Comforting the First Master!
"Alright, alright, everyone be quiet."
"The core issue now is, through what means did Ivan find out about this top secret?"
Makarov tapped his boots on the instep with his cane.
"This matter is clearly only known to the legitimate presidents of each generation."
Jiang Bai leaned back against the stone wall, his hands folded behind his head.
"There's absolutely no need to rack your brains to guess."
"It's probably something that old bastard Hades, who's already dead, did."
Makarov remained rooted to the spot.
Precht's name spun around in my mind for a long time.
Makarov slapped his forehead hard.
"Precht... certainly fits all the criteria for the crime."
Makarov slowed his speech, his fingers tracing the tip of his cane.
"The Lumen Starlight was ultimately finalized through Precht's repeated experiments."
No one understood the form of this endless magic better than him.
Makarov let out a deep breath, his shoulders slumping completely.
"Precht lacked self-control and insisted on reading those forbidden magic books that couldn't be brought to light, and even went so far as to establish a dark guild for power."
Makarov turned and glanced at Laxus.
"From that point on, in order to continuously probe Fairy Tail's defensive capabilities, Ivan has probably already become a cheap pawn used by the Dark Guilds for scouting."
Mavis, who was standing in the middle of the three, suddenly lowered her head.
Mavis bit her lower lip hard, her two small hands twisting together violently.
Plop.
A drop of water falls onto the dry stone slab.
"Waaah..."
Mavis immediately covered her face with her hands and began to sob softly.
It's all my fault!
Mavis's shoulders trembled violently.
"If only I had been more careful back then!"
"It was all because I made a terrible mistake in choosing the second-generation successor that triggered this series of tragedies in the guild, and almost ruined everyone!"
Makarov waved his hands repeatedly, looking at Mavis was squatting on the ground crying, at a loss.
"First... First Generation! Please don't cry!"
Makarov was rambling incoherently, clutching his sparse hair with both hands.
How can this be attributed to you!
"It was all Precht's own fault for going astray and succumbing to the temptations of dark forces; it has nothing to do with your choices!"
Laxus remained frozen in place.
Mavis turned around, his back to Makarov.
Mavis raised the back of her hand and fiercely wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, then forcibly raised her chin.
"I didn't cry."
Mavis's voice had a heavy nasal tone.
"As the founding guild leader, I didn't cry... absolutely not!"
No sooner had I finished refuting than the water droplets began rolling down again.
"Waaaaah..."
Makarov was completely at a loss and shouted loudly at the two people behind him.
You two brats!
"Are you just standing here like two wooden stakes watching a show?!"
"Immediately find a way to comfort the First Generation!"
Laxus quickly took three large steps back, waving his arms like a windmill.
Even if you tell me that, I still don't understand at all.
"Grandpa, you know I've never comforted a girl in my entire life, let alone the first guild leader who's lived for over a hundred years."
Makarov turned his cane around and stared intently at Jiang Bai.
"You'll have to watch me and learn from me."
Jiang Bai turned his right wrist.
The twisted gaps in the portable space quietly cracked open in the palm of the hand.
Jiang Bai reached into the gap, pulled out an extremely exquisite square packaging box, and lifted the lid with one hand.
A corner of a strawberry cake, drizzled with fresh cream, sat quietly in the box.
The strawberries were a vibrant red, and the cream was pure white and smooth.
Jiang Bai, holding the cake box, took two steps forward and leaned against Mavis's side.
"Oh dear, that's such a shame."
Jiang Bai deliberately prolonged the tone, exaggerating the fluctuations in his voice.
"This is top-quality stuff from the most famous dessert shop in the heart of the capital."
Jiang Bai held the box and shook it back and forth in mid-air, allowing the milky aroma to drift precisely.
"A super popular strawberry cake, limited to ten pieces a day, so popular you can't even get one even if you queue up."
"The strawberries on top are a special magical variety that absorbs the morning dew, and the cake base is baked with the purest mountain milk."
"Does anyone actually want to eat?"
Makarov stared at the strawberry cake in Jiang Bai's hand, his mustache twitching wildly.
Makarov screamed wildly in his heart.
They actually tried to coax the First Generation like a child! Even though the First Generation's physique is still that of a child, he is still a genuine ancestor-level figure!
Makarov was just about to speak up and interrupt Jiang Bai's ridiculous behavior.
Mavis, who was squatting in the very center, stopped sobbing instantly.
Mavis stretched out her two little hands and forcefully rubbed away the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes.
Mavis slowly turned her head.
His gaze was fixed on the cake box that Jiang Bai was holding.
Without even blinking.
Makarov and Laxus nearly smashed their chins into their chests.
The two were dumbfounded.
This trick, which wouldn't even fool a six-year-old, actually fooled the first generation!
Jiang Bai laughed out loud.
Jiang Bai stepped forward and shoved the cake, along with its packaging, into Mavis's palm.
Eat without worry.
Jiang Bai patted the top of Mavis's soft head.
"Although Hades ultimately chose the wrong path of betraying the guild, he truly poured his heart and soul into Fairy Tail during the decades he led the guild."
"Although he made a huge mistake later on, he was at least an extremely competent manager in the early stages of taking over the company."
"Your judgment in choosing your successor back then was flawless."
"The problem lies with time, and with the human heart—variables that even magic cannot fully measure."
"It's completely unnecessary to take the blame for this."
Mavis held the cake box in both hands, tears still glistening in the corners of her eyes, and stared blankly up at the ceiling.
"Really?"
Mavis sniffed.
Jiang Bai nodded decisively.
"Absolutely certain."
Jiang Bai stepped aside, making way for Makarov and Laxus, who were hiding behind him, to move to the front.
"If you don't believe me, just ask those two guys."
Jiang Bai frantically winked at the two of them.
"The old man was personally appointed by Precht as the third generation; no one is more qualified to make that conclusion than him."
Mavis blinked her big eyes, her gaze fixed on the two of them.
Makarov and Laxus shuddered.
The two immediately stood up straight like javelins, their heads bobbing up and down frantically like they were pounding garlic.
The two answered in unison, at the loudest volume they had ever uttered.
"Absolutely true! Truer than gold!"
"There will be absolutely no mistakes in selecting people!"
Mavis looked the two of them up and down, then looked down at the fragrant strawberry cake in her palm.
Mavis finally stopped crying and started laughing.
Mavis grabbed the small fork next to her, scooped out a large piece of strawberry covered in cream, and stuffed it directly into her mouth, chewing it heartily.