It turned out that Erza and the others' worries were unnecessary.
The nighttime "Magnolia" remained unchanged from before, still bustling and prosperous, especially since it was only early evening.
With its thriving economy and dense population, Magnolia naturally hosted many nighttime activities—the nightlife was just beginning.
Orange and warm white lights poured from shop windows and hanging lanterns lining the streets, illuminating the cobblestone main thoroughfare as bright as day.
The air buzzed with lively chatter, mingling with the enticing aromas of grilled meat, freshly baked bread, and spices that drifted through the cool evening breeze.
At roadside food stalls, oil sizzled and spattered, while the clinking of dishes and cheerful laughter from restaurants blended into a vibrant symphony.
The city wouldn't quiet down until the deep of night.
Of course, even then, the dim, warm glow from late-night eateries would still shine through their windows, catering to night owls seeking a meal.
The group passed through the main street, where lights had just been lit and crowds were dense but not yet at their peak, arriving at the familiar guild hall.
The liveliness here was undiminished.
The heavy wooden doors of the guild were slightly ajar, allowing warm orange light and the even louder commotion from inside to spill out.
Seeing the building that held countless memories standing steadfast in the night, its outline clear and everything unchanged, Erza, Lucy, and Gray simultaneously let out a deep sigh of relief.
Their tense shoulders relaxed, and their anxious hearts finally settled back into place.
That Magnolia hadn't changed, that the guild hall remained the same—this was more than enough for them.
Their actions likely hadn't affected other places, given the brief few hours and the limited number of people they'd interacted with, mostly their own guild members.
Marco stepped forward, pushed open the familiar wooden door with a creak, and strode directly into the guild hall.
Inside, the fireplace crackled with a roaring fire, dispelling the evening's chill.
The air was filled with the comforting blend of ale, roasted meat, and burning wood.
At this hour, the guild hall was still quite crowded.
Small groups sat around rough-hewn wooden tables, either drinking heartily and laughing or slapping each other on the back while loudly debating the day's mission anecdotes.
But the guild would close soon.
It was already so late—any accepted commissions would have to wait until tomorrow to begin, and there was no rush to turn in completed tasks.
Seeing that everything inside the guild was as it should be, with everyone still laughing and playing boisterously together, the familiar clamor seemed to carry a warmth that washed over them.
They all felt deeply moved, especially Lucy.
Lucy stood at the entrance, her gaze slowly sweeping over the familiar scene: the busy figures behind the bar, the mission sheets hanging on the bulletin board, the clutter piled in the corners, the hanging lamps suspended from the ceiling...
She took a deep breath, drawing in the guild's air, scented with alcohol and food.
A strange sense of temporal disorientation washed over her.
After all, she had just run out of the guild from six years ago this afternoon and now returned to the guild six years later.
The scene before her overlapped and separated from the blurred yet warm fragments of memories from six years ago, giving her a sense of familiarity mixed with strangeness.
Of course, there was also a heavy, comforting feeling that made the tip of her nose tingle.
Though the guild from six years ago was deeply nostalgic, the current guild was truly their home.
At the front desk, Lisanna who was on duty today was wiping glasses.
She looked up at the sound, her bright eyes filled with curiosity as she watched the group of five people and one cat, a smile on her face along with a faint trace of confusion.
The guild members scattered around, drinking and chatting, also paused their conversations one by one, greeting and exchanging pleasantries with them.
Seeing the combination of Marco, Erza, Gray, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy arriving together so late at night naturally piqued everyone's curiosity.
After all, these were some of the guild's top members.
For them to come together so late, could something major have happened?!
However, the group didn't stay long inside the guild.
After confirming that everything was fine and briefly responding to their companions' greetings, they stepped out of the guild hall.
Standing once again under the cool night sky, the clamor from inside the guild was cut off by the heavy wooden door.
"I told you everything was fine."
Marco stuffed his hands into his pockets, a relaxed and confident smile on his face.
The night breeze ruffled the strands of hair on his forehead, making him look utterly self-assured.
Marco's reasoning was simple: if he, the key figure, was unaffected, then the timeline couldn't possibly have gone wrong.
"It's so great~ I can finally get a good night's sleep."
Lucy looked up at the deep blue velvet-like night sky, stretching her tired body with a big yawn.
Then, tilting her head playfully to the side, she smiled at Marco and Erza, her golden hair shimmering under the light.
Lucy felt she had truly been through a lot—not so much from physical exhaustion, but more from the mental strain and overwhelming pressure.
"Let's go home, let's go home!" Natsu shouted, immediately heading back with Happy.
He hadn't even wanted to come out in the first place.
If Marco said everything was fine, then it definitely was.
Besides, even if something did happen, Marco would figure it out.
All he needed to do was be ready to fight when called upon.
Natsu didn't bother overthinking such complicated matters.
He was the type with high combat intelligence—full of ideas during a fight, but preferring to avoid using his brain whenever possible in daily life.
"I'm heading back too."
Gray rested his hands behind his head, casually bidding farewell to Marco, Erza, and Lucy before following the others.
Having personally confirmed that both "Magnolia" and the guild were unaffected, Gray had nothing else to worry about.
Watching as Natsu, Happy, and Gray left one after another, Lucy also waved to Marco and Erza and skipped her way home.
She needed to hurry back and record today's experiences—this would become a crucial chapter in her adventure chronicles!
Marco watched the direction his companions had gone until their figures disappeared around the street corner before turning back, he looked at Erza.
"Everyone's gone, Erza. What about you?"
The reason Marco hadn't left was that he sensed Erza had something she wanted to say to him.
"The Fairy Queen" was currently bowing her head slightly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of her armguard, her small mouth slightly parted as if hesitating to speak.
She clearly had a personality that couldn't hide things.
"You're really good at keeping secrets."
Seeing Marco tilting his head slightly with a patient expression as he listened to her, Erza lifted her head and blurted out a complaint, her voice particularly clear in the quiet street.
Erza knew her words weren't entirely reasonable—after all, this matter obviously wasn't something to be discussed openly.
"If you don't remember it yourself, who can you blame?"
Marco's lips curled into a slightly teasing smile as he retorted.
His tone was light and brisk, carrying a hint of suppressed amusement.
"You've met our future selves when you were little, haven't you? You couldn't even see through disguises like bunny girls and cat girls. There was really nothing I could do about it—you can't blame my younger self."
Once Marco started talking, he couldn't stop.
This was truly an old grievance he'd been holding onto for a full six years.
He'd wanted to complain about this point since childhood and finally had the chance to get it off his chest.
"..."
Erza opened her mouth slightly, her throat moving as if swallowing unspoken excuses.
Of course she wanted to defend her younger self, but upon rational reflection, she could barely keep a straight face herself.
She too found the situation rather unbelievable.
"What was my younger self even thinking?"
The present Erza had no recollection of it at all.
How to put it? One can't even empathize with or understand their past self.
Erza wore an expression of intense concentration as she tried to recall, her brows slightly furrowed and her eyes focused on empty space as if flipping through fragments of memory.
"Don't think about it anymore. Let bygones be bygones. Since everything turned out fine, why dwell on it? It'll only bring unnecessary trouble."
Marco shook his head with a laugh.
He reached out and gently patted Erza's head, his palm carrying a comforting warmth as it landed, his fingers brushing through her crimson hair while he spoke softly to soothe her.