"Let's wait for Laxus."
Leaning against the bar counter, Marco spoke to Makarov with a smile.
"Yeah, we should wait for him. With everyone gathered after this matter concludes, it's a good opportunity to make an announcement."
Makarov took a sip of alcohol and brought up that matter again.
Since making the decision, he hadn't found the right moment to announce it.
Either people weren't all present, or Laxus was missing.
This grand gathering was indeed a perfect opportunity.
"Well... actually, we could wait a bit longer. Gildarts hasn't returned yet..."
Marco glanced at Makarov and suggested postponing the matter further.
He felt that establishing his successor status so early would definitely provoke Laxus.
"Gildarts... it's been three years already, and still no news of him..."
At the mention of Gildarts, Makarov's expression shifted noticeably, unable to suppress his growing concern.
"Yeah, three whole years. Even if he got lost, he should have found his way back by now?"
Marco also sighed.
Since Gildarts left to undertake the "Century Quest," there had been absolutely no news of him, as if he had vanished from the face of the earth.
No word on whether he succeeded or failed.
Though conventional wisdom would suggest that three years without any news typically means the mission failed and the person is presumed dead.
But in Fairy Tail, when it comes to Gildarts, no one thinks that way.
After all, this is Gildarts we're talking about!
No matter how terrifying the "Century Quest" might be, it shouldn't prevent Gildarts from returning.
That's what everyone in Fairy Tail believes - they all have immense confidence in Gildarts.
While the old man might be somewhat unreliable when it comes to love, his dedication to the guild members is beyond question.
For most of the kids, he's like a father figure.
Everyone is waiting for his triumphant return.
Of course, Gildarts definitely won't make it back in time for this operation.
Within a few days, the main forces of Quatro Cerberus and Blue Pegasus arrived.
Bob and Goldmine didn't hold back at all, bringing essentially all the elite members from their guilds.
Marco first arranged for them to rest for a day in Magnolia city, then gathered everyone again in the eastern suburb forest on the second day.
In the early morning eastern suburb forest, the thin mist hadn't completely dissipated yet.
The air was filled with the moist scent of soil mixed with the fresh fragrance of grass and trees.
Sturdy oak and birch trees stretched their branches, casting dappled shadows in the rising sunlight.
Mages from all three guilds gathered in the forest clearing, chatting among themselves.
"You can't leave us out of something like this!" Bacchus patted his chest.
He looked quite excited about the upcoming operation.
People from another world - he definitely wanted to cross paths with them properly!
"I heard our counterparts from the other world have already been eliminated. What a pity, otherwise I could have exchanged some words with the other version of myself."
Ichiya smoothed his meticulously styled sideburns, striking what he thought was a charming pose with an affected tone of melancholy.
He was still dressed flamboyantly, wearing a white suit with a rose tucked in the pocket.
Despite his rugged appearance, he insisted on adopting a pretty-boy style, making it awkward for anyone watching.
"Master, the materials you asked me to research about Ancient Wimpera language have all been organized. I've recorded everything in this notebook."
Hibiki Lates quickly approached Marco and respectfully handed him a notebook filled with information about the "Ancient Wimpera language."
Marco naturally hadn't forgotten about his apprentice's abilities.
If you needed to find any information, entrusting it to Hibiki Lates was always the right choice.
His "Archieve Magic" was the best magical search engine—if you could think of it, he could find it.
"You could have transmitted it directly to me."
Marco took the notebook and commented that using "Mental Link" through Archieve transmission would have saved him the trouble of manual organization.
"Of course, that's possible. I was just quite interested myself, so I took a look. But this Ancient Wimpera language is really obscure and difficult to understand, and there's very little material available. The Archieve Magic didn't find much useful information either—this is all there is."
Hibiki Lates scratched his head, feeling that he hadn't completed the task properly, mainly because he genuinely hadn't found much useful material.
"It's fine, I expected this."
Marco reached out and patted Hibiki Lates' shoulder to comfort him.
"Archieve Magic" was just a search engine—it couldn't create something from nothing.
Like the previous "Star Chart History," there were actually related records in the "Fairy Tail" library; it wasn't something the "Archieve Magic" fabricated.
As for this "Ancient Wimpera language," the materials were indeed quite scarce.
Basically, only "Fairy Tail" and Karel's group had relevant research materials.
The reason Marco had Hibiki investigate was simply to cross-reference with the materials left by Karel, to prevent him from playing tricks.
Karel could certainly fabricate something on the spot for Marco, but what Hibiki Archieve Magic retrieved were their most authentic research materials—they couldn't be falsified.
So, this Archieve was indeed extraordinary.
Its effectiveness was entirely determined by the user's knowledge reserve and understanding of the world.
The more you knew, the more you could discover; the less you understood, the less useful it became.
"Is everyone here? When are we setting out?" Master Goldmine made his way through the crowd and approached Marco to ask
He was still in his familiar attire, wearing his black hat and sunglasses, instantly recognizable in any crowd.
"Wait a moment, we'll depart soon."
Marco scanned the large group and immediately noticed who was missing—Laxus and his "Thunder God Tribe" hadn't arrived yet.
However, the crow had already delivered a message that they were on their way.
Laxus hadn't refused to participate in this operation.
This was significant progress.
Laxus was indeed gradually integrating into the guild.
Although he still maintained his own stubbornness and ideals, at least he wouldn't stand by idly when the guild needed help.
As soon as Marco's "We'll set off immediately" left his lips, the clamor in the forest grew slightly louder, with everyone making final checks and adjustments.
Shortly after, an intangible pressure suddenly emanated from the forest's edge, causing the crowd's noise to instinctively quieten.
It was Laxus arriving with the Thunder God Tribe.
Laxus strode at the forefront with imposing presence, followed by Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen.
The four cut through the loosely gathered crowd like sharp blades, heading straight toward the core members of Fairy Tail.
Their mere presence created a stark contrast with the surroundings, making them appear distinctly unassimilated.
Mages from the three guilds were mingled chaotically—chatting and exchanging greetings.
Years of joint activities had familiarized them with one another, and many had formed friendships.
In contrast, Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe rarely participated even in their own guild's events, let alone socialized with the other two guilds.
The small area where they stood seemed enveloped in a faint mist of alienation.