Another Bunch of Kids

And so, after a day of clattering along on the train, Jiang Bai finally returned to Magnolia the following afternoon with Mirajane and her two siblings, who were somewhat tired but even more apprehensive.

As they passed through the familiar streets and he caught sight of the guild's distinctive building, with its fantastical and wild style, Jiang Bai felt considerably more relaxed.

Mirajane and her two siblings, following behind him, were utterly awestruck by the sight before them.

They had never seen such a bustling, vibrant town, much less such a... unusual building.

Mirajane instinctively pulled her hood tighter, hiding herself more deeply beneath it. She pressed her demon arm firmly against her side, afraid that passersby would see it and give her the same looks she had received in the village.

Elfman and Lisanna looked around curiously, their little faces full of the wonder and surprise of country children visiting a city. Even so, they kept a tight grip on their sister's clothes, not daring to stray a single step from her.

"We're here. This is Fairy Tail."

Standing before the guild entrance, Jiang Bai glanced back and spoke to them, then kicked the heavy wooden doors open without a second thought.

Boom—

The doors slammed against the wall with a tremendous crash, and a wave of noise, mingled with the smell of alcohol, sweat, and a certain feverish energy, hit them almost like a physical force.

"Natsu, you bastard! You burned my table again!"

"I'm all fired up!"

"Don't just go getting fired up whenever you want, bastard!"

"My hair! Boo-hoo..."

Tables and chairs flew, mugs smashed, and flashes of magic flickered throughout the guild hall. The whole scene was as chaotic as an active battlefield.

Mirajane and her siblings had never seen anything like it. They froze in fright on the spot.

With a cry of "Wah!" Lisanna and Elfman immediately ducked behind their sister, daring only to peek out through gaps in her cloak.

The wild atmosphere startled Mirajane into taking half a step back, her heart full of unease.

Was this... really a place that would accept her?

Just then, two familiar voices came from a relatively peaceful corner near the bar.

"Hey, Jiang Bai, you're back already?"

Macao was holding up a large beer mug and waving at the entrance, his face flushed red. Beside him, Wakaba puffed on his pipe, blowing smoke rings.

The two old drinking buddies occupied their favorite spot at the bar, as they always did, come rain or shine.

Jiang Bai strolled over with his hands in his pockets, the three newcomers trailing behind him like startled chicks.

"Uncle Macao, Uncle Wakaba, haven't you two gone on a job yet?"

Jiang Bai glanced at the completely empty table in front of them and curled his lip. "The guild's finances have been dragged down by guys like you who do nothing but drink. You've got way too much time on your hands, don't you?"

"Cough, cough!" Wakaba choked on his smoke, his face reddening as he tried to defend himself. "There just aren't any suitable jobs! We're saving our strength for more important ones!"

Macao burst out laughing, his gaze passing over Jiang Bai to land on the three little heads peeking out behind him.

He winked and teased, "Haha, not bad, Jiang Bai! Have you spent so much time with the master that you've picked up the old man's habits? Why do you always bring kids back every time you finish a job?"

At that, quite a few idle guild members turned curious gazes their way.

Feeling their eyes on her, Mirajane immediately tensed and lowered her head even further.

Jiang Bai clicked his tongue disdainfully.

He glanced back at the nervous Mirajane, a confident smile curling his lips, then raised an eyebrow at Macao and Wakaba.

"What do you two know? Once Mira learns Take Over Magic, even the two of you together might not be able to beat her."

"You've got to be kidding!" Wakaba spat out a mouthful of smoke as if he had just heard the biggest joke in the world. "You think everyone's a monster like you and Laxus? Take Over Magic? Doesn't that just let you take over some animals?"

Macao chimed in, "Exactly. That little girl looks so quiet and well-behaved. How strong could she be? Stop bragging, Jiang Bai."

Jiang Bai maintained that her quiet, well-behaved demeanor was only temporary; the little delinquent she would become was her true self.

They didn't take Jiang Bai's words seriously at all, assuming he was just trying to save the newcomer's face.

Jiang Bai couldn't be bothered arguing with the two ignorant uncles. The facts would prove everything.

He waved his hand, bringing the subject to an end.

"I'm not arguing with you. It's a waste of breath."

Jiang Bai looked around, but didn't see the familiar little figure, so he called toward the bar, "Where's the old man? Where did he run off to?"

