Everyone in the guild stared at Kevin and Elfman in disbelief.
Kevin, surprised by the crowd, said, "Oh! Everyone's here."
"Kevin?! Elfman?! You're okay?"
"Okay? What's okay?"
Kevin was puzzled; he didn't understand why there was such concern.
Makarov waved his hand: "It's a relief you're both alright! Luckily, you didn't take on that mission. It was upgraded to S-Class, and I was worried you'd get reckless. Giving it up was the right choice."
"Give up the mission? Give up what mission?"
"What else? The Phantom Bandit Gang mission you accepted!"
"We completed that mission!"
"What did you say?!"
Everyone in the guild was startled, looking at Kevin in disbelief.
Mira gave Elfman an inquiring look, and Elfman nodded, confirming the truth.
Makarov's eyes widened: "You... you really completed it? You defeated the 'King of Assassins' Camille?"
Kevin nodded: "Yeah! He was quite troublesome, a bit difficult to deal with."
"..."
Elfman remained silent, but inwardly mused: 'Yeah! Quite difficult, it only took a minute to handle him.'
"You... why so reckless? That was an S-Class mission! The infamous 'King of Assassins'."
Kevin shrugged: "The mission was accepted; I couldn't just abandon it. Besides, they were trying to kill my client. I couldn't stand by and let that happen, could I? It would damage Fairy Tail's reputation."
Just then, a newspaper vendor ran past the guild's entrance.
"Breaking news! Breaking news!"
"The notorious Phantom Bandit Gang has been fully apprehended!"
"The identity of the Phantom Bandit Gang's leader is shocking!"
Guild members quickly bought copies.
"It's really done!!"
"Kevin, a newcomer, completed an S-Class mission! That's amazing!"
"Yeah! No wonder he could beat Natsu, this guy's strength is monstrous!"... Seeing the newspaper reports, guild members were amazed. They finally believed Kevin had truly completed an S-Class mission. It was already in the newspaper, clearly stating that Kevin, a Mage from Fairy Tail, defeated the Phantom Bandit Gang.
Makarov took a deep breath: "Report the mission process."
Elfman recounted the mission details from start to finish.
Listening, it was clear Kevin had accomplished it alone. He defeated thirteen Phantom Bandit Gang members, including Camille, the 'King of Assassins'. It was incredible.
Makarov sighed in relief: "This time it's fine, but don't be so reckless again!"
"Understood! Oh, by the way, Master, since I completed an S-Class mission, can I go to the second floor?"
The second floor had many S-Class missions he coveted. Completing more S-Class missions meant more chances to draw prizes, and his strength would surely soar.
"That's right!"
"Kevin completed an S-Class mission, so he should be able to go to the second floor."
S-Class missions are dangerous, even for S-Class Mages. Since Kevin completed one, he had the qualifications to go to the second floor.
"No!"
"An S-Class mission is different from the second floor. To go upstairs, you must become an S-Class Mage. That's a guild rule."
Makarov immediately refused. This stubborn kid had taken an S-Class mission after just joining. If allowed upstairs, who knows what he'd do next, maybe even take a century mission. He couldn't have everyone trying to complete S-Class missions just to go upstairs.
"Sigh! Alright! Master, how do I become an S-Class Mage?"
Kevin was disappointed, hoping to pick missions freely on the second floor.
Makarov explained: "To become an S-Class Mage, you must wait for the S-Class Mage promotion exam at the end of the year. Only by passing the exam can you be promoted."
Kevin's eyes widened: "End of the year?! It's only the beginning now! That means I have to wait another half year!"
"That's right!"
Makarov thought: 'You should just do other missions honestly.'
Soon, the guild returned to its usual state, with many discussing Kevin's S-Class mission success. The newspaper photos showed the battle's intensity.
Kevin ordered a full table of dishes. After half a month of hardship since arriving in this world, now with money, he wanted to indulge.
During dinner, many guild members invited him to form a permanent team, but he politely declined, wanting to act alone for now.
Teaming up had advantages, like increased safety and tackling tougher jobs together.
But that required similar strength levels. A large gap would slow his work speed, impacting his growth.
His goal was to become an S-Class Mage, and he'd be taking S-Class missions. Insufficient strength would be dangerous, so he preferred to refuse now rather than break up later.
Kevin called out: "Mira! Another beer!"
"Coming!"
Mira quickly brought a beer to Kevin's table.
"Kevin, thank you very much this time."
Elfman had told her Kevin faced the gang alone, keeping Elfman from intervening, and after completing the mission, wanted to give half the reward to Elfman. Elfman only took 1 million J with insistence. It was a large sum, requiring a difficult mission for such a reward.
Kevin blinked: "Thank me? Why? I should be thanking you. Thanks to Elfman guiding me. If he hadn't protected the client, I might have completed the mission but had no one to pay the reward."
Hearing Kevin, Mira's impression of him improved: "If you ever need my help, just say so."
Kevin remembered something: "Actually, I do need your help."
"What is it?"
"I want to buy a house."
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