Who is this old man?" Warning bells went off in Shane's mind as his fingers rested steadily on the bowstring.
Seeing that he was still on guard like he was facing a formidable enemy, the red-haired man helplessly dug his ear with his pinky finger:
"Gildarts. I'm the Mage here to deal with the trouble."
After saying that, he even shouted specifically into the tavern, "People inside, come out quickly. I'm not good at holding back; you might get caught up in it later."
In the moment he turned his head to shout, Shane noticed several clear scratch marks on the side of his neck.
Hmm? Are those scratches from a woman or a cat?
Shane raised an eyebrow slightly. Gildarts... this name does sound familiar. I must have heard it somewhere.
He observed for a moment longer. Seeing the other party's open expression, not seeming fake, he pondered briefly, tapped the roof planks beneath his feet with his bow, and shouted downwards: "Erza, stop fighting! The situation has changed, come out first!"
Through the perception of [Clairvoyance], Shane could clearly feel the other party's unfathomable strength.
Strong, very strong. So strong that he didn't know if he could beat him.
At least for now, the other party hasn't shown any obvious hostility... he thought silently.
While he was thinking, Erza's voice didn't sound from below; only more chaotic crashing sounds and roars responded.
Doubts arose in Shane's heart, and he poked his head to look down through the hole.
Inside the tavern, the green mutated crowd was almost piled into a small mountain, completely submerging Erza's figure. However, in the next second—
"Haa!"
A clear, fierce roar exploded along with a visible wave of Magic Power!
Dazzling magical brilliance blasted outward with Erza as the center. The pile of mutants was scattered like fallen leaves caught in a gale, crashing into walls and tables, forcibly clearing an empty space in the chaos.
Standing in the center, Erza panted slightly. Her clothes were a bit messy and stained with dust.
But her posture holding that half table leg was still upright. The Magic Power lingering around her hadn't completely calmed down, making her look like a Valkyrie descended onto the battlefield.
"Tsk tsk, Erza is getting more and more intense..." Shane couldn't help sighing inwardly.
"I. Will. Absolutely. Not. Forgive. You!"
He was still sighing when he felt a resentful gaze pinned on him. Although separated by distance, Shane could almost "hear" the sound of the red-haired girl grinding her teeth.
His heart trembled, not understanding where he had offended her again, but he kept his face impassive and hurriedly shouted down: "There's an exit, I'll scout the way first!"
Before his voice fell, he deftly leaped backward, landing lightly on the edge of the gap in the barrier Gildarts had broken.
Just to be safe, he didn't maintain his released state, but the longbow in his hand still pointed steadily at the red-haired Mage.
Gildarts observed Shane with interest, feeling the warm Magic Power on the other party that made people involuntarily want to get close.
"Gentle, warm, yet blazing like sunlight... young people nowadays are really something."
He rubbed his chin, then actively spread his hands, trying to ease the atmosphere: "Relax, kid."
Then, he pulled open the front of his somewhat tattered cloak, revealing the blue emblem branded on his left chest—a pattern of a fairy with wings.
"As you can see," Gildarts said with a hint of pride, "I'm a Mage of Fairy Tail." After saying that, as if suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly added with emphasis, "A formal guild!"
Fairy Tail... Gildarts... Shane quickly searched for these two keywords in his mind.
He suddenly remembered that back in the inn, he did hear a few guests complaining while drinking, mentioning a troublesome figure named Gildarts who was ridiculously strong but acted extremely casually, often causing disaster to the streets and villages he passed through...
Shane's eyes instantly became more vigilant, and he moved half a step back without leaving a trace.
Seeing that the other party didn't let down his guard after he revealed his identity, but instead retreated further, the bit of pride on Gildarts' face froze instantly, and his mood became incredibly complicated.
He was almost roaring inside: How many "good deeds" have those bastards in the guild done! To ruin the reputation to this extent! Even someone as steady and reliable as Big Brother me gets implicated!
At this time, Erza also leaped out of the hole in the tavern and landed steadily.
She first looked at the surrounding barrier seemingly wrapped in invisible darkness with surprise, then her gaze fell on Shane beside the exit, glaring at him fiercely.
Shane only felt this girl's anger was baffling, but priding himself on his high EQ, he naturally wouldn't bicker with her. Instead, he took the initiative to introduce Gildarts to ease the atmosphere.
I truly am a mature man... He affirmed himself inwardly, nodding in satisfaction.
"Wait!" Erza stared at Gildarts, her eyes suddenly widening. "This old man... isn't he the one who got drunk and caused a scene in the tavern earlier, grabbing the woman's hand at the next table to flirt?"
She turned her head abruptly to look at Shane: "He's from Fairy Tail? The same guild as Grandpa Rob?"
Reminded like this, Shane remembered too.
Before soaking in the hot spring, drinking... juice with Erza and Noel in the tavern, there indeed was such an incident.
It was just that his mind was full of hot springs at the time, so he didn't pay attention to the drunkard's appearance.
Immediately, he calmly took Erza's hand and pulled her closer to his side.
The girl's words were like small knives, accurately stabbing into Gildarts' heart. He seemed to hear the sound of something called "Guild Reputation" shattering again inside him.
"That was... that was normal chatting up! Socializing, understand?" Gildarts blushed, clutching his chest and defending himself awkwardly, his voice unconsciously raising a bit. "Who knew her boyfriend was right next to her! Also—"
He pointed at his face forcefully, trying to emphasize, "Big Brother me is only thirty-seven! It's the age of youth and charm!"
After saying that, he was still worried and emphasized again: "Our Fairy Tail really is a formal guild!"
However, responding to him were Shane and Erza's even more synchronized eyes filled with "suspicion" and "disbelief," and their simultaneous action of taking another step back.
This silent answer was more lethal than any words.
Gildarts looked at these two stubborn young people, and a wave of powerlessness surged in his heart. He rubbed his brow and decided not to argue anymore.
Why bicker with kids? Business matters more.
"Sigh, forget it..." He sighed. The laziness on his face vanished instantly, his eyes became sharp, and a heart-palpitating magical pressure began to permeate around him. "I'm going to start working."
"You two go out first."