On the ship back to Magnolia, Cana and Erza looked at the two severely injured patients and said helplessly, "It was just an exam. Did you two really have to beat each other up this badly?"
Ed, wrapped up like a rice dumpling, loudly protested, "Laxus was the one who got carried away first! It had nothing to do with me! I was forced into it!"
The mummy on the other side snorted. "Huh? So now you're blaming me? You were obviously just as into the fight. At the end, you could've dodged, come back after my magic ran out, and won nice and easily. Instead, you chose to get seriously injured with me. Come to think of it, your injuries are lighter than mine, right? So why are you bandaged up even worse than I am? Huh? Say something, glass cannon?"
Ed turned red all over after being struck where it hurt. He muttered, "How can you slander me out of nowhere? What do you mean, glass cannon? How can an assassin be called a glass cannon?"
Then came a string of incomprehensible remarks about "assassins fighting warriors" and "health tanks," which made everyone burst into laughter. The cabin was filled with cheerful air.
Amid the group's noisy bickering, time passed quickly. The ship drew closer and closer to Magnolia, and they were soon about to dock.
At that moment, Makarov suddenly said to Cana, "Don't lose heart, Cana. I acknowledge your strength. Otherwise, I wouldn't have given you the qualification to take the exam. Keep your mindset steady and don't take this setback too hard. I have to say, Mira and Ed's strength truly exceeds the ordinary standard. It isn't that you're too weak. Keep working hard."
"I know, Master," Cana said flatly, her unfocused gaze seeming to drift somewhere far away.
The ship docked, and everyone disembarked. Quite a crowd had gathered at the pier to welcome them.
"They're here! Final bets! Ed pays one-point-one to one, Cana pays two to one! Bets are final!" "I'm betting on Ed!" "Me too!" "I'm betting on Cana!" Well, perhaps they had not come solely to welcome them. They were also waiting for the exam results.
Ed and Cana looked at the bustling scene on shore and smiled helplessly. Then they followed Makarov off the ship. The moment they stepped onto land, the surrounding crowd closed in.
"Who won?" "It had to be Ed, right?" "No, no, Cana has taken it twice already. She should have more experience!" "Tell us already, Master!"
Listening to the voices around him, Makarov cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Ahem... Fairy Tail's S-Class Mage examination for this year has concluded. Two people participated, and one passed. The mage who successfully advanced in this examination is..."
Makarov paused there, deliberately keeping them in suspense. Seeing the anxious looks around him, he loudly declared, "Ed! Congratulations to Ed for becoming Fairy Tail's newest S-Class Mage!"
"Oh! It really was Ed! Pay up!" "Ah! How could it be Ed? My money!" Once they heard the news, some rejoiced while others despaired, and the crowd erupted into chaos. Just as Cana was about to say something to Ed, she saw him already striding in one direction. Following his gaze, she saw Mira watching from over there.
Ed quickly walked up to Mira. "Welcome back," Mira said with a smile. Ed smiled as well, pulled Mira into his arms, rested his head on her shoulder, and whispered, "I'm back."
"Wow... is this what it's like when people have been dating for a while? Brother Ed didn't see either of us at all..." Lisanna had wanted to greet Ed, but he had not noticed her in the slightest and had immediately embraced Mira.
Hearing that, Elfman had no idea what to say. He could only quietly lower the hand he had raised to greet Ed and stand silently at the side.
"Alright~ Everyone's watching. You should let go now~" Mira said with a sweet smile as she stepped out of Ed's embrace. Seeing him wrapped up like a rice dumpling, she asked worriedly, "Are your injuries alright? How did you get hurt this badly? Was this exam some kind of dangerous test?"
"The test itself wasn't dangerous. These injuries mostly came from fighting Laxus." Ed shifted his body uncomfortably before continuing, "Don't let my condition fool you. That guy Laxus isn't doing much better than me. There, look over there."
Mira followed the direction Ed pointed and saw a mummy wrapped up from head to toe. She could only identify him by his hair color. It seemed to be Laxus. She said in surprise, "That's Laxus? He got hurt this badly? This is the first time I've ever seen him in such a miserable state. Hmph, serves him right. He always acts so smug."
"Haha, he won't be feeling very smug for the next few days~" Ed laughed. As soon as he finished speaking, Laxus's voice came from behind him. "Whether I'm feeling smug these next few days isn't important. But isn't your body a little too weak? Don't tell me I'll be healed while you're still stuck in bandages. That would be pretty embarrassing, glass cannon."
Like a cat with its fur standing on end, Ed immediately turned around and fired back at Laxus. "Huh? Haven't you been beaten enough? Want me to give you a limited-edition mummy outfit once you're healed? So you can properly relive what it felt like lying on the ground?"
The two injured patients began heatedly trading insults face-to-face, leaving Mira and the Makarov who had followed over somewhat dumbfounded.
"This is the first time I've seen Laxus like this. What's going on? Does everyone in this guild have to find a rival? You and Erza are like this, Natsu and Gray are like this, Macao and Warbe also fight every now and then... Is there something wrong with the members of this guild...?" Makarov said helplessly.
"What do you mean, Erza and me? She's obviously always the one who picks on me first!" Mira protested.
Erza, who was standing nearby, was immediately displeased. "Huh? What did you say, bellybutton girl? Don't think that getting yourself a boyfriend means you can twist the facts however you want! Be careful, or I'll expose your true colors!"
The group bickered all the way toward town. Watching everyone fool around, Makarov thought with satisfaction, Another S-Class Mage has appeared. The guild is flourishing more and more. President Precht, I haven't let down your hopes, have I?
Everyone escorted the two injured patients to Porlyusica's home in the forest. They were then driven out by the furious old woman wielding a broom. "I told you I hate humans! And you brought me two! Both seriously injured, too! Damn you, Makarov!"
Makarov fled the broom's attack range in a sorry state and quickly led the others away. "Don't worry. Porlyusica is an excellent doctor. The two of them will recover quickly with her. If you're worried, just come visit them over the next few days."
Makarov paused, then continued, "But one thing—don't come in large groups, and don't visit too often! Try to let those two rest and recover properly."
"Understood, Master," everyone replied.
Before you continue