"That's alright." Makarov didn't hesitate, "As long as they are willing, everyone will welcome them."
"Xiu, Simon, Mirena, Wally, what do you think?" Erza asked for their opinions.
Wally was somewhat surprised, "Fairy Tail! Us?"
Mirena was quite tempted, "The most energetic and strongest guild, meow!"
Xiu's tears hadn't dried yet, "Sister's guild?"
"Wait, wait a minute!" Simon was the calmest, "Although it's great to hear that, it's too sudden, and we're not ready yet. At the very least, let us think about it."
The place where they had lived for over eight years was gone, and the dream they had been pursuing was a deception. They were actually a bit lost.
They had little concept of the outside world; they didn't know what they would do next nor had they decided on how to live in the future.
Making a decision immediately seemed too hasty.
Erza thought for a moment, then smiled, "That's true, I was too hasty. Let's take a break and discuss it again tomorrow."
"To be able to join Gray-sama's guild and not agree immediately?" Jubia muttered, took a deep breath, and eagerly raised her hand, "Jubia has decided! Jubia wants to join Fairy Tail!"
She paused for a moment, cautiously looking at Makarov, "Is that okay?"
"I've agreed." Makarov laughed, "Didn't I say this before? If there's nowhere else to go, come to Fairy Tail."
"Mm!" Jubia excitedly clutched the pendant on her chest, "Gray-sama, Jubia joined Fairy Tail!"
"Mm?" Gray didn't know what to say for a moment, "Ah, congratulations."
"Shall we celebrate a bit?" Mira asked considerately, "The president had a hard journey too; let's have something to eat, shall we?"
Makarov seized the opportunity to haggle, "It would be even better if I could have some wine."
Mira puffed her cheeks but eventually laughed, "Alright, since you came all the way here specially."
This resort should have provided a night snack, and there should have been many stalls outside till late at night.
But because of the incident, they closed temporarily today.
To eat, they had to figure it out on their own.
Luckily, Erza had a lot of luggage, and Rhode had some preparations too.
Everyone simply went to the beach to set up pots and stoves, set up a barbecue grill, and made their own food.
Rhode could even release a river crab to catch live fish from the sea.
Before long, a river crab crawled back with two big crabs clamped.
"A river crab catching sea crabs? Tsk, isn't it like boiling your own?" Rhode sighed about how cruel his river crab was and decided to end their suffering earlier, "Mira, should this be steamed or boiled?"
"This big? Erza, do you have a suitable steamer?"
"Of course!"
Watching them expertly handle the ingredients, Rhode's tears flowed from the corners of his mouth.
With 12 people and a cat, they could have quite a lively little feast.
While peeling crab legs, Rhode asked, "President, Tono was assigned to Reby last time, and Lucy was assigned to Natsu last time, shouldn't a newcomer be assigned to me this time?"
He hadn't fully indulged in the feeling of being a Fairy Tail veteran yet.
Lucy complained, "What do you mean 'assigned to Natsu'? That sounds weird."
"Pururu~" Canis Minor Star Spirit Pururu put its hands on its hips, expressing emotions with Lucy.
Rhode casually called Warm over to play with it.
Today, Hapi was free, being held and fed by Mirena without letting go.
As an enemy, Hapi resisted, but now as a companion, it gladly accepted.
Warm and Pururu? They won't feed me, I don't know them.
Makarov leisurely drank some wine, asking nonchalantly, "Who do you want to take under your wing?"
"I'm fine with anyone."
"Jubia?"
"That's not possible, I'm not that inconsiderate."
Since Gray brought her, Gray should take her.
"Then let's leave it until we get back; the others haven't decided yet, they might stick with Erza." Makarov chuckled, "You might not get a turn again."
"..." Rhode was displeased; he tossed the peeled crab leg into his mouth and snatched the president's wine cup, draining it in one gulp.
"Give it back! I only had this little bit!" Perhaps due to the wine slowing his reflexes, Makarov only retrieved an empty cup.
The old man whined, "Mira, you saw it, Rhode took that cup, it shouldn't count in my share."
Mira had just peeled open a crab shell, picked out the meat, keeping half for herself and feeding the other half to Rhode.
She said with a smile, "What did you say? I didn't see anything."
Makarov looked up at the sky, this pitch-black night, dark and sunless.
Rhode happily ate the crab meat and suddenly thought of something, "By the way, Simon, I know a friend who can use magic to remove scars. If you need it, I can help you get in touch."
"You mean Wendy?" Erza naturally remembered too, "Yes, not only scars; for that eye, you can ask Granny Porlyusica to replace it with a prosthetic eye."
"Really?" Wally and Xiu spoke in unison, both hoping Simon could recover.
Erza nodded affirmatively.
Mirena happily hugged Hapi and jumped up, "Erza wouldn't lie to us, that's great Simon, you'll be able to see again!"
"Recovery, huh..." Simon was a bit tempted; he touched his eyepatch and iron jaw, he would prefer not to keep wearing them if possible.
Rhode was surprised, "You can even replace an eye?"
Lucy chimed in, "Weren't you the one who suggested treatment, why so surprised?"
Erza touched her left eye, saying, "Yes, this eye of mine is a prosthetic."
"Erza's eye is prosthetic?"
Rhode and Lucy just learned about this, they hadn't noticed at all normally.
And the thought of eye replacement was a bit beyond Rhode's understanding; he hadn't previously delved into this field.
Previously, he had only heard that severed limbs could be replaced with prosthetics, but never imagined such delicate and fragile things as eyeballs could be too.
"That's right, I got injured while escaping the Tower of Paradise as a child, and Granny Porlyusica personally replaced it for me. It sees just like a normal eye."
Initially, this eye couldn't shed tears, but today—or was it yesterday—it could, just like a normal eye.
Now, Erza didn't shy away from speaking about it and could encourage Simon to heal from previous scars and start a new life.
Hearing Erza talking so confidently, Gray smiled and left Jubia swooning.
...