Strictly speaking, what Moen had just done was a little out of line. Even though he was the grandson of the guild master, he didn't actually have the authority to decide who could become a full-fledged member—that was Grandfather Makarov's right.
But Moen still went through with it. Even if Makarov would scold him afterward, he had to. Because Laki… was absolutely a rare talent!
With Laki, with her Wood-Make Magic, the guild could save a great deal of money. This girl was practically born with the constitution of a civil engineer saint!
Moen had looked over the guild's ledgers before—each month's property damage was no small figure. The folks at the guild really knew how to make a mess.
Of course, everyone always paid out of their own pockets, so the guild didn't actually spend much on repairs. But money is money, and this was an unnecessary expense that they were truly throwing away.
With Laki around, though, that money could be saved. That was one of the reasons why everyone supported Moen in making her a full member.
The older guys weren't deliberately breaking furniture—it was just that everyone was hot-blooded, and when emotions ran high, things got out of hand.
So when the new recruit Laki officially joined, no one sent her back to the dorms right away. Instead, they gathered to celebrate with her.
Any excuse for a party—this was Fairy Tail's old tradition.
When Makarov returned from buying his magazine, he happened to walk right in on the scene.
"?"
"What's all this celebrating about?"
Makarov looked utterly confused. He had only gone out to grab a risqué magazine, and by the time he came back the whole guild was lively.
"Grandpa Makarov, we've got a newcomer in the guild," Moen quickly explained when he noticed the master standing at the doorway. He believed Makarov would understand his decision.
"Hah? Newcomer? What newcomer?"
Sure enough, Makarov's old face was filled with bafflement.
"Come with me."
Moen gestured for his grandfather to follow. The old man and the young man walked into the crowd, where Laki was surrounded, nervously introducing herself.
"Ah! It's that pervy old man!"
Before Moen or Makarov could say a word, Laki blurted it out in shock when she spotted him.
"…"
In an instant, the guild hall went silent.
Laki froze for a moment, utterly confused.
Why… had it suddenly gone so quiet again?
"Ahem. Allow me to introduce—Laki, this here… is our guild master, Makarov Dreyar!"
Moen cleared his throat twice, suppressing a laugh as he introduced his grandfather. He could practically see Laki's face stiffen visibly, her shock written all over her.
"Ah?!"
Laki first gave a dumb little response, then suddenly yelped at the top of her lungs!
"Hahaha~~~ it's fine, it's fine. Don't be nervous, young Laki. Was it me who frightened you just now when I went out?"
Seeing her reaction, Makarov broke into hearty laughter, his voice soothing as he tried to put the trembling Laki at ease.
Being called "pervy old man" didn't bother Makarov at all.
Well, because it was true—he really was a pervy old man.
The moment he saw Laki, Makarov remembered. On his way out to buy that risqué magazine, he had run into her with her bag in hand. That must have been when he startled her.
"N-no, not at all, Master! Hello, sir!"
Makarov's kind demeanor helped ease some of Laki's nerves. She bowed respectfully, greeting him properly, never once mentioning how scared she had been earlier.
"Good. Carry on, then."
Makarov smiled and nodded, then chose not to linger. Instead, he tugged Moen along and headed deeper into the hall.
"Explain yourself."
Once they were alone in his private office, Makarov hopped onto a chair and sat down, waiting for Moen's explanation.
He trusted his grandson not to act rashly, so he hadn't made a fuss outside. But here, in private, he expected answers.
"Grandpa Makarov, when you stepped back into the hall… didn't you notice the guild looked different from when you left?"
Moen didn't answer directly, but asked in return.
"Mm?"
Makarov frowned in thought. He honestly hadn't noticed. His attention had been caught entirely by the rowdy crowd.
The little old man was always someone who valued facts. He hopped down from his chair, hurried into the hall, and looked around. In just a short while, he rushed back, astonishment on his face, and jumped onto the chair again.
"Moen, what's going on here?"
Clearly, Makarov had seen the changes in the guild hall. The old man's curiosity was piqued, though he already had a faint guess.
"Laki specializes in Wood-Make Magic. This is all thanks to her."
Moen smiled as he spoke. A new idea was forming in his mind—maybe they could hire Laki as guild staff.
"As I thought."
Makarov nodded. He had already considered the possibility.
Moen wasn't surprised. After all, his grandfather was eighty-one this year, with a wealth of experience in magic. With things like this, all it took was a bit of thought for him to figure it out.
"Grandpa, why don't we hire Laki as guild staff? Sister Mirajane and the others already work pretty hard. With Laki's help, we could at least reduce property damage costs. And besides, we can't just let this girl keep working for free."
Moen voiced his idea. He felt it was only fair.
Even if the guild was a family, that didn't mean family should labor and sacrifice for nothing. Family deserved better treatment—everything should be balanced fairly. And Laki's ability was more than worthy of a proper salary.
"You're right. Let's do it that way."
Makarov accepted Moen's suggestion.
His heart swelled with relief. Moen was a child with such a mature mind, able to handle many things with thoughtfulness. Maybe not perfectly in every regard, but he always considered the guildmates sincerely. It was no wonder everyone in the guild adored him.
By comparison, Laxus…
At this thought, Makarov let out a long sigh. Laxus still hadn't understood that being Fairy Tail's guild master had never been about "strength." What mattered was the guild's ideals—something Laxus had completely failed to grasp.
Moen, meanwhile, paid no mind to his grandfather's melancholy. He left the office to bring the news to Laki, also to hear her own thoughts. After all, this sort of thing had to be by mutual agreement. She couldn't be forced into guild work.
"I'd love to!"
When Moen made the offer, Laki agreed immediately. Having just arrived, she didn't have much in the way of savings. Being able to secure a stable job at the guild was, of course, wonderful.
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