"Master, didn't you promise yesterday that you'd cover for me?"
Faced with Makarov's towering rage, Ches's confidence wavered slightly. He muttered in a small voice, trying to weasel his way out.
"You've already crapped your pants, and you're about to make a huge mess how am I supposed to clean that up?!"
At those words, Makarov's anger only intensified. His nostrils flared so fiercely it looked like they could shoot out twin Fire Dragon Roars.
Sigh... "The one who wrecked the town was that fire dragon, okay? I've always been a law-abiding, upstanding citizen."
"Mm?"
"...Alright, alright, I did it."
Ches scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said seriously, "But to complete the ten-year mission, destroying the town was a necessary step. There was no way around it."
As a mission that hadn't been completed in over a decade, the level of danger and complexity was naturally far beyond a normal job.
In fact, the task Ches had accepted turned out to be far more complicated than anticipated demolishing the entire town was part of the conditions for success.
It was during that process though whether it was luck or misfortune remains unclear that Ches accidentally awakened Ignia, who had been in a state of self-imposed slumber.
And from there, everything began to spiral out of control.
The giant-sized Makarov glared at Ches, his enormous eyes locked onto him with crushing pressure, towering over him like a mountain.
For a long moment, the entire guild was engulfed in a suffocating silence.
Then, the immense pressure slowly faded, and Makarov's hulking frame visibly shrank, returning to the short, elderly form everyone was more familiar with.
As the patriarch of the Fairy Tail family, Makarov understood Ches very well. While Ches was infamous for causing chaos, he was never someone who acted without reason or crossed the line without cause.
That was why Makarov didn't press for further explanations he chose to place his trust in Ches, as always.
"Even so, you really went overboard this time," Makarov said with a heavy sigh. "This incident involved two kingdoms... It's going to stir up a massive storm."
Makarov bent down and picked up a document several centimeters thick from the floor, brushing the dust off it with a pained expression on his face.
"President, if the Council has any objections, I'll go talk to them directly," Ches said, patting his chest with confidence.
"You already demolished a whole town in the Ogasso Kingdom what's next? Planning to demolish the Council building too?"
Makarov shot Ches a sideways glance full of contempt, then tucked the stack of complaints under his arm. With his hands folded behind his back, his gaze turned razor-sharp the moment he looked away.
"Don't worry. I'm not so incompetent that I'd throw a kid into the storm to face it alone."
"As long as I'm here, I'd like to see which of those Council bastards dares to take advantage of one of mine!"
Within the guild, he may scold them and beat them half to death
But when it comes to the outside world, Makarov is the most protective father figure of all, known far and wide for defending his children at all costs.
Looking at that small figure cloaked in the mantle of a Ten Wizard Saint, Ches froze for a moment… and then smiled, calm and sincere.
"You really are something else, Master."
"You're unreliable! If you've got nothing better to do, go find a commission and make some money. Just looking at you pisses me off!"
Makarov's attitude flipped in an instant as he spun around, spraying spittle everywhere as he shouted.
"Understood!" Ches nodded seriously, standing at attention.
"Speaking of commissions… Ches, there just so happens to be one specifically for you today."
Mira appeared at the perfect time, grabbed Ches by the arm, and started pulling him toward the commission board.
Watching them go, Makarov shook his head and slowly made his way upstairs.
Only when his back finally disappeared around the bend did the heavy atmosphere in the guild finally vanish.
"Hey, Ches! Did you really blow up half a town?!"
"That's awesome! Now even folks across the sea in the Kiltina Continent know the name of Fairy Tail!"
"What a beast! You truly live up to your title as the King of Destruction in our guild!"
All the guildmates swarmed over instantly, their faces lit up with excitement and admiration.
The energetic crowd made for a stark contrast with Makarov the Super Reliable, who was now crouched in a corner on the second floor, quietly holding his head in despair.
"…You're all a bunch of idiots," Cana muttered, rolling her eyes at everyone below.
Having just sobered up, she grabbed her barrel of booze again and started chugging like nothing had changed.
Unlike the others chasing glory or thrills, Cana's entire Fairy Tail journey could be summed up in five words:
Where are we going, Dad?
In front of the request board, Ches gave a sharp look that sent the onlookers scattering. He turned to Mira, who had walked over with him, and asked curiously, "So, who's the client that specifically asked for me?"
"Right here." Mira smiled sweetly and pulled out a commission slip from her cleavage.
Ches blinked in surprise and accepted the still-warm sheet. As he unfolded it and glanced at the contents, the reason behind the special request became obvious.
[Client: Sorcerer Weekly Magazine]
[Commission Details: We've heard that Mr. Ches has returned to Fiore after his long journey. Sorcerer Weekly would like to formally invite Miss Dark Magician Girl to be the cover model of our next issue.]
[Commission Reward: 200,000 J]
"200,000 J? That's quite a bit," Ches muttered with a sigh.
In the Kingdom of Fiore, that reward was on par with the bounty Makao received for fending off a snow gorilla certainly not pocket change.
"Of course. After all, in Sorcerer Weekly, the Dark Magician Girl has always ranked near the top of the list for 'Most Anticipated Female Wizard Returnees'," Mira said, flashing a warm smile as she raised a graceful finger.
"Some fans even mailed in letters to the guild this morning, asking about her," she added cheerfully.
Though Mira herself wasn't overly fond of modeling commissions, she would take one now and then to save up for new clothes something beautiful, no doubt.
But when it came to Sorcerer Weekly's fan rankings and PR, Mira clearly knew much more than Ches.
Hearing the mention of rankings, Ches suddenly recalled that he once placed highly as well. His eyes lit up.
"What about the Destroyer King list? Am I still on it?"
Hearing this, Mira rested her chin in one hand, thinking for a moment before replying seriously, "At the moment, it's basically dominated by Natsu and Gray."
"Damn it!" Ches clenched his fists, clearly frustrated.
"Uh... that's not exactly a list you want to be proud of..." Mira muttered, a few dark lines appearing on her forehead. She managed an awkward but polite smile.
"I can't afford to slack off! I need to reclaim what was once mine!"
With renewed determination, Ches looked down at the commission form in his hand. "As for this one, I'd better ask the Dark Magician Girl first."
With that, he reached into the void and drew out a card.
A flash of dazzling magical light burst forth and in the next instant, the Dark Magician Girl appeared on the spot, striking an adorable pose with her wand in hand.
"Sister Mira! Sassy's ignoring me!"
The moment she saw Mira, the Dark Magician Girl beamed and leapt toward her like a hungry wolf, wrapping herself around Mira's soft, sweet figure and snuggling in with glee.
"Sassy ignored, huh? You haven't changed a bit, Dark Magician Girl."
Mira didn't resist at all. Instead, she opened her arms and hugged the girl back with warmth. "It's been over a year since we last saw each other you've definitely grown taller."
It was clear that the two shared a close bond.
Perhaps because of Lisanna's painful past, Mira had always treated the Dark Magician Girl who was around the same age as if she were her own little sister.
Once the two beautiful girls had finished their affectionate reunion, Ches stepped forward and waved a commission form in front of the Dark Magician Girl.
"So, how about this one? Magic Weekly wants you to be their next cover girl. Interested?"