After Makarov proposed taking people outside the wall for training, the other guild masters followed suit.
Since they were already here, it wouldn't sit right if they didn't contribute at all.
Humans were truly contradictory creatures.
When the situation was critical, they all hoped Marco's wall would hold, preferably sparing them from facing the Beast Tide directly.
But now that the situation had stabilized, they all wanted to do their part.
Marco chuckled and shook his head.
It was just human nature, after all.
Still, there was no point in blaming them.
If Marco hadn't held the line, these people would have fought the magic beasts too.
While deserters might exist, most would have stood their ground.
Now, although the Beast Tide had subsided, the real ordeal for the magic users had only just begun.
Amid mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, the magic users struggled to clean up the remaining magic beasts.
The environment severely hampered their combat effectiveness, making even dealing with the stragglers an exhausting task.
For Fairy Tail, the younger members were the ones doing most of the fighting.
Since they had come all this way, they couldn't just leave empty-handed—this was also their punishment for sneaking out against orders.
Aside from clearing out the remaining magic beasts, they also had to help Marco by gathering usable materials from the beasts.
The kids were run ragged, spending their days either fighting magic beasts or scavenging through the carnage.
If nothing else, the training effect was undeniable.
Even Hisui and Lucy were gradually getting used to this environment—it was truly toughening them up.
The materials harvested from these shattered corpses were all Marco's spoils of war, and no one disputed that.
Magic users from other guilds also did their best to help collect them.
Under the current circumstances, no one dared to steal from Marco.
Admittedly, the arrival of the larger force had been a great help to Marco, easing some of his burdens.
At least now, there were people to handle the tedious post-battle cleanup.
"Are you really planning to take all of this back to the guild?"
Makarov gaped at the vast array of magic beast materials stored in the Ice room Marco had created.
The sheer quantity was staggering!
But thinking about it, it made sense.
This was the yield of two Beast Tides—of course it would be overwhelming.
During the two or three months stationed in Nord Forest, Marco had gathered an enormous amount of magic beast materials, all intended for crafting Saint Cloths.
Previously, handling all this alone had been a monumental task.
This time, with the Beast Tide, things were much easier—proof that collective effort was far more reliable.
"Of course, I'm taking everything back—especially the materials from Dekepisu." Marco nodded.
The colossal beast Dekepisu had been bound and ultimately carved up into various materials.
The legendary beast's remains were all of exceptional quality, befitting its status.
"Though if anyone needs them, I can sell some."
Watching his "Ice Room" grow larger and larger, Marco changed his mind.
He decided to sell some magic beast materials to magic users from other guilds.
Certain materials unique to Nord Forest would undoubtedly become extremely scarce in the coming period.
This was beyond doubt.
After so many magic beasts had died, Nord Forest would need time to recover once the Magic Tide subsided.
The number of magic beasts in the outer regions would significantly decrease, and the prices of their materials would naturally skyrocket.
"Selling some is a good idea. You've collected too much, and even your crows can't transport this much back, right?" Makarov nodded, agreeing with Marco's decision.
"Just don't price them too high." Makarov reminded him.
Since they were selling here, they shouldn't raise prices excessively.
While everyone expected prices to increase, being too greedy would only invite resentment.
Their guild had no reason to stir up such trouble.
"Don't worry, I'm not short on money." Marco nodded.
His intention was to use these materials to build goodwill.
Over the past few days, many had approached him to buy, all shrewd individuals anticipating the price surge.
However, Marco flatly refused those looking to purchase in bulk for resale.
He only sold to those with genuine needs.
If anyone wanted to exploit the market, they could hunt in Nord Forest themselves—no cheap sourcing from him.
The tail end of the Magic Tide still lingered, with many magic beasts remaining in the outer regions.
Those willing to hunt could still find plenty.
Indeed, more hunting squads had emerged recently.
The opportunity was clear, and enterprising magic users wouldn't miss it.
Fairy Tail had also dispatched several teams—no one wanted to pass up such a lucrative chance.
Though the guild's benefits were generous, who wouldn't want extra income?
Makarov supported this, as increased hunting would help speed up the Magic tide's annihilation.
Even the Magic Council endorsed the effort, offering direct official purchases to save hunters the hassle of reselling.
Admittedly, the Magic Council's scheme was clever.
By monopolizing the market, they stood to profit far more than individual magic users.
"Did the Magic Council approach you?" Makarov asked, clearly aware of the situation.
"Yep, but I sent them packing." Marco replied nonchalantly.
The Council's attempt at a monopoly meant they'd inevitably target a major supplier like him.
Their offer—to buy his entire stock at a price barely above normal rates—was laughable, showing no sincerity for the scarcity premium.
"Ignore them. This isn't official policy—just some councilor's ploy. Those people only think about lining their pockets, never doing any real work." Makarov shook his head, his tone dripping with scorn.
His usual disregard for the Magic Council stemmed from seeing right through their current state.
"Just as expected, a bunch of insects drawn by the scent." Marco sneered mockingly.
The people from the Magic Council truly didn't deserve any respect.
That council member who had come to purchase magic beast materials from him was the epitome of a bully who only picked on the weak—after being scolded and chased away by Marco, he never dared to cause trouble again.
Clearly, they had approached Marco just to try their luck.
If he had actually sold the materials, they would have profited without risk.
Even if he refused, Marco couldn't do anything to them.
"Actually, maybe we could ask Org to handle this," Makarov spoke up.
He was certain this wasn't Org's doing.
Though they often clashed, Makarov didn't doubt Org's integrity—this wasn't something that conservative, even somewhat rigid, man would do.
"If he were going to intervene, he would have done so long ago," Marco shook his head.
As the person in charge, how could Org not know about his subordinates' underhanded tactics?
He was simply turning a blind eye, likely to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Marco had no fondness for Org whatsoever.
Their interactions had been few, and his strongest impression of the old man was that he "enjoyed making trouble for Fairy Tail."
"Let's give it a try. If he's involved in this too, we'll mock him mercilessly—at least it'll vent some frustration!" Makarov said with a laugh.
Though his words sounded harsh, the old man still held some trust in Councilman Org, something Marco admitted he couldn't match.
For someone who constantly caused trouble for Fairy Tail, the old guild master could still acknowledge his merits.
At best, Marco could only manage to avoid thinking about the man—true respect or recognition was simply beyond him.