Ur's arrival injected soul and vitality into Sabertooth, which had been like stagnant water.
Although, to outside passersby, the sight of everyone with their jackets and pants removed looked somewhat perverted.
After cleaning up the debris, Ur led Minerva and the others in a thorough cleaning, working until dusk, when the sun was setting over the western mountains.
Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, Sabertooth, standing in the center of town, looked completely transformed. Everything sparkled with clean brightness.
In a certain sense, this guild on the verge of disbanding had been reborn.
"So, did you all feel the significant effects of the training?" Ur sat casually on the guild's counter, one hand on her hip.
Dressed in a minimalist swimsuit, this pose showed off her figure, but for some reason, it didn't evoke any heart-pounding excitement whatsoever.
"Y-Yes, we felt it..." Minerva and the others, exhausted and collapsed to the ground, raised their trembling hands weakly and responded feebly.
They had gotten a preliminary taste of their new master's style:
She seemed like a very gentle and affectionate big sister, but when it came to magical training, she became extremely strict.
"Good. Then let's stop here for today. Everyone rest and take a bath. Then Chase will treat us to a good meal!" Ur clapped her hands and made the decision.
"Hey, hey—" Chase said he had objections.
"We just got here. We should get to know everyone at Sabertooth, right?"
Ur smiled and explained, "And after hard work, what everyone needs most is a full meal to replenish their energy!"
"So why am I paying?"
"Well, help to the end. I can't even scrape together 1,000 Jewels right now."
Ur scratched her head, her tone quite frank. "Put it on that brat Gray's tab."
She had always been a casual and free personality, and she already regarded Chase as a "comrade," so she didn't sweat the small stuff like this.
As for the debt of gratitude, there would always be a chance to repay it later!
"If that's the case, no problem." Chase gladly agreed.
The two happily reached an agreement, completely unconcerned about the wallet of a certain pervert guy vacationing far away.
"Um, Mr. Chase, I didn't have a chance to say this earlier."
Minerva walked over somewhat coquettishly, her little face red, and bowed deeply to Chase. "Thank you very much for saving my life on Demon Ruins Island!"
And for making me completely understand that Father's philosophy of 'only the strong matter, the weak deserve to be abandoned' was wrong.
"I heard from the master. You don't need to be so formal."
Chase raised his hand and ruffled Minerva's little head, smiling. "If you want to repay me, work hard to become stronger. Make Sabertooth's name resound throughout Fiore."
Thinking of how this kind, sensible child had become so vicious and cold-blooded in the original story, he felt a bit of regret.
Why hadn't he punched that bastard Jiemon a few more times back then!
"Mm!" Minerva nodded emphatically.
Speaking face-to-face with her admired idol like this made the little girl very excited. Her heartbeat quickened.
"Th-Then, Mr. Chase..."
She pulled out a pre-prepared card and pen from her tattered pocket, mustered her courage, and said, "Could I please have your autograph?"
The blank card had a dark gold vortex pattern on the back — identical to the ones Chase used. Where Minerva had gotten such merchandise was anyone's guess.
"Sure."
Chase took the card and signed his name on the blank side.
After politely thanking him, Minerva held the signed card to her chest with both hands, overjoyed. She hopped over to show it off to Rogue and Sting nearby.
Rogue and Sting looked envious, but their idols were Natsu and Gajeel. They had no intention of asking Chase for an autograph.
Lector and Frosch, still in their infancy Exceed forms, craned their necks to look at the signed card in Minerva's hands.
Lector commented, "For such a strong man, his signature is surprisingly messy!"
Frosch raised his hand. "Frosch thinks so too."
Minerva glared at the two Exceeds. "You can't even read. How do you know it's messy? It's clearly art!"
"At the end of the day, she's still just a kid..." Ur watched the whole process and sighed softly.
She wondered how this little girl had managed to get through her previous ordeal.
"Guiding children onto the right path and making them strong — isn't that what you're best at?" Chase said.
"Even if you're my lifesaver, saying that to a woman in her prime will make me angry, you know." Ur raised a finger, her expression very serious.
"Haha, Gray and Lyon are living examples."
"That's true. Those two little brats who used to cry and follow me around are now fully-fledged wizards in their own right."
With that, Ur suddenly realized something. She covered her head in horror. "Wait... does that mean I'm already super old?!"
Had she only just realized that?!
Looking at the simple-minded Ur before him, Chase suddenly felt that having her take over Sabertooth might not be so reliable after all
...
Just then, "Pupu, pupu" footsteps came from the guild entrance. A strange figure's shadow was stretched long by the sunset.
"Is this Sabertooth?"
It was a frog-faced man in Magic Council uniform, expressionless.
As a Council messenger, the frog-faced man walked in with an arrogant, superior attitude.
But the moment he saw Chase with Ur, his expression suddenly changed. His abdomen ached faintly.
"Ch-Chase? What are you doing here?!"
