By the time Kabe and the others arrived at the guild, they just happened to catch sight of Makarov's group leaving.
His eyes skipped past the old man and landed directly on Irene and Selene's retreating figures. In that instant, Kabe realized he had been completely played.
Talking about soaking in hot springs and discussing magic had all been excuses.
Those two definitely knew what was going to happen tonight and had deliberately found a reason to ditch him so they could enjoy watching his reaction later.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, both women turned around at the same time and smiled as they waved toward him.
Selene even raised her voice and called out cheerfully:
"Do your best, Kabe~ We'll head on ahead first!"
"You two bastards!"
Kabe ground his teeth in frustration, silently swearing that he would absolutely get revenge for this humiliation later.
The surrounding guild members immediately crowded around him, throwing out questions one after another.
"Hey Kabe, what the hell is going on here?"
"Yeah, since when did you get so close with that hot spring owner?"
"Idiot, I'm asking about the tournament! Get lost if you're just here to interrupt!"
Gray kicked Macao aside before crossing his arms irritably and continuing:
"Relationship-wise, you're basically the future son-in-law of the king, aren't you? Don't tell me your royal father-in-law didn't leak you any information about the tournament?"
"You think I look like someone who knew anything in advance?"
Pointing at his own hastily worn shirt, whose buttons were still undone from rushing out so quickly, Kabe rolled his eyes at Gray.
"Besides, are you stupid? Maybe look behind you before asking that kind of question."
Hearing that, Gray turned his head and finally noticed the stern-faced referee standing at the guild entrance, quietly observing the entire conversation without blinking.
The man was clearly tournament staff.
Asking such an obviously suspicious question right in front of him really did make Gray look like an idiot.
After realizing that, Gray decisively shut his mouth.
The referee gave Kabe a small nod of acknowledgment before glancing at his wristwatch to check the time.
A few more minutes passed. Once the guild entrance was packed with participants, he finally stepped forward and spoke.
"According to tournament regulations, any participant who fails to arrive at the designated gathering point within ten minutes will automatically be considered disqualified."
The announcement did not cause much reaction among Fairy Tail's members.
Magnolia was not a large town, and for wizards, ten minutes was more than enough time to rush over.
If someone still failed to arrive after that, then it simply meant they had not taken the competition seriously enough.
Kabe carefully looked around the crowd. As far as he remembered, every team intending to participate had already arrived. There should not be anyone foolish enough to miss this.
The referee and his assistants also conducted a detailed headcount, comparing numbers against a list in their hands while scribbling notes.
Once they confirmed everything, the referee nodded.
"Very good. All twenty-one participating Fairy Tail teams are present."
"Next, I, the official referee appointed by the tournament organizers, will explain the rules for the first preliminary round."
Immediately, everyone straightened up and listened attentively.
Several assistants stepped forward and unfolded large maps of the Kingdom of Fiore for everyone to see.
The referee pointed toward Magnolia, which had been specially marked in bold red ink, before moving his finger toward the royal capital, Crocus.
"The rules for the preliminary round are simple."
"You must travel from Magnolia all the way to the capital without using any form of transportation."
"The time limit ends tonight at eight o'clock. Any participant who fails to reach Crocus before then will be judged as eliminated, and their entire team will also be disqualified."
As he spoke, the assistants distributed maps to every team.
As captain, Kabe also received a copy.
The moment he unfolded it, he immediately noticed the thick red route connecting Magnolia and Crocus.
"That's right. Not only is there a time limit, but the route you take is also strictly designated."
"This is because every participating guild throughout Fiore will depart from different locations based on their distance from the capital."
"However, in the end, all of you will converge onto the King's Highway leading toward Crocus."
"The organizers intentionally designed the preliminary round to eliminate a large number of teams."
"So if you encounter participants from other guilds along the way, you are permitted to use any means necessary to hinder them... including directly defeating opposing teams."
"Of course, killing is strictly prohibited. Any team found committing murder will immediately lose qualification."
After saying so much in one breath, the referee paused briefly before looking toward the crowd.
"That concludes the explanation of the rules. If anyone has questions, ask them now."
The Fairy Tail members exchanged glances.
Not a single one of them looked intimidated by the absurdly long journey.
Instead, their eyes burned with excitement and fighting spirit.
Natsu slammed his fists together and loudly asked:
"So basically all we have to do is run and fight, right?"
"Yes. Simply put, that is correct. However, do remember not to waste too much time in battle. Exceeding the time limit means automatic elimination."
"That won't happen! As long as it's not Kabe, I can crush anybody easily!"
Natsu declared confidently, already itching for a massive fight.