Eisenwald, Part Two

An elegant and luxurious Western European-style hall is nestled in the mountains, surrounded by beautiful scenery, with sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on the stone steps.

A long table was set up in the hall, piled high with food and drinks, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of roasted meat and aged ale.

The guild leaders were drinking to their hearts' content, their boasts rising and falling amidst the clinking of glasses.

Makarov stood in the center of the crowd, his short body barely able to reach the tabletop by standing on a chair, but his imposing presence was in no way inferior to that of the others.

With one arm around Riyao's shoulder and the other holding a wine glass bigger than his head, he proudly showed it off to those around him, his face flushed.

"Haha! This is our guild's top star! The renowned healing mage of the kingdom!"

Makarov patted Riyao on the back with such force that it sounded like he was beating a drum.

"A guild that doesn't have such a promising junior is truly wasting its life!"

Riyao staggered forward after being hit, his lips twitched, but he still managed a polite smile and nodded to those around him.

Bob, the president of the Blue Pegasus, approached with elegant steps. His slender fingers, adorned with delicate orchid-like gestures, gently poked Riyao's arm, his eyes and brows brimming with smiles.

"Oh my, when will Little Riyao come visit our Blue Pegasus? Or how about trying your hand at being a gigolo? He'd definitely be our star attraction!"

As he spoke, he drew a circle on Riyao's shoulder with his fingertip, his eyes full of calculation.

Riyao reflexively took two steps back, crossed his hands in front of him, and his smile instantly froze.

"Forget it, if Mira knew I dared to become a male escort, she'd hang me up and beat me for three days and three nights... no, at least a week."

He subconsciously touched the back of his head, as if he could already feel the pain that might come, and shrank his neck.

Goldmine, the president of the Quatro Cerberus, squeezed in from the side, stretched out his calloused hand and made a rock and roll gesture, and spoke as loudly as if he were giving a concert.

"Wild!! Riyao Bro's physique is getting stronger and stronger! Look at those muscles! Look at that build!"

Riyao got a little carried away by the praise, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up. He bent his arm decisively, bulging out his not-so-large biceps, and even deliberately turned the angle so that the light would shine on the muscle lines, showing off by shaking them a couple of times.

Many guild leaders took the opportunity to approach him, some patting him on the shoulder, some offering him drinks, and some even grabbing Riyao's hand and shaking it vigorously, all trying to become acquainted with him so that they could ask him for help in the future if any of their Riyao members got injured.

Riyao welcomed everyone with a smile and responded to each one, but his eyes would occasionally sweep across the venue, as if searching for someone.

He looked around, his gaze sweeping across every corner, and finally frowned slightly, not finding the old man Jose.

"They didn't come this time..."

Riyao stroked his chin, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

He muttered to himself, "Looks like I can't let him pee in his pants pocket this time. Did he get caught the last few times? That shouldn't be the case; he was pretty discreet..."

In the Phantom Lord Guild's restroom, Jose was clutching a tissue, struggling to stay awake.

"Why do I get diarrhea every time I go to that darn meeting? Now I feel like I need to go to the toilet whenever I hear about a meeting."

Riyao shook his head, refocused, and joined the boasting crowd.

"Let me tell you, I almost became sworn brothers with the Celestial Spirit King!"

Riyao leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, rested one hand on his knee, and casually twirled his wine glass with the other, his tone nonchalant yet tinged with regret.

"It's a pity the other Celestial Spirit didn't want another boss, and they ruined it. Sigh... what a shame."

He sighed, but his expression clearly said, "I'm someone the Celestial Spirit King has taken a liking to."

Bob leaned closer, lowered his voice, and gently touched Riyao's wrist with his delicate fingers, his tone unusually restrained from its usual playful manner.

"Leo... are you alright?"

Riyao paused in his swirling of the wine glass, his fingertips resting on the rim, his smile slowly fading. He lowered his eyes, his eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, and remained silent for two seconds before speaking.

"It's disappearing... I can't help it, it's the power of the contract."

