The so-called regular meeting was a gathering organized spontaneously by the various guild masters.
In Cain’s eyes, it seemed to serve mainly as a place for these masters to catch up and socialize.
After all, they were usually busy managing their respective guilds and rarely saw each other, making this unofficial conference the perfect excuse to meet up.
The only reason Cain remembered it was because the beginning of the anime’s Lullaby Arc took place against the backdrop of this very meeting.
“Looks like I can save the train fare to the Royal Capital.” After learning from the waiter that the regular meeting was taking place in three days, Cain completely abandoned his plan of traveling to the Capital and then heading to Magnolia.
All he had to do was wait three days to meet the guild masters.
Then, he could tell them exactly what was going on.
Once they heard his story, they would undoubtedly report it to the Magic Council.
The Bureau of Magical Development would be destroyed, and the children treated as experimental test subjects would be saved.
Other masters might turn a blind eye, but Cain was absolutely certain that Fairy Tail’s Makarov, Blue Pegasus’s Bob, and Quatro Cerberus’s Goldmine would never sit idly by.
The reason Cain didn’t just walk up to the Magic Council and report it himself was that he simply didn’t dare to take the gamble.
To say that Brain, the Director of the Bureau of Magical Development, didn’t have any powerful connections inside the Magic Council?
Cain wouldn’t believe that for a second.
If he went directly to the Council, there was a very real chance that the moment he finished telling his story, he’d be wrapped up and shipped straight back to Brain’s doorstep.
Three days passed in a flash.
To save money, Cain basically slept on the streets the entire time.
Fortunately, having a heavy longsword strapped to his side helped him avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.
During the day, he practically lived at the train station, determined to spot Makarov and the others the second they arrived.
“Makarov and the others should be arriving today.
After all, Jose got here yesterday.” Squatting in a corner of the station, Cain quietly watched the exit.
Just remembering his encounter with Jose yesterday sent an involuntary shiver down his spine.
Jose’s full name was Jose Porla, the Master of the Phantom Lord guild.
The only reason Cain recognized him was because he dressed exactly like a wizard straight out of Harry Potter.
That tall, pointy hat of his was just too conspicuous.
Coupled with the fact that Cain instinctively disliked the man from the bottom of his heart, it only confirmed his identity.
After all, Cain’s awakened magic was Light Magic, while Jose used Darkness Magic.
Actually, upon realizing his magic was Light Magic, Cain’s very first thought had been, I’m screwed.
I’m going to be completely countered by that White Dragon Slayer.
But then he remembered he had no intention of causing trouble or chasing the main plotline anyway.
He would leave the world-saving to the main characters.
All he wanted to do was lie flat, enjoy a peaceful life, and maybe work hard at marrying a few beautiful wives.
When he first laid eyes on Jose, Cain genuinely worried if the man might just slap him across the face purely due to the conflicting nature of their magic elements.
Luckily, Jose was technically still the master of a legal Light Guild, so he wasn’t going to just murder someone in the middle of the street.
Or, more likely, he didn’t even consider a small fry like Cain worth looking at.
Suddenly, Cain’s eyes narrowed.
He spotted a remarkably short old man walking out of the station.
Watching the figure draw closer, Cain’s heart began to race.
The little old man was about the same height as Cain himself.
He sported a horseshoe pattern of hair around his balding head and wore incredibly ordinary clothes.
Humming an unrecognizable little tune, the old man strolled forward with a brisk, bouncy step.
As he walked, Makarov was cheerfully plotting how he was going to drink until he dropped today.
After all, he wouldn’t be the one footing the bill!
“Excuse me, are you the Master of Fairy Tail, Makarov?” A young, slightly nervous voice suddenly called out.
Makarov turned his head to see a blond-haired boy looking at him with eyes full of anticipation.
“Hm?
That’s right, I am the Master of Fairy Tail, Makarov.
What do you need, little guy?” Even though Cain had been 99% sure the little old man was Makarov, hearing the confirmation made the heavy stone in his heart finally drop.
Makarov Dreyar.
The third Master of Fairy Tail, and the one who had held the position the longest in the guild’s history.
He was the man who had built Fairy Tail into the number one guild in the Kingdom of Fiore.
He possessed terrifying strength and held the title of one of the Ten Wizard Saints, meaning he was officially recognized as one of the ten most powerful wizards on the continent.
More importantly, Makarov treated his guild members as his own children.
As long as they didn’t commit an unforgivable, fundamental wrong, he would always forgive them.
When his guild members caused trouble, he took the blame.
When they faced an invincible enemy, he was always the first to charge the frontlines, buying time for his children to retreat.
It was safe to say that the reason Fairy Tail was such a beloved and highly sought-after guild was almost entirely due to its Master, Makarov.
Of course, Makarov wasn’t perfect.
He loved alcohol a bit too much, frequently got drunk, and had an undeniably massive soft spot for beautiful young women in skimpy clothing.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Cain immediately launched into his story, detailing everything he had been through.
As Makarov listened to Cain’s ordeal, an uncontrollable fury washed over him.
His normally kind, grandfatherly eyes burned with absolute rage.
“To think the Bureau of Magical Development has been secretly conducting illegal human experimentation…” Makarov didn’t doubt Cain’s words for a second.
He could see it in the boy’s eyes; this child wasn’t lying.
“Child, stay close to me.
You’re coming with me to see a few friends.” “Thank you, Master Makarov.” Seeing that Makarov was willing to help, the crushing weight on Cain’s shoulders vanished.
The thought that he would soon be able to see Ultear again made him incredibly emotional.
On their way to the meeting hall, upon learning that Cain was now an orphan with nowhere to go, Makarov casually asked, “Cain, how would you like to join Fairy Tail?” Cain had planned to beg Makarov to let him join the guild after everything was resolved.
He never expected the old man to beat him to the punch and invite him first.
“Yes!
I’d love to, Master!” Seeing the bright, genuine smile on Cain’s face, Makarov let out a booming laugh.
“Excellent!
From now on, we’re family!” At the regular meeting, Cain was happily stuffing his face with a massive plate of roast meat.
That’s right, Makarov had dragged him right into the conference room.
“Gahahaha!
What do you think?
Found him on the way here.
He’s already decided to join my guild!” Makarov boasted loudly to Bob and Goldmine while chugging a mug of ale.
Master Bob looked at Cain’s adorable face, his eyes literally turning into giant pink hearts.
He leaned in and cooed, “Little Cain, wouldn’t you rather join Blue Pegasus?
We have so many cute boys in our guild!” Bob’s sudden appearance startled Cain so badly that the chunk of roast meat he was chewing got lodged in his throat.
Bob quickly reached out and patted Cain’s back, saving the boy from choking to death on his lunch.
“Th-thank you, Master Bob.
But I’ve already promised Master Makarov that I’m joining Fairy Tail.” Cain’s polite refusal made Makarov burst into uproarious laughter, downing the rest of his beer in one gulp.
While Bob felt a bit disappointed, he admired Cain even more.
It seemed this child wasn’t just cute on the outside; he had a strong and resolute heart.
As Bob wandered back over to Makarov, Cain quietly let out a long sigh of relief.
The sheer pressure Master Bob gave off was simply too much to handle.
The man’s balding, overweight figure paired with a pink slip dress, lips slathered in bright lipstick, an unrecognizable necklace resting against a neck thicker than Cain’s thigh, and a pair of decorative angel wings strapped to his back…
it was a visual overload Cain’s young eyes just weren’t prepared for.