A week had passed since I officially became Fairy Tail's new guild master, and honestly? It had been a whirlwind.
Being in charge of this guild is harder than I thought it would be.
I sat behind what used to be Makarov's oversized desk, staring at a mountain of paperwork that seemed to grow taller every time I blinked. Mission reports, damage claims, budget approvals, Magic Council complaints—the usual guild master stuff.
"NIMO," I called out, rubbing my temples. "Please tell me you've got good news about this paperwork situation."
"Processing complete," NIMO's voice chimed in my head. "I've handled 73% of the administrative backlog. The remaining documents require your personal approval."
Thank god for having an AI assistant. I'd probably be buried alive under all this paperwork otherwise.
Thinking about it even in Avalon, Alice was the one in charge of paperwork. Goes to show how valuable having a personal AI is
"You're a lifesaver," I muttered, signing another damage report. Natsu set fire to what now? A whole marketplace? Again?
A soft knock on the office door interrupted my thoughts. "Come in."
Mavis peeked her head through the doorway. "Am I interrupting something important?"
I gestured to the chair across from my desk. "Just drowning in paperwork. How are you settling in?"
Over the past week, Mavis had adapted to the world faster than I'd expected. Sure, she'd been confused by lacrima technology at first, and don't get me started on her reaction to the guild's bathroom facilities, but she was a quick learner.
"The guild is so much larger than when I founded it. And louder." She paused, a small smile crossing her face. "But I like it. Everyone's so full of life."
That's one way to put it.
"Speaking of life," I said, leaning back in my chair, "I saw you looking at the mission board earlier. Please tell me you're not thinking about jumping straight into S-Class quests."
Mavis's cheeks flushed slightly. "I was just curious about what kinds of missions are available now. The world has changed so much—I want to understand how magic has evolved."
"And that's fine," I said, "but remember what I told you. Take it easy. Start with smaller missions, get a feel for how things work now before diving into anything dangerous."
She nodded, though I could see the restlessness in her eyes. A century of being trapped would make anyone eager to get back out there.
"Actually," she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a mission flyer, "I was hoping to take this one. It's just a simple escort mission to the next town over."
I took the paper and scanned it quickly. Escort a merchant caravan to Onibus. D-rank mission. Pretty easy stuff.
"This looks fine," I said, handing it back to her. "Just... be careful, okay? I know you're the First Master and all, but you're still adjusting to having a physical body again."
"I will be," she promised. "Besides, I won't be going alone. Lucy and Levy asked if they could come with me."
That's actually not a bad team composition. Lucy's got her Celestial Spirits for backup, and Levy's solid support with her script magic.
"Alright," I said. "Approved. But if anything feels off about the mission, don't hesitate to retreat. The guild's reputation isn't worth risking anyone's safety."
Mavis stood up, clutching the mission paper with obvious excitement. "Thank you, Aiden. I promise I'll be careful."
As she headed for the door, she paused and looked back at me. "You know, you're doing a good job with all this. The guild master role suits you."
If only the paperwork felt as natural as everything else.
"Thanks," I said. "Just trying not to keep the place from burning down in my first week."
She laughed. "Trust me, if the guild survived Makarov's tenure, it can survive anything."
After she left, I turned back to the paperwork with renewed energy. One week down, who knows how many more to go.
"NIMO, what's next on the agenda?"
"You have a meeting with the Magic Council representatives in two hours regarding the recent property damage claims. Also, Natsu and Gray are currently engaged in their fourteenth fight of the day in the main hall."
I sighed, standing up from my desk. Some things never change.
"Guess it's time to go break up another fight."
I made my way down to the main hall, where sure enough, Natsu and Gray were locked in their usual argument. This time it seemed to be about whose Pokemon was stronger—Natsu's Charmeleon was breathing small puffs of fire while Gray's Frosmoth was creating delicate ice crystals in the air.
"Flame beats ice every time!" Natsu shouted, pointing dramatically at Gray.
"Not when my ice magic combines with Frosmoth's powder snow!" Gray shot back, already starting to strip off his shirt. "Ice beats fire, flame brain!"
Their Pokemon, meanwhile, seemed completely unbothered by their trainers' argument. Charmeleon was actually playing with the ice crystals that Frosmoth was making, while the ice moth Pokemon seemed fascinated by the small flames dancing around Charmander's tail.
At least the Pokemon have more sense than their trainers.
"Alright, break it up," I called out, stepping between them. "Save the fighting for actual missions."
Both mages immediately straightened up when they saw me.
