The President's Roar

Time flies like a white horse passing a crack in the wall.

In the blink of an eye, a full year had passed since Lu Chongwei arrived in this world.

During this year, the Fairy Tail guild had undergone earth-shaking changes.

The most significant of these was Erza.

The little girl who once only knew how to hide in corners and weep, sealing herself away behind heavy armor, had completely transformed.

She had shed the armor she used to escape and replaced it with a crisp, professional knight's uniform.

The introverted, isolated Erza was gone, replaced by a passionate, responsible, and perhaps even slightly "bossy" disciplinary committee member.

"Natsu! You are not allowed to breathe fire in the guild!"

"Gray! Where are your clothes? Put them on at once!"

"Wakaba! Stop throwing cigarette butts everywhere!"

Every day, Erza's vigorous, authoritative scolding could be heard throughout the guild.

She had become the "parent" everyone in the guild feared. With just one glare from her, even the most mischievous Natsu would tremble.

Although that kid Gray had made significant progress in his strength, his habit of stripping had not only failed to improve but had actually worsened.

Every time he was lectured by Erza, he would put his clothes on and behave for a few minutes, only to find himself stripped down to his boxers again before he even realized it.

Erza found this incredibly headache-inducing, leaving her with no choice but to beat him every time she caught him.

There was happy news in the guild as well.

The old bachelor Macao had finally walked down the aisle.

On the day of the wedding, the guild was exceptionally lively. Lu Chongwei had specially prepared a large red envelope, and he felt so much heartache over the cost that he couldn't bring himself to buy cake for several days.

However, seeing the look of overflowing happiness on Macao's silly face, he felt it was worth it.

As for the annual highlight—the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial.

Because that unreliable old man Gildarts had accepted a Century Quest and had yet to return, his absence as the chief examiner had forced last year's trial to be postponed.

This had left Laxus extremely displeased.

"Tch, that old geezer. He might as well just die out there."

Laxus sat on the railing of the second floor, looking down at Lu Chongwei below, his eyes filled with a dangerous glint.

"Lu Chongwei, I will definitely face off against you in this year's trial."

"I will prove to the old man that I am the strongest in the guild!"

To Laxus's provocations, Lu Chongwei usually responded with a smile or by tossing him a piece of cake to shut him up.

One morning.

Lu Chongwei was fast asleep in an inn on the border of the Kingdom of Fiore.

Suddenly.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A flurry of urgent tapping on the window woke him up.

Dazed, Lu Chongwei opened the window, and a comical-looking mail bird flew in, opening its beak to spit out a letter.

As soon as the envelope hit the floor, it opened automatically, projecting the enlarged, furious face of Makarov.

"Lu Chongwei!!!"

Makarov's roar shook the entire inn.

"You brat! You've been out for four months! I haven't even seen a shadow of you!"

"Did you die out there?! Huh?!"

Lu Chongwei rubbed his ears, looking helpless.

"The old man still has such a temper."

As it turned out, four months ago, Lu Chongwei had accepted an escort mission to the royal capital, Crocus.

After completing the mission, he happened to run into Princess Hisui.

The princess had taken a great interest in Lu Chongwei, a mage of such formidable strength, and cordially invited him to travel around the Kingdom of Fiore with her.

Unable to refuse such a warm invitation (mostly because the tour guide fee offered by the princess was simply too high), Lu Chongwei had embarked on this spontaneous journey.

During this time, although he had sent word to the guild via mail birds to let them know he was safe, he had never mentioned when he would return.

In the projection, Makarov was so angry his mustache was twitching.

"Immediately! Right now! Get your butt back here!"

"If you don't come back, I'll expel you from the guild! I'll strike your name from the registry!"

Although the scolding was harsh, Lu Chongwei could hear the deep concern and worry hidden within the old man's trembling voice.

"I know, I know."

Lu Chongwei watched the projection gradually dissipate, a surge of warmth rising in his heart.

In this world, there was still a group of people waiting for him to come home; this feeling was truly wonderful.

"It seems it's time to head back."

Lu Chongwei packed his bags, bid farewell to the innkeeper, and set off on his journey home.

Along the way, looking at the familiar scenery, he felt exceptionally lighthearted.

No matter how exciting the outside world was or how beautiful the scenery, nothing was as comforting as that noisy, boisterous guild.

"A golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as one's own dog kennel."

A few days later.

Magnolia.

Lu Chongwei stood before that familiar gate and took a deep breath.

A mischievous smirk appeared on his face.

"BANG!!!"

He raised his foot and skillfully kicked the door wide open.

"I, Hu Hansan... bah, I, Lu Chongwei, have returned!!!"

Lu Chongwei struck a dashing pose and shouted loudly, ready to welcome the cheers and embraces of the crowd.

However.

The lively scene he had envisioned did not appear.

The guild was deathly silent.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, turned their heads, and stared at him with expressionless faces.

The fire in Natsu's hand went out, and Gray froze in place while pulling up his pants.

The atmosphere was somewhat eerie.

"Uh... what's wrong with everyone?"

Lu Chongwei's heart skipped a beat; he maintained his pose with his hand raised and offered an awkward smile.

"Am I not welcome?"

Just then, the crowd parted.

Erza, dressed in a suit of knight's armor, stepped forward.

She crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze sharp, radiating a powerful sense of oppression.

"Lu Chongwei."

Erza's voice was as cold as if it had been fished out of an ice cellar.

"Where have you been for these past four months?"

The tone of reproach was just like a wife questioning a husband who hadn't returned home for the night.

Lu Chongwei swallowed hard, his gaze shifting past Erza toward the bar.

He saw Makarov sitting there, holding a glass of wine, his expression dark and unreadable, making it impossible to tell if he was happy or angry.

Only those cloudy, aged eyes were fixed firmly on Lu Chongwei, as if they wanted to see right through him.

Lu Chongwei inwardly cried out that things were looking bad.

This setup...

Why did it feel like a formal interrogation?