Celebration Banquet

The celebration banquet began in the evening, and the guild was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

A long table was pushed against the wall, piled high with roast meat, stews, fruits, and various desserts. The corks of the wine barrels had been pulled out, and the aromas of fruit wine and ale mingled in the air.

The chandelier cast a warm yellow light throughout the hall, casting swaying shadows on the walls. Laughter and the clinking of glasses rose and fell, and even the night breeze outside the window couldn't dampen the lively atmosphere.

Makarov showed absolutely no airs of being Ten Wizard Saints or the chairman of the association.

He jumped onto the table and danced a ridiculous, chaotic dance, his short legs kicking and his belly jiggling to the rhythm, his hands waving above his head.

He was so excited that he kicked over several glasses, spilling drinks all over the table, but he didn't notice and kept jumping around more and more energetically.

Hey kids! Let's get this party started! We're drinking until we drop tonight!

"Oh!!"

Everyone raised their glasses in response, the noise almost lifting the roof off. Some whistled, others banged on the table and clapped along, providing accompaniment for Makarov's "dance moves."

Thanks to Riyao's technological advancements, Ur is now able to enjoy alcohol.

Ur was completely drunk. His wooden frame leaned against the bar, a glass of fruit wine in his hand, swaying his head. His voice, made particularly loud by the alcohol, began to tell embarrassing stories about Gray from his childhood.

"Let me tell you, when Gray was a child..."

Ur's tone carried the excitement of an elder saying, "I'm about to spill the beans!" The people around immediately perked up their ears, and Lucy and Cana crowded around, their faces full of gossip.

Although Gray didn't know what Ur was going to say, he knew from the way Uru was acting that it was definitely not good. He rushed over anxiously to cover Ur's mouth, but he stumbled and almost tripped over the wine glass on the ground.

"Ur, don't say it!"

Juvia diligently massaged Ur's shoulders, his ten fingers transforming into fine streams of water as he kneaded the wooden shoulders, making a soft gurgling sound. It was unclear whether the wooden body felt anything.

"Lord Ur, is that enough force? Juvia can also use water to wash the cracks in the wood."

Juvia looked serious and spoke with a devout tone, as if she were serving some sacred being, completely ignoring the strange looks from those around her.

Natsu grabbed the large pork knuckle and swallowed it whole, not even spitting out the bones. His cheeks bulged out, he chewed loudly, smacking his lips, and oil clung to the corners of his mouth, looking completely satisfied.

"Mmm..."

Lucy rolled her eyes dramatically and complained, her fork almost piercing the bottom of her plate.

"Don't swallow it all at once. If you can't speak, then don't speak."

Happy carried several plates of fish to Carla's side. His short legs moved quickly, his tail wagging nervously behind him. He blinked and looked at Carla expectantly, pushing the plates towards her.

"Carla..."

Carla turned her head and snorted, turning her face away without even glancing at the plates of fish.

Happy's tail slowly drooped, his ears drooped, and he silently returned to Natsu's side with his head down. He picked up a fish and listlessly gnawed on it, occasionally stealing a glance at Carla.

Erza took a bite of Mirajane's special strawberry cake. The moment the fork touched her mouth, she froze, her eyes widened, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

The rich sweetness and the burst of strawberry tartness on her tongue almost made her clothes explode on the spot; she felt like she was elevated to a higher level.

"How wonderful! Should I snatch Mira away from me?"

She cupped her cheeks, her expression one of blissful ecstasy, as if making a momentous strategic decision. The cake on her fork lingered near her lips for a long time, yet she hesitated to put it in.

Lisanna covered her mouth and chuckled when she heard Erza's words, her shoulders shaking as she leaned close to Erza's ear and whispered something.

"If your brother-in-law heard this, he'd definitely fight you."

Riyao and Mirajane were drinking with Cana, one glass after another. The three of them sat around a small table, which was already covered with a row of empty glasses, neatly arranged like trophies.

Riyao had Mirajane's left arm around him, his right hand holding a glass. Mirajane's cheeks were slightly flushed, and she smiled with her eyes crinkling. Cana, on the other hand, had a defiant expression on her face, and she picked up the barrel of beer and started chugging it down her throat.

"Gurgle, gurgle~ Riyao, your fruit wine is so delicious!"

Cana put down the barrel of wine, let out a loud burp, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and her eyes sparkled.

"Ha~ That's right, don't you even know who I am?"

