“You brat, you’re finally back!” Makarov grumbled, though relief was evident in his eyes.
“If the complaint letters regarding your property damage hadn’t arrived days before you did, I would’ve thought something had happened to you.” “Oho~” Caelan drawled lazily.
“I didn’t know you cared about me that much, Master.” He rubbed his thumb and index finger together.
“You know, this quest ended up being a lot of extra work.
I definitely need a bonus for this one.” The vein on Makarov’s forehead instantly bulged out.
“You absolute brat!
You dare ask me for more money?!” The old man slammed his fist on the bar.
“Do you have any idea what you did?!
You completely leveled an entire village!
I got dragged before the Magic Council, got chewed out for half a day, and had to pay a massive sum in compensation!
And you have the nerve to ask for a bonus?!” “Old man, are you seriously not paying me extra?!” Caelan argued back.
“A little collateral damage is perfectly normal for a Mage on a job!
Besides, if I hadn’t obliterated that demon, do you know how much trouble it would’ve caused?!
And for the record, I didn’t destroy those houses—that giant ghost-demon did!
How can you pin that entirely on me?!” “Argh!
You stubborn little punk, you’re trying to give me a heart attack!” The two of them immediately started bickering at the top of their lungs, leaving the three Strauss siblings standing awkwardly by the doors, completely unsure of what to do.
After ten solid minutes of yelling, the old man and the teenager finally tired themselves out.
Makarov took a deep breath, turned to the three siblings, and instantly swapped his furious scowl for a warm, grandfatherly smile.
“You three must be the new recruits,” Makarov said gently.
Mirajane swallowed nervously.
“Y-yes, sir.” Caelan, having finally claimed his favorite rocking chair in the corner of the guild, took a casual sip of tea.
“Master, Mirajane awakened Take Over Magic, but she hasn’t learned how to control it yet.” “I can sense that, brat.” Makarov gestured toward the silver-haired girl.
“Come here, child.
Let me take a look at your arm.” Mirajane slowly pulled back her cloak, revealing her demonic claw.
Makarov inspected it closely for a moment before giving an approving nod.
“It’s nothing to worry about.
With a few days of proper training, you’ll be able to deactivate this form at will.” Hearing the guild master’s absolute certainty, a massive weight lifted off the siblings’ shoulders.
Even though they knew it was just Magic, walking around with a literal demon arm had been deeply unsettling.
Relief washed over Mirajane’s face, and for the first time in a long time, she gave a genuine, unstrained smile.
“Brat,” Makarov called over his shoulder.
“Once they get their guild marks stamped, you’re on tour duty.
Show them around.” Caelan didn’t even open his eyes, gently rocking back and forth in his chair.
“Ah~ This is the life…” Makarov sighed, shaking his head.
“Look at this brat.
The second he gets back to the guild, he turns into a complete slacker.” Life returned to a peaceful routine.
The Strauss siblings quickly integrated into the Fairy Tail family.
Much like Natsu and Gray, Mirajane and Erza completely failed to get along, constantly butting heads and sparking rivalries.
The two girls also frequently challenged Caelan to duels—though both of them ended up face-planting into the dirt every single time.
Lately, Caelan had fully embraced his lazy lifestyle.
Since he hadn’t seen any high-paying quests on the board, he spent his days lounging in the guild, occasionally watching the chaotic brawls.
In the mornings, he supervised Finn and Rook’s brutal training regimen.
The massive stone blocks they used to carry had been replaced by heavy, gravity-enchanted armor.
Thanks to the intense physical conditioning and Porlyusica’s potent medicinal baths, their physical strength was skyrocketing.
It wouldn’t be long before they were ready to learn Rokushiki.
Months passed.
By the time June rolled around, an air of heavy anticipation settled over Fairy Tail.
It was the most important time of the year for the guild.
Caelan strolled into the guildhall around noon, having finished his morning routine.
But the moment he pushed the doors open, he stopped.
Something was wrong.
The entire guild was dead silent.
“What’s going on?” Caelan muttered, scratching his head.
“Did everyone suddenly mature, or am I still dreaming?” Seeing that Caelan had finally arrived, Makarov stood on top of the bar counter and cleared his throat.
“You brat!
