Watching Chairman Kate's excited demeanor, Ezreal thought to himself, 'People in shonen anime are so easy to trick.'
Each and every one of them, they just create a persona and it's taken as real.
No wonder Jellal, despite being in the Council, managed to climb to one of the high-ranking positions, and even Ultear, one of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory, also managed to get a high-ranking position in the Council.
Ezreal's magic power slowly receded, and he said with a slight smile, 'Thank you for your trust, Chairman. I will not let you down.'
Chairman Kate nodded, sat back down, and said directly, 'Before I met you, I actually didn't have much of a good impression of Fairy Tail. It wasn't just me; most people in the Magic Council felt the same way.'
'In our eyes, Fairy Tail is a Guild whose reliability is directly proportional to its troublesome nature. You have one of the top three Mage counts in the entire Fiore Kingdom, and there are quite a few powerful Mages within the Guild.'
'But your people, whenever they undertake a mission, always cause some unnecessary trouble. Even though you always pay compensation with the mission reward afterwards to minimize or eliminate the negative impact you've caused, that doesn't change the bad things that have already happened.'
'People's houses are blown up, and you do compensate for the cost of rebuilding, but then what? Has anyone among you ever cared that a small house was built by a family with their own hard work, that they spent many years in that cozy little home, leaving behind countless memories?'
'Every brick and tile of the house, the tables and chairs, are indeed not valuable things. But for the people living there, what is precious has never been these material possessions.'
'I'm telling you this not to criticize you, who haven't done such things, nor do I want to speak ill of your Guild in front of you. Rather, I hope you can truly understand why everyone dislikes your Guild.'
'Many people in the Magic Council are dissatisfied with Fairy Tail, not because our hearts are full of prejudice, but because the vast majority of us have a deep sympathy for ordinary people.'
'Whether Mages, commoners, or nobles, in short, everyone is human. This world is not only for those with power, influence, and strength to live with dignity.'
'Our location is remote, and before you, I had only heard of Fairy Tail. You are the first member of the Fairy Tail Guild I have met.'
'In you, I saw something completely different from what the rumors suggested.'
'I truly, from the bottom of my heart, hope that everyone in your Guild is different from what I've heard.'
Ezreal looked at Chairman Kate with a focused expression and sincere eyes, listening intently to his every word.
Chairman Kate took a deep breath, paused briefly, and then continued, 'Past events may have led us to form stereotypes, but I sincerely hope you can be the one to break the mold. I hope you can take these heartfelt words back to your Guild and make your Guild members understand that power should be used to protect and create beauty, not to destroy and cause trouble.'
Ezreal nodded solemnly and said, 'Chairman, please rest assured, I will engrave your words in my heart. I believe my Guild mates will also gradually realize these issues, and we will work hard to change everyone's perception.'
Chairman Kate smiled slightly, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes: 'Good, then I will wait to see the transformation of Fairy Tail. I also hope you can steadfastly continue on this path and prove everything with your actions.'
Ezreal stood up, bowed deeply to Chairman Kate, and then turned to leave the room... Fairy Tail, Master's office.
Makarov stood by the bookshelf, opened a thick book on the shelf, his eyes shining.
It wasn't filled with knowledge; the opened book had its inside hollowed out, with a small bottle of liquor tucked inside.
Makarov excitedly took out the bottle, ran two steps to the sofa, and picked up a teacup, about to pour himself a drink.
Just then, the old-fashioned telephone on the desk rang.
The little old man was so startled that he almost dropped his cup.
Makarov carefully put down the wine glass, walked angrily to the desk, and picked up the phone.
'Hello! Who is this!'
'Is this Makarov? It's Agema! Your Guild's young man really made a name for himself this time! Ah haha!' An old man's laughter came from the other end of the phone.
'Hmm, Agema, a young man? Which young man?' Makarov's expression softened. Agema was a good friend he had made in his youth, and now he was in the Magic Council, holding the sixth seat.
Whenever the Fairy Tail Guild caused trouble, Agema often spoke up on their behalf.
But his old friend's call today left him utterly confused.
'It's that blond kid who single-handedly wiped out the Skull Gang, named Ezreal. He's one of yours, right?' Agema on the other end of the phone said with a laugh.
'Chairman Kate, the head of the Council branch, called headquarters directly to highly praise this young man. That old fellow is quite rigid; it's rare to hear him praise anyone.'
'Not bad, Makarov, you've finally raised a steady and reliable young man.'
Upon hearing this, Makarov's face immediately broke into a surprised smile, and his voice rose a few octaves: 'So it's that Ezreal kid! He actually wiped out the Skull Gang so quickly? This truly surprises me!'
Agema on the other end of the phone said with a laugh, 'Indeed, Makarov, this young fellow has caused quite a stir in the Council. Even those who usually dislike your Guild are very surprised.'
Makarov felt a wave of relief upon hearing this.
The two old men chatted for a few more moments, then hung up the phone.
Makarov returned to the bookshelf and picked up the bottle of liquor again, but this time he didn't rush to pour it. Instead, he thoughtfully picked up a document from his desk.
'Fairy Tail Mage Training'
Signed: Laxus Dreyar
This was a document Laxus had submitted this morning, detailing how internal members could improve their strength, better control magic, and practice magic.
Laxus suggested that powerful Mages within the Guild could offer paid guidance to the younger members.
This expense would be covered by the Guild.
In the short term, it would be an additional cost for the Guild, but in the long run...
More and more high-level Mages would be able to undertake more high-paying missions.
The Guild's commission from missions would also increase.
At the same time, increased strength would also prevent them from constantly causing trouble.
Among them, several powerful Mages in the Guild were suggested by Laxus to be mentors for improving Guild members' strength.
Macao, who wields Fire Magic.
Wakaba, who wields Smoke Magic.
Erza, who is proficient in Re-quip Magic.
Laxus, who is proficient in Lightning Magic.
Ezreal, who is proficient in Light Magic and Summoning Magic.
Freed, who is proficient in Rune Magic.
Even Makarov, who is proficient in Light Magic and Giant Magic, was included.
'Laxus, Ezreal...' Makarov looked at the document in his hand, falling into deep thought for a moment.