Half a month had passed since the Phantom Lord incident.
The Magic Council had specifically summoned Makarov to hear the final verdict regarding the matter.
The outcome was more or less what Alyan had expected.
Phantom Lord was disbanded, and Jose's title as one of the Ten Wizard Saints was revoked.
Well, even if it hadn't been revoked, it wouldn't have mattered much anymore.
The man had already been reduced to ashes.
As for Fairy Tail, aside from having to submit a written report of self-reflection, they received no further punishment.
Both Yajima and Makarov found the result surprising, yet entirely reasonable.
After all, Fairy Tail had now become the strongest guild in Fiore after defeating Phantom Lord.
With two Wizard Saints, two—or perhaps even three—Saint-level candidates, plus the backing of both the Viviamilio family and the Heartfilia family through Alyan and Lucy, they were not a guild the Council could casually target.
As for the present...
Since the guild hall was being rebuilt, Alyan and the others had decided to take the opportunity to go on vacation.
Their destination this time was Phoenix Flower Village, located west of Magnolia.
The village was famous for its traditional Eastern architecture, bamboo forests, hot spring inns, and sake houses. Renowned for its luxurious resorts and top-class hot springs, it was one of Fiore's most famous tourist destinations.
"There really are a lot of people here today."
Leaning comfortably against a rock in the hot spring, Cana sipped her wine leisurely while glancing around the bath.
Mavis, Erza, Kagura, Ur, Ultear, Mira, Lisanna, Lucy, and herself were all present.
Levy, Bisca, Levy, Evergreen, and Laki had also been invited.
And then there was Juvia, who had been discovered secretly peeking at Alyan from afar.
Although she had once been an enemy, she had never actually harmed anyone.
In fact, she hadn't even managed to attack before dramatically fainting.
Combined with Phantom Lord's dissolution, nobody felt the need to dwell on the past, and she was quickly accepted into the group.
A gathering of beauties, without question.
Though...
Can Mavis even soak in a hot spring?
Cana silently wondered.
"Isn't this wonderful?" Ur said while lazily sipping sake, eyes half-closed. "A little relaxation helps us work harder later."
"Exactly," Mira agreed, a folded white towel resting atop her head. "It's rare for everyone to relax together. This is basically a family vacation."
The moment the words family vacation left her mouth, Levy, Bisca, Laki, and Evergreen all blushed and sank slightly deeper into the water.
Meanwhile, Juvia nearly passed out from happiness.
In her mind, Mira had become a saint.
"Juvia, are you okay?"
Lucy hurried over, thinking she might have gotten dizzy from the hot spring.
"N-No problem..."
Juvia's face was completely red.
"Juvia just needs a little rest."
"Uh... okay."
Lucy nodded, deciding she'd better keep an eye on her.
"Cana, stop drinking so much."
Erza stood up and scolded her.
Levy and Mavis immediately looked away with complicated expressions.
Compared to Erza, they felt somewhat lacking in certain areas.
The men's side was far quieter.
Alyan rested against the edge of the bath with his eyes closed.
As Mira had said, this was a family trip.
Which was precisely why Natsu, Gray, and Happy hadn't been invited.
Incidentally, Alyan had rented the entire inn.
No need to worry about disturbing other guests.
Such was the power of money.
"Since we're staying at an inn," Erza suddenly declared excitedly, tucking a pillow under her arm, "we absolutely need a pillow fight!"
Inside an enormous guest room, she looked completely serious.
"You all go ahead," Ultear said gracefully, seated beside Alyan in her bathrobe. "I'll stay with Lord Alyan."
"Unfair!"
Juvia immediately bit down on a handkerchief that seemingly appeared from nowhere.
"Juvia wants to sit beside Lord Alyan too!"
Mira smiled sweetly.
"Why don't we all join?"
Then her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"As for Alyan..."
"We'll make him the prize."
"The winner gets exclusive time with him tonight."
The room instantly fell silent.
Then every woman present lit up with fighting spirit.
Those who hadn't intended to participate suddenly changed their minds.
Even the atmosphere became dangerous.
Lucy, Lisanna, and Levy felt a chill run down their spines.
Meanwhile, Alyan looked speechless.
He had somehow gone from a living person to a tournament prize.
Still...
Seeing the excitement in everyone's eyes, he wisely chose not to object.
Besides, no matter who won, he wasn't exactly losing.
It seemed Prince Alyan had changed.
He was no longer the emotionally clueless workaholic he used to be.
Ur crossed her arms.
"Rules first."
"No teams."
"Everyone gets only three pillows."
"And most importantly—"
"No magic."
"I'd rather not have our vacation end with the inn collapsing."
"No problem!" everyone answered together.
No one intended to share such a rare opportunity.
The way they looked at one another was practically filled with killing intent.
"Then I officially declare..."
Alyan sat leisurely in the corridor, serving as referee.
"The First Family Pillow Battle..."
"Begin!"
"Your first elimination is mine, Mira!"
Erza shouted Mira's name—
Only to throw her pillow directly at Ultear.
"What?!"
Ultear was caught completely off guard.
"Erza! You actually used a feint!"
A pillow smacked directly into her.
"Juvia must obtain alone time with Lord Alyan!"
Juvia launched her pillow at what she perceived as the greatest threats:
Ultear and Erza.
As for Mira...
Mira was a saint and therefore exempt from attack.
"Lucy, I won't hold back!"
Lisanna stared directly at Lucy.
"I-I won't lose either!"
Before Lucy could even finish her declaration—
Thump!
A pillow struck the back of her head.
Levy had attacked.
"Sorry, Lucy."
Levy immediately followed with her second pillow.
"Nice one, Levy!"
Lisanna seized the opportunity and launched her final pillow.
"KYAAAH!"
Lucy collapsed dramatically.
First one eliminated.
"They're so mean..."
Lucy sat beside Alyan looking utterly wronged.
"I was already on the ground and they still attacked me."
"Hahaha!"
Alyan burst out laughing and handed her a cup of tea.
"Don't worry about it."
"You can win next time."
"Here, have some tea and relax."
With Lucy's elimination, the battle intensified.
Lisanna, Levy, Laki, and Mavis were successively knocked out.
Evergreen was fooled by one of Erza's feints and eliminated shortly afterward.
Bisca and Juvia were then ambushed and defeated by the mother-daughter duo of Ur and Ultear.
Cana looked around carefully.
"These are all formidable opponents..."
"Sorry, Ultear," Ur thought calmly.
"But I'll be taking this opportunity for myself."
"Tonight, Alyan belongs only to me."
Kagura's expression remained completely serious.
Only six competitors remained:
Cana.
Ur.
Ultear.
Erza.
Kagura.
And Mira.
Each occupied a corner of the room.
Bathrobes slightly disheveled from battle, eyes full of vigilance.
While watching their opponents, they couldn't help occasionally glancing toward Alyan in the corridor.
The six women collectively seemed to possess eight hundred schemes between them.
The air itself felt charged with a single thought:
Victory.
"Ah..."
Alyan sipped his tea leisurely.
Watching the lively competition and the cheerful chaos around him, he couldn't help smiling.
"What a wonderful day."