A little later, after a busy day's work, Irene returned home with Brandish, who had once again spent the entire day successfully slacking off.
"We're back."
As soon as she opened the door, Brandish, who was full of energy the moment she got off work, casually kicked off her sandals and dashed straight into the dining room.
But the moment she stepped inside, she froze in place. Her expression turned blank as she stared at the scene in confusion.
"…What happened to them?"
At the dining table, Kabe and Meredy looked as if they had just survived a major battle. Their clothes were disheveled, sweat covered their bodies, and both were slumped back in their chairs with empty eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Behind them, Irene walked in at a calm pace. When she saw the scene, even she paused slightly, a hint of surprise appearing in her eyes.
"What kind of nonsense are they doing again?"
Her gaze shifted to Lucky, who was helplessly feeding juice to Meredy.
After helping Meredy finish the drink, Lucky sighed and briefly explained what had happened.
After hearing that Kabe had actually been "taken down" by Meredy and ended up in this state, Brandish immediately burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Seriously? You got taken out by a little girl? And you call yourself the strongest in Ishgar? That's hilarious!"
Kabe, still slumped in the chair, twitched his fingers. His unfocused pupils slowly regained focus as he turned toward the laughing Brandish.
"Freeze."
With a low command, Brandish, who was bent over laughing, suddenly froze as if struck by lightning. Her entire body trembled as she was locked in that posture.
After giving this small punishment using the ability he had developed, Kabe weakly spoke again.
"Drink… anything, just give me something to drink."
"Milk… no, I'll feed you."
Lucy quickly stood up and carefully brought over a glass of milk that she had not yet touched.
Gulping it down in large sips, Kabe finally felt the burning sensation in his mouth fade away. His body gradually returned to normal.
Looking down at the still-active linking magic on his wrist, he gritted his teeth in frustration and forcibly cut off the connection between the two of them using his own power.
Only then did he finally feel like he had come back to life. The strange sensation of his entire skull being flipped open finally disappeared.
"That's it… I've had enough! You little brat, after everything I've done for you, you still dare to plot against me? Today I'm going to spank you until you can't sit down!"
He stood up, preparing to teach Meredy a lesson.
But the little girl, who had just recovered slightly, although still uncomfortable, still looked at him provocatively.
"Bleh~ I'll take this beating. But tomorrow I'll make sure the whole kingdom knows all your embarrassing stories."
"You still dare threaten me?!"
Kabe's temper flared instantly as he ground his teeth in anger.
Irene finally couldn't stand it anymore and coldly interrupted.
"Shut up, both of you idiots!"
"Kabe, you're already this old and still arguing with a child. Don't you feel ashamed?"
"And Meredy, that magic is extremely dangerous. If used carelessly, it can harm the user as well. You actually used such a dangerous spell as a prank? When Ur returns, I will report everything to her."
After scolding them both, she walked over to Brandish, who was still frozen in place, and lightly tapped her forehead.
"Append: Erase."
The concept-level magic was activated. Only then did Brandish regain control of her body. She staggered slightly before steadying herself, shooting Kabe an angry yet fearful look.
"Hmph."
Irene gave a soft cold hum right beside her ear, instantly making Brandish withdraw her gaze and obediently stand behind her.
Seeing Irene resolve everything with just a few words, Lucy couldn't help but whisper in admiration.
"So cool… as expected of Lady Irene."
But the moment she said it, she quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment and avoided eye contact.
Irene naturally remembered this newcomer she had met not long ago and could roughly guess why she was here.
"Stop staring at me. Continue eating."
"Yes!"
Lucy immediately sat up straight and took her first bite of dinner.
"Finally… eating at last. That was really not easy…"
The others also returned to their seats. Although Kabe and Meredy still exchanged hostile glances from time to time, the atmosphere had finally calmed down compared to before.
After politely pulling out a chair and seating Irene, Brandish sat down on Lucy's left and turned to look at her curiously.
"Hey. You look kind of familiar. Where did you come from?"
"F-familiar? I'm Lucy, a newcomer who joined the guild today. Do you know me, senpai?"
Lucy instinctively treated Brandish as a guild member and quickly introduced herself.
"I work at Lady Irene's shop. I'm not a member of Fairy Tail."
After explaining, Brandish continued to study Lucy's face more carefully.
Lucy felt extremely uncomfortable under her gaze, unsure what she had done wrong.