That's right. This was the same guy Chase had beaten up before...
What cursed fate!
The frog-faced man was suffering inside.
"Yo, old buddy. What brings you here?"
Chase had probably guessed why the messenger was at Sabertooth. He smiled and greeted him warmly.
The frog-faced man instinctively stepped back twice. He tried to appear calm as he looked at Ur, who had followed.
"Ms. Ur, correct? Here are the documents and master's emblem issued by the Magic Council. The councilors, after considering Master Makarov's opinion, have approved you as the new master of Sabertooth."
"I didn't expect the Magic Council to be so efficient." Ur smiled and took the document pouch he handed over.
How could they not be efficient? With Makarov's recommendation letter, and you being the mother of Lady Ultear...
The frog-faced man muttered to himself.
"Also, this is the application form for the Ten Wizard Saints qualification. If you're interested, you can fill it out and mail it to Council headquarters."
Compared to the appointment of a legal guild master, the Ten Wizard Saints — representing the face of Ishgar — naturally requires much stricter procedures, including detailed investigation and assessment.
Especially now, after a dangerous individual like Jellal had emerged.
However, Ur could clearly be treated as a special exception.
Setting aside Makarov's recommendation and the connection to Ultear, as a distinguished wizard from the Northern Continent, Ur had a good reputation and character. Her magic power was also strong enough to meet the basic conditions for participating in the assessment.
The only thing she lacked was having made contributions to Ishgar.
Considering the two vacant positions left by Jose and Jellal needed to be filled urgently, the Council had relaxed this condition.
"The Ten Wizard Saints? Me?" Ur blinked, looking surprised.
She knew very well the meaning and honor that title carried.
"That's correct. But this is only candidate qualification. Whether you'll be granted the title still depends on passing the assessment at the end of the year."
With the nasty Chase present, the frog-faced man really didn't want to linger. After saying "good luck" to Ur, he hurried off.
"Hey, old buddy, no rush. Sit down for some tea before you go!" Chase called out.
The frog-faced man ran even faster. His webbed feet made hurried "pupu" sounds on the ground. It looked quite funny.
"Hey, Chase, why does that Council messenger seem so afraid of you?" Ur looked at him with confusion.
"Ahaha. We've had brief encounters before." Chase probably explained what had happened.
"I see. You've got guts, hitting a Council messenger!" Ur gave an admiring thumbs-up.
"Having said that, though—"
Chase pointed to the Saint Ten application form in Ur's hand. "Looks like we'll be competitors."
"Oh? You also applied for the Ten Wizard Saints qualification?" Ur was a bit surprised.
Her reason for wanting the title, aside from bringing more fame to Sabertooth, was to make it easier to communicate and learn magic from the other Ten Saints, and thus explore higher-level fields.
Under those conditions, a bit of extra responsibility and restraint was harmless.
But Chase — a man who did whatever he wanted — no matter how she looked at him, didn't seem like the type to tie his own hands for the Saint Ten title.
"Actually, I have zero interest in this thing. The old man sneaked me in." Chase sighed helplessly.
"Master Makarov... wants you to be the next master of Fairy Tail."
Ur immediately saw through the twists and turns. She smiled. "That's quite a lot of trust and recognition, you know~"
Hearing this, the frown on Chase's face deepened. He looked up at the sky. "Being master... sounds like too much trouble."
In contrast, Minerva and the others, who had clearly heard the conversation, were full of joy. Their eyes had all turned into sparkling stars.
Their new master — the somewhat odd Ur — was actually qualified to participate in the Ten Wizard Saints assessment!
That was the title for the strongest wizards on the continent. Guilds whose masters had that title were, without exception, super famous!
Could Sabertooth become as strong as Lamia Scale or Fairy Tail?
Minerva's eyes were full of expectation.
Rogue and Sting imagined the scene, years later, of the two of them becoming famous as the "Twin Dragons of Sabertooth," resonating throughout the Kingdom of Fiore. They clenched their fists in excitement.
The other unknown Sabertooth wizards were also unusually excited.
A few elderly members who had joined even before Jiemon wept tears of joy.
After years of waiting, they finally saw hope for their guild's strong rise: With a Ten Wizard Saint as master and an alliance with Fairy Tail, why would they need to worry about attracting strong wizards to join?!
And so, with endless hopes for the future, everyone returned to their residence, took quick baths, changed into new clothes, and gathered again at the guild.
Chase didn't hesitate. He took them to a well-known local restaurant and ate a hearty feast — on Second Young Master Gray's tab, of course.
By the time they finished, it was completely dark. They had missed the last train back to Magnolia.
Since he had nothing better to do, Chase couldn't be bothered to summon Guardian of the Fortress to fly back. He simply stayed at a local inn for the night.
Meanwhile.
At the brightly lit Magic Council headquarters.
Ultear, in a white form-fitting outfit, sat at her desk. She stared blankly at the document before her concerning Ur becoming the master of Sabertooth.
