Chapter 56: I'm Still Here!
"Ah?! Me? Me!"
Ren looked genuinely incredulous, pointing at himself. "Master, you can't be serious. I completed the mission perfectly this time, and the client gave rave reviews! How could I still be on the complaint list?! You must have made a mistake."
Makarov let out a long-suffering sigh and adjusted his hat. "You did indeed complete the mission perfectly this time, brat. Not only did you save the villagers, but you also eliminated the entirety of that Black Magic Cult cell. The client was overjoyed. However," he tapped the thick stack of papers, "you were too heavy-handed! The council report says everyone was either injured or maimed. It cost a fortune to treat those guys, and the report from the mental asylum says many of them were so scared that they went insane and had to be locked up!"
Ren just shrugged, unconcerned. "What does that have to do with me? They deserved it. They're a Black Magic Cult."
After transforming, Ren would be, more or less, influenced by the emotions and core personality of the transformed character. For example, when he transformed into Ulquiorra, he was cold and analytical. When he transformed into Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he was righteous and calm. When he transformed into Ace, he was prone to fiery impulsiveness. And when he transformed into Fushiguro Toji, he would become somewhat... violent and unrestrained.
As for those from the Black Magic Cult, they deserved to die. It could be said that the Black Magic Cult was the one group of people Ren felt most deserved to die in the entire Fairy Tail world.
Makarov shook his head, knowing that Ren was not wrong in his actions; it was those fools from the council making trouble for no reason. "I know, I know. But you have to at least try to show some restraint! Then," he pulled out another sheet, "you steered a ship directly into Hargeon Port, and then shattered a cliff face with a single punch, causing a town-wide panic and quite a scare to the people of Hargeon Town. They're still getting reports of 'kaiju sightings'!"
"..."
There was no refuting those. What was done was done. Ren just offered a charming, unapologetic smile.
"Then, Natsu!" Makarov's voice boomed, and Natsu, who had been trying to sneak away, froze. "You eliminated the Devon bandit clan... but destroyed seven civilian houses in the process! The historic clock tower in Jury Village was also toppled by you! You burned down the Phrygia Church! You destroyed part of Rubis City! And the entire observatory in the Nalina Valley had to cease operations due to a 'mysterious' collapse! Hargeon Port was also half-destroyed because of you!"
Lucy Heartfilia, listening from the bar, was completely stunned. Her jaw hung open. Almost every major destruction incident she'd read about in the magazines... it was all done by Natsu! He wasn't just a Mage; he was a walking natural disaster!
"And Alzack!" Makarov continued, not losing steam. "Levy! Macao! Lidas! Warren! Bisca..."
Everyone whose name was called couldn't help but lower their heads, looking ashamed, annoyed, or in Natsu's case, just confused. Just as Lucy thought everyone was about to be severely criticized and punished by the Guild Master...
Makarov closed the thick stack of documents.
"Alright! This report summary is over!"
The guild tensed.
"It's still the same old saying!" Makarov declared, his voice filled with a sudden, fierce pride. "Let those council members go eat sh*t!"
With a flick of his wrist, Makarov used his magic to set the entire stack of complaint documents on fire, holding them up like a torch.
"Don't you ever mind what the higher-ups think!" he boomed, his voice echoing with power. "And don't you be afraid of those fools on the council! Forge ahead on the path you believe in! That's what we Mages of Fairy Tail are all about!!"
"OH OH OH OH OH OH OH!!"
The heavy, tense pressure in the Guild immediately vanished, replaced by an explosive, joyous cheer. Everyone raised their mugs and their fists, their faces beaming with joyful smiles.
The Guild Master had always been like this. Even if they caused a lot of trouble, even if they leveled a town or two, the Guild Master would always have their backs and forgive them.
Lucy felt the infectious atmosphere and couldn't help but smile, a wide, genuine smile that reached her eyes. The nervousness she'd felt, of just arriving at a new Guild, of being the 'new girl', instantly disappeared. Although this Guild was a bit... okay, a lot chaotic, it was truly a wonderful Guild.
"Now!" Makarov shouted, dropping the burning ashes. "Everyone, clean this mess up for me! What will it look like if guests see this!"
"YES, MASTER!!"
Instantly, the entire guild sprang into action. Broken tables and chairs were all thrown into the basement to be repaired or replaced. Good tables and chairs were rearranged. Natsu and Gray, surprisingly, worked together to lift a massive, splintered oak table, bickering the whole time.
"Lift with your knees, you pyro!"
"Shut up, ice-boy! You're not even lifting!"
The Guild once again became lively. Many people sat together, drinking and chatting, clinking glasses, and laughing endlessly. It was impossible to imagine that just moments ago, they had almost beaten each other's brains out.
Ren had ordered some food, and his table was now full. It included Natsu, Happy, Gray (now fully dressed), Elfman, and Loki.
