The guild fell silent for a brief moment—
Then erupted into cheers.
"Lord Arlen, congratulations on becoming S-Class!"
"Congrats, Arlen!"
"Congratulations to both of you—Arlen, Laxus!"
"Laxus, you finally made it!"
"Macao, Wakaba—you two worked hard too…."
"Lyon, that's rude."
"You brat, sounds like you've been eating too well lately," Macao and Wakaba snapped, pretending to be angry.
Ultear and the others rushed over, surrounding Arlen—some offering congratulations, others throwing teasing remarks.
"Quiet down. The Master isn't finished yet," Gildarts said.
The hall fell silent again.
Makarov continued:
"Besides the promotion of Laxus and Arlen, there's another important announcement."
He gestured toward the small girl sitting on the bar.
"Let me introduce—this is the First Master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermillion."
"…What?!"
"The First Master?!"
"How is that possible?!"
Everyone stared at the fairy-like girl in shock.
"Hello everyone, I'm Mavis," she said with a cheerful wave.
Makarov raised his mug.
"That's all! Now then—brats! To celebrate two new S-Class wizards and the return of the First Master—let's have a feast!"
"OH!!!"
The guild exploded into celebration.
Compared to a banquet, everything else—including Mavis' identity—could wait.
Macao and Wakaba stood on chairs, loudly exaggerating their "heroic" deeds during the exam, drawing reactions before inevitably sparking a chaotic brawl.
Laxus was quickly surrounded by people asking questions. At first, he answered patiently—but eventually got annoyed and retreated to a corner, arms crossed, pretending not to hear anything.
Ur was pulled away by a group of female mages for their own private chatter.
Arlen returned to the table with Ultear, Erza, and the others, quietly eating while listening to their lively conversation, occasionally responding.
As for Gildarts—
He followed Cana everywhere like a shadow.
Eventually, an exasperated Cana kicked him away and told him to go drink with Makarov instead.
"Honestly… I used to worry about how to tell him," Cana complained. "Now that I did, he's way too clingy."
Arlen and the others listened with amusement—it was a happy kind of trouble.
"It's been a long time," Mavis said softly, swinging her legs. "The guild is just as lively as ever."
—
That night, in the eastern forest of Magnolia, at Arlen's villa—
Arlen lay back on a lounge chair, staring at the star-filled sky, lost in thought.
After the banquet, everyone had returned home—along with Mavis.
It was her own request, and Makarov agreed. After all, Arlen's residence was already full of girls; Mavis staying there would be more comfortable and far less boring.
"What are you thinking about?" Ur's voice came from beside him.
"Nothing," Arlen replied, turning his head slightly. "Can't sleep either?"
"I was tired earlier, but after the party… not anymore," Ur shrugged with a smile. "Congratulations, by the way. S-Class."
"Thanks. You worked hard today too."
Ur smiled but said nothing more.
The two lay quietly, gazing at the stars, enjoying the calm of the night.
At some point, Arlen fell asleep.
When he woke up, he was already in his bed.
He rubbed his head and smiled faintly—he had a good idea who carried him back.
After washing up and finishing the breakfast Ultear and the others had left for him, Arlen headed to the guild.
Now that he was S-Class, he planned to check the second floor for missions—something he could complete before the Magic Parade and New Year.
After greeting everyone, Rob informed him:
"Makarov is waiting for you in the underground library."
Arlen nodded, waved to Erza and the others, and headed downstairs.
"You're here, Arlen," Makarov said, seated and reading a letter.
"Good morning, Master. You were looking for me?"
"Yes. I've got something for you."
He handed over a document.
"This just came from the Magic Council. A dark guild called Corroders attacked Dogle Town, causing significant casualties. The Council wants Fairy Tail to deal with them."
Because Arlen and Laxus had just become the youngest S-Class wizards in history, Fairy Tail's reputation had surged—hence the request.
Arlen read through the report, his expression gradually darkening.
"This scale of incident… didn't the Council's enforcement unit respond? And what about the royal army?"
"They're elusive," Makarov said, handing him another report. "They vanished just before the troops arrived. Then they resurfaced elsewhere, attacking merchant caravans. Survivors confirmed—it's the same group."
Arlen fell silent for a moment.
"So… the army and enforcement units can't spare enough manpower to track them?"
"That's part of it," Makarov sighed. "And the other issue is strength. Too few people—they can't win. Too many—and the enemy disappears."
"…Understood."
Arlen folded the report.
"I'll take this mission."
Then he paused.
"Where are Gildarts and Laxus? They're not here today."
Makarov sighed again.
"They both left this morning. Laxus took an S-Class job… and Gildarts accepted another Ten-Year Quest."
"…Already?" Arlen raised a brow. "He just reunited with Cana. That doesn't sound like him."
"They talked it over," Makarov explained. "He's traveling to another continent to find higher-grade cards for Cana. Her magic depends heavily on the quality of her cards."
"…I see."
That made sense.
"So this mission is yours," Makarov said seriously, placing a hand on Arlen's shoulder. "Your first S-Class job. It's far more dangerous than anything you've done before. Be careful—your safety comes first."
"I understand."
Arlen nodded.
"I'll head back, change, and set out."
"Go. And remember—be careful."
Arlen gave a small bow and left the underground library.
—------------------------------
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