Cooperating with Laxus to Take Down a Dark Guild

"Defeat the Dark Guild - Threads of Illusory Evil..." Hughes skipped over the quest details and stared intently at the commission fee at the bottom of the quest sheet, where a whopping 7 million J was written.

Hughes' eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't help but gasp; good heavens, this is higher than 80% of the commission fees for S-Class Mission.

Threads of Illusory Evil, a dark guild that doesn't even appear in the original story, really that valuable?

Hughes carefully folded the task assignment sheet in his hand and put it into his pocket; Makarov showed him the task assignment sheet, the meaning of which was self-evident: he wanted him to complete the task.

Hughes tapped the bar counter, a malicious smile playing on his lips, "Old man, I'm not S-Class Mage. Giving me such a dangerous mission, you've got a guilty conscience!"

He wasn't extorting Makarov; he was fighting for his own legitimate interests, even though the commission for this mission was already quite high.

But Hughes felt it could go even higher.

Makarov glanced at Hughes and snorted twice, "If you hadn't just joined the guild recently and your mission completion rate wasn't so low, I'd probably have given you an S-Class Mage title."

"With your abilities, completing this task shouldn't be difficult!"

"I'm giving you money right here. If you dare to try and negotiate with me, don't ever ask me for money again!"

Hughes:... Something seems off about the plot. How did it turn into Makarov manipulating him?!

"You better do this mission well, kid. These are missions issued by the Magic Council, and they're a matter of a guild's reputation."

If we do well, the Magic Council might give us more special missions in the future, and that's all money!

Upon hearing this, Hughes instantly perked up. He had found another way to get under Makarov's thumb. He quickly took the mission request form out of his pocket and slammed it heavily on the bar.

The seasoned veteran Makarov calmly observed Hughes, as if to say, "Everyone was young once, and Hughes has already mastered all of this."

The moment Hughes moved his butt, he knew what filthy thoughts Hughes was having—he just wanted to use the success of the mission as leverage to negotiate.

Makarov casually filled his cup, his tone relaxed. "I have a premium card for the hot spring town, which grants me VIP service. If you complete this mission well, I can give you this premium card."

"Also, the Sorcerer Weekly invited me to watch the photo shoot for her book; I can bring one person with me."

Hughes: (ﾉД`)... Makarov is a good person; he had wronged Makarov before.

Hughes retrieved the task request form from the bar...

What else can be said? He's determined to do this mission; even Gildarts can't take it away from him.

At this moment, full of energy, Hughes decided to embark on a spontaneous journey.

Alon Island, right? The old man's here.

Seeing flames rising from Hughes' feet, indicating he was about to depart immediately, Makarov quickly pulled Hughes down. "Wait, I haven't finished speaking yet, what's the rush!"

"Old man, what's up? Tell me quickly, I can't wait to go to the hot spring town for a soak!"

"I intend to have Laxus go with you!"

Hughes paused slightly, staring blankly at Makarov: "Is that damn guy that strong? What kind of opponent would require me and Laxus to team up against?"

"His name is Gogirde, not some perverted guy who messes around with dicks." Makarov jumped up in anger and punched Hughes hard.

"Listen carefully, dark mages are the most treacherous and cunning, with all sorts of annoying tricks; when you fight them, you often fall into their trap without even realizing it."

"Laxus has far more experience in this area than you do. With him here, I feel at ease," Makarov said earnestly.

Makarov had seen too many things like ants killing elephants or boats capsizing in ditches over the decades, and he didn't want Hughes to suffer the same fate.

The magical world has never been a kind and beautiful place; the mortality rate of mages has always been high.

"Don't worry, old man, I just have a minor mental issue, not that I'm brainless." Hughes patted Makarov seriously. He might joke around normally, but when it came to actually doing something, he wouldn't act recklessly.

As they were talking, Erza and a travel-worn Laxus hurriedly walked up to the two of them.

Before even discussing this with Hughes, Makarov had already asked Erza to summon Laxus.

Seeing that Laxus's clothes were covered in dust, Makarov stepped forward and patted them off for him. "Laxus, you know what you need to know, right?"

"Yes, Erza already told me on the way here!" Laxus nodded.

Spurred on by Gildarts and Hughes, he had been practicing his Thunder Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic in the eastern forest outside the town since last night.

According to the established plan, during the period leading up to the S-Class Exam, he would stay in the eastern forest to hone his physical strength and comprehend magic.

At first, when Erza spoke to him, Laxus thought Makarov wanted him to do some troublesome mission and was about to refuse outright.

Laxus only became interested when Erza said she was going with Hughes to fight the Dark Guild.

Not only Hughes, Laxus was also curious about what kind of enemy required him and Hughes to join forces to deal with.

"Alright, then you two should set off early and come back early; during the mission, you must work together as a team..." Makarov kept talking, making Hughes's eyes twitch.

That old man can be quite annoying sometimes.

"Laxus, everyone go home, pack your bags, and we'll meet at the station!"

Laxus, who also didn't want to listen to Makarov's nonsense, nodded and turned to go home.

Makarov: (╥╥)... He's old, nobody wants him, the young people in the guild don't want to listen to him, and even his own grandson dislikes him.

Hughes glanced at the corner; Mira was still scolding Lisanna: "Mira, I need to go home to pack my bags and go on a mission with Laxus. Do you want to come back with me?"

"Okay, sure! I need to go back and help you pack, otherwise you'll forget things." Mira glanced at Lisanna after answering.

"Don't worry, Mira, I promise I won't go back with you!" Lisanna stood up straight and patted her chest to assure them.

Mira didn't say much, but secretly gave Lisanna another 10,000 J.

Stepping out of the guild, Hughes scooped up Mira, flames erupting from his feet as he soared into the sky. "Our home is quite a distance from the guild; walking back would take too much time."

When Mira was held in Hughes' arms for the first time, her fair face instantly turned bright red with embarrassment. It was as if heat was rising from the top of her head. Her rosy lips were tightly pursed, and her usually bright and sparkling eyes were now misty and dreamy.

Mira's mind felt like it was filled with paste; she couldn't control her slightly stiff body at all. She wanted to hug Hughes, but she didn't dare, and could only let her hands hang down.

Hughes flew fast, and the two arrived at their doorstep in no time.

Stepping back onto the ground, Mira stomped her feet in anger as she watched Hughes's retreating figure as he entered the house.

Damn it, I should have bought a house further away before.