The rules had never said anything about not using tricks or underhanded methods.
Kabe's approach fit the exam's conditions perfectly.
On the other hand, Macao and Wakaba, who were older and supposedly more experienced, were either too nervous or overthinking things, completely failing to grasp this point.
Makarov's gaze swept over the anxious faces of Mirajane and the others off to the side, and he could not help feeling a quiet sense of relief.
Even when Kabe cut corners, he knew his limits.
He was not trying to lean completely on his relationships with his comrades or use their goodwill to cheese his way through.
He may be young, but in terms of mindset, this kid is far too mature.
By this point, Makarov more or less had a sense of how this exam was going to end.
...
Very soon, an hour passed.
Kabe did not run into any truly difficult obstacles and steadily picked up his remaining three victories.
When all five challenges were complete, the card in his pocket flared with golden light.
It flew out on its own and landed in his hand.
The blank space on its surface finally filled with words.
Brat, come to East Forest and find us.
Kabe glanced at the short sentence, then slipped the card away and called up to Makarov,
"Then I will head out first, Master. Get the celebration feast ready for when I get back."
He gave Mirajane, Erza, and the others a quick nod, then shot out of the guild doors and blasted into the sky, streaking toward East Forest.
Makarov and the others walked to the entrance and watched his figure grow smaller in the distance.
All of them felt a faint thread of anticipation in their hearts.
Inside the guild, Macao and Wakaba were still struggling through their challenges.
Seeing that Kabe had already finished and gone ahead to the next stage, the frustration they had been suppressing finally started to leak out.
Tch, still just a bit short.
In the end, I still cannot keep up with the kids these days?
Two sighs rose at the same time.
The two men looked at each other and saw the same unwillingness and helplessness reflected in each other's eyes.
...
In the blink of an eye, Kabe had flown from the guild to the skies above East Forest.
He paused briefly, sensing the area. Soon, he picked up two powerful auras in the woods below.
There was no need to think about it. He headed straight toward them.
...
In a clearing deep in the forest, a campfire crackled and blazed.
A skinned and cleaned long-horned rabbit was roasting above the flames on a makeshift spit.
Nearby, Gildarts sat casually on the ground, lazily poking at the fire with a stick, adjusting the heat with practiced ease.
"Yeah, that should just about do it."
He took the roast rabbit down for a look, tore one leg off, blew on it, then took a bite.
"Mmm, delicious."
After praising his own cooking, he turned and waved the rabbit in his hand at the man leaning with folded arms against a tree trunk behind him.
"Laxus, the rabbit is ready. Want to come eat some?
Once that brat gets here, there will not be any left for you."
Laxus turned his head away, refusing to even answer this uncle who still had the leisure to barbecue at a time like this.
Seeing that reaction, Gildarts could only sigh and pull the rabbit back, muttering to himself in what he thought was a quiet voice,
"Rebellious phase, huh. Well, that is about the age for it."
Laxus: ...
Since Laxus clearly was not interested, that just meant the entire rabbit would have to be "reluctantly" enjoyed by Gildarts alone.
He was just about to go for the other leg when he suddenly froze.
The next second, Kabe dropped from the sky, snatching the whole roast rabbit out of his hands and biting into it without a hint of shame.
Gildarts' eyes bulged round. He scrambled to his feet and reached out to grab it back.
"Hey, brat, at least leave me a little, I have been roasting that thing for ages!"
But in the brief time it took him to stand up, the rabbit that had been missing one leg vanished completely, bones and all, into Kabe's stomach.
Kabe licked his fingers clean, then wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth and cheerfully waved at Gildarts.
"Yo, long time no see, old man. You are so polite, even prepared a snack for me in advance."
Looking at his half hour of hard work disappear without even a scrap left, Gildarts' mouth twitched.
He could not stop himself from roaring at Kabe from the bottom of his soul.
"Brat, sometimes you really ought to learn from Laxus a little!"
Kabe slapped away his greasy hand and turned toward Laxus, who had finally stopped pretending to ignore them and was now looking their way.
Kabe grinned and lifted a hand in greeting.
"You too, long time no see, Laxus.
Seriously, you are something else. I told you before, you take the S-Class job, I do the work, we split the reward eighty-twenty.
And you still refused a deal that good."
"Hey, you cannot just say that kind of ridiculous thing in front of your senior, you know!"
Gildarts whacked him on the back of the head, exasperated.
Laxus, on the other hand, showed almost no reaction to the accusation.
He finally dropped the cool-guy pose, unfolded his arms, and walked toward them.
As Kabe watched him approach, he took in how Laxus had changed over the past two years.
He had grown taller, his build even more solid, his aura much sharper and heavier than before.
Kabe's smile slowly faded. His expression turned calm as he met Laxus' gaze, waiting to hear what he would say.
Laxus stopped three meters in front of him, looking down slightly at Kabe, but there was not the slightest hint of contempt in his eyes.
"I will be straight. I am not interested in the old man's childish little exam.
I only have one condition.
Beat me, and I will accept you as an S-Class mage."
Kabe did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned his head toward Gildarts, asking,
"Is that allowed? The master will not object?"
Gildarts scratched at the long hair he had been taking extra care of ever since reuniting with Cana, looking troubled.
"Under normal circumstances, definitely not.
According to the rules, we are supposed to put you through a whole series of tests."
He paused there, glancing at Laxus, whose attention had been fixed entirely on Kabe from the moment he arrived.
Gildarts let out a helpless sigh.
"But honestly, I do not think saying that matters anymore.
Someone here looks like he cannot wait any longer."