Makarov sighed as well, his short frame leaning back in his chair, a hint of heartache flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

"That Loke boy..."

Riyao glanced at Makarov, a slight smirk playing on his lips, and said with undisguised contempt, "Old man, how dare you call someone a kid? They're way past their age."

Makarov's beard bristled instantly, his face flushed with anger, and he jumped off the chair, kicking Riyao with his leg.

You brat!

Riyao was prepared. With a quick turn of his feet, his body spun smoothly halfway around as if carried by the wind, easily dodging Makarov's flying kick.

He relaxed his back slightly, slowly tilted his head back, raised his chin to a just-right angle, and casually raised one hand, his slender fingers brushing back through the stray hairs on his forehead. The movement was relaxed and flamboyant, as if he couldn't even be bothered to dodge properly.

His lips curled into a crooked smile, exuding a roguish charm and a hint of smugness. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at the furious Makarov.

That's it?

Makarov nearly choked on his breath, his short frame swaying slightly. He fumbled in his pocket for a while, then pulled out a crumpled little medicine bottle, poured out two Vitamin C tablets, swallowed them dry, and then vigorously smoothed his chest, his beard twitching.

Don't get angry, don't get angry. It's not worth ruining your health if you get angry.

We're in a regular meeting now, with so many old friends watching, I have to maintain the chairman's dignity... I can beat this brat up when we get back!

He muttered to himself, the redness on his face slowly fading, but his glare at Riyao remained fierce.

Riyao shrugged, adopting a "do as you please" attitude, and even thoughtfully handed over a glass of water.

Makarov took the water glass and gulped down a large mouthful before his heartbeat finally calmed down.

Goldmine, Barnabas, and Bob, who were standing to the side, burst into laughter at the same time.

Haha! Old Makarov is still so energetic!

"His temper hasn't changed at all!"

Bob laughed so hard he forgot to even pinch his pinky fingers, clutching his stomach and bending over, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Oh my, seeing this scene suddenly makes me miss the days in Fairy Tail. Back then, every day was so lively!"

Goldmine crossed his arms, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips, his gaze becoming somewhat distant.

"Yeah... back then, the guild was in constant chaos, and the walls were being smashed every few days..."

He paused, a hint of wistfulness in his voice. "Thinking about it now, it really brings back memories."

The three exchanged a smile, a warm glint in their eyes.

The three of them were once members of Fairy Tail.

Back then, the guild was noisy, chaotic, and completely disorderly, but it was also the warmest and most humane place.

Every morning when you open the door, you are always greeted by a noisy commotion, the sound of wine glasses being smashed, and the commotion of two people fighting each other.

They later left and founded their own guilds.

The Blue Pegasus is elegant and gorgeous, the Quatro Cerberus is wild and unrestrained, and the Lamia Scale is calm and reserved. Every guild has its own style, but deep in their hearts, there is always a corner reserved for those days in Fairy Tail.

Bob straightened up, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his fingertips, and looked at Riyao with a smile.

"Little Riyao, come visit Blue Pegasus sometime! We have tons of handsome guys and beautiful girls there!"

"Wild!! Bring Quatro Cerberus! Ours is even more exciting!"

Goldmine slammed his fist into the palm of Goldman's hand, his voice so loud it made the wine glasses on the table tremble.

Oba coughed lightly, raising her chin slightly.

"Ahem... The tea and snacks at Lamia Scale are quite good. Jura's tea-making skills are getting better and better. I can even make you spin around."

Riyao watched the three former Fairy Tail members vying to invite him, his lips twitched. He thought to himself: Are they trying to steal him away?

Makarov, listening nearby, couldn't help but chime in, his mustache twitching.

"Hey! You three, don't poach our guild members!"

The three of them turned to look at Makarov in unison, and spoke in unison.

"Better than you? You're always picking up kids outside."

Makarov was speechless, his beard trembled, and in the end he could only groan and turn his head away.

At that moment, a staff member from the venue ran over carrying a crystal ball.