The afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden hue over Magnolia Town, and the spires of the Fairy Tail Guild glittered in the evening light.
When Ezreal pushed open the Guild doors, the vibrant painted light spots on the wooden floor had already turned a warm orange.
"We're back!" Cana was the first to leap into the hall, her voice light with the ease of a completed mission.
The Guild was even livelier than when they had left, with members gathered in small groups, drinking and chatting.
Hearing Cana's shout, a few familiar faces turned their way.
"Oh! Isn't that our newly promoted S-Class Mage?" Marcus poked his head out from the bar, still holding a half-empty beer, "Did the mission go smoothly?"
Gray, his shirt draped over his shoulder, followed lazily: "Of course it went smoothly, what problems could there be with this great guy around?"
Cana punched him, "Put your shirt on!"
Ezreal was the last to enter, followed by the slightly reserved Yukino.
His gaze swept across the hall, and he raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw an unfamiliar figure standing by the bar—
It was a young man in a Council uniform, with a prominent scar on his left cheek, stretching from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, particularly noticeable in the light.
"Ezreal?" The scarred youth walked over proactively, extending his hand, "I'm Mest of the Magic Council Enforcement Team, specifically here to wait for your mission report."
Ezreal shook his hand, feeling the rough calluses on the other's palm: "Things were more complicated than expected."
He briefly recounted the rescue operation in Windmill Village and the intelligence about the 'Evil Flower' Guild extracted from the human traffickers.
Mest listened, then took a bulging money bag from his pocket and placed it on the bar: "This is the commission fee; the Council is very satisfied with the results."
He paused, his scar appearing deeper in the light, "However, regarding 'Evil Flower'..."
"You want us to continue the investigation?" Ezreal cut in, his peripheral vision catching Cana already pulling Yukino to sit among the Guild members, while Gray was surrounded by Natsu and Gajeel, who were asking about the mission details.
Mest nodded, lowering his voice: "This Dark Guild has been very active recently; we suspect they are preparing some large-scale dark ritual. The regular enforcement team can't handle them."
He looked directly into Ezreal's eyes, his scar making his expression seem particularly sincere, "I need your help."
Ezreal didn't answer immediately; he turned to look at his companions.
Cana was gesticulating wildly, describing the battle to Laki and Ikaruga; Gray, despite his look of disdain, didn't interrupt her.
Yukino sat quietly to the side, her gaze drifting among the lively Guild members, both curious and wary.
"Ez!" Marcus suddenly clapped him on the shoulder from behind, "Don't think too much; if there's a mission, take it! We're just sitting around anyway!"
"Exactly!" Cana had also come over at some point, holding a half-empty fruit tea, "How can the first official request for an S-Class Mage be abandoned halfway?"
Ezreal's lips curled into a slight smile, and he turned back to Mest, saying: "Alright, we'll take it."
Mest visibly relaxed, his scar seeming to smooth out a bit: "Thank you. I'll pass the detailed information to Miss Mirajane."
He bowed, and as he turned to leave, his gaze lingered on Yukino for a moment. The girl's appearance felt somewhat familiar to him, as if he had seen her somewhere before, but at the moment, he was asking for help, so he said nothing and left.
"Hey, everyone, listen up!" Cana suddenly jumped onto a table, raising her glass, "I want to introduce a new friend!"
The noise in the Guild gradually subsided, and everyone looked curiously at the silver-haired girl standing beside Cana.
Yukino awkwardly clutched the hem of her clothes, but her back remained straight.
"This is Yukino Agria, a Celestial Spirit Mage!" Cana enthusiastically put her arm around Yukino's shoulder, "She helped a lot on the mission, and—"
She winked, "She took down three human traffickers all by herself!"
Whistles and applause immediately erupted in the Guild.
Yukino's face flushed slightly, but the wariness in her eyes had melted away considerably.
"A Celestial Spirit Mage?" Master Makarov's voice came from the second floor.
The old man had appeared by the railing at some point, still holding his beloved beer mug.
He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Yukino, then gave Ezreal, Cana, and Gray an inquiring look.
The three nodded in unison.
Makarov's face immediately broke into a wide smile, and he leaped down from the second floor, landing as light as a feather: "Welcome to Fairy Tail, child!"
He jumped up and patted Yukino's shoulder, then turned and shouted: "Mira! Prepare the emblem!"
Mira walked over with a smile, holding the Guild's stamp: "What color do you like? And where do you want it?"
Yukino's eyes lit up. She hesitated, then gently pulled open her collar, revealing her collarbone: "White... is that okay?"
"Of course!" Mirajane said gently. As the stamp fell, Yukino frowned slightly, but the corners of her mouth curved upward involuntarily.
When Mirajane removed the stamp, a pure white Fairy Tail emblem was already imprinted on Yukino's collarbone.
"To celebrate our new member—" Makarov jumped onto the bar, raising his beer mug, "Let's party!"
The Guild instantly erupted into deafening cheers.
Tables were quickly pushed together, beer barrels rolled out from the basement, and food was continuously brought out from the kitchen.
Music started playing from somewhere, and several members were already jumping on tables and dancing.
"Don't be shy!" Cana handed Yukino a glass of juice, "This is just a normal day at Fairy Tail!"
Yukino took the glass, took a small sip, but her eyes kept observing the lively scene around her.
Natsu and Gajeel were competing to see who could stuff more sausages in their mouths, with Laki and Marcus counting for them;
Ikaruga sat elegantly to the side, but was occasionally amused by Gray's ice sculpture performance;
Ezreal leaned by the bar, talking with Mirajane and Erza, shaking his head and chuckling at his companions' comical antics from time to time.
"Are they... always like this?" Yukino couldn't help but ask.
Cana laughed heartily: "This is nothing! Wait until Master has his third drink, then he'll start telling stories of his adventures when he was young!"
As if to confirm her words, Makarov was already standing on a chair, waving his beer mug: "Let me tell you about that monster I encountered in the Northern Continent forty years ago—"
A chorus of good-natured boos and laughter echoed through the Guild.
Yukino watched the scene, her tense shoulders finally relaxing completely.
She looked down at the emblem on her collarbone, gently touched it, and a genuine smile curved her lips.
Ezreal came to her side at some point, handing her a plate of food: "You'll get used to it. This is how it is here, noisy, but warm."
Yukino took the plate and said softly: "Thank you." She paused, then added, "For everything."
Ezreal just smiled, raising his own glass and clinking it gently with hers.
Around them, the Fairy Tail feast was in full swing, laughter and song echoing in every corner of the Guild.
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