"Uh, hey Master," Natsu said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "We weren't really fighting, just... discussing."
I raised an eyebrow.
Gray had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry, Master. We'll keep it down."
Master. That's gonna take some getting used to.
"Just remember," I said, "the guild hall is for the whole guild, not just your personal sparring arena. If you want to fight, take it outside."
As they mumbled their apologies and wandered off, I noticed the training area was occupied by Ur and her students. Gray and Urtear were engaged in what could generously be called "sparring," but looked more like two kids throwing ice furniture at each other.
"STOP USING ICE MAKE: CHAIR TO THROW AT ME!" Lyon shouted, dodging another frozen recliner.
"It's not my fault you make such a good target!" Urtear grinned, already forming another chair.
Ur was sitting on a bench, but she wasn't alone. A small boy with messy orange hair—unmistakably Gildarts' kid—was sitting beside her, animatedly talking to her Lapras.
"And then the big water Pokemon went 'woooosh' and made waves!" three-year-old Cornelius was saying, gesturing wildly with his tiny hands.
The Lapras responded with gentle, musical sounds that seemed to delight the child.
"Big bro! Big sis!" Cornelius suddenly called out, apparently bored with Lapras conversations. "Can I help with the ice chairs?"
Both mages immediately stopped their battle and looked horrified.
"NO!" they shouted in unison.
Ur chuckled. "Cornelius, remember what we talked about. No magic practice until you're older."
The little boy pouted but nodded. "But it looks fun..."
Near the mission board, I spotted Kagura examining various job flyers with Simon standing beside her.
"See anything good?" I asked, approaching them.
"Master," Kagura said, turning with a small bow. "We were looking for something we could handle as a team. Maybe a monster hunting quest?"
Simon nodded, his hand resting on one of his regular swords. "Honedge has been eager to test its abilities in actual combat. It's been giving me pointers on sword techniques."
A Pokemon teaching a human swordsman. Now I've seen everything.
"Just make sure you pick something appropriate for your level," I advised. "And take backup if you're unsure about anything."
"Of course, Master," they said in unison.
As I continued my rounds through the guild, I found Lucy sitting at one of the tables with Levy, both of them poring over what looked like mission reports. Lucy's hair was tied back in a practical ponytail, and she had that focused expression she got when she was really concentrating on something.
She's been working hard since joining. Good to see.
"How's the mission planning going?" I asked, walking over to their table.
"Oh, Master!" Lucy looked up, startled. "We were just going over the details for tomorrow's escort mission with Mavis."
"Good," I said, pulling up a chair. "Mind if I take a look?"
Levy slid a detailed map across the table. "We've plotted the route to Onibus. It's pretty straightforward—just follow the main road through Magnolia Forest. Should take about six hours at a merchant caravan's pace."
Lucy pointed to a section of the map. "This stretch here looks like the most likely spot for bandits, if there are any. It's where the road narrows between two hills."
She's got good tactical instincts.
"Smart thinking," I said. "What's your plan if you run into trouble?"
"Lucy's Celestial Spirits for immediate backup," Levy said, "my script magic for support and barriers, and Mavis has... well, she's Mavis. I'm pretty sure she could handle most problems on her own."
If they only knew exactly how powerful the First Master really is.
"Sounds like you've got it covered," I said. "Just remember—"
"Don't take unnecessary risks," Lucy finished. "We know, Master. Mavis already gave us the same lecture."
I chuckled. "Great minds think alike."
Before I could make it back to my office, Mirajane intercepted me with a bright smile.
"Master, do you have a minute?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about the guild's food budget."
Oh right, with all the Pokemon partners, we're probably going through a lot more food.
"Of course," I said. "What's the situation?"
"Well, between feeding the guild members and all their Pokemon partners, our grocery expenses have nearly doubled," Mira explained. "The Poké Mart machines help with Pokemon-specific food, but we're still going through regular ingredients much faster."
I nodded thoughtfully. "What do you need?"
"Maybe a 40% increase to the food budget? I can make it work with less, but it might mean cutting back on variety."
The guild's gotta eat. And happy Pokemon make for happy guild members.
"Done," I said. "NIMO, authorize the budget increase for guild food expenses."
"Budget authorization confirmed," NIMO's voice replied in my head.
Mira's face lit up. "Thank you, Master! I promise I'll make every jewel count."
As she walked away, I caught sight of Elfman near the job board, his Machoke standing beside him as he examined various mission flyers. The Pokemon's muscular build was a perfect match for Elfman's obsession with being "manly."
