The next day arrived.
The guild was as lively as ever.
Lucy happily held a magazine and said to Levy, "Have you seen this? Yesterday's Love..."
"What are you two discussing?!"
Before Lucy could finish, Erza's shadow loomed over her and Levy, startling Lucy into quickly showing the magazine's cover.
"Oh~ It's the 'Unforgettable Love Stories' weekly."
Seeing the title on the magazine, Erza clapped her hands with a look of sudden realization, then turned around to continue patrolling the guild.
Watching Erza's back, Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, still a bit shaken. "Why has Erza suddenly become so sensitive..."
"Maybe it's because she's also a bit thick-headed."
Levy tried her best to lower her voice. "She's actually quite slow to realize things. She must have felt a surge of shame after going home last night, so today she's patrolling the guild with such intensity, wanting to suppress the talk about their love triangle."
A love triangle?
Lucy didn't think so. Based on her years of experience reading shoujo novels, it was clearly Hope wanting it all, while Erza and Cana both had feelings for him.
Coupled with Hope's classic, textbook scumbag lines.
This was a textbook harem story.
Although there was a tiny possibility of a 'nice boat' ending... Just as the two book-loving girls were about to read this month's featured story, someone from the Council arrived.
Mest walked into the now-unfamiliar guild. Instead of Mirajane, he was met by Natsu and Happy. "Aren't you that Doranbalt guy? What are you doing at our guild? You're not here to arrest someone again, are you?"
"We haven't caused any trouble lately~" Happy raised a paw.
A sudden thought occurred to Natsu. He pulled Mest outside the guild's main entrance, looked around to make sure no one else was there, and whispered:
"Is being a scumbag against the law?"
Mest's expression turned strange. Seeing Natsu's wary look, he thought it was something major, but it was just this?
However, smelling the scent of gossip, Mest couldn't help but ask back, "Who's being a scumbag?"
"Of course it's Ho—"
Before Natsu could finish the last two syllables, he felt a chilling aura lock onto him.
Hope appeared beside him like a ghost, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Natsu, you're talking a bit too much today, aren't you?"
"Ahahaha, I just remembered I have a quest to do. I won't bother you guys anymore. I'm off!"
After a forced laugh, Natsu grabbed Happy and sprinted a hundred meters, returning to the hall to hoist the bewildered Lucy onto his shoulder before bolting out of the guild like the wind.
Looking at the dust on the street, Mest gave Hope a meaningful look. "Don't think I can't guess just because you interrupted Natsu. You're that scumbag, aren't you?"
"What scumbag?"
Hope said with a serious face, "I'm sincere toward both Erza and Cana. Is there any law that says you can't love several people at once?"
"Several people?" Mest frowned slightly, immediately catching the point. He looked at Hope in disbelief. "Besides Erza and Cana, you actually have other people you like?!"
"That's so perverted!"
Hope quickly covered Mest's mouth. "What's wrong with a man being a pervert!"
Under Hope's threat, Mest obediently stopped talking and followed him to the third-floor office, where they found Makarov processing letters.
Hope released Ivan. Under the dual cleansing of Hope and Mest, they successfully wiped the memories of guild intelligence and secrets from Ivan's mind.
Before leaving, Mest told Hope about the outcome for Oración Seis.
As the guild master of Oración Seis, Brain, who didn't have much longer to live, took most of the blame upon himself. He owed those five children too much.
To minimize the punishment for Midnight, Richard, Erik, Lissana, and Sorano, Brain told the New Council everything he knew about Grimoire Heart and Tartaros.
After deliberation by the new councilors, they decided to give the five of them a chance.
With the destruction caused by Jellal and Ultear fresh in their minds, the New Council realized they needed a powerful team of Mages, rather than relying solely on Anima and their standing army.
They had been wondering how to convince legitimate guilds to send Mages to the Council, but the five members of Oración Seis gave them another option.
An Enforcement Squad composed of prisoners was established.
The New Council promised that after earning enough merit, the crimes of the five, including Midnight, would be pardoned.
Although the judgment of merit rested with the Council, it gave them some Hope, and they wouldn't have to be locked in a dark cell.
So the members of Oración Seis all agreed; even the most stubborn one, Midnight, chose to agree under Brain's persuasion.
As for Brain... on the day the Council publicly sentenced him, he stepped onto the pyre he had requested, ending his sinful life amidst the blazing flames... After Mest left with Ivan, Makarov called for Gildarts.
"Yo, Master, Hope, good morning."
Compared to yesterday, when Gildarts wanted nothing more than to bash Hope's head in, he had now returned to his usual self.
After drinking alone all night, Gildarts had actually come to terms with it. As an irresponsible father, he had no right to give Hope an attitude.
After all, in terms of caring for Cana, Hope, a newcomer who hadn't even been in the guild for four months, had done more than he had as a father.
So as long as his daughter was Happy, it was fine.
Hope sat on the sofa, looking at the serious Makarov. "Master, calling me and Gildarts alone... don't tell me you want to..."
"That's right. You both have the strength and are absolutely reliable. It's time for you to know the secret of the guild."
Makarov unfolded an extremely complex Magic Circle in the center of the office, encompassing all three of them. Then, with a flash of light, the office was suddenly empty.
A second later, the three of them appeared in an unknown space.
Hope pressed his palm against the wall. Through his perception, he discovered they were fifty meters underground beneath the guild. This was a subterranean space created by magic, accessible only through specific magic.
The underground space was neither too large nor too small; one could see the end of it at a glance.
However, the giant magic crystal in the center caused Gildarts's expression to change drastically.
Inside the magic crystal, a cute young girl in a white dress with pale gold hair was sleeping peacefully.
Hope's expression also changed slightly because he had seen the person in the magic crystal before—in the photo of the Four Founders hanging on the office wall.
The blonde girl's identity was obvious.
It was the first guild master of Fairy Tail, Mavis!
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"