"So, would you like to try being someone's assistant first?" Mira asked with a smile.
"An assistant?" Wendy sounded excited.
"That's all well and good, but being with these people..." Carla looked up at the surrounding crowd. Happy flew over to her, his eyes sparkling.
"Rejected!" Carla declared. Happy hung his head in dejection and slunk away.
Just then, Lucy and Levy walked over. Lucy waved and asked, "Wendy! Have you decided on a job yet?"
Mira shook her head. "Not yet. I was just suggesting she team up with someone for her start."
"Speaking of starts, Lucy, your first job was with Natsu, wasn't it?" Levy said.
At Levy's words, tears began to well in Lucy's eyes. "Because of that, I've lost track of how many times I almost died."
"But wasn't it fun?" Levy teased.
"If only Chen Fan were here. Wendy wouldn't have to worry. He'd be happy to take her on a mission, and her safety would be guaranteed with him around."
"Lucy, you've got that wrong," Levy replied. "You've been here for quite a while now. When have you ever seen Chen Fan actually go to work?"
Lucy looked up at the ceiling, mentally counting on her fingers. "There was Galuna Island."
"He was forced into that. If Master Makarov hadn't pressured him, he wouldn't have budged."
"The Tower of Heaven."
"Was that a mission? He just sort of ended up there."
"The Allied Forces mission against the Oración Seis."
"Think back. Did he actually want to go?"
"Alas... now that you mention it, even though Chen Fan has done a lot of things, he's never actually accepted a proper mission," Lucy said, reaching a sudden epiphany.
"Does he really never take missions?" Wendy asked.
"Never," Levy and Mira confirmed with a nod.
"Then how does he make money to support himself?" Lucy wondered.
"He has more money than he knows what to do with. He doesn't even know the exact figure."
"Ugh, damn the rich." Lucy's resentment of the wealthy was triggered, conveniently forgetting that she had once been a wealthy heiress herself.
"Um, I've been at Fairy Tail for a few days now, so I think it's about time I did my first job," Wendy said.
Hearing this, Levy offered an invitation. "Then why don't you join us? Come team up with Shadow Gear."
"How about joining us instead?" Lucy offered.
"Ah... Lucy, didn't you just say you're always in danger?"
"Uh...! Haha."
Suddenly, Gray approached Natsu. "Gray! Where have you been hiding these past few days?"
"Listen, Natsu. I just heard something huge."
"What is it?" Natsu asked, swallowing a chicken leg whole.
"Someone who has seen a dragon just arrived near the city," Gray revealed.
Everyone in hearing distance went dead silent.
"That is incredible intel, Natsu!" Happy said, flying to Natsu's side.
"Dragons... is it Igneel?"
"I don't know," Gray said.
"Have you met this person?" Natsu asked.
"No, I just heard the news in town. Some person named Daphne is bragging everywhere about seeing a dragon. According to her, she didn't just see one; she actually encountered one recently."
"Really? Is it true?" Natsu was still obsessed with finding Igneel.
"It's worth checking out!"
"Where is she?" Happy asked.
"At an inn called Lyz in the western barrens."
"Alright! Let's go, Happy!"
"Aye!" Natsu shouted as he sprinted out of the guild.
Wendy ran after him. "I want to go too! That dragon might be Grandeeney!"
"Then let's go check it out together," Natsu said. He then turned to Gajeel. "Are you coming?"
Gajeel glanced up and scoffed. "No way. It's definitely fake news."
"You don't know that for sure."
"You run off every single time. How many times have you been tricked by fake rumors? Anything involving dragons is just bait to lure people in. You should learn to be smarter by now," Gajeel said, not even bothering to get up from his chair.
"Don't tell me you don't want to see Metallicana!" Natsu challenged.
"What would be the point? That self-centered jerk who vanished out of nowhere? I couldn't care less if I ever see him again," Gajeel muttered.
"Gajeel!" Wendy whispered.
"He's just being stubborn. He actually wants to find him more than anyone," Lucy whispered to Levy.
