"Happy."
"Ahem, yes, sir!"
The moment Kabe called his name, Happy, who was shoveling food into his mouth, choked twice in a row.
He hurriedly answered, then flew over with a forced smile, hovering beneath Kabe's raised palm and obediently letting Kabe ruffle his silky fur into a complete mess.
"Mmm. The feel is still just as good as ever."
"Aye. If Lord Kabe is satisfied, it is truly this humble one's greatest honor."
Watching Happy flatter him like a pet trying to please its owner, Makarov slapped his forehead helplessly.
"You brat. Happy is also a member of the guild. Stop treating him like a house cat."
Kabe gave Happy one more vigorous rub before finally letting him go, waving him off to return to his meal.
The second Happy regained his freedom, he shot Makarov an incredibly grateful look, then immediately grabbed his fried rice and fled the guild as if escaping for his life, heading off to find his true backer, Natsu.
Only then did Kabe reply to Makarov.
"I was not bullying him. Happy is my successor, the one who inherited my title as the guild mascot.
Normally, I take the best care of him."
Everyone present only curled their lips, but no one dug deeper.
After all, in this life, Happy had been picked up by Kabe personally from the East Forest. Even if Natsu had been the one to hatch and raise him in the end, that still counted as a connection.
A father teasing his kid a little, how could that be called bullying?
"Hmph. You had better actually believe that," Makarov muttered.
After saying that, he stopped bothering with Kabe.
Mira had gone to talk with Laki, and Erza, worried about the unconscious Natsu, had stepped outside to check on him.
With neither girl paying attention, Kabe immediately lowered his voice and leaned in toward Makarov.
"Master, I want to post a request to multiple guilds."
Makarov's drinking motion froze mid-sip. His gaze sharpened instantly, and he responded in the same low, cautious tone.
"What kind of request? Are you planning to slay a dragon, or declare war on every dark guild?
Let me warn you, brat. Attacking the kingdom is illegal. Legitimate guilds will not take that job."
"What are you even talking about? What do you think I am?"
Kabe waved both hands with a full face of black lines, completely unable to understand what was going through the old man's head.
But it was not really Makarov's fault for overthinking it.
Kabe had been S Class since four years ago. With his talent and four more years of growth, his strength had reached a level even Makarov could not properly gauge.
Ordinary problems were things Kabe could solve alone. If there was something so difficult that it required posting a request to every guild, Makarov truly did not dare imagine how terrifying it was.
At minimum, it had to be on the level of a ten-year job.
Then Kabe spoke again, even quieter, and Makarov nearly dropped his jaw onto the floor.
"Master, you know a lot of people in the magic world. Do you know any guild or organization that can take on the construction of a large estate?"
"A large what?"
Makarov's entire face twisted.
This brat had acted so secretive, he had scared Makarov into thinking the world was ending.
And the truth was that this little demon just wanted to hire someone to build a house.
Not to mention other people, even Fairy Tail themselves could do that kind of work, and do it extremely well.
But when Makarov told him that, Kabe immediately shook his head.
"I know the guild's capabilities. But my requirements are a little high."
Looking at the "tiny" gap Kabe indicated with two fingers, Makarov immediately sensed danger.
And then Kabe continued.
"Have you ever been to the Fiore Royal Palace? What I want should be about that size."
Kabe's expression was so serious that Makarov almost could not hold back from smacking him right there.
"You brat… did your brain rot?! Do you even know how big the royal palace is?
That is a whole palace complex with hundreds of rooms.
If you squeeze people in, you could fit thousands, even tens of thousands.
Even if someone could build that, can you afford it?!"
"So it is that big? Looks like the old king's ancestors made a fortune," Kabe muttered, rubbing his chin.
He had not visited the capital these past years. He had honestly assumed a small country's palace could not possibly be that huge.
He had figured that even if he could not build something that grand, making a countryside version of a small palace would be easy.
Turns out, he had underestimated the productivity of a magic world.
"Then how about this. Have you seen the Heartfilia family's great estate?
That level would be… barely acceptable."
Makarov was stunned again. He lowered his eyelids, teeth grinding with barely contained fury.
"What exactly are you trying to do?
Even if you, Mira, and Erza live together, an estate of that scale is still far too much."
"Hehehe. Right now it is three… but the future might not be."
As he spoke, Kabe grabbed the tail behind him and shoved it toward Makarov's face, letting him get a good look.
Then he theatrically wiped at the corner of his eye, where not a single tear existed, and said in a pitiful tone,
"You know, Master. In our whole race, I am the only seedling left.
To keep the great and tragic Saiyan race from disappearing into the river of history…
I have no choice but to sacrifice myself and marry a few hundred wives, so I can rebuild the race from scratch."
Makarov's fist clenched. Hard.
He had never seen someone so shameless. This bastard actually tied personal lust to the fate of an entire race, and said it like he was the victim suffering for a noble cause.
If Makarov were still strong enough to beat him, he would have absolutely taught this brat what "respecting your elders" meant today.
"Do not go too far, brat. Fiore enforces monogamy.
If you were not a child I watched grow up, I would have thrown you into the town jail already."
But Kabe, with his future happiness on the line, did not back down at all.
"What does Fiore's law have to do with me? In Saiyan law, there is no such rule."
Makarov choked for a moment, then quickly found another angle.
"But you live inside Fiore right now. When your future house is built and you are registered under the kingdom's system, you still have to obey the kingdom's laws!"
"Then I just will not register. Old man, you are talking so much. Are you jealous or something?
Jealous I can marry a bunch of wives?"
"Bullshit! Old man me would never have such filthy thoughts. The one I fell for back then was true love!"