Due to the sudden onset of darkness, chaos briefly rippled through Magnolia and the surrounding towns.
Most residents assumed it was a rare solar eclipse. They pulled out stools, put on sunglasses, and waited patiently for the sun to reappear.
Instead, what they got was an unexpected dawn.
No one knew what had really happened.
But the moment they saw Fairy Tail mages returning in groups, the townspeople collectively gave up trying to make sense of it.
After all, when something bizarre happens without warning and Fairy Tail members are nearby, it's probably safe to chalk it up to their doing.
It wasn't exactly fair to always blame the guild, but explaining the truth was even harder, because, well, this time it really was their fault.
Rhodes asked Mira to head back to the guild first while he made a round through town to check if the event had caused any serious damage.
Thankfully, the Celestial Spirit King had not blanketed the world in pitch black. Instead, he left a gentle starlight shimmering across the sky, which meant no accidents had occurred among the townsfolk.
While walking through the streets and chatting with a few locals, Rhodes overheard two amusing stories.
One was that someone had successfully proposed under the sudden starlit sky.
The other was that a couple, having sworn their love to the heavens, promptly broke up afterward.
Rhodes gave a satisfied nod. He decided to share the tale of the successful confession with Jet, Droy, and Alzack once he returned.
When Makarov returned to the guild, he was greeted by a surprising update: one of his own guild members was actually a Celestial Spirit and had returned to the Celestial Spirit Realm.
"What? Loke? Leo the Lion? Are you kidding me?"
"I thought you already knew," Rhodes replied, recalling how the Master had nonchalantly approved Loke's job request just a few days ago.
"Didn't Master Bob tell you? Or maybe Porlyusica?" Rhodes added.
Since Loke's previous summoner had been the poster girl of Blue Pegasus, Master Bob had known the truth about his identity. And Bob, being close friends with Makarov, surely had the chance to say something.
Rhodes had assumed the Master already knew when he let Loke join Fairy Tail.
But judging from the current reaction, it seemed like Makarov—just like Rhodes—didn't usually ask too many questions about where Fairy Tail's strays came from.
"I haven't checked in with Porlyusica lately," Makarov admitted, scratching his head with some guilt. "And Bob never mentioned anything. Maybe because of that confidentiality rule."
He was referring to the Wizard Privacy Act, which protects a mage's personal information. Without the individual's consent, details like magical lineage or background can't be disclosed.
Of course, for members of dark guilds like Eisenwald, the rules were different. Digging up personal info on someone like Jose wasn't just legal, it came with a reward.
Mira chimed in, "So what should we do about Loke's guild status?"
"What do you mean?"
Mira explained, "He's Lucy's Celestial Spirit now. But before that, he handed in a resignation letter. Does that still make him a member of the guild?"
Makarov waved it off with a smile. "Leo is Leo, and Loke is Loke. I never signed off on any resignation, and no one erased his guild mark. So of course, he's still one of us."
"Isn't it nice?" he added. "Having a Celestial Spirit as a guild member?"
Rhodes nodded, understanding the implication. It was like saying, The resignation of Mr. Hyde has nothing to do with Dr. Jekyll.
As they spoke, more members started arriving at the guild, some cheerfully picking new missions to head out on.
The final touches on the top floor's decorations were nearly complete, and at this point, no additional help was needed.
Lucy and Loke arrived at the guild together. After exchanging a few friendly greetings, they made their way over to the counter.
"Master, Mira, Rhodes," Lucy greeted them with a warm smile, her mood clearly cheerful today.
Loke also looked visibly better, his usual sparkle had returned.
Mira clasped her hands together beside her face, eyes shining mischievously. "Oh my, Lucy came in with Loke? Could it be the two of you are..."
Rhodes, sounding just a little stiff, added, "Are you two having an affair?"
Lucy immediately shot him a glare. "Mr. Rhodes, you haven't learned anything from Happy's tongue-in-cheek antics, and don't you two show up together every single day?"
Rhodes casually slung an arm over Mira's shoulders. "So, are you saying your relationship with Loke is the same as mine with Mira?"
"Huh?"
"Yes, exactly." Loke grinned, sweeping Lucy into a dramatic bridal carry. "From now on, I'll be like your gallant prince—bravely charging into danger when you're in trouble, and of course, declaring my love at the perfect moment."
"I don't need any of that!" Lucy flailed in his arms, kicking and protesting. "Put me down already! What are you even doing?!"
Mira and Rhodes both wore amused smiles, while Master Makarov simply observed them with no intention of stepping in.
Loke continued to shower Lucy with sweet, over-the-top declarations, but Lucy clearly couldn't handle it and pretended not to hear a word.
Rhodes even considered pulling out a notebook to take notes.
After the comedic chaos finally settled down, Loke got to the real reason they came. "Master, I actually came to talk about something serious today."
"I've already heard from Rhodes," Makarov said, nodding knowingly.
"I truly apologize for keeping my identity hidden."
"There's no need for that," Makarov replied with a gentle smile. "To us, Loke is Loke—whether you're a human or a Celestial Spirit, it doesn't change who you are to this guild."
"Even if you're now Lucy's Celestial Spirit, you can still remain a wizard of Fairy Tail. You're always welcome back here," Makarov said with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Master," Loke replied sincerely. He truly loved this guild. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a small palm-sized bottle. "I came in a rush and only had time to bring a tiny bottle of Celestial Spirit World wine. I'd like you to try it."
"Ooh~ I'll gladly accept!" Makarov grinned and reached out his hand, but was left hanging.
The bottle had already been intercepted by Mira halfway.
"Mira?" Makarov blinked.
"Master, your alcohol probation period hasn't ended yet," Mira reminded him with a gentle but unyielding smile. "If I'm not mistaken, you already drank again during that last official council meeting. Should we extend the restriction by three more days?"
"No! Not even one more day!" Makarov looked longingly at the bottle. "Fine, you hold onto it for now."
Loke ignored the Master's pitiful eyes and instead pulled out two glossy vacation tickets. "Here, these are for you, a couple's vacation pass to the Arkane Seaview Hotel."
Rhodes took them without hesitation. "Whoa, you managed to snag these? These are rare and expensive!"
"I was planning to use them with my girlfriends," Loke said casually. "But since I can't stay in the human world much longer, I figured I'd pass them along."
He gave a sly, knowing smile, the kind only Loke could wear. When it came to love-related things, he always had mysterious connections.
Then he turned to Lucy and handed her four more tickets. "Of course, Lucy gets one too. Please pass the others to Natsu, Gray, and Erza for me."
Lucy's eyes lit up. "Wow! We're going to the beach!"
Mira chuckled, teasing, "Look at you, a rich girl, getting excited over a few vacation tickets."
Lucy puffed her cheeks. "That's because I haven't taken a single coin from home."
Since becoming a wizard, the idea of vacation felt... distant.
Rhodes started counting on his fingers and stared at Loke in disbelief. "Six tickets? You seriously planned to take five girlfriends on a trip together?!"
"Of course," Loke replied smoothly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "What's the issue?"
Rhodes blinked. "Uh... setting everything else aside, won't they fight each other?"
He remembered that time Loke took three girlfriends out to dinner at once. Five just felt like overkill.
Loke gave a sly wink. "Wanna know the secret?"
A shadow passed over Rhodes as an ominous feeling crept in.
"I was just asking casually," he said quickly, putting his hands up innocently.
'Do I look like I have the guts to try something like that?'
...
Bonus chapter
$tonks PLZzzz
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