"I couldn't avoid it after all..." Ultear's eyes were dim. She sighed deeply.
When she first received Makarov's recommendation letter, she had been truly shocked. She hadn't expected such a move.
That being said, she had been the first to raise her hand in agreement.
She — burdened with heavy sins — had no face to face her mother. But if it was unavoidable due to work... then it should be okay, right?
She convinced herself with this thought.
"Jellal's condition is starting to improve. The time I have left is running out..."
Ultear closed the document, slowly stood up, left her room, and walked toward the underground prison, continuing her mental and spiritual guidance of Jellal.
She had already made her resolution.
Once Jellal returns to normal and her affairs with the Magic Council were settled, she would make her final reckoning with Grimoire Heart!
The darkness and cold of the prison corridor swallowed the woman's retreating figure until it disappeared.
Destined to perish in darkness — that was the path of atonement Ultear had chosen, the path she had no choice but to tread.
The next morning, after saying goodbye to Ur, Minerva, and the others, Chase returned to the new Fairy Tail guild hall in Magnolia.
In just one day, the project had completed its final finishing touches.
A wall bearing the Fairy Tail emblem divided off the magnificent guild hall. Past the gate was an open-air café, where several guild members were sitting and arguing.
Why "arguing" instead of "chatting cheerfully"?
Old Fairy Tail tradition...
Across from the open-air café was a small commercial street. Marcus, with his short hair, was chatting with a delivery merchant.
Commissioned by Master Makarov, he had been running a small shop on the commercial street, selling Fairy Tail merchandise: badges, cups, guild member figurines, and so on.
"Yo, Chase, you're back?"
Marcus waved to Chase, a mysterious smile on his lips. "Come take a look. Just got a shipment of some really interesting stuff!"
Chase probably guessed what he meant and walked over.
"These are custom-made member figurines commissioned by the master. They're all to scale."
"And — they have a manual clothes-removal function."
With that, Marcus turned and pulled out a demonstrator from the pile of goods. It happened to be a Lucy figurine.
To the accommodation of an suggestive "Wao~" sound effect, Marcus pressed a button. Lucy figurine's clothes immediately fell to both sides, revealing her sexy figure in a swimsuit.
Chase: "..." Of course it was this.
He should have expected it. In a world depicted by a washed-up author, "fan service" was everywhere...
"Hehe. Super great, right?"
After the demonstration, Marcus picked out Chase's model from another box. "Oh, by the way, there are 200 of your figurines in this shipment!"
"Mine too? With my reputation in Magnolia, are you sure they'll sell?"
Chase took his own figurine and examined it. He had an indescribably strange feeling.
He had to admit, the craftsmanship was exquisite. It even perfectly replicated the scars on his body — scars that symbolized glory.
Which damn pervert had leaked that information!
"Can't say about others, but yours will definitely sell big. Even before the official opening, residents have already been asking about it," Marcus said with a smile.
"I see. Even though those guys say unpleasant things, they actually like me quite a bit, don't they~"
Chase smiled and nodded, a bit proud.
"Yeah. They said they want to buy them to keep at home. When they're in a bad mood, they can take them out and beat them up."
Chase's smile immediately froze.
"...How much for the whole batch?"
"What?"
"Every last one. I'll take them all. Not a single one left."
"Well... guild merchandise is mainly for external sales. To coincide with the new guild hall's opening, taking the whole batch would mean losing out on promotion..."
"Less talk. I'll pay extra."
"OK!"
At the words "pay extra," Marcus's eyes immediately lit up. He agreed readily.
Compared to making big money, who cared about the new guild hall's promotion!
"Hey, Chase, did you hear? Two new members joined the guild today."
Marcus, who seemed to really enjoy chatting, started a new topic right after the transaction. "Besides Juvia, who was already a given, there's another one you'd absolutely never guess!"
"It's Gajeel, isn't it." Chase said while examining Dark Magician Girl's figurine.
Marcus's eyes went wide in disbelief. He gasped, "How do you know?!"
"The intuition of the strong. You'll understand once you reach S-Class."
"Though that's probably still a long way off for you."
With that, Chase put down the figurine and walked toward the noisy new guild hall.
"Damn it. If I weren't afraid of getting beaten, I'd really love to punch that guy!"
Feeling looked down upon, Marcus clenched his fists in anger. After much hesitation, reason prevailed over impulse.
Chase entered the guild hall. At the counter, Mira was holding the guild stamp, about to brand the Fairy Tail mark onto the new members — Juvia and Gajeel.
Macao, Elfman, and the others were gathered around, stirring up trouble and shouting,
"Hey, Gajeel! The spot Chase and Natsu drew on you before was perfect. Get it tattooed on your butt!"
"Hahaha! That actually makes a lot of sense!"
"A real man! Stop hesitating and take off your pants already!"
"Look, I've still got the newspaper from back then. That spot was super cool, okay?!"
***
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