Makarov looked at Ryoma's disgusted expression, so angry his mustache nearly shot to the sky.
"You brat!"
"Do you know how many people are fighting for this position? And you still find it troublesome? Can't you think of a way to make those guys behave?"
He then pointed towards the guild hall, clearly referring to Natsu and Gray, those who thrive on chaos.
Ryoma spread his hands innocently. "They are Fairy Tail Mages. Speaking of which, causing trouble is their main job, isn't it? Besides, weren't those brats all picked up by you and brought into the guild?"
"You!" Makarov almost choked, his face turning crimson. "I didn't say you had to take it now."
Ryoma muttered in a voice only he could hear, "Not even later..."
"What did you say?" Makarov's ears were sharp, and he immediately glared over.
Ryoma instantly put on a smiling face and gave him a thumbs-up, "I said, with your robust health, being Guild Master for another twenty or thirty years wouldn't be a problem at all."
"Twenty or thirty years?!"
Upon hearing this, Makarov completely blew up, a vein throbbing in his temple.
"Brat! I still want to enjoy my old age!" He waved his fist, ready to rush over and teach this loose-tongued fellow a lesson.
Ryoma had learned his lesson this time and didn't give Makarov another chance to strike.
The ice flower beneath his feet flickered and vanished, his figure instantly drifting back over a dozen meters, landing steadily on the courtyard wall.
"Go, Master! I'm rooting for you! If there's nothing else, I'll be going!"
Before his words finished, his figure vanished from the backyard, leaving only an echoing encouragement in the air and Makarov, who was stomping his feet in anger.
Makarov lunged at nothing, only able to stand there fuming, cursing at the empty yard, and finally just let out an exasperated "Hmph" before pulling his hand back.
—
In Magnolia Town's Central Park, at the top of the largest old tree in the park, amidst the dense foliage, Ryoma's figure quietly appeared.
He found a comfortable position leaning against the thick tree trunk and lazily yawned.
'Being Guild Master? What kind of international joke is that?' Ryoma constantly grumbled inwardly.
Every day, he'd have to deal with mountains of quest documents, mediate trivial disputes among guild members, and occasionally go to the Magic Council to scheme against those old foxes who smile while hiding daggers.
That was not the life he wanted.
He only wanted to experience the fantastical adventures that once only existed in his imagination, to protect those he cared about, not to be bound by a responsibility so heavy it choked him.
Erza was a good candidate, but she was too by-the-book, sometimes even a bit rigid.
As for Laxus, his strength was sufficient, but his personality was like a giant bomb that could explode at any moment.
He gently shook his head, temporarily pushing these bothersome thoughts aside, his gaze piercing through the layers of leaves to rest on the few people below the tree.
Gajeel, Jet, Droy, and Levy.
The two members of the Shadow Gear had specifically called Gajeel to this secluded spot, their purpose self-evident.
"We called you out because we want to settle things." Jet stood in front of Gajeel, his expression unusually serious.
Droy nodded, looking extremely displeased. "For what you did to the guild before... and what you did to Levy."
At the mention of Levy's name, the two men's emotions clearly became more agitated, and waves of magical power began to subtly emanate from their bodies.
Gajeel stood in silence, neither refuting nor defending himself.
Ryoma watched this scene quietly from the tree, with no intention of intervening.
'As expected, they came looking for him.'
Phantom Lord's attack on the Shadow Gear team was the direct fuse for the full-scale war between the two guilds. As the direct victims of the attack, the resentment in Jet and Droy's hearts could not be so easily resolved.
Especially since this also involved Levy. For these two loyal supporters who held Levy in exceptionally high regard, this debt had to be settled.
"You're all so petty." Gajeel spoke in a low voice, breaking the tense atmosphere.
Although Levy, somewhat afraid of Gajeel, was saying it was fine from behind the tree, Jet and Droy exchanged glances and showed no hesitation.
High Speed!
Jet's feet became wind-borne, and he transformed into an afterimage, instantly vanishing from his spot and charging straight at Gajeel.
Falcon Heavenward!
His speed was extreme, and the strong wind he generated caused the surrounding grass blades to bend backward.
At the same time, Droy pulled out a few brown seeds and hurled them fiercely to the ground.
Knuckle Plant!
Four seeds took root, and thick vines furiously burst from the ground, their tips rapidly swelling into fist shapes, striking towards Gajeel from four different directions with whistling wind.
Jet's figure appeared at Gajeel's side, delivering a powerful kick at his vulnerable waist and abdomen.
Facing this combined attack, laced with full-blown anger, Gajeel merely stood still, showing no sign of resistance or defense.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four plant fists solidly struck his chest and back, emitting dull thuds, and Jet's flying kick also precisely hit his side.
The immense impact sent Gajeel flying several meters backward, and after landing, he slid a distance on one knee.
After the attack, Jet and Droy both stopped, looking at him with some surprise.
"You... what trick are you playing?" Jet demanded sharply, not expecting the other party to take his attacks head-on.
'What a foolish method.' Ryoma gently shook his head.
To take the opponent's anger head-on with one's own body in an attempt to seek spiritual forgiveness—this method, though direct, was incredibly stupid.
However, for a man like Gajeel, who was not good with words, perhaps this was the best method he could think of.
These injuries were minor for a thick-skinned Dragon Slayer, he could recover most of them by eating some iron back at the guild.
Ryoma wasn't worried about that.
The main reason he specifically came here was to guard against another, more unstable individual.
Sure enough, a voice full of disdain and arrogance suddenly sounded from the other end of the park.
"Hmph, are you the brat who messed up my guild?"
Everyone looked over at the sound, only to see Laxus striding over with an arrogant gait and a gloomy expression.
He wore his characteristic headphone on his ear, but no music was playing at the moment. The air around him became oppressive and agitated due to his presence.
He stopped not far from Gajeel, scrutinizing him up and down with an assessing gaze, clearly displeased.
"That old geezer... just because he wasn't killed, he decided to take him in as a comrade."
Laxus's words were filled with mockery and strong dissatisfaction regarding Makarov's decision.
He approached Gajeel step by step, his aura becoming even more terrifying, his powerful magic causing the air to distort.
"It's because of things like this that Fairy Tail gets looked down upon."
The veins on his face bulged, and yellow lightning began to rage around him, crackling loudly.
Jet and Droy were forced back repeatedly by this powerful magical pressure.
"Laxus..."
"What do you want?!"
Laxus ignored the two minor characters, his target was always just one.
He raised his hand, his palm aimed at Gajeel, who had just taken the attack head-on and hadn't fully recovered.
A blinding yellow lightning bolt furiously gathered in his palm, instantly transforming into a violent electric current that engulfed Gajeel.