"Although there's a time limit for finding the tomb, it's meaningless to me."
Walking through Tenrou Island, Marco wore a smile.
This final trial was too simple for him.
By now, he knew the island's terrain like the back of his hand.
His crows shuttled back and forth across the entire island, continuously searching for any possible special locations.
Eventually, the crows brought Marco good news—they'd found the place.
The reason they could locate it so quickly was naturally because Makarov was waiting there, and the crows were already familiar with his scent.
"Are you alone?"
Inside the tomb, Makarov sat cross-legged on the ground.
Behind him stood a structure resembling an altar or gravestone.
Seeing Marco arrive alone, Makarov asked without surprise.
Of course Marco would pass easily—this was expected.
Though Makarov had remained seated here unmoving, he could still sense the magical fluctuations from the battles outside.
The commotion from Laxus and Marco's fight had been so intense that anyone who wasn't deaf would have noticed.
"I'm the only one who passed the exam."
Marco stepped forward to stand before Makarov while explaining.
He glanced around curiously—the cave was surprisingly bright, with gentle firelight flickering within.
"Just as expected." Makarov nodded.
He hadn't thought anyone else could pass the exam either, which was why he hadn't limited the final promotion slots.
The S-Class Exam had always been extremely strict before—from qualification to pass requirements and ultimately the promotion slot itself.
Only those he approved could take the exam, and usually only one promotion slot was given per exam.
This exam had truly set a precedent, yet the final result was no different from before—only one person had reached this point.
The others hadn't even qualified to come here.
"Is this the tomb of the First Guild Master, Mavis?"
Standing before the gravestone-like structure, Marco asked Makarov while examining it closely, his brow slightly furrowed.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Marco felt something was off about this grave.
He had the distinct sensation of being watched.
"Correct. This is the tomb of our First Guild Master, Mavis Vermillion. She founded Fairy Tail and established our guild's original principles." Makarov spoke, his expression somewhat complicated.
"Have you met her? What kind of person was she?" Marco asked curiously.
The First Guild Master was also a legendary figure, reputedly immensely powerful with the title "Fairy Tactician."
She must have been a trendsetter of her era.
"No... She passed away the year I was born." Makarov shook his head.
He'd never met Mavis—at least not while she was alive.
To be precise, Makarov had technically "met" her, though he didn't remember it.
His birth had marked an important turning point.
The complicated look on Makarov's face reflected his lament about fate's fickleness—how it always destroyed everything beautiful.
"Why did she leave?" Marco continued to ask curiously, as he truly wasn't familiar with this part of history.
Clearly, these were stories that would never be recorded in books—only those involved knew the details, and only they understood the truth.
"I don't know. It's complicated." Makarov shook his head.
His name had been given to him by Mavis, which should have been a good thing.
But at the same time, his mother, Rita, was directly killed by the curse on Mavis, and Mavis herself left the guild.
No one knew why things had turned out this way, but it happened, and everything took a downturn from that moment.
A year later, Mavis's death was discovered and the guild members erected a grave for her here, still holding her in high regard.
There was no helping it.
Even Yuri Dreyar, who had lost his wife, didn't blame her.
How could anyone else hold anything against this guild master, who had chosen self-exile to avoid hurting others again?
Not even two years after Mavis's passing, Yuri Dreyar also died from excessive grief.
In truth, Makarov was also an "orphan"—he had lost both his father and mother by the age of two or three, growing up in the guild relying on the kindness of others.
Every action has its consequence, and now Makarov's enthusiasm for "picking up children" stemmed from his own childhood experiences.
Looking at the children in the guild, Makarov saw his younger self reflected in them.
"This..." Marco pursed his lips.
This was truly the first time he had heard these things—no wonder the old man was so patient with the kids.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Pay your respects to the First Guild Master." Makarov shook his head.
He really shouldn't have shared these things with a child, but standing before Mavis's grave, he had grown sentimental and ended up speaking without realizing it.
"Alright." Marco obediently bowed toward the gravestone.
Then, under the gaze of the grandfather and grandson, the gravestone suddenly emitted a glow—an incredibly bright light.
"What's this?" Marco looked at Makarov, his face full of surprise.
At the same time, Marco began forming some guesses in his mind.
The gravestone really was unusual—could it be that the First Guild Master's soul was still lingering?
In this world, souls were a real existence, so it wasn't strange.
There was even someone in the guild who specialized in manipulating wandering spirits for battle.
For someone like the First Guild Master, it wasn't entirely unbelievable that her soul remained after death.
Moreover, from the perspective of an anime story, having the First Guild Master's soul still present at this gravestone would make things even more interesting.
Thinking this, Marco eyed the gravestone suspiciously, half-expecting the First Guild Master to emerge from it.
'Come on! Don't be shy!'
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