Riyao tilted his head back and downed a glass, slamming the glass on the table with a smug look on his face and a slight tilt of his chin.

"Ha~ Don't say we're bullying you, hmph."

Mirajane also downed a drink, her cheeks flushing even deeper. She leaned on Riyao's shoulder and waved her empty glass at Cana.

Elfman stood on a bench, holding a barrel of wheat beer and drinking heartily. One foot was on the bench, while the other tapped the rhythm. The barrel was held above his head, and the beer dripped down his chin, soaking his shirt.

"A real man drinks with gusto!"

Evergreen flicked her fan, covered her mouth, and laughed. The fan opened and closed in front of her face, and the laughter came from behind the fan, carrying the smugness of a queen inspecting her territory.

"Oh ho ho, I should be the center of attention at this banquet."

Bickslow struck a rock-and-roll pose, one foot on a chair, fingers making a rock-and-roll hand gesture, his mask reflecting an eerie light under the lamplight.

"Have fun, kids!"

"Nao Tai Tao... Nao Pa Po Lun... Check it out..."

Freed sipped his black tea elegantly, sitting cross-legged on the corner sofa, his little finger slightly raised, a stark contrast to the noisy surroundings, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Guilds are definitely better this way."

Jet and Troy linked arms and danced in circles, their self-created steps causing them to stumble and fall, occasionally bumping into the tables and chairs around them, but this did not dampen their spirits at all.

"The vast horizon..."

"That's Qing..."

Levy waved her hands to cheer them on, jumping and skipping around beside them, almost getting hit by their outstretched arms.

"The Shadow Gear Squad is the best!"

Romeo, having heard from Macao that there was a banquet tonight, also came to join in the fun. His little face was full of excitement as he carried a glass of juice and weaved through the crowd, finding everything new and exciting.

"Wow, Fairy Tail is definitely the best!"

Macao and Wakaba clinked glasses and drank a toast together. They hooked their arms around each other and tilted their heads back to drink, not caring that they spilled the wine all over themselves. When they finished, they smashed their glasses on the ground, shattering them into pieces.

"Ha~ I'm not going home tonight!"

"Ha~ Yeah! I'm not replying!"

Alzack moved closer to Bisca with his wine glass, and the two drank, their faces flushed—whether from the wine or something else, it was anyone's guess.

Alzack's fingers lingered on his wine glass for a long time before he finally mustered the courage to move closer to Bisca. Bisca blushed and brought her glass closer, clinking it together softly.

"Bisca..."

"Al..."

Gajeel appeared on stage in a white suit, holding a microphone in one hand and putting the other in his pocket, striking a sentimental pose, and clearing his throat.

"Relatively..."

The sound was like a piece of metal scraping against glass, so piercing it sent chills down your spine. A chorus of groans erupted from the audience; some covered their ears, while others buried their heads in their desks.

The group of people on stage reacted instinctively. Natsu threw the bone at Gajeel, hitting him on the head. The bone bounced off the iron head with a crisp "clang," and Gajeel's affectionate expression shattered instantly.

"Shut up, you lump of iron!"

"Fire Dragon, do you want to fight?"

Gajeel slammed down the microphone and jumped off the stage, while Natsu kicked aside his chair and rushed to meet him.

The two immediately started fighting, their fists clashing against each other, knocking tables and chairs over and spilling drinks all over the floor.

The moment the two started fighting, it was like lighting a fuse, and everyone around them got caught up in it.

Gray was hit on the head by a flying glass, and he turned around and punched the person next to him.

That person bumped into another person, and the chain reaction quickly spread.

In less than a minute, the entire guild hall turned into a chaotic melee, with glasses and food flying everywhere, and laughter and curses mingling together.

Makarov was already quite drunk, snoring away in his arms, curled up in a chair in the corner, his beard twitching with each snore, oblivious to the chaos around him, hoping he wouldn't be too upset when he woke up tomorrow.

Wendy looked at the bustling guild, a happy smile spreading across her face.

She sat on a chair in the corner, holding a glass of juice, her gaze sweeping from one end to the other, watching people fighting, drinking, dancing, and laughing. Every scene felt both novel and heartwarming to her.

"Carla, it's so warm here."

Carla crossed her arms over her chest, turned her face away, and her tail swayed unconsciously behind her.

"This is clearly a very chaotic guild."

Although he said that, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face. The slight curve was particularly noticeable under the light, like a cat that had stolen some dried fish and was pretending to be innocent.