"I'm the 'Star Rose God', of course, means planting roses."
Marco smiled as he gave his answer, shaking a bag of seeds.
The seeds from his last mission were plentiful—eight large bags in total—more than enough.
Once planted, they could be propagated generation after generation, eliminating the need to rely on missions for more seeds.
"Is it that rose?!"
Upon hearing Marco mention planting roses, everyone immediately understood the origin of the "rose" in his famed title, "Star Rose God."
As members of Fairy Tail, they were well aware of its significance.
"Yes, Star Roses."
Marco nodded.
"Star Roses" was the alias he had given to the Royal Demon Rose, a name that better suited his ability system.
"Where did these seeds come from?"
Mirajane tilted her head, her expression puzzled.
She had never seen Marco plant them before—where had these seeds appeared from?
"They're a gift from Pisces." Marco blinked.
Don't ask—just attribute it to Celestial Spirit Magic.
"I see! So it really is Celestial Spirit Magic." Hearing this explanation, Mirajane accepted it easily.
It could only be said that they had long grown accustomed to such explanations.
Moreover, those "Star Roses" truly hadn't been seen anywhere else—they were a unique variety exclusive to Marco.
"Such a large rose field must be beautiful, right? It'll definitely become a stunning scenic spot, attracting many tourists!"
Looking at the fruits of everyone's labor, a guildmate couldn't help but muse aloud.
Many chimed in agreement, but Mirajane, Erza, and a few others who knew more about Marco's famed battle wore peculiar expressions.
Back then, the Ten Wizard Saint Jose Porla had merely inhaled the scent of those roses and was immediately struck by a potent poison.
If such a field were to truly flourish, forget approaching it—the entire forest would likely be filled with toxic pollen.
Speaking of Jose Porla, there hadn't been much news about him lately.
Ever since the great battle that established the "Fairy Tail Twin Stars," that Ten Wizard Saint seemed to have vanished into thin air.
But no one paid him much mind—such was the fate of a loser.
"Once the roses are planted, everyone should avoid approaching this area. Inhaling the pollen could easily lead to death here."
Sure enough, upon hearing such talk, Marco spoke up with a stern warning.
Observing the uneasy glances exchanged among his guildmates, Marco grew even more resolute in his decision to seal off the rose field entirely with a Crystal Wall.
No matter how many warnings were given, there would always be someone foolish enough to test their luck.
"I will use the Crystal Wall to enclose the entire rose field."
Marco didn't beat around the bush, stating it outright.
This made everyone realize just how dangerous the place was.
After all, they had all witnessed the strength of the Crystal Wall.
The one surrounding the dueling arena was a testament—no one could break it, and no one dared to complain.
When the Crystal Wall wasn't set to rebound, members would test the power of their magic against it.
Since no one could shatter it, it served as an ideal testing ground, free from concerns about causing damage.
And if the rebound was activated? It became an even better test—albeit one that came with significant risks.
Among them, Natsu particularly enjoyed challenging the "Rebound Crystal Wall" – it felt like fighting a stronger version of himself.
Every move he made was mirrored by the wall, only executed with greater proficiency.
Aside from not initiating attacks proactively, it served as an ideal training partner.
This "rebound" effect also allowed one to witness the enhanced power of their own magic, helping them find direction for growth and motivating them to strive harder.
Marco himself never expected the "Crystal Wall" to have such an effect.
It just goes to show how many people genuinely enjoy "seeking hardship."
The young members of Fairy Tail were all training fanatics, even finding ways to use the "Crystal Wall" for practice.
"Thanks for your hard work everyone! Let's head back to the guild – I'm treating you all to a feast!"
After wrapping up the matters, Marco called everyone to return to the guild for a meal, which sparked another round of cheers.
Guildmates gathered around Marco, chatting and laughing all the way back.
For the newer guild members, Marco – who had gained fame at a young age and was now racing ahead so rapidly that he seemed to exist on a different plane – was initially regarded with awe and reverence, making them hesitant to get too familiar.
After all, Marco's reputation had not only peaked in the Fiore Kingdom but had spread across the entire Ishgar continent, making him a true international star.
Anyone facing the current Marco would find it impossible to instantly act chummy with him.
However, Marco himself wasn't burdened by his fame.
He remained true to himself, unafraid of any "image collapse."
As a mage, strength was what truly mattered.
Though in his writing career, Marco felt he might be heading toward a "collapse" since he had already started working on the final chapter of his novel.
....
After treating everyone to a meal for a proper celebration, Marco returned to "Fairy Home" and began preparing for rose cultivation.
Before planting, there were several procedures to follow.
Having mastered all the cultivation techniques, Marco naturally wouldn't just scatter the seeds and wait for them to grow naturally.
Rose cultivation was a skilled and rather tedious task, but the [Royal Demon Rose] was clearly no ordinary rose, which actually simplified many steps.
By following the fixed procedures step by step, he could ensure the roses would sprout, grow, and bloom.
Marco wasn't in a rush.
He started by experimentally planting one bag of seeds.
Knowledge from books always feels shallow; true understanding comes from hands-on practice.
Mastering the method was one thing – implementing it successfully was another.
He maintained a relatively rigorous attitude.
Mainly because one bag contained quite a sufficient quantity.
The flowers that bloomed could also be stored in his spatial inventory without worrying about spoilage, allowing continuous accumulation.
In the future, he could casually unleash a bunch of [Royal Demon Roses] and adopt a strategy of overwhelming quantity.
The poison of the [Royal Demon Rose] actually acts relatively slowly unless directly struck or, like Jose Porla's epic lung inhalation, ingested directly.
Without direct contact, poisoning requires inhaling the pollen.
Overwhelming with quantity actually refers to the amount of rose pollen.
In a way, directly scattering pollen would work too, but that would waste the entire rose.
The best effect is achieved when it hits the target.