Everyone has been waiting for you!” Makarov scolded.
“Hurry up and get over here!” “Huh?
Oh, right.” Caelan sauntered over.
“Why the serious faces?
Is the guild getting disbanded or something?” “You little punk!
Is your brain full of rocks?!
Can’t you ever hope for something good to happen to this guild?!” “Master, just ignore the lazy guy and make the announcement already!” Mirajane cheered from the front row.
Makarov shot Caelan one last glare before straightening his posture.
“Ahem!
As per Fairy Tail tradition, I will now announce the candidates for this year’s S-Class Promotion Trial!” “WOOOO!!!” The entire guild erupted into cheers.
Makarov raised a hand, and the hall quieted down again.
“Laxus Dreyar!” Leaning against a pillar on the second floor, Laxus merely scoffed.
“Hmph.” “Caelan!” “Huh?” Caelan blinked.
“Based on my observations of the guild over the past year, the two of you possess the strength and temperament recognized by both myself and Gildarts,” Makarov announced proudly.
“This year’s trial will take place at Mount Nilus.
Each of you is permitted to bring one partner.
We gather here tomorrow morning.” The moment Makarov finished speaking, the guild broke into excited chatter.
“I knew Laxus would be picked!
That guy is insanely strong.” “I wonder who’s stronger, Laxus or Caelan?” “Hard to say.
They’ve never actually fought.
Even when they cross paths in the guild, they just nod at each other.” “Man, I really want to see those two go at it!” Hearing Caelan’s name, Laxus shot him a brief, intense look before turning around and leaving the hall.
Meanwhile, Caelan was instantly swarmed by Natsu, Gray, Erza, Mirajane, Finn, and Rook.
Natsu aggressively ruffled his own hair.
“I’m so jealous!
Why wasn’t I picked for the S-Class trial?!” “Tch.
Keep dreaming, flame brain,” Gray mocked.
“You wanna go, ice princess?!” Natsu roared, pressing his forehead against Gray’s.
“Bring it on!” Just as the two were about to start swinging, Erza shot them a single, terrifying glare.
The two boys froze, broke out in cold sweat, and instantly threw their arms around each other’s shoulders.
“Hehe!
We’re best friends!” they chimed in unison.
Erza nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Caelan.
“So, Caelan.
Who will you choose as your partner?” “Hmm…” Caelan rubbed his chin.
“I haven’t really thought about it.
This is all pretty sudden.” Mirajane immediately stepped in, crossing her arms proudly.
“Isn’t it obvious?
I’m going with him!” “On what grounds?!” Erza shot back.
“I should be the one to accompany him!” “You wanna fight about it, armor freak?!” “I’m not scared of some delinquent!” Within seconds, the two girls were at each other’s throats.
Caelan sighed, scratching the back of his head.
“Hey, why are you two fighting over this?” “Shut up!
This is between us girls!” they both yelled at him.
“Right, right.
My mistake.” Caelan rolled his eyes and looked over at Finn and Rook, who had been uncharacteristically quiet.
“Hey, Finn.
You’re awfully quiet today.
That’s not like you.” Finn let out a forced chuckle.
“Hehe, what are you talking about, Boss?
I’m just keeping my head down so I don’t get beat up again.” Rook stepped forward, looking a little disappointed.
“Honestly, Boss, we thought we’d have mastered Rokushiki by the time you took the S-Class exam.
We wanted to be strong enough to help you out.
We didn’t expect you to get nominated this fast.” Seeing the genuine disappointment in his lackeys’ eyes, Caelan smiled softly.
“Hey, don’t sweat it.
You guys have plenty of time.
This is just the beginning,” Caelan reassured them.
“Besides, it’s just an S-Class title.
Once your boss officially becomes S-Class, the big bucks start rolling in!
Hahaha!
My dream is finally within reach!” Finn’s usual sycophantic grin instantly returned.
“Of course, Boss!
You’re the man destined to become the strongest landlord in history!
A measly S-Class exam is nothing to you!” “Oho~ You actually said something smart for once,” Caelan chuckled.
“I’ll make sure Rook hits you a little softer next time.” “Wait, huh?!” “Alright, that’s enough for today.
Let’s head home.”