The Beginning of a Boy Going Bad Is Not Going Home

I see...

Ywen nodded lightly. Since Gildarts believed Guild Master Makarov was fine, he had nothing more to say. Gildarts was clearly more experienced than he was...

Since even Gildarts said there was nothing wrong, then there must truly be nothing wrong.

In fact, as the sky gradually darkened and dusk arrived...

Makarov returned to the guild alone, humming a tune. His face was slightly flushed, and his steps were unsteady. One look was enough to tell that he had drunk too much.

"Ywen, Gildarts..."

The first thing Makarov did upon returning to the guild was loudly call for Ywen and Gildarts.

"What is it, Guild Master?!"

Gildarts, who was thoroughly drunk at the bar counter, turned around at Makarov's call and looked toward him.

"Gildarts..."

Makarov frowned deeply, his eyes fixed on Gildarts before him.

"Guild Master Makarov..."

Gildarts frowned as well.

For a moment, the atmosphere between Gildarts and Makarov gradually grew tense. Faint magical power fluctuations seemed to ripple around them.

"Hey?! They're not going to fight, are they?"

Ywen watched the standoff between Gildarts and Makarov nervously. If Gildarts and Makarov started fighting, he would be the only one in the guild who could stop them.

No, if it really came down to it, Ywen was already prepared to call Aileen for help...

After all, if two drunken monsters of their caliber started fighting, wouldn't the entire guild—even the whole town of Magnolia—be reduced to rubble?!

Boom!

Just as Ywen tensed up, Makarov moved. His arm suddenly stretched out, and he pulled Gildarts into a hug.

"Boohoohoo..."

"Gildarts, you've made me so proud!"

"After all these years, the Magic Council finally praised me once..."

Makarov burst into tears as he hugged Gildarts.

"Guild Master Makarov!"

"I still remember when we sat together, peeking at the bartender ladies changing clothes while swearing that we'd make the guild bigger and stronger!"

"Then we'd recruit a bunch of beautiful young girls into the guild and hold an underwear contest every year!"

With an arm around Makarov's shoulder, Gildarts began reminiscing about the old days through his drunken haze.

"You still remember that, Gildarts! That's rare..."

"I'm so relieved..."

"Boohoohoo..."

As he spoke, Makarov began crying again.

"Guild Master!"

"Gildarts!!"

Ywen silently watched the two drunken fools hug each other and weep, then prepared to head home.

"Ywen..."

Just as Ywen was about to leave, he suddenly heard Makarov call out to him.

"What is it, Guild Master?"

Ywen turned around and looked at Makarov.

"Whatever you do, don't secretly take on an S-Class Mission, got it?"

"And even if you do take on an S-Class Mission, don't let me catch you!"

"Otherwise, I won't let you off..."

Makarov shouted at Ywen.

"Heh..."

Ywen smiled faintly after hearing Makarov's words. He understood what Makarov meant.

Simply put, because of Fairy Tail's rule that Mages below S-Class absolutely could not take on S-Class Missions, Ywen, despite having strength beyond S-Class, could not take on S-Class Missions!

But that was only in theory...

What was theoretically impossible meant it was possible...

If Makarov saw Ywen, then Ywen would be reprimanded.

So as long as Ywen was not seen by Makarov when taking on an S-Class Mission, wouldn't that solve everything?

"I understand, Guild Master!"

Ywen gave Makarov a light wave, then turned and left the guild.

"What do you think of that child, Ywen?!"

After Ywen left, Makarov asked Gildarts.

"A genius..."

Gildarts thought for a moment before calmly giving Makarov those two words.

"He really is a good child!"

Makarov nodded after hearing Gildarts's words.

"To be honest, Guild Master!"

"Even if you gave Ywen an S-Class examination ahead of time and awarded him Fairy Tail's S-Class Mage title, it wouldn't be inappropriate!"

"He fully qualifies as an S-Class Mage!"

The flush on Gildarts's face seemed to have faded considerably. He appeared much more sober.

"Of course I know that..."

"Forget the guild's S-Class Mage qualification—even the title of one of the Ten Wizard Saints, if Ywen wanted it, he could definitely obtain it!"

"But rules are rules..."

Makarov stubbornly turned his head away.

"Honestly, I don't know what to do with you..."

Gildarts looked at Makarov helplessly. Makarov had clearly granted Ywen the qualification to take on S-Class Missions, yet refused to give him the title of S-Class Mage. It was only an empty title, but Makarov treated it with surprising importance.

"It's not like that..."

"It's just that I've basically broken all the rules set down by the Second Guild Master..."

"I want to at least not break the examination rules established by the First Guild Master."

"Otherwise, if Precht ever comes back and sees how completely changed the guild has become, he definitely won't forgive me, will he?"

As Makarov spoke, beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Hahaha..."

"I never thought even you had someone you were afraid of, Guild Master?"

Gildarts burst out laughing after hearing Makarov's words.

"Shut up, brat!"

Makarov's expression stiffened as he watched Gildarts laugh. Then he gave Gildarts a hard knock on the head.

"Guild Master, that hurts..."

Gildarts rubbed his swollen head and looked at Makarov unhappily.

"Hahaha..."

This time, it was Makarov's turn to laugh.

Meanwhile...

When Ywen stepped outside the guild and looked at the unfamiliar streets before him, he suddenly remembered that he did not seem to know the way home at all...

"This is a problem!"

Ywen stared at the unfamiliar streets and fell into thought.

"Brother Ywen!"

Just as Ywen was deep in thought, a clear voice caught his attention.

Beside a streetlamp stood a girl with scarlet hair. With her hands on her hips, she was calling out to Ywen.

"Erza..."

Ywen floated over to the girl and called her name.

"Honestly, ever since joining this guild, Brother Ywen, you've learned not to go home..."

"Are you going to become some wandering bad man who never comes home?"

With her hands on her hips, Erza glared fiercely at Ywen as she spoke.

"Huh?! Who told you that?!"

Ywen was speechless after hearing Erza's words. He gently rubbed her little head.

"Cana told me. She said that the beginning of a boy going bad is not going home!"

Erza answered Ywen's question.

"This..."

Ywen thought about it and realized that Cana's words did make some sense. At the very least, Gildarts was definitely a scumbag—there was no doubt about that!

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