In the evening, Rhode carried Makarov back to his room. The old man was reeking of alcohol and mumbling things like 'won't lose to you' and 'Fairy Tail is the best.'
Perhaps it was because he was usually kept in check by Mira, so when he got here, he drank to his heart's content—but if left unchecked, he would always drink to his heart's content.
Carefully helping the President take off his shoes and coat and tucking him in, Rhode placed a glass of water on the nightstand, turned off the light, and left the room.
He didn't sleep that early and went back to his room to practice Requip Magic for a while.
Since returning from the last mission, Rhode had been practicing at home.
This magic was interesting. Once mastered, he could open up a personal alternate space where he could store things, including but not limited to clothes and weapons.
Even if he held a rock, he could store it as a weapon.
However, the size of the Requip space depends on one's talent and effort.
Like Erza, who can store dozens of suits of armor and hundreds of weapons, or Bisca, who can store hundreds of magic firearms and some clothes.
Rhode currently had about a closet's worth.
As a beginner, his talent wasn't outstanding but wasn't bad either.
If he wanted, he could switch professions to a Demon Swordsman. With his close-range combat skills, he could easily become a core member of an ordinary guild.
But Rhode had no such plans. A closet's worth of space was already enough for him.
He could store some clothes and everyday items, so in the future, he could carry a small bag when going out, no need for a suitcase.
"Requip!" Rhode's body lit up, his original clothes disappeared, and pajamas fell onto his head.
Hmm, it seems the quick dressing feature is not yet ready to show off outside.
Rhode calmly picked up his pajamas, went to the bathroom, and took a shower, as if the Requip failure hadn't happened.
After returning, he meditated for a while before falling asleep.
...
The next day's meeting started early, and Rhode was called to the meeting by the President just after finishing his morning exercise.
The meeting was still presided over by President Goldman, and today's first topic was about the Advisory Council.
It wasn't to oppose the Council but to cooperate with their work.
Although many mages in Fairy Tail regarded the Council as a threat, to ordinary mages, it was just an institution that maintained order in the Magic Realm and punished evil.
Over the years, the Council had been cracking down on Dark Guilds, disciplining criminal mages, and overall contributing significantly to the world.
While there were occasional shortcomings, that was because the scope was too vast, and Fiore's location was somewhat remote.
As a Legitimate Guild, cooperating with the Council's branch in Fiore was beneficial for maintaining the peace of the Magic Realm and the Kingdom.
When it came to cooperating with the Council, Makarov was wide awake.
He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, waiting for Goldman to praise him.
Goldman glanced at him and said, "I have to mention Fairy Tail's S-Class Mage, Erza.
She has helped the Council accomplish many difficult tasks, though she sometimes causes a bit of trouble, but overall…"
Makarov's face fell but then he smiled again; after all, Erza was also from their guild. Praising her was like praising them.
Even during routine meetings, the two old men engaged in open and hidden contests.
By the afternoon, the discussion topics had transitioned from the Council to Dark Guilds.
"Speaking of Dark Guilds, we have to mention the Balram Alliance."
As these words were spoken, the entire meeting room fell silent.
For every guild, the Balram Alliance was a terrifying dark force.
The three major guilds that formed this alliance, 'Gate of the Underworld', 'Demon Heart', and 'Oracion Seis', dominated over ninety percent of the Dark Guilds on this continent.
They were acknowledged as a powerful force that no Legitimate Guild could oppose alone.
"Among the three major Dark Guilds, 'Gate of the Underworld' remains as mysterious as ever, hiding who knows where; 'Demon Heart' occasionally shows up, though hard to track; only Oracion Seis has become increasingly active in recent years."
Rhode recalled the Guild he and Gray had once beaten, Naked Bandage Man Guild, which seemed to be under Oracion Seis.
Goldman said seriously, "It's not just Oracion Seis itself; the Dark Guilds under them have also been very active recently. I suspect they have some hidden agenda. Everyone, please take note."
President Bob said, "Speaking of which, recently our Guild's Ren ♡ encountered members of Iron Forest during a mission, who seemed to be searching for something, but unfortunately, they escaped."
Several other Presidents added information, mentioning names of Dark Guilds like 'Corpse Soul' and 'Red Headscarf' one after the other.
Makarov fell into contemplation. In the past, these Dark Guilds engaged secretly in illegal activities such as kidnapping, extortion, and assassination.
When lacking money, they might resort to theft and tried to keep a low profile.
But recently, their behavior seemed unusually active.
Presidents of some smaller guilds expressed unease, given their small size, with some having no more than twenty members total.
In terms of strength… Many mages aimed to help ordinary people solve life's problems, thus not focusing on combat.
It's no exaggeration to say these small guilds are at a level Rhode could handle alone.
To be extreme, some Presidents might not qualify for the S-Class exam if they joined Fairy Tail.
In some games, if Fairy Tail's members are mainly combat players, they might be considered lifestyle players.
Nonetheless, within the Local Guild Alliance, there was no rank difference between large and small guilds. Unless there was personal enmity, all were willing to help each other.
Presidents like Makarov, Bob, and Goldman from large guilds all stated that if needed, assistance could be requested at any time.
A President marked locations on a map where Dark Guilds were sighted and used magic to create dozens of copies, distributing them to the other Presidents.
Rhode marveled at the variety of magic in this world; even a human printer existed.
They then discussed how regular mages should act when confronting Dark Guilds, planning to compile the information and share it with their guild members.
The first two days' meetings proceeded smoothly, but some disputes arose on the third day.
Because the third day's theme was mediating conflicts between guilds, discussing and resolving conflicts accumulated over time.
Though combat between mage guilds was forbidden, minor disagreements in private were inevitable.
Since these weren't considered major principle conflicts, they didn't want the Council to intervene, so they were brought here for resolution.
Such times were often Makarov's 'stage.'
Rhode thought he already knew how much his companions could stir up trouble, but he still underestimated it.
Out of thirty Presidents, at least half had complaints about Fairy Tail.
Most complained about damage caused by Fairy Tail mages' combat;
A few complained that Fairy Tail mages were seducing their guild's women, sometimes even having multiple relationships;
Some complained of being disturbed after a nap by a naked man walking past the window, too much for their eyes to bear.
As the President of Fairy Tail, one of the top ten mages on the Ishujal Continent, Makarov faced criticisms with remarkable composure, not using his status to apply pressure at all.
His attitude in apologizing was earnest and practiced.
So much so that Rhode felt a sting of sympathy for him.
What has the President gone through all these years?
Thanks to his exemplary beginning, other Presidents also maintained significant restraint when criticized.
They expressed dissatisfaction clearly, letting everyone judge right from wrong, apologizing if necessary, and compensating if required.
Internal unity within the Alliance was generally maintained well.
After resolving earlier issues, the meeting moved to the final task, which Makarov rather disliked—task allocation by drawing lots.
He was prone to drawing the worst lots.