Seeing the five girls act so at-home the moment they stepped in, Kabe couldn't help rolling his eyes.
"You really have started treating my place like your personal meeting hall, huh.
Do you lot even go back to your own homes this often?"
"Hehe, well, your house is big and spacious," Cana answered, totally unabashed.
"As a spot for gatherings and strategy meetings, it's perfect."
As she spoke, she lifted the carton in her other hand to show it off.
"Erza, good work on the job. I brought your favorite strawberry cake—let's eat together later."
Lisanna also smiled as she came to sit beside her sister Mira, happily sharing:
"Mira-nee, I specially prepared this apple pie for you this morning, hurry and try it!"
"Hmph, Elfman made it for you, didn't he? Like I don't know what your skill level in the kitchen is."
Mira snorted coldly, casually exposing her sister's lie.
Lisanna stuck out her tongue, adorable and a little guilty.
"Aww, same difference! It was made especially for you, sis."
"You little sneak, always acting spoiled."
The corners of Mira's lips curved up as she spoke, then she gestured for everyone to sit.
Erza had already thanked Cana and was impatiently opening the cake box, eyes sparkling at the three slices of strawberry cake inside.
Aries quickly scurried off to the kitchen and came back with five sets of plates, forks, and knives.
The moment he saw the two of them bribed so easily by sweets, Kabe could only massage his temples.
"You two really are simple to buy off.
Keep this up and my place's gonna end up as Fairy Tail Branch Office."
Even as he complained, he held out his plate toward Erza, who was in the middle of cutting the cake.
"I want the biggest slice."
Everyone: "…"
The reason Kabe was grumbling like this was because these girls truly had no sense of "boundaries."
From the moment the house was handed over to him until now, he'd only slept here three nights.
And in those three days, this group had already come over five times.
It wasn't that he disliked having them around.
What he really hated was the idea of his home turning into something like future-Lucy's place—a default hangout spot recognized by everyone.
He did not want to be in the middle of "unlocking a new location" with Erza and Mira one day…
only for this mob to suddenly barge in and blow the whole operation.
But right now, looking at all the girls' "thick-skinned and proud of it" faces, it was obvious his warning had done absolutely nothing.
Well, what could he do? He was the one who made the house so luxurious.
On top of all sorts of recreation rooms, the backyard even had a generous-sized swimming pool.
The girls had pretty much already branded this place as their private amusement park—
and today, they'd specifically planned to come over together to go swimming.
When he heard that reason, Kabe fell completely silent.
His gaze swept slowly over each girl—delicate faces, gorgeous figures—
and after about 0.01 seconds of "hesitation," he instantly changed his tune:
"In that case, you've definitely come to the right place.
The whole reason I built that pool was to serve the guild members.
Forget just the pool, I've got a full bathhouse and a sauna too.
If you ever want a long soak or a good steam, you're welcome here anytime.
Really, don't treat yourselves like outsiders!"
Watching Kabe put on that noble, self-sacrificing act, the girls responded with a synchronized eye-roll, their faces full of contempt for his shamelessness.
Mixed into the group, Juvia also shot him a look of pure disdain.
These past few days she'd integrated into the guild very well.
Whether it was despite her former status as a member of Phantom Lord or because of her cute looks, she received enthusiastic welcomes from everyone.
And because she spent so much time together with Cana and the others, she'd inevitably heard all sorts of "glorious past exploits" about Kabe—
not to mention, detailed breakdowns of his deeply pervy nature.
But for some reason, Juvia didn't actually hate the burning gaze Kabe occasionally turned on her.
In fact, her heart would start racing, and she'd quietly enjoy the strange sensation of his eyes roaming over her as if hands were gently sliding across her skin.
Of course, she never once revealed this seemingly not-so-healthy preference.
She just silently blended into the circle of girls, carefully hiding it away.
Once everyone had shared the cake and exchanged a few rounds of recent stories and gossip, Cana's group soon couldn't hold back their urge to hit the pool.
Mira, Erza, and Aries naturally weren't forgotten.
With the others all enthusiastically egging them on, the three of them nodded one after another and agreed to join in.
As for Kabe—
Even if none of them had invited him, there was no way he'd willingly miss a spectacle like that.
Not to mention, he was the master of this house.
The master going for a swim in his own pool didn't need anyone's permission.