Gildarts reached the bar and plopped down on a high stool. He grabbed a bottle of liquor from beside him and took a swig.
The short old man in a clown suit—the master of the Fairy Tail Guild, Makarov—was squinting through bleary eyes as he sized up Lu Chongwei.
"Hic..."
Makarov let out a belch, pointed at Lu Chongwei, and asked with a slur,
"Gildarts... who's this kid? Never seen him before..."
Looking at the bleary-eyed old man before him, Lu Chongwei felt the last of his expectations shatter.
This was the guild master?
The legendary, immensely powerful Ten Wizard Saint?
He looked more like some strange old drunk who'd pee on the side of the road!
"The guild master seems drunk..." Lu Chongwei couldn't help muttering. His voice wasn't loud, but the bar area was quiet enough for everyone nearby to hear him clearly.
At those words, Makarov, who'd still been looking bleary-eyed, flared up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Who... who said I was drunk?!"
Makarov slammed his hand on the bar, making the liquor in the glasses slosh.
He widened his eyes and tried his best to look sober, but his unsteady body gave him away.
"I'm not drunk! I could drink another barrel of this stuff! Just watch!"
As he spoke, he raised his glass to take another drink, but his hand shook and he spilled most of it onto his beard.
Lu Chongwei's mouth twitched as he sighed inwardly.
This was hopeless.
The guild members weren't the only violent ones. Even their master was an unreliable drunk.
Did Fairy Tail really have a future?
Seeing this, Gildarts hurried to smooth things over.
He put a hand over Makarov's glass, his face wreathed in an ingratiating smile.
"Master, you've got a great tolerance, a great tolerance! But let's take a break from drinking. I'd like to introduce someone."
Gildarts pointed at Lu Chongwei, sounding rather pleased with himself.
"This is the boy I, uh, picked up on the road... I mean, ran into. His name's Lu Chongwei!"
Lu Chongwei had keenly caught the word "picked up" and was now sporting a dark expression.
So he really had picked me up!
That guy had definitely let the truth slip just now!
Though he was grumbling furiously inside, Lu Chongwei kept up a basic show of politeness.
After all, he was penniless and alone in this unfamiliar world. Besides this place, he truly had nowhere else to go.
And though things were a little chaotic here, he could sense no real malice in all their commotion.
The atmosphere was rowdy, but it also brimmed with life.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
With that thought, Lu Chongwei took a deep breath, bowed slightly, and greeted Makarov.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you. My name is Lu Chongwei."
His voice was calm and firm, neither servile nor overbearing. He carried himself with a composure beyond his years.
At the sound of that name, a glint suddenly flashed in Makarov's previously cloudy eyes.
He set down his glass and leaned forward slightly. His drunken haze seemed to clear in an instant.
As one of the Ten Wizard Saints, his perception was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Even in a tipsy state, the moment Lu Chongwei approached, he'd sensed the magic power lurking inside him.
It was a terrifying power—fiery and violent, yet perfectly restrained within him.
Like a dormant volcano: quiet and peaceful on the surface, but capable of incinerating everything when it erupted.
This boy... was no ordinary person!
Makarov's eyes cleared considerably. He stared at Lu Chongwei, a trace of delight flashing in his gaze.
Gildarts seemed to have anticipated Makarov's reaction. He leaned close to Makarov's ear and whispered,
"Master, this kid's a monster. I saw him in action on the road. That destructive power... tsk, tsk. He's got S-Class potential for sure."
At Gildarts's assessment, Makarov's eyes lit up like a pair of light bulbs.
S-Class potential?!
Heaven knew how badly he needed talent right now!
Fairy Tail might have a big reputation, but in reality, it had very few top fighters capable of holding the fort.
Besides him and Gildarts, the two S-Class Mages, the younger generation had plenty of promising members, but none of them had fully matured into someone who could stand on their own.
That kid Laxus was exceptionally gifted, but he was too proud and still too young to shoulder the whole guild by himself.
As for Erza and Mirajane, they both had plenty of potential, but they were still quite young.
The guild's future needed fresh blood, especially a monstrous newcomer with top-tier potential!
This was like a pie falling right out of the sky!
All of Makarov's drunkenness vanished, replaced by the giddy delight of having found a treasure.
He couldn't let this promising young man get away!
"Good! Good! Good!"
Makarov repeated the word three times, his face breaking into a huge smile.
He leaped down from his chair, moving with an agility that didn't seem possible for an old man.
"Come on! Now that you're here, you're one of the family!"
Makarov grabbed Lu Chongwei's hand, his enthusiasm almost impossible to resist.
"Come, come! Let's get the guild emblem stamped on you! It's proof that you've joined. Once it's on, you're one of us Fairy Tail members. There'll be no running away... I mean, we'll be family forever!"
Taken aback by this sudden burst of enthusiasm, Lu Chongwei looked at Makarov's urgent expression and felt a trace of wariness stir inside him.
Why did this old man look like he was afraid I'd change my mind?
Still, since he'd already decided to stay, getting the emblem was just part of the process.
"All right."
Lu Chongwei nodded and agreed reluctantly.
"Put it on my left shoulder. Red."
"No problem! That's the most noticeable spot—the most impressive, too!"
Afraid he'd change his mind, Makarov swiftly fetched the stamp and magical ink.
It took only a few seconds.
A delicate, bright red Fairy Tail Emblem was stamped clearly onto the skin of Lu Chongwei's left shoulder.
As he looked at the vivid design, Lu Chongwei felt a warm sensation on his skin, as if some sort of contract had been sealed in that moment.
Makarov inspected the emblem and nodded in satisfaction. Then he spun around to face the entire guild hall.
He took a deep breath, raised his glass, and announced loudly,
"Listen up, you lot!"
All the guild members stopped what they were doing again and turned their attention toward him.
"Starting today, Lu Chongwei is officially a member of Fairy Tail! He's one of our new family members!"
After a brief silence,
"WOOOOOOO!!!"
A deafening cheer suddenly filled the guild.
Those who'd been fighting moments ago and those who'd been drinking all raised their glasses, their faces beaming with genuine, heartfelt smiles.
"Welcome aboard, newcomer!"
"We're brothers now!"
"Come have a drink! Drink up!"
The heartfelt welcome and unreserved enthusiasm swept over Lu Chongwei like a tide.
Makarov seized the moment and jumped right onto the bar, waving his hand grandly.
"To celebrate our new member joining us, we're having a party tonight! Drinks are on the house!"
"Long live the master!!!"
The cheers nearly lifted the roof.
Standing in the middle of the crowd, Lu Chongwei looked at all those unfamiliar yet kind faces and listened to the noisy but warm cheers.
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