"Marco, you're really not taking us two?"
After Marco finalized the roster for the "Elite Squad," Macao and Wakaba approached him.
Both middle-aged men wore surprised expressions, clearly not expecting Marco to actually exclude them—they had thought he was joking earlier.
"Major guild events have never been without us two."
Wakaba puffed on his pipe, feeling somewhat unaccustomed to the situation.
For over a decade or two, they had been diligent mainstays at Fairy Tail, present in every significant incident.
Being suddenly left out genuinely surprised them.
In terms of raw power, they naturally fell short compared to S-Class Mages like Marco, Erza, and Mirajane.
However, they were by no means weak.
To put it bluntly, in an ordinary magic guild, their combined strength and seniority would make them strong contenders for guild master.
Even within Fairy Tail, had it not been for the rapid rise of the younger generation, they might well have vied for the position themselves—after all, Gildarts, the most qualified among the senior members, had no interest in the role.
Of course, given the guild's current circumstances, Macao and Wakaba no longer entertained thoughts about the master position.
Competing with Marco was an entirely different challenge compared to competing with Laxus, and both men held Marco in high regard.
"Macao-san, Wakaba-san, I believe we should give the younger members more opportunities to gain experience. This situation seems like the perfect timing—it carries some danger but remains within controllable limits, making it ideal as a major test."
Marco earnestly explained his reasoning to the two senior members he considered friends.
He had carefully considered these factors before making his decision.
This major incident would undoubtedly involve a fierce battle, but the danger wouldn't be excessive.
Based on Marco's understanding of the mission, this storyline ultimately revolved around "Erza's personal arc," likely dealing with matters of psychological transformation.
Moreover, the Evil Cult's capabilities had already been assessed by the Magic Council.
They had been beaten like stray dogs, with seven of their "construction sites" destroyed, leaving them barely clinging to survival.
The Magic Council had already archived the case file.
The threatening words that Jellal directed at Erza further demonstrated their lack of confidence—they knew full well that once exposed, the Magic Council would muster forces to eliminate them.
All these factors pointed to one conclusion: this Evil Cult wasn't particularly powerful, merely tenacious—more resilient than strong, one might say.
Otherwise, neither Marco nor Makarov would have insisted on handling the matter solely within Fairy Tail's capabilities.
While considering Erza's situation was important, they wouldn't ignore potential risks either.
"Having me and Grandpa as backup is more than enough."
Marco briefly outlined his thinking.
With himself and Makarov providing support, plus two S-Class Mages in Mirajane and Erza, along with elite members like Natsu and Gray, their combat capabilities were more than sufficient.
If they were truly short on combat strength, it wouldn't be Macao and Wakaba's turn anyway - they could simply call Laxus and Mystogan.
"Alright, then the two of us will stay behind to watch the guild."
Macao and Wakaba exchanged glances and accepted the arrangement.
Looking at the extremely excited young members over there, the two "veterans" sighed with emotion.
Though both were only thirty-six years old and in their prime, most of the young members were between sixteen and twenty years old.
Even the oldest among them, Reedus, was ten years younger than them, while the youngest, Vijstar, was a full twenty years their junior.
Whether one is considered old depends mainly on who you compare yourself to.
With this comparison, both genuinely felt the sense of the new generation surpassing the old.
"Go back and pack your things. We'll assemble at the guild entrance at noon. Dismissed."
After handling the matter concerning the two highly experienced "veterans," Marco turned to address the young members who remained.
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone responded immediately before quickly dispersing.
Watching his departing companions, Marco felt quite pleased.
Most of these were members he had trained personally - his "trusted followers."
Hisui, Lucy, Natsu, and Gray went without saying - they were directly part of his "Faction".
Elfman could be considered his student too, since Marco had been the one to forcefully teach him "Take Over Magic."
Alzack, Juvia, and Bisca were all "picked up" by Marco - he brought them into the guild and provided them with much assistance.
Gajeel had been beaten into submission by him.
Cana and Levy had grown up together with him in the guild since childhood, while Erza and Mirajane also shared extraordinary relationships with him.
Joey, Warren, and Reedus were all good friends, and Vijstar was his devoted fan.
Actually, it wasn't just these members - among those not selected, many were also his people, though some simply weren't quite up to standard in terms of capability.
For example, Jet and Droy - these two were sometimes even less reliable than the bookish Levy.
Lisanna needed to stay behind to cover front desk duties for her sister and admittedly, the girl's combat abilities were slightly lacking too.
Wendy was too young - it wasn't suitable to force her growth prematurely.
Within the entire guild, the younger generation were basically all Marco's supporters, while the older veterans also felt particularly close to him.
Marco couldn't even imagine how Laxus could compete with him for the next guild master position - just relying on those few members of his team?
"About Erza..."
After everyone had dispersed, Makarov spoke up with concern.
Erza still hadn't shown up yet.
They were departing at noon - what should they do if she didn't come?
"She'll come." Marco responded with absolute certainty.
Erza was indeed hesitating about the "Tower of Heaven" matter, indeed becoming unlike her usual self. B
ut Marco believed in Erza - that girl would ultimately make the right choice.
"Good, as long as you're confident about it."
Makarov nodded, fully respecting Marco's judgment.
For this operation, the two of them had held a closed-door meeting in advance to exchange ideas, but during actual execution, they were basically following Marco's plans.
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