Ul and Gildarts

"Huh?! Etherion?!"

"That isn't something to use against ordinary wizards! It's meant to protect the safety of all Ishgar!"

Yajima's eyes widened at those words. Using something like that against ordinary humans was far too excessive. That was something to be used only when Ishgar Continent itself needed protecting!

"I believe that the moment Makarov, Gildarts, Ywen, and Ul came together, they brought an enormous disaster upon the entire continent! They are an utter cancer upon Ishgar Continent!"

"If we cannot place restrictions on Fairy Tail, who knows what things will become in the future? Fairy Tail already has no regard for our Council, and as more and more powerful individuals join Fairy Tail, I fear..."

The middle-aged councilor looked at Yajima, his eyes shining with sincerity. He truly believed that Makarov, Ywen, and the others were a cancer upon Ishgar Continent—pests that had to be eradicated...

"Hehe..."

After hearing the middle-aged councilor's words, Yajima merely chuckled. He finally understood. This councilor simply intended to use this opportunity to make another issue out of Fairy Tail. Such thoughts were normal enough, but he still needed to be put in his place.

"Have you considered the consequences we would face if we disbanded Fairy Tail...?"

With his hands behind his back, Yajima smiled as he asked the councilor before him.

"The consequences?!"

The councilor froze, seemingly having never considered what Yajima had said.

"Makarov is one of the Ten Wizard Saints, and he has sufficient seniority as well. If he were no longer Fairy Tail's Guild Master, there would certainly be a place for him among the Magic Council's councilors. Think about it—once Makarov became a councilor of the Magic Council, who would we remove from our already full council?! Most likely, it would be a councilor with the least seniority and strength, wouldn't it? Do you think I'm right, Councilor Zorn?"

With his hands behind his back, Yajima gave the middle-aged man a faint smile.

"Uh..."

In an instant, the middle-aged councilor panicked. Indeed, he had always regarded bringing down Fairy Tail as a political achievement, but he had never considered what would happen if Fairy Tail were disbanded. Now that he thought about it, if Fairy Tail were truly disbanded, he would be the one hit hardest...

"In any case, leave this matter to me!"

"You needn't worry. I'll make Makarov and the others return obediently to their guild. If Makarov and the others do anything out of line along the way, I'll bear all responsibility!"

Seeing that his words had already frightened the middle-aged councilor, Yajima smiled and lightly patted the man's shoulder before speaking in a calm tone.

"Then, then I'll leave it to you!"

Having only recently become a councilor, the middle-aged man immediately bowed slightly to Yajima in thanks.

Fairy Tail was a cancer anyway. Since someone was willing to shoulder the responsibility for him, he could hardly ask for more~

"Hehe..."

Yajima said nothing. He merely chuckled, turned around, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

Elsewhere...

On the road, as Makarov, Ywen, and the others made their way toward a nearby town...

Gildarts moved over beside Ul. After sizing up Gray and Lyon, he smiled faintly at Ul and asked, "Did you have two more?"

"Have your head! They're my two disciples!"

"And didn't we meet not that long ago? Lyon and Gray look like they're at least eight or nine years old, don't they?"

Veins bulged on Ul's forehead as she snapped angrily at Gildarts.

"Huh? Is that so? Sorry, sorry. I was wondering why these two brats were so unadorable. They definitely can't be your children!"

Gildarts immediately apologized to Ul upon hearing that, seemingly letting out a sigh of relief at the same time.

"Anyway, you've finally found a reason to keep fighting again, haven't you, Ul?"

Gildarts looked at Ul and asked with a smile.

"Yeah! It can't be helped! Since I've taken disciples, I have to set a good example for them. I have no choice but to keep fighting!"

Ul smiled at Gildarts's words. She had regained the identity of a wizard that she had once lost.

"Oh? You two know each other?"

Seeing how familiar Gildarts and Ul seemed, Makarov squeezed between them with a gossiping look on his face. His expression practically screamed that there was something going on between Gildarts and Ul.

At Makarov's question, Gray and Lyon pricked up their ears as well. Only Ywen continued scouting ahead alone, seemingly completely uninterested in what was happening behind him.

"Guild Master, you're so annoying!"

Gildarts glared at Makarov, who had inserted himself between Ul and him, and spoke with clear displeasure.

"Hehe~"

Makarov merely grinned at Gildarts's words.

"I'm not telling you!"

Gildarts looked as though he had no intention of satisfying Makarov's thirst for gossip.

"I'm the Guild Master!"

Seeing that Gildarts had no intention of indulging him, Makarov said unhappily.

"Hehe..."

Gildarts turned his head and scoffed disdainfully. He wasn't about to let Makarov threaten him with his status as Guild Master over something like this!

"Gildarts and I could be said to have met once before!"

Ul looked at Makarov and Gildarts, who were bickering like children, and began explaining helplessly.

"We met by chance! At the time, I was wandering aimlessly through the snow when I suddenly heard someone crying for help. When I went over, I discovered that someone had been attacked by a magical beast. After I dealt with it, I happened to run into Gildarts, who had come to hunt the magical beast..."

Ul paused here.

"So Gildarts swooped in and took the credit?"

"Ehh~ Gildarts actually stole someone else's prey? How lame! Isn't that right, Ul?"

Makarov shot Gildarts a disdainful look before turning to Ul for confirmation.

"Tch."

After hearing Makarov's words, Gildarts clicked his tongue but said nothing.

"No! I was careless. I hadn't expected there to be more than one magical beast. Beneath that mountain-sized beast was another one—larger and far more vicious!"

"Dealing with the one above had already drained all my strength. When the larger beast appeared, even I wasn't completely confident that I could defeat it!"

"Hehe, at the time, I was even wondering whether I should give it everything I had to hold back the beast in front of us and let Gildarts escape!"

"Just as I was asking Gildarts whether he was confident in his speed and whether he could get away, Gildarts made his move! With a single strike, he defeated the magical beast that even I had feared!"

"That was also the day my world opened up. Only then did I learn that there were mages this powerful in the world—and how weak I truly was..."

Ul spoke with deep emotion. That day, she had finally understood just how vast the sky above her truly was.

"Is that old man really stronger than both Ul and Ywen?!"

After hearing Ul's story, Gray and Lyon stared at Gildarts in shock.

"See that, Guild Master? I'm just that cool of a man!"

Yet at that very moment, Gildarts was smugly boasting to Makarov.

"You really can't tell at all..."

Gray and Lyon inwardly complained. They truly found it hard to imagine that this greasy, lecherous old man was such a powerful mage.

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