"I've got three people here who want to join the guild. Hurry up and get the paperwork done!"

Jiang Bai's powerful shout could be heard clearly even over the din in the hall.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the guild doors, which had just been kicked open, were pushed open again from outside.

A familiar short figure walked in, followed by a little black-haired boy.

"I could hear you calling for me from a long way off, brat. What are you hollering for?"

Makarov walked in with his hands behind his back and his steps steady and measured, his first words a vigorous complaint.

He looked at Jiang Bai, then glanced at the three children behind him, who were obviously newcomers, and raised an eyebrow.

"Did you take care of that demon business?"

"It's a long story, but it's been taken care of."

Jiang Bai answered lazily, then turned his gaze to the kid behind Makarov, who wore nothing but a pair of shorts, his upper body completely bare. He asked with interest, "Old man, what's this?"

The black-haired kid seemed completely unaware of his state of undress and glared defiantly at everyone around him.

"Can't you tell?" Makarov asked matter-of-factly, pointing at Gray Fullbuster behind him.

"I ran into this kid on the way. He'd gotten into a bit of trouble, and since he wanted to join our guild anyway, I brought him along."

"What about you? Why were you in such a hurry to find me?"

"Oh." Jiang Bai jerked his chin toward Mirajane and her siblings. "Same as you. I've got newcomers who want to join."

At that, Macao and Wakaba could no longer contain themselves. Clutching their stomachs, the two of them burst into earth-shaking laughter.

"Pfft, hahaha!" Macao laughed until tears came out, slapping the table hard. "See? What did we tell you? Master! Jiang Bai! I knew you two had the same problem! You both love bringing kids back to the guild!"

Wakaba was laughing so hard he couldn't straighten up, his pipe nearly falling out of his mouth. "Exactly! One of you brings back one, and now the other brings back three at once! Do you think our guild is a daycare?!"

The rest of the guild members joined in the good-natured teasing, and the hall was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

The commotion left Mirajane and her siblings even more at a loss. All they could do was huddle close behind Jiang Bai.

However, just as Macao and Wakaba were laughing their hardest—

Boom—

The guild doors were once again violently blasted open by a powerful gust of air.

A raging aura of lightning swept through the hall like a storm, bringing everyone's laughter to an abrupt halt.

Laxus Dreyar had returned.

He wore the same arrogant, disdainful expression as always. Beneath his short blond hair, his sharp eyes swept across the hall as though surveying his own territory.

Strangely, though, three little kids were trailing behind his imposing figure like a trio of tagalongs.

One was a handsome, well-dressed boy with long emerald-green hair.

Another was a brown-haired girl wearing glasses and dressed like a little princess.

The last was the tallest and broadest boy, wearing a fearsome mask and holding several strange totem dolls in his arms.

Laxus seemed to sense the odd atmosphere as well, especially when everyone's gazes passed over him and focused on the three "little tails" behind him. A crack appeared in his normally impassive expression.

He had met these kids while on a job. For some reason, they had latched onto him and insisted on following him to Fairy Tail.

He couldn't shake them off, and he couldn't bring himself to hit them, so he had no choice but to bring them back.

Laxus turned his face aside. With three tagalongs in tow, he felt he no longer matched his image as a proud, aloof powerhouse, and a surge of irritation rose in his heart.

Even so, he suppressed his impatience and spoke toward Makarov in an extremely stiff tone.

"These three want to join the guild too."

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

The smiles on Macao's and Wakaba's faces froze completely. Their mouths hung open as they stared, dumbstruck, at the dramatic scene before them.

Jiang Bai had brought back three.

The master had brought back one.

And now even Laxus, the guild's biggest loner, had brought back three at once!

What kind of day is it today? Wholesale guild newcomer day?

Macao's and Wakaba's mouths twitched wildly.

We were just joking! Why are you taking it seriously?!

It's not a daycare anymore. The guild can just change its name to Fairy Kindergarten today!

Before anyone could recover from their shock, the three children behind Laxus stepped forward in unison.

Freed Justine, at their head, gazed at Laxus's back with almost fanatical admiration and announced loudly, "We want to join Fairy Tail! We want to follow Lord Laxus!"

Evergreen pushed up her glasses and chimed in just as firmly, "That's right! Lord Laxus is the strongest!"

Finally, Bickslow raised the dolls in his arms and shouted in a strange tone, "Follow him! Follow him! My babies say so too!"