Celebration Banquet (Part Two)

Hearing his two old friends' flattery, Makarov straightened his back and felt like he was floating on air.

Makarov threw his head back and burst into laughter.

Haha! You can't have that kind of envy!

Makarov pointed his thumb at his nose and shouted.

"Our Fairy Tail has come this far entirely thanks to my excellent teaching and proper training!"

"As for you guys hoping to run into a monster like Jiang Bai on the roadside? You might as well give up and go to sleep; that's absolutely impossible!"

This undisguised smugness immediately ignited the dissatisfaction of the surrounding group of old men.

Goldmine slammed the barrel he was holding right in front of Makarov's nose.

"That old bastard's got his head on the roof now!"

Goldmine called out to his companions in a loud voice.

"Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus, get your glasses and come closer! Tonight, no one is allowed to leave this house until that old bastard Makarov is drunk under the table and wets his pants!"

Bob also waved with a charming smile.

"One night! Quickly bring up the guild's special strong and aromatic ale!"

Dozens of wine glasses instantly surrounded Makarov was being plied with drinks and struggling to keep his hands and feet taut, but the gold card in his arms was still tightly clutched.

Next to the booth in the southeast corner of the lobby.

Natsu and Gajeel were standing on a bench, tearing at huge pieces of roasted meat with bones.

Sting and Rogue stood awkwardly to the side of the bench, each holding a glass of juice.

Ever since he was brutally beaten up by Natsu and Gajeel together on the field.

The Dragon Slayer team, who once thought highly of themselves and looked down on everyone, have undergone a stunning 180-degree reversal in their mentality.

Sting moved closer to Natsu, placed the juice on the table, and nervously rubbed his hands together along the seams of his pants.

"Natsu, how exactly did you concentrate the explosive power of the flames into a single point during the final spin of the Crimson Lotus Phoenix Sword you used on the battlefield?"

Sting completely transformed into a fervent fanboy, practically wanting to pull out his notebook and write it down word for word.

Rogue also lowered his head slightly, standing next to Gajeel, his voice very soft.

"Gajeel... your Iron Dragon's Roar seems heavier than it was seven years ago."

Gajeel chewed on the piece of cast iron in his mouth, glanced sideways at Rogue, and exhaled a puff of white breath from his nostrils.

"Hmph, a little brat is just a little brat. If he wants to imitate my Roar, he'd better go back and eat for three years first."

Despite his harsh words, Gajeel still managed to snatch a large piece of roasted meat from his hand and toss it into Rogue's arms.

On the cushions under the long table.

Happy, Carla, Panther Lily, Frosch, and Lector, who had just woken up and was wearing a red Maka, gathered together.

Happy was hugging a grilled fish that was longer than his own body, and was taking big bites of the fish head.

"Lector, this fish is super delicious! Would you like a bite?"

Lector held his two little paws to his chest, his eyes slightly red, and turned his head to one side.

"I don't want to eat fish... But, I really owe a debt of gratitude to Jiang Bai from your guild today, otherwise I might never have seen Sting again."

"Frosch should also thank him."

Panther Lily patted Lector on the shoulder with a very mature air.

"You'll get used to it. Although Jiang Bai usually does whatever he wants, when it comes to protecting his own, no one in the guild is more reliable than him."

A quiet corner by the window in the lobby.

Wendy and Sherria sat on a small two-seater sofa.

Three delicate plates of strawberry mousse cakes were placed on the table.

Sherria cut a piece of cake with her fork and put it in her mouth, her eyes curving into crescent shapes.

"Wendy! Your Sky Magic on the field just now was absolutely stunning!"

Sherria clenched her little fists, her face full of excitement.

"And we can both quickly replenish our magic power by breathing air! What an incredible coincidence!"

"Hmm! This is the first time I've seen a Sky Mage other than myself! Sherria's God Slayer Magic is incredibly powerful!"

