"Bang!"
Natsu toppled headfirst onto the floor, suddenly jolted awake. He scrambled up in a fluster and even wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.
"Forget it, let's call it a day and go home."
Moen couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head helplessly. In the end, he decided to let Natsu off—though it wasn't like he had a choice. This guy had barely been meditating for two minutes before dozing off instantly.
"Great!"
The moment Moen said "call it a day," Natsu perked up. He leapt to his feet and dashed out in a flash, not a single trace of drowsiness left.
"This guy…"
Moen chuckled softly. Getting that kid to sit quietly for even a moment was truly impossible. He could only admit that Natsu was completely wild, too used to running free outdoors.
"Natsu is really lively."
Levy covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Anyone who could leave Moen-nii that exasperated… Natsu was truly one of a kind.
"Let's go then, Levy. Want me to walk you back?"
After tidying up the study room, Moen glanced at Levy, who had been helping him on the side.
"No need, Moen-nii. I can go back myself, the dorm's not far, you don't have to worry. After all, I am a mage too."
Levy's face flushed slightly red as she waved her hands quickly. After saying goodbye to Moen, she darted off on her short little legs, practically running away in embarrassment.
Moen didn't insist on escorting her. After all, Fairy Tail's girls' dormitory wasn't far from the guild hall. Just a few houses up the hill—closer than Moen's own place. On foot, it wouldn't even take ten minutes.
The boys' dormitory, however, was farther away. But Natsu? No one worried about him. That guy could survive in the wild from such a young age, and with his strength, even if several adult mages ganged up on him, they'd just end up beaten down.
The dormitories provided by Fairy Tail weren't free—one could even say expensive. Ten thousand J a month. Renting a decent house outside would only cost about seven thousand J.
But the guild's dorms were undeniably luxurious. The quality was worth every jewel, and living there was far more convenient than finding housing on your own.
Still, out of humanitarian concern, the dorms were free until the mages gained the ability to support themselves.
After all, you couldn't expect a five- or six-year-old orphan to come up with ten thousand J every month. For most people, that sum wasn't small at all. Only mages could pay it easily.
Now, kids like Natsu, Gray, Erza, and even Cana, Levy, Jet, and Droy had all already mastered magic and could take on some requests.
Once they grew a bit older, they'd have to start paying their own rent. That was the price of growing up—the carefree days gradually slipping away.
After locking up the study room, Moen checked the time. It was almost ten at night, the guild long since empty, the great hall dark and silent. At night, unless there was an emergency, no one stayed behind. Even Master Makarov would lock the doors and go home.
Because Moen trained so diligently, he often lost track of time while meditating. He was always the last to leave the guild at night. So, he had taken it upon himself to handle locking the doors at night—and opening them early in the morning. It lightened Master Makarov's burden a bit.
After walking one last round to make sure no one was left, Moen got ready to leave.
"Last one out again. Today was another day of hard work."
Tossing the keys up and catching them again, Moen smiled, giving himself a little pep talk.
"Moen."
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the darkness of the guild hall. Moen froze mid-step, his whole body tensing instinctively.
But once he recognized who the voice belonged to, he relaxed again, his expression turning helpless as he glanced toward a corner table.
Sure enough, a small figure sat there—looking just like a child, barely taller than little Levy.
"Grandpa Makarov… you'll scare someone to death sneaking around like that."
That tiny figure was none other than Fairy Tail's Third Guild Master, one of the legendary Ten Wizard Saints, Moen and Laxus' grandfather—Makarov Dreyar.
"Hahaha, did I scare you? My apologies."
Makarov hopped down from the chair, laughing heartily as he walked over to Moen.
On his head was a jester's cap with two horns, his aged face carrying a kindly smile. He gave off no pressure at all, looking simply like a mischievous old grandpa from next door.
"You deliberately sneaking up—of course I'd get startled!"
Moen truly had been surprised. He had just finished checking every corner of the guild to make sure no one was left, and then suddenly Master Makarov pulled this stunt. Clearly, he had been waiting there on purpose to give Moen a little fright.
With Makarov's strength, hiding from Moen was effortless. Sitting quietly in the shadows, it was as if he had become invisible. Moen hadn't noticed him at all while making his rounds.
"Haha, don't be mad, Moen. Come on, let's head home."
Makarov wore the smug expression of someone pleased with a successful prank. He really was an old mischief-maker, with no airs of authority about him. Most of the time he even sat at the kids' table, and he genuinely played along with them. An old child, through and through—that was him.
"Forget it, let's go home."
Moen wasn't truly upset. He was used to it by now, and in truth, Makarov's nature was something he actually found endearing. As Guild Master, Makarov was a friend to everyone in Fairy Tail, someone members could easily confide in.
At the same time, his overwhelming strength and the fame of his name across the continent inspired genuine awe and respect. No one dared underestimate him because of his small stature or playful personality.
This way of leading, this way of uniting the guild, was far superior to those guild masters who ruled through forced authority.
You could say Makarov was the very soul of Fairy Tail. The guild's tone and spirit had been shaped entirely by him—he was, without doubt, an exceptional Master.
Of course, he had his flaws. But to Moen—who aspired one day to inherit the guild—Makarov had countless qualities worth learning from. Moen had always taken him as his goal to strive toward.
The grandfather and grandson chatted and laughed as they walked out of the guild hall. Moen locked the door behind them, officially closing Fairy Tail for the day.
"Did you quarrel with Laxus again?"
On the road, Makarov suddenly asked, his expression losing its usual cheer, replaced by a rare look of concern.
"No quarrel. I only tried to reason with him again."
Watching the small glowing light sphere drifting ahead of them, Moen answered simply. That light orb was Makarov's magic—he was a master of countless spells.
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