Makarov's expression became solemn, and his eyes were full of complex emotions.
That is a concern as a grandfather, and it is also a responsibility as the president.
"Mystogan is pretty good, but it's a pity that the child is so bad at communicating. He keeps coming back all day long."
Makarov counted on his fingers and finally let out a helpless sigh.
"After all the calculations, only Erza is left to choose?"
Makarov leaned against the pillar and began to seriously think about the possibility of Erza taking over.
At this moment, a burst of light footsteps came.
"President, are you still up so late?"
Mirajane came over holding a thick document. The moonlight shone on her long silver hair, making her look particularly gentle.
She looked at Makarov's sad face and had already guessed something in her mind.
"It's Mira, what's the matter?"
Makarov sat up straight and coughed twice to cover up.
"I just received an urgent official letter from Magic Council."
Mirajane opened the file and his tone suddenly became a little strange.
She glanced at Makarov, with some sympathy in her eyes.
"Lu Chongwei and Erza went on a mission, but... due to excessive force, they accidentally destroyed half of the other side's town."
"Pfft--!"
Makarov The beer that he just drank in his mouth spurted out, all over his face.
His eyes widened and his beard stood up in anger.
"Half a town?! Are they on a mission or demolition?"
Makarov let out a desperate cry.
He took the document with trembling hands, and when he saw the astonishing compensation figures, he almost had a heart attack.
"Magic Council requires all members participating in the task to write a 100,000-word letter of repentance."
Mirajane made the last stab, his voice still soft, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting Makarov's heart.
"One hundred thousand words?! Is that a confession book or a novel?"
Makarov collapsed on the spot, holding his head and rolling on the beam.
He let out a shrill wail that resounded throughout the Magnolia night sky.
"I won't retire! I will be tortured to death by these brats!"
At this time, far away Balsam Village.
The warm mist is lingering, and the hot spring water makes a gurgling sound.
Lu Chongwei was leaning on the edge of the pool with a contented look on his face, holding a bottle of warm milk in his hand.
"Ah... the hot spring after the mission is simply heaven on earth."
Lu Chongwei took a sip of milk and let out a satisfied sigh.
He closed his eyes and felt the warm spring water covering his whole body, and his fatigue disappeared instantly.
"Lu Chongwei, you drink milk while soaking in the hot springs, that's enough."
Natsu was swimming around on the other side, like a salted fish with too much energy.
Gray sat on a rock, snorted coldly, and a faint cold air emitted from around his body, trying to cool down the hot spring.
"Help... help..."
A weak voice came from the water.
Lu Chongwei opened his eyes suddenly, and saw Happy rolling his eyes, floating on the water, and paddling feebly with his little paws.
"Not good! Happy is drowning!"
Lu Chongwei, with his sharp eyes and quick hands, fished Happy out of the water.
He vigorously shook the water off Happy's body. Although his movements were a bit rough, his eyes were full of concern.
"Cough cough cough! Love..."
Happy spit out a mouthful of water and sat down on the bank, the whole cat shrinking.
It raised its head weakly, its eyes full of fear of the hot springs.
"I will never... never take a hot spring bath with you monsters again..."
Happy said with tears in his eyes.
Natsu and Gray were fighting in the water just now, and the waves caused it to sink.
Early next morning.
The sun shines through the gaps in the curtains and onto the hotel floor.
Natsu and Gray were sitting side by side on the bed. Their heads and arms were covered with thick bandages.
They stared at Lu Chongwei across from them with resentful faces, their eyes full of accusations.
"Lu Chongwei... You are too cruel."
Natsu gritted his teeth and said, gasping in pain as soon as he spoke.
He felt that his ribs were still aching.
"Isn't it just a pillow fight? Are you going to use magic power?"
Gray also had a dark face. Ice Make Magic, whom he was so proud of, was hit Crush by Lu Chongwei with a pillow in the pillow fight last night.
Lu Chongwei scratched his head in embarrassment and looked away.
"Then what... I slept in a daze last night, instinctive reaction, instinctive reaction."
Lu Chongwei smiled dryly.
He actually didn't expect that when he flicked the pillow, it would be more powerful than Roar of the Fire Dragon.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Erza pushing the dining cart in with a frightening smile on his face.
"Zhongwei, there was a lot of noise last night."
Erza spoke softly, with amusement in his tone.
Lu Chongwei stiffened all over and shrank his neck with a strong desire to survive.
He took a quick step forward and hid directly behind Lucy, grabbing the hem of her clothes with both hands.
"Lucy Save me! They want to gang up on me!"
Lu Chongwei stuck out his head and looked at Natsu and Gray with a weak, pitiful and helpless expression.
Lucy looked depressed all day long.
She supported her chin with one hand and stared blankly out of the window, turning a deaf ear to Happy's endless complaints in her ears.
"Hey, Lucy, are you still angry with me?"
Happy cautiously came over and scratched his cheek uneasily with his little paws.
It thought Lucy was still angry about his joke about big breasts and no brains that morning.
Lucy shook his head slowly.
The words Loke said to her last night under the starry sky echoed repeatedly in her mind.
"Do you know how sad it will be if the stars in the sky cannot return?"
That sentence, like a tiny thorn, pierced deeply into her heart and made her restless.
Not far away.
Loke was leaning in the shadow of the corner of the guild, looking at Lucy with complex eyes.
He slowly raised his right hand. Under the sunlight, the palm actually became a little illusory and transparent, and could dissipate in the air at any time.
"It's... almost time."
Loke murmured in a low voice, with a strong sense of exhaustion and determination in his voice.
"Hey, Loke, why are you pretending to be depressed here alone?"
Lu Chongwei appeared behind him silently, holding a glass of milk, and said hello lazily.
Loke's body stiffened suddenly, like a frightened rabbit.
He hid the transparent hand behind his back in panic, and forced a stiff smile on his face that was uglier than crying.
"Morning... Brother Zhongwei, why are you walking without making any sound?"
"I'm in a hurry. I have to take on a mission. Let's go first!"
Loke made an excuse incoherently and rushed out of the guild almost as if he was running away.
Lu Chongwei looked at his hurried back, and then glanced at the place where he was standing just now. There was still a weak and almost imperceptible magic wave remaining in the air there.
"There's something wrong with this guy."
Lu Chongwei frowned and drank all the milk in the cup.