A blond-haired teenager rushed in like lightning, his face full of bewilderment.
Laxus obviously heard the news about Ivan immediately after returning to the guild.
Makarov frowned tightly, looking at his grandson who rushed in, his tone urgent and unquestionable. "Sorry, Laxus, I don't have time to explain to you right now! Shane, let's go!"
However, Laxus didn't listen at all. He strode into the office, blocking the two of them, his voice rising due to agitation. "He did do a lot of stupid things! But he's your son after all! Your family! How could you—"
Seeing Makarov falling into a dilemma—racing against time to track on one side, and an emotionally agitated grandson on the other—Shane raised his hand timely.
"Master," he spoke calmly, interrupting Laxus's agitated words, saying to Makarov.
"Just stay here and explain properly to Laxus. Leave tracking Ivan to me alone; it's enough."
"How can that be!" Makarov objected immediately. "No matter how disappointing that unfilial son is, he is a genuine S-Class Mage! It's too dangerous for you alone!"
If it were before, Makarov wouldn't be so worried, but now Ivan had gone completely crazy, taking actions that harmed his companions.
He couldn't let Shane take risks alone for his own personal feelings.
Shane shook his head, a calm smile carrying a bit of unruliness appearing on his face. "If it were an S-Class like Gildarts, I indeed wouldn't have much confidence. As for Ivan—"
He didn't finish his sentence, just smiling without speaking, but the meaning in his eyes was already obvious enough.
After a two-second confrontation, Shane stepped forward and patted Makarov's shoulder. "Master, rely on the children in the guild occasionally. Just stay here with peace of mind and handle your 'grandfather-grandson relationship' well. Leave the outside matters to me."
After speaking, without waiting for Makarov's answer, he brushed past the still angry Laxus.
Shane just went down to the first floor. Before he walked a few steps, a figure hurriedly blocked his way.
It was Gray. His upper body was still bare, his brows furrowed tightly, carrying an expression of having made some determination on his face.
"Shane!" Gray's voice was somewhat urgent, as if afraid he would regret it if he was slow. "I—I've thought it through. I want to have a good talk with Ultear."
Shane's mind was full of Ivan and that constantly extending karma thread right now. Time was tight; where would he have time to deal with this entangled teenage heart matter?
He rolled his eyes grumpily. Ultear had been moving freely outside all day today. If she really wanted to acknowledge him, she would have shown some indication long ago. Obviously, she had no such intention at all.
Seeing Gray still wanted to say more, Shane couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense. He raised his hand directly, curled his middle finger, and with a thump, a neat and crisp knuckle knock landed on Gray's forehead.
"Ugh!" Gray cried out in pain, covering his forehead.
"Don't look for me; I already let Ultear go." Shane spoke very fast, bypassed him, and rushed toward the guild gate.
"What? Let go?!" Gray was shocked, his eyes widening.
"Anyway, isn't your purpose just to confirm if she is Ur's daughter? Since you know now, why care so much?"
Before his voice fell, Shane had disappeared outside the door, leaving Gray alone stunned on the spot.
At this time, Erza walked over. Looking at Gray's appearance, she patted his shoulder gently, her tone rarely gentle. "Don't worry, Gray. Ultear—she shouldn't be a bad person; you don't need to think too much."
She looked at Gray's constantly changing expression, guessing roughly in her heart.
This guy, probably struggled internally all day?
Worried that the other party really went astray, and how he should face the bloodline of this beloved master.
Result now, finally mustered up the courage to face the problem directly, but didn't even see the other party's face.
At this moment, Shane was shuttling through the streets of Magnolia like an arrow leaving the string.
The swaying flame pupils in his eyes burned fiercely. The scenes of the real world blurred and faded at the edge of his fiery red vision.
Only a scarlet and twisted "thread" invisible to ordinary people pointed clearly to the distance.
This was Ivan Dreyar's thread of karma.
Shane's speed was extremely fast. His figure flickered a few times between the alleys at the edge of the town and the forest in the suburbs, leaving the noisy human habitation behind. following that crimson trail, he didn't stop at all.
The wind whistled in his ears; the trees on both sides receded rapidly.
The direction of the karma thread became clearer and clearer, the color also becoming richer, meaning the distance between him and the target was rapidly closing.
Sure enough, as he passed through a dense bush, the terrain in front of him gradually became familiar.
This was precisely the wilderness area around Magnolia. When he, Gray, and Erza took the train back then, the place where they glimpsed Ivan from afar seemed to be near here.
"Heh," Shane sneered in his heart, "too lazy to even change the base too far? Or rather—you didn't take the guild's pursuit seriously at all?"
His gaze locked onto a somewhat hidden corner formed by relying on a natural rock wall not far ahead.
There were subtle traces left by temporary activities, as well as a looming, unpleasant residue of Magic Power.
Seems this is Ivan's temporary base.
Almost at the same time Shane stopped and exposed his figure in the clearing in front of the rock wall, a gloomy figure turned out from behind the rock wall.
It was Ivan Dreyar.
He obviously also sensed the arrival of the tracker, his face carrying a trace of displeasure at being disturbed, and—astonishment and contempt after seeing the comer clearly.
Ivan narrowed his eyes, sizing up Shane not far away.
Honestly, he didn't even remember the name of this brat opposite him very well.
In his impression, it seemed he solved a Dark Guild in some unknown rural place when joining the guild a while ago, causing a small commotion. After that, he had no outstanding performance in the guild, completely ordinary.
Thinking of this, Ivan's mood couldn't help becoming even more furious.
Being looked down upon by the old man, and even expelled from the guild mercilessly, was one thing.
But now, sending someone to pursue him, actually only sent such a brat over?
Father! Do you look down on me this much? Do you think I can't even handle this kind of trash?
Shane stopped, gazing calmly at the twisted resentment on Ivan's face, and shook his head.
"You are mistaken, Ivan. This is not looking down on you."
He raised his hand. Red clothes covered his body silently, the cloak hanging down, moving without wind.
"But a fact." Shane enunciated word by word. "The fact is, dealing with someone like you doesn't require the old man to act personally, nor does it require Gildarts."
His gaze was like a torch, locking onto Ivan.
"Just me alone is enough."