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"You brats! Stop right now!"
"Open your eyes and look at what you've done!"
Seeing Ide, Ur, and Gildarts team up to blast Warrod into the sky, Makarov's pupils dilated, his jaw dropped, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
When Makarov saw his own son Ivan get punched flying by Ide, he didn't panic.
When Makarov saw Macao and Wakaba get insta-killed by Gildarts and Ur, he still didn't panic.
But when Makarov saw Warrod getting jumped by Ide, Ur, and Gildarts simultaneously, he panicked completely.
"Stop it immediately!"
In an instant, the tiny Makarov transformed into a super-colossal giant over fifty meters tall, physically blocking Ide's trio, who were preparing to rush forward and finish the job.
"Master, what are you doing?"
"This guy dared to spy on our guild's top-secret S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial! He must pay the price."
Blocked by Makarov, Ide complained with dissatisfaction.
Ever since Ide witnessed Brain's "resurrection" at the Bureau of Magical Development, he had adopted a strict policy of "double-tapping" every defeated opponent until he was absolutely sure they couldn't get back up.
"You idiots!"
"Do you know who that person is?!"
"He is Lord Warrod Sequen, one of the founders of our Fairy Tail Guild!"
"The only reason our S-Class trial is being held thousands of miles away in this place is because of Lord Warrod's request. He just wanted to see the future of Fairy Tail for himself!"
Makarov looked down at Ide and the others, practically in tears.
"Eh?"
As Makarov's words sank in, Ide, Gildarts, and Ur instantly petrified.
"Ide, did we screw up again?"
Ur cautiously sidled up to Ide and whispered.
"Not a big problem."
"When the Master asks later, we'll just say Gildarts told us to attack Senior Warrod."
Ide thought for a moment and proposed a solution.
"Good idea."
Ur nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Hey, hey, hey."
"I can hear you framing me!"
"Who loudly conspires to frame someone right in front of their face? That's just disrespectful."
Gildarts retorted from the side.
"Senior Warrod, are you okay?"
As for Makarov, he had no time to lecture Ide and the others.
After successfully stopping them, he shrank back to his normal size and flew toward the crater where Warrod had landed.
When Makarov arrived at the deep pit, he saw Warrod staring up at the blue sky with a look of utter despair, shaking his head. "Mavis... the guild is going bankrupt soon! We failed to protect this century-old legacy in the end."
"Uhh."
As the current Guild Master of Fairy Tail, Makarov wanted to refute Warrod's words—at least say something reassuring about the guild's finances to comfort the elder.
But thinking about Fairy Tail's current debt situation... he really couldn't say anything.
In fact, whenever Fairy Tail was on the verge of bankruptcy, Makarov would go borrow money from his old friends or from those shady guilds in the grey zone.
Of course, repaying the money? That didn't exist.
To quote Makarov: "I borrowed this money based on my own ability. Why the hell should I pay it back?"
With Makarov's current credit score, if he were in Ide's previous world, he wouldn't even be able to rent a portable charger.
Cough.
Half an hour later.
Makarov supported a heavily bandaged Warrod as they walked up to Ide, Ur, and Gildarts.
"Senior Warrod, we are truly sorry for attacking you without confirming your identity."
Ide, Ur, and Gildarts bowed deeply in apology before Warrod could even speak.
"Hahaha."
Warrod looked at the three now-obedient wizards in front of him. He chuckled softly, then shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm a very magnanimous person. I didn't take your actions to heart at all!"
"Besides, it was my fault for not explaining my identity to you beforehand, which led to the misunderstanding. Having such vigilance is actually a good thing."
Warrod seemed like a very open-minded elder, brushing off the beating as if it were nothing.
"Senior Warrod, truly worthy of being a founder of Fairy Tail. Your magnanimity is something we deeply admire."
Hearing Warrod's words, Ide finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked up and offered a few flattering remarks.
"Makarov! Kick these three bastard brats out of Fairy Tail immediately!"
"They dared to attack me, a founder?! This is rebellion! Absolute rebellion!"
Then, Ide, Ur, and Gildarts watched as Warrod's face turned livid. He pointed a shaking finger at them and screamed at Makarov.
"Eh?"
"Didn't you say you didn't mind?"
"He actually minds a lot, doesn't he?!"
Ide, Ur, and Gildarts panicked, looking back and forth between Warrod and Makarov in confusion.
"Uhh..."
Actually, it wasn't just the trio; even Makarov was caught off guard. He could only glare at the three troublemakers and roar, "Apologize to Old Man Warrod right now!"
"Hahaha! Just kidding."
However, just as Ide and the others were about to apologize again, Warrod suddenly ripped off all his bandages, revealing a completely unharmed body. He grinned widely at them. "Actually, I wasn't hurt at all, and I really don't mind what you did. I just wanted to scare you a little. Did I get you?"
"Uhh."
Ide, Ur, and Gildarts fell silent.
How should they put this?
Although Senior Warrod was incredibly unserious... this felt exactly like the style of a Fairy Tail founder.
"Anyway, the reason I called you here wasn't just to meet you, but also to give you some guidance."
Warrod dropped the act and looked at Ide, Ur, and Gildarts seriously.
"Great!"
Ide and the others instantly relaxed, relieved that they weren't in trouble.
Meanwhile, Makarov went into the forest and retrieved Wakaba and Macao, who had been insta-killed by Ur and Gildarts earlier.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5."
Makarov clasped his hands behind his back and counted the people present. He frowned slightly and muttered to himself, "Did I forget someone?!"
At the same time, lying deep in the desert, Ivan was crying out in his heart: "Someone save me! Dear Father, you'll come to save me, right?!"
"Oh."
"It's Ivan who isn't back yet."
"Whatever. With that kid's ability, he can definitely make it back on his own."
Realizing he had accidentally lost Ivan, Makarov breathed a sigh of relief, speaking as if a heavy burden had been lifted.