Huh, Hughes Has a Kid?

It was dinnertime, Fairy Tail guild was filled with deafening noise.

Hughes hid in a dark corner where no one paid attention, his gleaming eyes scanning the surroundings.

Makarov and Gildarts sat at the bar, their faces flushed, holding barrels of liquor the size of a human hand, taking sips every now and then.

Hughes's gaze lingered on the two of them for only a moment before shifting elsewhere.

These powerful individuals are like walking persecution detectors; if your gaze lingers on them for more than three or four breaths, they can sense it and then lock onto you directly.

You ask how Hughes knew?

Oh, that's how it's portrayed on TV...

Makarov and Gildarts were not Hughes's targets; the two were too boring and not fun to mess with.

It's definitely not because they're strong enough that, in a fit of rage, they could beat me up...

Hughes wanted to play a trick on Laxus, but after looking around, he couldn't find a trace of the blond-haired man.

I wonder if they were busy stopping other people's will-o'-the-wisps downstairs.

Alas, it's a pity for Laxus; he won't get to enjoy the pranks played on him by Master Hughes!

After sighing, Hughes's gaze fell on the dozens of tables below the bar.

Erza was savoring the strawberry cake. Perhaps the cake was too delicious, because halfway through, she couldn't help but cup her cheeks with her hands, looking completely blissful.

Hughes:(´•灬•`)

He couldn't bring himself to do it, he simply couldn't. It wasn't easy for poor Erza to have a strawberry cake, Hughes couldn't bear to ruin Erza dream.

... We'll have to wait until she's eaten a few more bites and is more engrossed in the food before luring Gray and Natsu over...

His gaze shifted to the next table, where a family of three—Bai, Hong, and Lan—were playing around. Hughes immediately hardened, and he took out his Recording Magic Crystal to capture the moment.

Hmph, when he got home that night he put this scene on the big screen in the living room. Lisanna is so precocious at such a young age, Mira hasn't been disciplined enough.

Natsu, huh? Just wait until Lucy joins the guild in a few years, then let's see how you play dumb! (According to Mashima himself, Natsu actually understands everything, and he knows he likes Lucy, but Lucy, the true protagonist, is genuinely clueless; she doesn't know if she likes Natsu or not.)

My gaze shifted to another table... well... let's skip this one.

Pah, you pervert, you don't even wear pants.

Worried about polluting his eyes, Hughes quickly skipped over Gray and went to observe the next table.

At this moment, in Hughes's view, Macao and Wakaba were sitting on the same chair, each holding a barrel of wine in one hand and with their arms around each other's shoulders, chatting animatedly and laughing heartily from time to time.

Hughes was curious about what the two were talking about, so he twitched his ear and eavesdropped.

"Hey, Wakaba, I heard Hughes got beaten up like a pig's head by the guild master? Didn't you go to see Granny Porlyusica? Tell me about it."

Wakaba took a sip of his drink and said with great arrogance, "Macao, you didn't see it. Hughes wasn't just beaten into a pig's head by the president, he was practically covered in bruises."

When we arrived, he was swollen like a fat Vulcan, lying face down on the hospital bed, drooling, his eyes were crooked to the left and right, and he was missing several teeth.

Having just returned from a mission today after reforming himself, Macao was immediately shocked. "It's that serious? What wrong did Hughes do that the chairman had to beat him up so badly?"

Wakaba glanced around, shifted his position, and whispered closer to Macao, "I reckon Hughes probably went to settle scores with Kailinfu secretly, and then... well, he made the mistake that all men make!"

Hughes:Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

He tolerated them making things up about his illness, but now they're accusing him of being a criminal?!

Even wild guesses should have some basis, okay?

Hughes grew increasingly angry as he thought about it, and with a flick of his index finger, a spark the size of a sesame seed flew onto Wakaba's back.

Wakaba, who was still whispering, sniffed and frowned. "Macao, can you smell something burning?"

"There's no smell. You've probably had too much to drink and your sense of smell is off. Never mind that. You just said that Kailinfu found out she's pregnant, and the child is Hughes's?" Macao, excitedly gossiping, asked anxiously.

"Oh, that's just my guess, but I think it's pretty close, with a 98% chance of being true!"

Hughes:???

So, in the Fairy Tail world, you can find out if someone is pregnant in just two or three days?

The strange thought had barely formed in his mind when Hughes immediately extinguished it. What utter nonsense about knowing if someone is pregnant in two or three days! That bastard Wakaba was implying he was a cuckold!

Hughes, his head covered in black lines, flicked his middle and index fingers, sending a peanut-sized spark skimming along the ground, instantly passing through various obstacles and landing on Wakaba's pants.

"Macao, you really can't smell anything burning?"

"I don't know, my nose has been a bit stuffy lately, I can't smell anything; hey, Wakaba, never mind if it's burnt or not, keep telling me about Hughes!" Macao was so excited by Wakaba's barrage of news that he couldn't wait to hear more.

"Well, alright, since you've asked, Macao, I guess I'll have to play along. Actually, that night in the hot spring town, I saw Hughes acting like a pervert towards Kailinfu."

You mustn't tell anyone about this! I took money from Kailinfu and promised her I'd keep it a secret!

As he said this, Wakaba nervously looked around, as if afraid of being overheard.

Hughes: (ꐦºﾛº)≡!!

How can we tolerate this?

The residents of Magnolia Town still call him a scoundrel whenever they see him!

Hughes angrily raised his finger and slashed it across the air. Instantly, two sparks on Wakaba's body burst into flames.

Fueled by flammable materials such as clothing, the flames roared to life.

"Ah, which bastard started this fire!"

Wakaba's mournful howl, like that of a vengeful ghost, sent chills down everyone's spines; the noisy guild fell silent for a moment, only to erupt into an even greater uproar and panic.

"Wakaba, I'm here to help you, don't be afraid!" Macao, who was drunk, splashed the water in his hand on Wakaba without even looking.

"Bear!"

The flames on Wakaba's body suddenly leaped two or three meters high.

"You damn Macao, you spilled wine!" Wakaba roared angrily, immediately throwing himself to the ground and rolling several times until he reached Natsu's feet. He cried out anxiously, "Natsu, quick, quick, help me absorb the flames off!"

"Hey, Wakaba, to deal with fire, you definitely need an ice-type mage like me!"

Having found his pants, Gray casually smoothed his hair, a chill emanating from his free left hand.

The endless stream of icy air clashed and stalemated with the rootless flames. After three breaths, the flames froze into a block and crashed to the ground.

The guild also briefly possessed an art ice sculpture called Wakaba.

Natsu was about to help Wakaba absorb the flames, angrily opened his mouth, inhaled a bellyful of air, and then rammed his head directly into Gray's head.