Don't be sad, Grandpa. Actually, there are special circumstances here. No matter who Erza tells, she would never tell you about this matter."
Marco smiled while comforting the upset old man.
Erza truly couldn't possibly tell Makarov about this matter, since the deceased was Makarov's old comrade - someone he had been searching for all these years without ever giving up.
"..."
Hearing Marco say this actually made Makarov feel even worse, as this meant he was involved in the matter.
Makarov racked his brains but couldn't recall any related memories.
He was one hundred percent certain that before Erza came, he had never met her - Erza's past definitely had nothing to do with him.
No matter how clever Makarov was, he would never connect this to Rob.
'Is this the joy of being a riddle-master?'
Watching Makarov scratching his head in confusion, Marco complained internally.
Watching others become restless because of the little information he revealed did have its unique amusement, but when he thought about his own situation, Marco found no enjoyment in it at all.
'All riddle-masters deserve to die!'
Glancing at the mission panel, Marco cursed fiercely.
Next time, please clearly write "where to go, who to kill" in the mission content and requirements, otherwise he wouldn't know where to focus his efforts.
After Marco and Makarov went back and forth for a while, Erza finished packing her things.
With numerous bags and packages, her luggage alone exceeded that of both Marco and Makarov combined.
"I'm ready, let's go." Erza looked at Marco and Makarov, indicating they could depart.
"Let's go." Marco nodded.
The Corvus Aircraft had been waiting downstairs for some time.
The three went downstairs, loaded their belongings onto the aircraft, then took off directly under the envious gazes of other guild masters.
Throughout the journey, Makarov didn't speak a word, which made Erza somewhat awkward.
She clearly knew why - her actions had hurt the master's feelings.
But she had no choice.
She truly didn't dare tell the master.
If Marco found out, he might still be able to endure it, but the master definitely wouldn't be able to hold back.
"You two little ones, absolutely don't act impulsively. If there's any trouble, you must tell me. We're family, and we should face any difficulties together."
In the awkward atmosphere, Makarov suddenly spoke up.
He clearly didn't want to stay angry with the youngsters anymore, instead starting to worry that Erza and Marco might take action on their own.
Although these two youngsters were already quite powerful - especially Marco's strength - and with Marco around, there shouldn't be any danger.
But there were many strange and peculiar magics in the world.
Even an old hand like him could accidentally fall victim to them.
No matter how strong Marco and Erza were, they could still fail.
Marco and Erza exchanged glances.
Marco saw the emotion in Erza's eyes, noticing some increased hesitation.
"Understood, Grandpa." Marco answered.
He actually wanted everyone to act together, but it still depended on Erza's opinion - this girl even wanted to rely solely on herself.
"Master..."
Erza gritted her teeth but ultimately remained silent, which disappointed both Marco and Makarov.
'It seems I'll have to take matters into my own hands.'
Marco made a decision.
He would send out his crows to search the sea for their target.
One thing was certain - that Tower of Heaven must be on an island, since Erza had left by rowboat.
And considering Erza went alone without any supplies, without navigation skills, yet managed to reach land before starving, dehydrating, or getting sunburned, this indicated that the island wasn't too far from the mainland.
Although the search area was still quite large, at least there was a defined range.
They just needed to conduct a thorough search, checking island by island.
The only worry was if it was magically concealed like Tenrou Island - the crows might not be able to see through such magic.
'Never mind, I'll start searching first.'
After returning to Magnolia and Fairy Tail, Marco immediately arranged for his crows to begin the large-scale search.
Over so many years, Marco had accumulated quite a number of crows, and now they were all put to use.
However, controlling too many crows at once was quite a burden for Marco.
Fortunately, with Star Magic replenishment, the crows could absorb star power wherever they flew, preventing them from losing connection mid-flight.
The overwhelming number of crows scattered over the sea quickly became diluted.
Across the vast ocean, these dispersed crows weren't particularly conspicuous.
Of course, upon closer consideration, there were some issues.
It wasn't that there were no crows on islands, but having so many suddenly flying around the sea was indeed somewhat peculiar.
Therefore, Marco carefully controlled the crows, trying not to let anyone notice - especially not letting the target "Tower of Heaven" detect them.
After all, if that Jellal really killed anyone who approached, the victims would be quite innocent.
After the sea search began, Marco didn't pressure Erza anymore, instead focusing his attention on the "First National S-Class Exam Tournament.
Life had to go on, and until they found the "Tower of Heaven," there wasn't much else they could do.
The inaugural "National S-Class Exam Tournament" was held in Magnolia, which naturally drew massive attention to the city once again.
Numerous merchant caravans and opportunity-seekers flooded into Magnolia, making the city increasingly prosperous.
This also greatly boosted the confidence of other guilds and cities.
Through Marco's promotion, the "National S-Class Exam Tournament" quickly gained widespread popularity beyond expectations and could be said to have captured immense attention.
As long as this beginning was successful, it would undoubtedly become a grand event in the future.
Regarding this, Princess Hisui and King Toma also contributed significant effort.
The royal family expressed their intention to get involved—how could such an event proceed without King Toma? He even considered disguising himself to serve as the host.
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