East of the Kingdom of Fiore, the town where the guild Sabertooth was located.
BOOM!
A sudden explosion broke the calm of the town's streets.
The gravel flew, dust billowed. The entrance of Sabertooth was a mess, drawing many passersby to stop and watch.
"Take everything valuable! Don't even leave the food!"
A man in a black suit sat at the entrance, legs crossed, looking fierce. He directed his men to load all of the guild's valuables onto a magic car parked outside.
In a corner of the guild, Minerva, Rogue, Sting, and a few other Sabertooth members had red-rimmed eyes as they watched their guild be looted.
They had bloodstains and bruises on their faces and bodies. Their breathing was rapid, clearly having just been in a fierce fight.
After Jiemon and the core members were taken to the Magic Council, this already weak guild had completely hit rock bottom. Anyone with any ability had already found other guilds to join. Only the young, weak, sick, and disabled remained.
Making matters worse, because of Jiemon's actions, neither other legal guilds nor the Magic Council paid any attention to Sabertooth's situation. No one was willing to lend a helping hand to this notorious little guild.
Or rather, this was exactly what the Magic Council wanted to see: We're being merciful by not ordering you to disband. If you can't survive on your own, you can't blame anyone!
"Big sis! Let's fight these bastards!"
Little Sting was furious. Even though he was already bruised and battered, his eyes still burned with fighting spirit.
The others also looked unwilling.
Those still willing to stay here at this point were the ones who had feelings for Sabertooth.
Minerva kept her head lowered, not speaking. She struggled to restrain the impulse in her heart.
There was no doubt that Jiemon's brutal parenting style was absolutely wrong.
But from another perspective, it had trained Minerva's mind, making her much more mature than other children her age.
Although she had awakened the powerful Eighteen Demon Gods Magic, at this stage, Minerva's magic power was simply too low. She couldn't defeat those adult wizards.
The same was true for Rogue and Sting, who could use Dragon Slayer Magic.
Fighting these people now would be suicide!
Minerva's clenched fists were bleeding. Tears of frustration kept swirling in her eyes.
Even so, the little girl tried her best to restrain her emotions, lowering her voice to soothe the others. "Let them take what they want. As long as the guild remains."
"But—" Sting wanted to argue.
"The guild remains?"
The man in the suit at the entrance had sharp ears. Hearing Minerva's words, he couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha! Don't be so naive, kid."
"What we're taking now is just the interest. If you can't come up with the money, get ready to hand over this whole guild to cover the debt!"
"You bastard!!"
That one sentence completely ignited Sting. Unable to take it anymore, he clenched his little fists and charged.
"Heh. Know your place."
The man in the suit raised his hand. A scorching purple flame erupted from the magic circle in his palm.
The purple flame, like a giant snake with bared fangs, scorched the guild floor black as it charged toward Sting with unstoppable force!
Sting was frozen in place by this — to him — terrifying magical power. The rapidly approaching purple flame snake was reflected in his desperate pupils.
"Sting!" Minerva and Rogue were horified.
It was all happening too fast. It was too late to use magic!
"Ice-Make: White Rose!"
At the critical moment, a cold chill swept in from the side.
In just one exchange, the purple flame snake was completely frozen, turned into an ice sculpture suspended before Sting!
"Th-This is—"
Sting, having survived a disaster, widened his eyes in disbelief as ice roses slowly bloomed from the surface of the ice sculpture.
"I didn't expect anyone to dare attack a legal guild in this peaceful era."
Ur, wearing a gray jacket, slowly walked out from the crowd. She looked up at the man in the suit. "Hey, aren't you afraid of the Guild Alliance's sanctions?"
Seeing someone actually willing to stand up for Sabertooth, the man in the suit was first surprised, then curled his lips in a sneer. "Guild Alliance? Pfft, hahaha! Who cares about a despised little guild like this?"
He was himself a wizard from a legal guild. He knew very well the attitudes of the surrounding guilds toward Sabertooth.
"You must be from out of town. It's understandable you don't know the situation."
The man in the suit recognized the Ice-Make magic she had just used. Somewhat jealous, he suppressed his temper and said in a low voice, "I suggest you mind your own business!"
"Sorry, but I'm making this my business." Ur smiled and stepped forward without any fear.
Whether she was here to take over Sabertooth or just passing by, she wouldn't turn a blind eye to the strong bullying the weak.