"I think so too!" Levy whispered back with a smile.
"Wendy, let's go!"
"Right!"
Wendy turned to Carla. "Carla, I hope it's Grandeeney!"
"I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you," Carla advised.
Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Carla then left the guild.
Meanwhile, a person was kneeling before Chen Fan.
"What's the word? Any movement from Fairy Tail?"
"Someone in the city is spreading rumors about seeing a dragon. Natsu and Wendy have been lured out."
"Is that so? Who would spread such a lie, and for what purpose?" Chen Fan mused. He had forgotten this specific plot point, or rather, his memory of this period was vague.
"I do not know, but there is one more thing. Erza was attacked."
Chen Fan frowned. "How is she?"
"She is unharmed."
Chen Fan thought for a long while, but his memory of this event was still blurry. If it wasn't anything major, he probably wouldn't remember. "Fine, you may leave."
Chen Fan waved his hand, and the man's body sank into the ground, turning into a shadow before vanishing.
ERA.
A few days later, Chen Fan was once again brought before the Council. The councilors sat high above him. Over the past few days, some had tried to make contact with him, but Chen Fan's guards were all Gran Doma's men, leaving them no opportunity.
"What now? I'm a busy man. I lose hundreds of thousands of jewels every second. Can you afford the compensation? Don't tell me the Magic Council intends to dodge its debts." Chen Fan spoke with his usual arrogance.
The councilors looked awkward. If they actually did the math, Chen Fan wasn't wrong. But these men were seasoned politicians; they wouldn't have reached their positions without thick skin and ruthless methods.
"We didn't call you here for that. Something happened near your city, and we thought you should know." With a wave of a hand, a giant crystal ball appeared before everyone. It showed the city where the Fairy Tail guild was located.
The city was currently facing a disaster. A massive dragon was systematically destroying everything in sight. Chen Fan's brow furrowed. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Do not misunderstand, Chen Fan. We only just received the news. I have already sent reinforcements, but we felt it was right to inform you." Gran Doma spoke calmly, but Chen Fan could sense the schadenfreude beneath his words. Or rather, they simply wanted to see him panic.
Chen Fan's detention would end in just a few minutes. Once those minutes passed, he would be a free man, and the Council would have no further leverage over him. But if Chen Fan were to leave now because of this, they would have a perfect excuse to charge him with a real crimejailbreaking. They wanted to watch him squirm in anxious powerlessness while his home was under threat.
Watching the members of Fairy Tail mobilize to hunt down that Artificial Dragon, the corners of Chen Fan's mouth curled into a smile of utter disdain. "Do you truly believe Fairy Tail is a one-man guild?"
His sudden question caught everyone off guard. Gran Doma blinked. "What do you mean by that?"
"Is it because I've been making too many waves lately? Or have you simply overestimated my importance? Fairy Tail has never been a guild belonging to a single person. She is a collective. Everything we do, we do to protect her.
We grow strong to protect, and we protect because we have grown strong. I may stand out, but that doesn't mean my guild is weak without me. Whether as a group or as individuals, Fairy Tail will always be the strongest!"
As Chen Fan spoke, the Artificial Dragon on the screen was defeated. The members of Fairy Tail emerged victorious. The guild and the people of the city erupted in cheers. The councilors had been so distracted by Chen Fan's words that they hadn't even noticed the battle reaching its conclusion.
Chen Fan opened his arms and laughed. "See? I told you. What the Magic Council needs isn't powerit's the support of the people. Gentlemen, your new Council was only just built. You should focus on managing the resources you have. Trying to get fat on a single bite won't end well!"
With that, Chen Fan turned and walked away. Surprisingly, Gran Doma didn't get angry. His reaction left everyone stunned; normally, a man as rigid as him would have been in a rage, demanding Chen Fan be hauled back.
"Lord Gran Doma." Laharl approached, waiting for orders.
Gran Doma simply waved him off. "Leave me."
Laharl glanced at Chen Fan's retreating back and slowly withdrew. Gran Doma stood alone, deeply pondering the weight of Chen Fan's words.
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