The two petite girls huddled together, chatting endlessly about the taste of air and techniques for controlling breezes, getting along exceptionally well.

And it's located on the edge of the private terrace on the second floor of the tavern, offering the best view.

Jiang Bai rested his chin on his hand, leaning against the wooden railing, enjoying the evening breeze that flowed in from the main road of the capital.

To the left, Erza, dressed in a light red cotton outfit, was holding a small silver fork and slowly enjoying a strawberry cheesecake on her plate.

To the right, Mirajane, wearing a sleeveless purple dress, stood with her hands folded on her knees, gazing with a gentle smile at the noisy and boisterous banquet hall below.

The soft sound of wooden clogs echoed from the corner of the stairs.

Kagura lowered her head, her left hand tightly gripping the scabbard of her unsheathed sword, and awkwardly shuffled onto the terrace.

The usually icy and aloof Mermaid Heel, the strongest ace, now had his toes constantly pointing inwards, his whole body stiff as a piece of wood.

Kagura stopped three steps away from the three of them.

Kagura opened her mouth, wanting to say hello, but found her throat was a little dry.

Erza stopped cutting the cake, glanced at Kagura, and then turned to look at Jiang Bai.

Mirajane gently placed the teacup back on the tray, turned to the side, and looked at Jiang Bai's profile.

The next second.

There was no verbal discussion or warning.

Erza extends her left hand, and Mirajane extends her right hand.

Two fair hands reached out simultaneously with perfect coordination, pinching the softest flesh on both sides of Jiang Bai's lower back with unparalleled precision.

With a sudden burst of force from his fingertips, he twisted the handle 180 degrees clockwise.

Jiang Bai's skin tightened, and he gasped.

Although Jiang Bai's physical defenses were formidable, his defensive magic was completely ineffective against this kind of physical punishment, which was purely within the family.

Erza leaned down, pressing her ear close to Jiang Bai's left ear.

"Jiang Bai, you seemed to enjoy hearing 'Onii-chan' on the big screen during the broadcast, didn't you?"

Mirajane leaned close to Jiang Bai's right ear, her hands maintaining a exertion stance, a bright smile on her face.

"Yes, not only did they waive the tuition on the spot, but they also deliberately led them to a secluded corner of the capital. Their methods are getting more and more sophisticated!"

Jiang Bai's lips twitched twice, and he raised both hands above his head in a gesture of surrender.

"Please, ladies, have mercy! I was simply providing serious practical combat instruction as your older brother!"

"Besides, even if Mira doesn't know, Erza, you should know that's what Kagura used to call her."

Kagura, standing opposite, saw this scene, and her already tense body became even more uneasy.

Kagura gripped the hilt of her sword with her knuckles, bowed deeply, and gave a proper bow to Jiang Bai, Erza, and Mirajane.

Kagura a deep breath and spoke in an extremely serious voice.

"I learned a lot from your guidance on the field today."

Kagura raised her head, her gaze lingering for a second on Erza and Mirajane's hands gripping Jiang Bai's lower back, before sincerely uttering her blessing.

"Also, congratulations to Jiang Bai, Erza, and Miss Mirajane! May you grow old together in happiness."

The air on the terrace fell silent for a moment.

Erza suddenly loosened her grip, her cheeks flushing crimson, and her gaze drifted to the empty plate beside her.

Mirajane, as if electrocuted, withdrew her fingers from Jiang Bai's waist, raised the back of her hand to touch her slightly flushed cheek, and turned her head away somewhat embarrassedly.

Jiang Bai rubbed his aching lower back, and looking at Kagura's extremely serious expression, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Thank you for your kind words, Kagura!"

Jiang Bai grabbed two wooden wine cups from the table next to him and casually tossed one of them at Kagura.

"It's a rare opportunity to come to the capital, so don't always have that tense expression and be clutching your knife."

Jiang Bai raised his beer glass high.

"Tonight's just a victory celebration, let's drink!"