"Heh. You sure about that?" The man in the suit slowly stood up, his expression dark.
"Absolutely."
"Fine. Give me back the one million Jewels this guild owes me, and I'll leave with my men right now."
"A mere one million? I'll just—"
Mid-sentence, Ur suddenly realized what was happening. Her tough momentum instantly dissipated without a trace.
"Wait... you're here to collect a debt?" Her eyes went wide.
She was fine with a fight. But money? She didn't have a single coin!
The beautiful woman, who had been ready to be cool, was completely stunned. She gave Chase a puppy-dog look for help.
"Of course. Debts must be paid. We're law-abiding good citizens!" The man in the suit spread his arms matter-of-factly.
"What one million? We only borrowed one hundred thousand from you a month ago!" Minerva shouted.
After Jiemon fell, the Magic Council's fine had naturally fallen on Sabertooth.
She had scraped together what she could but still came up short. Then this man in the suit had shown up with the money.
"You said it yourself — a month ago. Don't you think interest should be added?!" The man in the suit said viciously.
A loan shark...
From their brief exchange, Ur probably understood the situation. Her expression gradually became serious.
The man in the suit felt this targeted cold aura. Magic power surged in the hand he had behind his back.
"Woman, if you like doing good deeds so much, pay up. Otherwise, get the hell out!" He gave a final warning, his face cold.
Ur frowned, hesitating for a moment.
If she were in her familiar Northern Continent, she wouldn't care about such an unreasonable excuse. She would just hit him with an ice spell.
But this was unfamiliar Ishgar, the Kingdom of Fiore. Acting rashly might make things worse for Sabertooth.
As she hesitated, a cloak fluttered. A figure entered Ur's line of sight.
"Money, right? How big of a fart is that?" Chase looked at the man in the suit.
In the corner, Minerva's pupils contracted. She rubbed her watery eyes in disbelief.
That's Mr. Chase?!
"Heh, another idiot playing hero."
The man in the suit didn't seem to recognize Chase. He still had an arrogant posture. "Doesn't matter who comes. If you can't pay, don't waste my time!"
One of his men looked suspicious. "Wait, boss. I think I've seen this man somewhere before!"
"You've seen lots of people. Stop talking nonsense!" The man in the suit flicked him on the head.
"A hundred thousand is a bit much. Could you give me some time?"
Chase smiled, raised his arm, and spread his five fingers.
"Five days? That's not impossible." The man in the suit also smiled.
No matter whether the other party could pay in five days, he — holding the initiative — wouldn't lose:
If this idiot actually paid a hundred thousand, he could just add the interest generated over those five days to another cycle.
If he didn't pay, he could still take the whole Sabertooth guild for himself!
Just as the greedy man was happily fantasizing, Chase's voice came from beside him: "5, 4, 3..."
Chase began counting down while taking off his dark blue cloak.
"Bastard! Are you messing with me?!"
The man in the suit's expression immediately darkened. He burst into magic power, sketched a magic circle, and walked toward Chase with murderous intent.
He was one of the top wizards in this area, with considerable prestige. How could he tolerate such provocation?!
"twenty one."
At the last number, Chase's cloak came completely off, revealing his well-proportioned, muscular upper body — and...
The dark gold Fairy Tail emblem branded on his right arm!
"AHHH! Fairy Tail! It's Fairy Tail!"
"Boss! I remember! He-he-he-he's Fairy Tail's S-Class wizard, Chase!!"
The man's terrified shouts came from behind. The man in the suit, who had been arrogant just moments ago, was instantly scared out of his wits. His legs were trembled.
The impact of the name "Chase" was so great that he stumbled, lost his balance, and in the momentum of his charge, ended up on both knees, sliding all the way to Chase's feet — practically giving him an early New Year's bow.
Such a pathetic sight caught even Chase, who had been planning to reason with him, off guard.
His raised fist hung in mid-air, neither up nor down.
"S-So it's you, Mr. Chase, gracing us with your presence. My apologies. I was speaking too loudly just now. Please forgive me."
The man in the suit was also someone who could bend and stretch. He just stayed on his knees, forcing an ingratiating smile.
This actually left Chase unsure what to do.
Ur was just taking over Sabertooth and would definitely be settling down in this town.
Considering the need to leave a good impression on the residents and surrounding guilds, Chase ultimately withdrew his fist.
"Hey, how much did you say Sabertooth owes you?"
