After Elfman fought a hard battle and finally managed to master the Beast King power, he was completely exhausted.
The moment his magic worked, he immediately passed out.
With no other option, Ankh carried the unconscious Elfman and brought Mirajane and Lisanna safely back to the guild.
What should have been the terrible tragedy of Lisanna's death was peacefully solved because Ankh was there.
It ended up being just a small problem instead of a disaster.
Back at the guild, Ankh reported to Makarov and asked him a question.
"Master, how much do you know about the Dark Guild called Tartaros?"
Makarov was surprised. "What? Did you meet someone from Tartaros on your job?"
Ankh nodded, his face serious. "It was a woman who said she was a demon. She was very strong. If my magic wasn't a direct counter to hers, she would have been a big problem."
Hearing this from his most powerful wizard, Makarov also became serious.
"If even you say that... Tartaros is truly a scary and secretive group."
Ankh pressed on, "That woman said she wasn't human. Tartaros is the Dark Guild I know the least about, so I wanted to ask you."
Makarov looked grim as he paced slowly. "There are many Dark Guilds, but only the ones in the Balam Alliance have become truly powerful. And Tartaros is one of its most important members."
Ankh thought: '...I already know all this. Tell me something new.'
Not noticing Ankh's boredom, Makarov continued in his low, old-man's voice.
"Of the three big Dark Guilds, Oración Seis is the most active, Grimoire Heart is the strongest, and Tartaros is the most mysterious."
"The only information we have is that Tartaros worships the dark mage Zeref and believes in demons. We know nothing about who its members are or how strong they are."
"I never thought they actually had real demons among them..." Makarov was clearly shaken by this news.
Ankh frowned. "Is there really no other information?"
Makarov shook his head. "No. Not even the Magic Council, with all its spies, probably has much useful information on them."
Frustrated, Ankh punched the corner of a table. "Then it seems our only lead is to follow the White Devil Cult to find them."
"Don't be reckless," Makarov said, stopping his pacing with a helpless look. "Even if we find Tartaros, we can't be the ones to start a fight first."
"The Council has strict rules against guilds going to war. We can't just attack one of the three major Dark Guilds. They say it would cause too many innocent people to get hurt."
Ankh gritted his teeth—the Council again!
For some reason, Ankh had always disliked the Magic Council.
He felt their system was okay for handling small problems, but if a war broke out that could destroy the whole world, the Council would be useless.
Trying to control powerful guilds through rules alone wouldn't work in the long run.
Makarov saw Ankh's troubled look and tried to comfort him.
"We must capture the White Devil Cult, but we cannot recklessly pick a fight with Tartaros."
(Of course, Makarov's rule only applied if the Dark Guilds hadn't hurt his "children." If they ever laid a finger on his family, he would tell the Council to get lost and lead the charge himself!)
In fact, in the original story, that's exactly what he did.
Two of the three major Dark Guilds were destroyed because they provoked Fairy Tail first.
The only exception was Oración Seis, which the Council allowed several guilds to attack together.
As Ankh thought about the problem, a person suddenly came to his mind: Ultear!
As a top member of the dark guild Grimoire Heart, she would surely have information about their allies.
And right now, she was undercover at the Magic Council, which made her easy for Ankh to reach.
"I can use my other identity, Anselion, to gather information at the Council," Ankh suggested.
Makarov thought for a moment, then nodded.
"That might be better. The Council likely knows more than we do. I'll also have people track the White Devil Cult's movements."
With that matter settled, Makarov felt relieved.
Watching the young guild members play, he sighed.
"Ankh, since you joined the guild, I feel like the weight on my shoulders has gotten much lighter..."
Ankh looked at the short old man in surprise and waved it off.
"It's nothing. I'm just doing my part."
When Ankh heard Makarov's words, he was deeply moved.
He remembered watching the Fairy Tail story in his past life and laughing at how Natsu and Erza would destroy things while Makarov wrote apology letters.
But after truly joining the guild, Ankh understood Makarov's struggles more and more.
On the outside, other guilds were always watching, hoping to take Fairy Tail's place.
Even the Magic Council wanted to shut them down.
On the inside, Makarov had to handle all the guild's problems.
Whenever the members caused trouble, he took the responsibility, all while trying to keep them from feeling guilty.
He wanted to pass on his role, but he couldn't find the right person.
Laxus was too proud, Mystogan was a loner, Gildarts was always away, and Mirajane had lost her magic.
That left only Erza, who was respected but still not quite ready.
But now, with Ankh—who was steady, understood the big picture, and was strong enough for others to listen to—Makarov's life had become much easier these past few years.
Not long ago, Ankh was even given the title of Wizard Saint, putting him on the same level as Makarov in fame.
This made the guild more famous, but with Ankh's help, it was also more stable inside.
Lost in thought, Ankh smiled gently.
"Guild Master."
"Hmm?"
"You've worked hard."
Makarov turned his head quickly.
Seeing Ankh's soft expression, he grinned, his eyes looking a little wet...
"You brat! Since when do I need your comfort?!"
Even though Makarov's old face pretended to be annoyed, Ankh could hear the relief in his hearty laughter.
It was the sound of years of pressure and worry finally being released.
To lead the guild for three generations and bring it to its peak, the effort Makarov had put in was beyond imagination.
As the laughter faded, Makarov looked with kind, smiling eyes at Ankh and the other lively young people in front of him.
Once again, he felt a deep sense of relief in his heart.
As long as he could guide these children well and protect this family he loved so much, all his hardships were worth it.
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