Loki swirled his drink, a charming smile on his face. "So, 'Salamander' is what they're calling you out there now, Natsu?"
"Aye!" Happy chirped proudly from Natsu's shoulder.
Elfman looked envious again, flexing his muscles. "That title sounds really impressive! It's a man's title!"
'Salamander' sounded much more imposing than his 'Beast Arm'.
"Tch! What's so great about that?" Gray grumbled, taking a swig of his drink. "I'll get an even more impressive title later! You'll see!"
"Oh yeah? Like what? 'Underwear Thief'?" Natsu mercifully exposed his weakness, a wide grin on his face.
Gray seemed to be hit where it hurt. "You bastard! Do you want to fight?!"
"Come on! Who's afraid of whom?!" Natsu also rolled up his sleeves, flames already flickering on his fists, ready to fight Gray again.
"Alright," Ren said, not even looking up from his meal. "That's enough for today. If you want to fight, do it tomorrow."
Instantly, both Mages powered down. They snorted at each other, turned their backs, and sat down.
Although Ren had only joined the Fairy Tail Guild for half a year, his prestige was already very high. This prestige came partly from Ren's overwhelming strength—which everyone had just been reminded of—and partly from Ren himself.
Ren treated everyone in the Guild equally, whether they were an S-Class Mage like Erza or a newcomer like Lucy. He wouldn't ignore or neglect someone because of their weaker strength. Therefore, he got along very well with everyone in the Guild and didn't put on the airs of a strong, unapproachable expert.
He even helped out when there were difficulties in the Guild, often taking on small, unrewarding tasks or helping others with their missions, which made everyone in the Guild like Ren very much.
Of course, even if Ren got along well with everyone, there were still some people he got along with better. This was like cliques in school; you often still played with classmates you were closer to.
Ren's inner circle included Mira, Erza, Elfman, Natsu, and Gray. The next level of acquaintances included Levy's three-person team (Shadow Gear), Laki, Macao, and Warren.
At this time, Lucy, her heart pounding with excitement, had completed the registration required to join the Guild under Mirajane's guidance.
"Ren! Natsu! Look!"
Lucy ran over to their table, proudly showing them the back of her right hand. On it, a pink Fairy Tail emblem was now stamped. At present, the people she was most familiar with in the Guild were still Ren and Natsu.
Natsu paused, his mouth full of chicken, and looked at it. "Oh, cool. That's great, Louise."
"IT'S LUCY!!" Lucy yelled angrily, her eye twitching. It had only been a few minutes, and Natsu had already forgotten her name!
Ren chuckled. "Congratulations, Lucy. From now on, we're comrades in the same Guild."
"Thank you, Ren," Lucy said, her anger at Natsu fading as she beamed at her new guild mark. She was... she was really a member.
Just then, a small, tender voice cut through the guild's revelry.
"Hasn't my dad come back yet?"
Ren looked in the direction of the voice and saw a child, about four or five years old, standing in front of Makarov. It was Macao's son, Romeo.
Macao's wife had left him because he was too busy with work and the guild. Since then, Macao had been raising Romeo alone. Because he needed to work to support his family, Macao would often bring Romeo to the Guild when he worked, and the Guild members would help look after him.
"Hmm? Oh, don't fuss, Romeo," Makarov said, his voice gruff but not unkind. "You're a Mage's child, so you should trust your father. Go home and wait for him to come back."
"But... he said he'd be home in three days... It's been a week, and he's still not back..." Romeo's voice was small, trembling.
Makarov sighed. "Macao went to work on Mount Hakobe."
"That's not far from here!!" Romeo shouted, his fear making him brave. "Go help me find him! Please! I'm so worried about him!!"
"Stop fussing!" Makarov's voice grew stern. "Your father is a Mage!! This Guild doesn't need Mages who need others to clean up their messes!! Go home and drink your milk!!"
"Bad guy!!"
Romeo jumped up and punched Makarov right in the face. The hit was tiny, powerless, but it was filled with a child's desperate frustration. Then, he turned and ran out of the guild, crying.
The guild hall had gone quiet.
Bang!
Natsu, who had been listening silently, slammed his hands on the table. He stood up directly, picked up his luggage, and, without a single word, walked out the door.
"Natsu!"
Happy, who had been sleeping on the table, quickly woke up and followed suit.
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
As a special offer, I've opened a few limited-time tiers at a discounted price! You will get all the benefits of "The Founding Pillars" (normally $20), but at a much cheaper rate.
These slots are extremely limited:
"The Plot Uncoverer": $4.99 (Save 75% / $15.01) - Only 3 slots
"The Dedicated Fan": $9.99 (Save 50% / $10.01) - Only 7 slots
"The Lore Diver": $14.99 (Save 25% / $5.01) - Only 15 slots
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]