"A-A hundred th— no, ten! Ten Jewels!"
"What nonsense. A hundred thousand is a hundred thousand. Debts must be paid. We're law-abiding good citizens too."
Chase pulled a stack of bills from his card space and tossed them to the man in the suit. "Can you get out now?"
"Yes, yes! I'm rolling!"
The man in the suit took the money, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, stood up, and turned to flee.
"Wait." Chase stopped him.
"Do... do You need anything
else, Mr. Chase?" The man in the suit obediently stopped, every nerve in his body tense.
"Aren't you going to count it? Don't want to come back later saying the amount was wrong."
"No need, no need. I trust you completely."
Scared to death, the man in the suit had no time for that.
"Then roll. Oh, and one more thing."
Chase pointed to the Sabertooth guild, whose signboard had even been torn down. "Remember this: from now on, this guild is an ally of Fairy Tail!"
Hearing this, not only the man in the suit's group but also the surrounding townspeople were in an uproar.
Weren't Fairy Tail and Sabertooth recognized enemies? Hadn't they just recently been in a fierce conflict?
How had the relationship between these two guilds suddenly become so... ambiguous?
And that was exactly the effect Chase wanted.
Announcing this publicly would eliminate many unnecessary troubles for Ur and help her early construction work go more smoothly.
This was the task Makarov had quietly given him when Ur had dragged him along.
"I understand, I understand."
The man in the suit had no mind to think. He just wanted to leave. "So, Mr. Chase, may I roll now?"
Chase waved his hand.
Seeing this, the frightened thugs fled as if granted amnesty, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Good job, Chase. Bringing you along was definitely the right decision!" Ur smiled and gave a thumbs-up.
"Even if you praise me, you're still paying back that hundred thousand!" Chase said seriously.
"Oh my, I'm ready to pack up my daughter and give her to you. Talking about money is a bit ignorant, don't you think?"
Even so, Ur silently notes this debt — and this favor.
"So, next..."
She walked through Sabertooth's entrance and approached the stunned Minerva and the others in the corner.
"You must be Minerva. I basically know your situation."
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Ur. I'm an Ice-Make wizard from the Northern Continent with a bit of skill."
Ur squatted down to bring her eyes level with Minerva's. She smiled gently. "If it's okay with you... could I become the master of this guild?"
Her straightforward, casual nature meant she didn't beat around the bush. She stated her intention directly.
Sure enough, little Sting was the first to object. "Become master? How can we trust someone we don't—"
"It's okay. Please help Sabertooth." Minerva interrupted.
Her face, mixed with blood and dust, was serious. She looked completely unlike she was joking.
She certainly wouldn't hand Sabertooth over to a stranger so easily.
But if this person was introduced by Mr. Chase, then there was no problem — after the Demon Ruins Island incident, the little girl already regarded Chase as an idol she deeply admired and looked up to.
Her trust and goodwill were completely maxed out!
The straightforward Sting couldn't understand this until Rogue tugged his sleeve and gestured with his eyes toward Chase nearby. Then it finally clicked.
"If no one else has any objections, then it's happily decided?" Ur asked one last time.
The Sabertooth members silently nodded. Some of the quicker-witted ones had hope shining in their eyes.
Not only was a powerful wizard willing to take over, but they were also backed by Fiore's strongest guild, Fairy Tail. This was definitely the rhythm of taking off!
"Great! Then, as your master, I'm giving out the first mission."
Ur took off her extra jacket, full of energy. "Let's start with training — by cleaning up this mess!"
Minerva: "..."
Sting, Rogue: "..."
The two cats: "..."
Getting into work mode this fast? At least let us introduce ourselves first!
And since when does cleaning count as training?
And also — did you really have to take off your clothes?!
Watching Ur start cleaning up the debris and the Sabertooth members "forced" to busy themselves, Chase's mouth twitched. He sighed, both admiring and speechless.
On the way here, he had been worrying about how Ur would fit into Sabertooth. Now it seemed that concern had been completely unnecessary...
"Hey! You damn card addict over there! What are you standing around for? Come help!"
"So bossy! I'm not even in this guild!"
"And you all! Since this is training, you should take off useless things, let your skin make as much contact as possible with the cold air and magical particles in the air, and grasp the secrets of magic from it!"
"Huh?!!" xN
"Hey, hey... isn't that the training method for Ice-Make magic?"
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!