Half a month later, Gildarts returned to the Fairy Tail guild. However, his return did not cause the usual cheers and commotion. Instead, the entire guild fell silent.
Everyone was stunned at the sight of Gildarts. His whole body was wrapped in thick bandages, with faint traces of blood still visible. He walked with a limp, clearly suffering serious injuries.
When Makarov saw Gildarts's condition, his expression instantly turned grave. He jumped down from behind the bar and hurried over, supporting Gildarts as he asked in a low voice, "Gildarts, what happened? How did you get hurt this badly?"
Gildarts forced a smile, his voice somewhat weak. "Master, I'm fine. I just ran into a little trouble."
Makarov said nothing more and immediately took Gildarts to the guild's treatment room. The other S-Class Mages also received the news and hurried over.
Allen, Urutia, Laxus, and the other S-Class Mages arrived at the treatment room one after another. Seeing Gildarts's injuries, their expressions all turned solemn.
"Gildarts, what exactly happened?" Allen asked with a frown.
Gildarts waved his hand, signaling everyone not to worry. "Don't worry. I'm still alive, and that's enough."
Gildarts glanced at the people around him. All the guild's S-Class Mages were here, so he urged them, "Don't tell Kana about my injuries yet. I don't want her to worry."
Makarov nodded in understanding. "Don't worry. We'll keep it a secret."
Seeing the shock and doubt on everyone's faces, Gildarts said with a hint of relief, "On my way back after completing that ten-year quest, I saw the Black Dragon, Acnologia."
At the mention of "the Black Dragon," everyone's expressions changed. Allen had already told them about the Black Dragon's terror. Although the three of them, including Urutia, still knew nothing about it, they could tell from Allen