"You're right." Marco chuckled, not minding Laxus's words.
He stopped looking at the "Century Quest" and began selecting his first S-Class mission—this one needed to make an impression.
His selection criteria were simple: the more battles, the better.
Marco became an S-Class Mage precisely to take on S-Class missions and face stronger opponents.
"You... I told you to pick something easier. Why are you still eyeing those difficult ones?"
Frowning at the mission sheet in Marco's hand, Laxus spoke up.
Laxus wasn't worried about Marco's strength, but rather his mission experience.
Though Marco had taken plenty of missions since gaining permission to go on quest, he still lacked the experience of truly seasoned mages.
"What experience do these missions even need?" Marco looked puzzled.
The missions he'd picked were the kind where brute force would suffice.
Besides, there weren't many S-Class missions to choose from—these difficult ones were rare to begin with.
Otherwise, even Gildarts wouldn't have been able to handle them all before.
"..."
Seeing the mission sheet about the Magic Beast Tide in Marco's hand, Laxus's mouth twitched.
This was no easy quest to resolve.
The Magic Beast Tide—a disaster that made people pale at the mention.
Even mages dared not face it head-on.
After all, no one knew if there were powerful beasts among them or ones with strange, unpredictable abilities.
Many magical beasts possessed bizarre powers, and even S-Class Mages could be caught off guard.
Mages weren't omnipotent, but the Magic Beast Tide could contain anything.
Rumor had it that even their old man, the other guild masters and Porlyusica had once been chased by the Magic Beast Tide in their youth.
That alone spoke volumes about how terrifying the Magic Beast Tide was.
But for Marco, the 'Beast Handling Specialist' this kind of mission seemed right up his alley.
Laxus had seen Marco's mission records—almost all of them were about exterminating magical beasts.
Using lack of experience to convince Marco to give up this mission held no weight.
Laxus felt a headache coming on.
At this moment, he didn't realize his actions mirrored Makarov's when restricting him from taking the "Century Quest."
The only difference was that he couldn't force Marco—he had to persuade him with reasons.
"This isn't like your usual beast extermination missions." Laxus spoke up, his tone a bit dry.
"Of course I know. It's the Magic Beast Tide—it's not like I've never seen one before."
Marco replied, acting as though the Magic Beast Tide was no big deal.
Laxus couldn't help but frown at his attitude.
"Of course, what I've seen were all small-scale incidents, nothing compared to the Magic Beast Tide in the Nord Forest up north. But if I remember correctly, the Magic Beast Tide in Nord Forest usually doesn't break out of the forest, right? This mission is just about prevention, so it shouldn't be too troublesome or dangerous, should it?" Marco looked puzzled.
Was there something inappropriate about this mission?
He thought it was quite suitable, aside from being time-consuming—requiring one or two months of staying there.
The reason no one wanted to take this mission was probably because of that.
The mission required the assigned person to stay at the edge of Nord Forest for one or two months, observing the Magic Beast Tide until it ended before they could leave.
"That's one reason. The second reason is, of course, that those magic beasts still have a certain probability of breaking out of Nord Forest. Although they riot once every five years, the number of times they've actually broken out over the years can be counted on one hand. But a possibility is still a possibility. Once the Magic Beast Tide surges out of the forest, how will you stop it? How will you hold out until reinforcements from the Magic Council arrive?" Laxus spoke up.
This was truly not a good mission.
There was a reason it was unpopular.
In the end, when signs of the Magic Beast Tide began to appear, the Magic Council would forcibly assign an S-Class Mage to go.
Of course, they would also raise the mission reward by a level as compensation.
The unlucky person who got assigned couldn't refuse—they couldn't openly defy the Magic Council.
"Hmm, then if I take the mission voluntarily, I should definitely make the Magic Council pay more. Otherwise, wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?" Marco looked serious.
The benefits he deserved couldn't be lost—he absolutely couldn't let those guys from the Magic Council off cheaply.
After all, the money they saved would probably end up in the stomachs of the 'special commissioners'.
The Magic Council was rife with corruption.
This behemoth needed a good cleanup.
"..."
Seeing Marco so determined to take this mission, Laxus just felt exhausted.
Why was this kid always so stubborn?
"Laxus, haven't you noticed? You're acting just like someone right now."
Marco's words snapped Laxus out of his thoughts.
He looked at Marco in confusion, not quite understanding what he meant.
"Choosing which mission to take is my freedom—you don't get to control me! Do you think I'm not strong enough to handle this mission?!"
Marco suddenly went into full actor mode, delivering an impromptu performance that left Laxus stunned.
But he quickly grasped what Marco was implying, and his face instantly flushed red.
"See? Now I'm playing your usual role, and you—you're acting just like gramps."
Marco gave a little shrug, his expression full of helplessness.
"..."
Laxus was now red-hot with embarrassment.
He stared at Marco, unable to speak, because he had realized it himself.
It shocked him—how could he have been treating Marco the same way the old man had treated him?!
"Now do you understand? What's the essence of these actions? It's not control, not disapproval, but..."
Seeing Laxus's state, Marco decided to strike while the iron was hot.
But before he could finish speaking, Laxus had already fled in panic, running as fast as lightning—literally like a bolt of lightning.
"That guy..." Marco shook his head with a smile.
Although he still hadn't managed to "enlighten" Laxus, the progress of this conquest was quite encouraging.
He could almost feel the next Gold Cloth waving at him.
"Let's take this mission. Nord Forest isn't far from the northern continent of Guiltina. Maybe I can even take a look over there."
After glancing at the mission sheet in his hand, Marco finally made his decision.
"The Magic Beast Tide in Nord Forest—this time, I'll be in charge of the alert. I'm sure the Magic Council's councilors will be deeply moved by my considerate and selfless approach, right?"
Looking at the "Magic Council" listed as the mission client, Marco smiled.
He hoped those councilors would give him a satisfactory response.
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