Gray coughed twice awkwardly and immediately changed the topic.
He turned his head and looked at Gajeel, who was leaning in the corner and covered in bandages.
"Hey, Iron Man." Gray looked at Gajeel up and down, showing a teasing smile.
"With your handsome appearance, you will definitely not be able to participate in tomorrow night's parade, right? Do you want me to make you a crutch out of ice?"
Gajeel snorted coldly and chewed the iron piece in his mouth hard.
"Stop looking down on others! Even if I am wearing a bandage, I can still shine in the parade!"
Natsu was lying on the table in a daze. When he heard the movement here, his ears suddenly stood up.
He came close to Gray, lowered his voice and asked, "Hey, Gray. How did you get the injuries on this guy?"
"I heard that I had a fight with Laxus and was struck by lightning." Gray replied casually.
Natsu Upon hearing this, his eyes suddenly widened.
A fierce flame of jealousy burned in his heart.
"What?! You guy actually fought against Laxus!"
Natsu jumped on the table with all his strength, pointed at Gajeel and shouted.
"Damn it! I didn't even touch the corner of Laxus's clothes before being bounced back by the barrier! How cunning!"
Natsu put his hands on his hips, looked up to the sky and laughed, as if he had seen himself dominating the guild.
"It's decided! When that guy Laxus recovers from his injury, I will be the first to challenge him!"
Natsu's fist ignited with blazing flames.
"When I beat Laxus away, I will challenge Brother Zhongwei! I, Natsu·Dragneel, will definitely become Fairy Tail's strongest Mage!"
The whole place was quiet for a second.
Then there was an overwhelming roar of complaints.
"Love! Natsu is daydreaming again!" Happy covered her mouth and snickered.
"You can't even beat Erza, but you still want to challenge brother Zhongwei? Save me!" Cana poured cold water on him mercilessly.
"Can this idiot have anything else in his mind besides fighting?" Lucy covered his face helplessly.
The hall was filled with laughter and laughter, as if the previous haze had completely dissipated.
And at this time.
In the medical room.
The atmosphere was so depressing that it seemed to be stagnant.
Lu Chongwei carefully supported Makarov and let him sit in the wheelchair next to the hospital bed.
Makarov's face was still pale and his breathing was a little short, but his eyes showed unquestionable majesty.
Laxus leaned against the door frame of the infirmary quietly, with his head lowered, not daring to look into Makarov's eyes.
The room was so quiet that only the ticking sound of medical equipment could be heard.
"Laxus."
Makarov finally spoke.
Although his voice was weak, it was full of stern reprimands.
"Do you know what stupid thing you did?"
Makarov stared at Laxus with an extremely serious tone.
"The guild is the home of all our partners! It is the place where we can lean on each other and protect ourselves from the wind and rain!"
"And you, for your ridiculous ambition, activated Thunder Palace! Not only did you threaten the lives of your guildmates, you even spared the innocent civilians in this city!"
Makarov coughed violently because of excitement.
Lu Chongwei quickly reached out and patted Makarov's back gently to comfort him.
Laxus shook, his hands clenched tightly into fists, and his nails dug deeply into his flesh.
Makarov pushed Lu Chongwei's hand away, supported his weak body, and slowly came to Laxus in his wheelchair.
He raised his head and looked at the grandson he had grown up with.
The stern eyes gradually softened, filled with deep exhaustion and pain.
"Laxus ah..."
Makarov's voice was trembling, telling her deepest expectations.
"I never asked you to become more powerful, and I never expected you to lead the guild to any peak."
"I just hope... that you can grow up healthy and happy like an ordinary child. You can laugh and cry with everyone in the guild."
"This is my only wish as a grandfather."
Hearing these words, Laxus could no longer control his emotions.
Tears burst out of my eyes like a flood from a dam.
He knelt down heavily in front of Makarov's wheelchair, holding Makarov's trouser legs tightly with both hands.
"Grandpa... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..."
Laxus burst into tears, his face full of unconcealable guilt.
"How is your body... now?"
Makarov stretched out his withered hand and gently touched Laxus's blond hair.
Then, he took a breath, and the tenderness on his face instantly subsided, replaced by the unquestionable dignity of the president.
He made up his mind.
"Laxus, the crime you committed is unforgivable."
Makarov's voice is cold and decisive.
"From today on, I officially announce that you will be expelled from the Fairy Tail Guild!"
These words were like a thunderbolt, hitting Laxus hard on the head.
He was stunned. But he didn't refute, he just lowered his head silently and accepted the punishment.
"Wait a minute, old man."
Lu Chongwei, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke.
He strode between the two of them and immediately spoke out to dissuade them.
"Expelling him directly from the guild is a punishment that is too simple and too cheap for him, right?"
Lu Chongwei looked at Laxus condescendingly, showing a sneer.
"He destroyed half the city, destroyed the guild hall, and injured so many of his comrades. With the huge losses caused, should we just walk away and leave?"
Lu Chongwei turned to look at Makarov and put forward his own plan.
"I think he should be allowed to stay in the guild. He should take on the most tiring and painful commissions every day, and stay and work to compensate for all the losses until the money is paid off."
Makarov shook his head with a firm tone.
"The guild's iron rules cannot be changed. Anyone who violates the bottom line of threatening the lives of his fellow members must accept the punishment of expulsion. This is the rule."
In the medical room, the atmosphere fell into a brief silence.
Makarov is sitting in a wheelchair, and his wrinkled face looks particularly old.
He sighed deeply, his cloudy eyes full of helplessness and exhaustion.
"Zhongwei, do you think I really want to drive him away?"
Makarov's voice trembled slightly.
"He is my grandson! But I am the president of Fairy Tail! He activated Thunder Palace, almost destroyed the entire Magnolia, and injured so many companions. If I don't expel him, how can the people of the guild feel at ease? What can I do to convince the public!"
Makarov's withered hands firmly grasped the armrests of the wheelchair.
Lu Chongwei stood quietly, looking directly at Makarov.
"Old man, you are wrong."
Lu Chongwei's voice is smooth, powerful, and resounding.
"Fairy Tail, has never been a place that only pays attention to cold rules."