"Half the townspeople even fled to the neighboring town overnight, filling every inn there and driving room rates up several times over. Their mayor actually wrote the Magic Council a letter thanking you for it."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Blanc asked, blinking in confusion.
Lahar said nothing. He simply stared at Blanc with dead-fish eyes.
The stare made Blanc uneasy. He rubbed his nose guiltily, fell silent for a moment, then said with an earnest expression:
"...They started it."
Lahar jabbed his pen so hard that it punched a hole in the paper.
He closed his notebook helplessly, hesitated a moment, then lowered his voice to warn him:
"Also...the Magic Council is extremely displeased with the commotion you've caused this time. You'd best behave yourselves for a while. Don't provoke those old men any further."
The smile on Blanc's face faded a little, and he nodded gently.
"Thanks, Lahar."
"You're welcome." Lahar stood and straightened his uniform, then paused. "I just hope you'll show a little more restraint in the future."
"They started-"
"Get out!"
While the questioning was underway, everyone from Fairy Tail was forbidden from leaving Magnolia and had to report to the camp every day.
At first, they were indignant, but within two days, the military camp had become their temporary guildhall. After all, with their guild destroyed, they had nowhere else to go.
Mira set up a makeshift bar in the camp and dragged Blanc into working as a temporary waiter, serving tea to the soldiers coming off guard duty.
At first, only two or three people came to ask for tea, but before long, a long line had formed in front of the bar.
Some soldiers in the line were even clutching copies of Sorcerer Weekly, with a gently smiling Mira on the