Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
Before he knew it, Lu Chongwei had been in this world for a full year.
Over the course of that year, Fairy Tail had undergone tremendous changes.
The most striking of them all was Erza.
The little girl who had once hidden in corners and cried, shutting herself away in heavy armor, had now completely transformed.
She had shed the armor she used to hide behind and changed into a crisp knight's uniform.
The introverted, reclusive Erza was gone, replaced by a passionate, responsible, and even somewhat "bossy" hall monitor.
"Natsu! No breathing fire inside the guild!"
"Gray! Where are your clothes? Put them on!"
"Wakaba! Don't throw your cigarette butts on the floor!"
Every day, Erza's forceful scolding rang through the guild.
She had become the guild's dreaded "parent." One glare from her was enough to make even the most mischievous Natsu tremble.
Gray had improved quite a bit, but his habit of taking off his clothes hadn't gone away—in fact, it had gotten worse.
Every time Erza reprimanded him, he'd put his clothes back on and behave for a few minutes. Then, without even realizing it, he'd be down to his underwear again.
Erza found it endlessly frustrating and could only beat him whenever she caught him at it.
There was good news at the guild, too.
Macao, a longtime bachelor, had finally tied the knot.
The guild was bustling on the day of the wedding. Lu Chongwei had given them a generous cash gift, and regretted it so much that he went several days without buying himself cake.
But when he saw the goofy look of happiness on Macao's face, he decided it had been worth it.
As for the highlight of every year—the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial—
Gildarts, the unreliable old geezer, had taken on the Century Quest and still hadn't returned. With the chief examiner absent, last year's trial had been postponed.
Laxus was furious about it.
"Tch. That old man can just die out there for all I care."
Laxus sat on the second-floor railing, looking down at Lu Chongwei with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Lu Chongwei, this year, I'm going to settle things with you once and for all."
"I'll prove to the old man that I'm the strongest in the guild!"
Lu Chongwei usually responded to Laxus's taunts with a smile—or tossed him a piece of cake to shut him up.
One morning.
Lu Chongwei was sleeping soundly at an inn near the border of the Kingdom of Fiore.
Suddenly—
"Tap, tap, tap!"
A flurry of knocks at the window woke him up.
Still half-asleep, Lu Chongwei opened the window. A comical-looking carrier bird flew in and spat out a letter.
As soon as the envelope hit the floor, it opened by itself, projecting an enlarged image of Makarov's furious face.
"Lu Chongwei!!!"
Makarov's roar shook the entire inn.
"You little brat! You've been gone for four months! I haven't seen hide nor hair of you!"
"Did you die out there?! Huh?!"
Lu Chongwei rubbed his ears, looking helpless.
"The old man's still got a short fuse."
Four months earlier, Lu Chongwei had taken an escort job and headed to the royal capital, Crocus.
After completing the mission, he happened to meet Princess Hisui.
The princess was very interested in the powerful Mage and warmly invited him to travel around the Kingdom of Fiore with her.
It was hard to refuse—especially since the princess was paying him so well to be her guide—so Lu Chongwei had set off on a spur-of-the-moment journey.
During that time, he had sent the guild updates through carrier birds, but never mentioned when he planned to return.
In the projection, Makarov was so angry that his mustache practically stood on end.
"Get back here! Right now!"
"If you don't come back, I'll kick you out of the guild! I'll cross your name off the roster!"
Despite the harsh words, Lu Chongwei could hear the deep concern and worry in the old man's trembling voice.
"Got it, got it."
As he watched the projection fade away, a warm feeling welled up inside Lu Chongwei.
There was a whole group of people in this world waiting for him to come home. It felt wonderful.
"Looks like it's time to head back."
Lu Chongwei packed his things, said goodbye to the innkeeper, and set off for home.
As he traveled, the familiar scenery put him in an especially good mood.
No matter how exciting the outside world was or how beautiful its sights were, none of it made him feel as at ease as that noisy guild.
"Better your own doghouse than someone else's palace."
A few days later.
In Maglonia.
Lu Chongwei stood before the familiar door and took a deep breath.
A mischievous grin appeared on his face.
"Bam!!!"
He raised his foot and kicked the door open with practiced ease.
"I, Hu Hansan—ah, forget that! Lu Chongwei is back!!!"
Lu Chongwei struck a handsome pose and shouted, ready to be greeted with cheers and hugs.
But—
The lively welcome he'd expected never came.
The guild was silent.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at him expressionlessly.
The flames in Natsu's hand went out, while Gray froze with his pants in his hands.
The atmosphere was strange.
"Uh... What's going on, everyone?"
Lu Chongwei's heart skipped a beat. Still holding his arm up, he gave an awkward smile.
"Am I not welcome?"
Then the crowd parted.
Erza, dressed in knight's armor, walked out.
She folded her arms across her chest. Her sharp gaze and commanding presence pressed down on him.
"Lu Chongwei."
Erza's voice was cold as ice.
"Where have you been these past four months?"
Her reproachful tone made it sound as if a wife were confronting her husband for staying out all night.
Lu Chongwei swallowed and looked past Erza toward the bar.
Makarov sat there holding a glass, his expression unreadable. It was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.
Only his cloudy old eyes stayed fixed on Lu Chongwei, as if trying to see right through him.
Lu Chongwei felt a sinking feeling.
This whole setup...
Why did it feel like he was on trial before three judges?
Before you continue