The S-Class Exam in a Flash

When Eleven and Gildarts returned, Eleven's head was completely swollen, and Gildarts looked rather disheveled, clearly indicating that the two had fought in some unknown place.

The misunderstanding seemed to have been cleared up, Gildarts looked much better, his previous menacing aura gone. Only Eleven remained, having been inexplicably beaten up, looking utterly dejected, though his face was so badly swollen that it was impossible to tell if he was truly upset.

As for the reason for their fight, no one dared to ask, and no one really cared. Fights happened every day anyway, so the reasons didn't matter.

Makarov did not comment on Gildarts's abandonment of the 100-Year Quest; it was Gildarts's own decision, which he chose to accept unconditionally.

They even happily held a grand party to celebrate Gildarts and Cana's reunion, and the entire guild partied for three days and three nights, getting completely drunk.

In the days that followed, Gildarts really did as he said, pestering Cana every day, almost never leaving her side, and proudly introducing his daughter to everyone he met, showing off his status as her father.

Gildarts's fatherly love, heavier than a mountain, weighed heavily on Cana, who tried several times to escape Gildarts entanglement, but without success.

This undoubtedly intensified Cana's belief in becoming stronger. Before, she wanted to become stronger to catch up with her father, but now she wanted to become stronger to escape her father's pursuit.

However, it was obvious to everyone that although Cana complained about Gildarts, she was much more cheerful than before, and she drank more enthusiastically, even Gildarts couldn't outdrink his daughter.

Although the misunderstanding between Eleven and Gildarts has been cleared up, Gildarts has not let his guard down against Eleven.

As a father, Gildarts vowed to protect his little cabbage, and not a single pig could easily get in, not one!

Every now and then, Gildarts would pull out his book and meticulously analyze the inner world of scumbags for Cana. Sometimes he would even point in Eleven's direction, as if using him as an example.

Personally, Gildarts likes Eleven a lot; after all, they've known each other since childhood and have a deep bond. But as Cana's father, he despises pretty boys like Eleven!

Gildarts himself is a complete scumbag, he admits that, but he thinks he's a manly scumbag who conquers women with his masculinity.

Unlike those blindingly handsome pretty boys who only have good looks but can charm countless girls and make others envious...

In short, Eleven is now under Gildarts's surveillance; after all, he's too handsome, which is rather dangerous.

In fact, it's not just Eleven; almost any male creature that frequently appears in the guild is within Gildarts's vigilance range, which means that Cana is being protected very thoroughly.

Feeling Gildarts's gaze, which seemed to scrutinize him like a criminal, Eleven sighed helplessly.

Gildarts has gotten a bit cocky since becoming a father. He wants to know everything about Cana. I bet Cana's going to snap at him soon!

What should I do? I'm so excited! Should I go and encourage them?

Hmph! Gildarts! If you look at me like that again, I'll have your daughter curse you to death!

Days passed by, Gildarts, who was once elusive and rarely seen, had completely shed his mysterious veil and become a thoroughly silly dad.

For the latter half of X781, Gildarts could be seen almost every day in the guild, fawning over Cana. His obsequious manner, even with a wagging tail, didn't seem out of place at all.

Gildarts was deeply moved when he learned that Cana had strived to become S-Class Mage to keep up with him. After that, he spared no effort in training Cana, teaching Cana the tricks of the trade, and trying to help Cana win the S-Class Exam this year.

After discussions between Makarov and the other S-Class Mages, three mages were selected to qualify for the S-Class Exam in X781: Mira, Erik, and Cana.

The test questions were still meticulously designed by the old man, and there were still several levels. The mages participating in the test could still choose a partner to accompany them.

The only difference this year is that Erza joined the team, and Gildarts started staying home all the time, so there are more S-Class mages than examinees.

This gave Makarov a truly blissful dilemma.

Finally, Gildarts relinquished his role as examiner, citing his need to observe Cana's combat. This left Eleven, Laxus, and Erza each responsible for a group of examiners.

In this assessment, the examiners' task is to make things difficult for the examinees. This could involve challenges, traps, or any other method to gain their approval.

This was Eleven's fourth S-Class upgrade assessment, so he was quite familiar with it and didn't feel any psychological pressure. He could just go all out and crush the weaker opponents.

After a simple round of task selection, Eleven ended up meeting the couple Erik and Kinana, while Erza encountered her old nemesis Mira and the minor character Elfman.

Cana and Levy were less fortunate, as they encountered Laxus...

Laxus's test was predictable: combat. And the outcome was equally predictable. Cana and Levy, those two fragile mages, couldn't withstand a single brutal attack from Laxus and were instantly eliminated, offering no enjoyment whatsoever.

Gildarts, who was watching from afar, crushed the binoculars in his hand, and his gaze towards Laxus turned dangerous.

Eleven had been enthusiastically preparing a whole host of tests to torment Erik, but Erik, that stubborn brat, immediately charged at Eleven with Kinana, not even giving Eleven a chance to speak.

The result was obvious: they were eliminated!

Eleven was even more frustrated than Erik, who was eliminated. All the traps he had painstakingly prepared had gone to waste. How annoying!

On the contrary, Mira and Erza were putting on a very good show. These two girls were evenly matched to begin with, with not much difference between them. Now, with Elfman interfering from time to time, Erza, the examiner, was actually at a disadvantage.

Finally, the berserk Mira, with a slight advantage, shattered Erza's sword shadow in one move, achieving a great victory in this test!

The S-Class Exam of X781 ended without any major incidents, with Mirajane Strauss being the one who successfully advanced, adding another member to Fairy Tail's S-Class roster.