"Elfman," I called out. "How's the mission hunting going?"
"Master!" he turned around with his usual enthusiasm. "Machoke and I are looking for something manly to do! Maybe a monster hunting quest, or building something for a village!"
The Machoke flexed its four arms in what I assumed was agreement.
Those two are going to get along just fine.
"Just make sure you pick something appropriate for your current level," I advised. "Don't jump straight into S-Class territory."
"Of course, Master! A real man knows his limits!"
Near the entrance, I spotted Jellal sitting quietly at a corner table with his Metang floating beside him. The steel-type Pokemon's metallic surface gleamed in the afternoon light, and its computerized mind seemed to be processing something complex—much like its trainer.
"How are you settling in?" I asked, approaching their table.
Jellal looked up with that calm expression he always wore. "Well, Master. Metang and I have been studying the guild's mission patterns and optimal team compositions."
Of course they have.
"Finding anything interesting?"
"The data suggests that Pokemon-human partnerships increase mission success rates by approximately 23%," he said seriously. "Metang's computational abilities have been particularly useful for strategic planning."
The Metang's eyes glowed briefly, and I got the distinct impression it was proud of its analytical work.
As I finally made it back to my office, I found a familiar sight waiting for me—Erza sitting in the chair across from my desk, her Lucario standing calmly beside her. Both of them had that serious, no-nonsense expression that meant business.
"Erza," I said, settling into my chair. "What brings you here?"
"I wanted to discuss the guild's training facilities," she said without preamble. "With everyone having Pokemon partners now, our current training areas are insufficient."
Lucario nodded in agreement, its eyes studying me with an intelligence that was almost unsettling.
She's got a point. Pokemon battles are gonna need more space than regular magic training.
"What do you suggest?" I asked.
"An expansion of the training grounds behind the guild hall," Erza replied. "Separate areas for different types of training—elemental practice, physical conditioning, team coordination. We could also use reinforced barriers to prevent accidental damage to the main building."
"That's... actually a really good idea," I said. "NIMO, can you run some preliminary cost estimates for expanding our training facilities?"
"Analyzing building requirements and material costs," NIMO responded. "Estimate completed. Total cost would be approximately 2.3 million jewel for a comprehensive expansion."
That's not cheap, but it's not a problem for me now that I am the guildmaster. The guild's future is very important.
"Approved," I said. "But we'll do it in phases. Start with the basic expansion and add specialized areas as we go."
Erza smiled. "Thank you, Master. This will benefit everyone in the guild."
As she and Lucario left, I realized how much the guild dynamic had changed since everyone got their Pokemon partners. It wasn't just about individual strength anymore—it was about teamwork, partnership, and understanding between species.
Maybe that's exactly what this guild needed.
A few hours later, after my meeting with the Magic Council representatives (which went about as well as expected—lots of complaints about property damage and demands for "better control" over the guild), I decided it was time to make my announcement.
I stepped out into the main hall, where most of the guild was gathered for dinner.
"Everyone," I called out, my voice carrying over the dinner conversation. "Can I have your attention for a minute?"
The hall gradually quieted down, though I could still hear the soft sounds of Pokemon chattering to each other and the occasional clink of cutlery.
"As usual, Fairy Tail is going to host the Harvest Festival."
The reaction was immediate and explosive. Cheers erupted from every corner of the hall, Pokemon joined in with their own excited cries, and I could see people already starting to plan and scheme about what they wanted to do for the festival.
"It'll be a three-day celebration," I said, raising my voice over the noise. "Food, games, music, contests—and since we've got Pokemon partners now, we'll have some special events just for them too."
This is exactly what the guild needed. Something fun and positive to look forward to.
"The festival starts in two weeks," I concluded. "So start thinking about what you want to contribute. Performances, food booths, games—anything goes. This is our chance to show the rest of Fiore what Fairy Tail is really about."
As the cheering continued and people started chattering excitedly about festival plans, I caught sight of Mavis near the bar. She had a wistful expression on her face, and I realized this would be her first Harvest Festival as a real, physical participant rather than just an observer.
She deserves to experience this properly.
The energy in the hall was infectious, and even the Pokemon seemed to sense that something special was coming. I could see everyone already planning some kind of show with their Pokemon.
Two weeks to plan the best festival Fairy Tail has ever thrown. This should be interesting.
======
Get early access to 30+ chapters of my fanfics by supporting me on Patreon! [email protected]/ShuuraiFF