Marco emerged from the steamy bathroom, casually picked up the soft casual clothes draped over the chairback and changed into them.
He walked through the quiet corridor, went downstairs and stepped into the living room.
Then, the scene in the living room made his cold sweat instantly break out.
In the living room, Lucy, Erza, Gray, Natsu and Happy were gathered around the oak coffee table.
Leaning forward, they formed a small circle, with everyone's gaze focused on the center of the table.
And what lay at the center of the table could be nothing other than that very copy of "Memory of Time".
"Marco's out!"
Gray spotted Marco and quickly alerted the others - they could stop examining the book and just ask Brother Marco directly.
Upon hearing this, the others simultaneously shifted their gaze from the book to Marco, their eyes filled with undisguised curiosity and inquiry.
Marco's heart pounded violently in his chest several times, but he desperately suppressed the surging emotions, striving to maintain calm on his face.
He walked over slowly, his steps steady as if treading on thin ice - one misstep and he might not reach the other side.
Approaching the group, Marco tilted his head slightly, his gaze precisely falling on that copy of "Memory of Time".
He asked in a deliberately relaxed tone. "What are you all looking at?"
At this moment, only one word remained in Marco's mind, "Fortunately".
Fortunately, he had sealed this book in advance.
Marco breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart, almost able to hear the thumping sound of his suspended heart slowly settling back into his chest.
If he hadn't been prepared in advance, there should be no one left in this living room by now.
Even this entire timeline might have disappeared.
'When others come from the future to reveal information to me, I'm happy to accept it and might even actively change the future. But when someone wants to alter my past, I absolutely cannot tolerate it. Humans truly are such hypocritical creatures.' Marco mocked himself inwardly, having to admit that he was indeed being quite hypocritical in this regard.
"Marco-san, is there something wrong with this book? Why did you seal it away?"
Lucy carefully tapped the book wrapped in a transparent, sturdy "Crystal Wall" with her fingertip, her eyes full of confusion.
After taking this book from the shelf, Lucy had immediately noticed it was sealed by the "Crystal Wall", which left her utterly puzzled.
But because of the "Crystal Wall" seal, she felt even more comfortable taking it away.
After all, this meant that even if the book really had some issues, they definitely wouldn't manifest now.
With the "Crystal Wall" in place, any dangers within the book were isolated.
The group had been studying the book's cover for a long time, but still couldn't figure out what this book with a four-leaf clover on the cover was about.
Lucy even speculated whether it might be Marco's diary?
Otherwise, why would it be sealed with the "Crystal Wall"?
"This book..."
Facing Lucy's inquiry, Marco glanced at the people present.
Blonde Lucy, heroic Erza, simple-minded Natsu, slightly embarrassed Gray, and Happy tilting his head - the five-person team that had returned to the past was now complete.
"Wait..."
At this thought, Marco suddenly froze as an idea emerged in his mind—why exactly was it the "group of five"?
"Was I... truly not there?"
Once this thought took root, everything instantly became clear to Marco.
He recalled the scene: Erza, Lucy, Gray, and Happy haphazardly grabbing Natsu while Natsu foolishly resisted—it was utter chaos.
And at the final moment, Erza had thrown out "Memory of Time."
At that instant, his attention had indeed been completely captured by that discarded magic book.
"So it's entirely possible." Marco's eyes lit up.
He had already devised a plan: he simply needed to rely on "Instant Movement" to touch Natsu at the last moment to return with them, all without being noticed by his younger self!
Though the execution would be extremely precise, it was completely feasible given Marco's current strength—he could easily deceive his younger self.
"Moreover, I could even use Royal Demon Palace Rose."
The more Marco thought about it, the more viable it seemed.
He could bring some "Royal Demon Palace Rose" along and use its petals to achieve an invisibility effect.
'Hmm, that might not be entirely reliable since traces could still be left.'
Using the "Instant Movement" method directly would be the safest approach.
He had too many ways to conceal his identity—the [Pope's Mask] could also work, making it impossible for others to discern his true identity.
And if anything went wrong during the process, he still had the [Illusion Demon Emperor Fist] to turn the tables!
By now, Marco was seriously considering whether he should take the initiative to activate this "Memory of Time" himself.
There was no other choice—today's events were just too coincidental.
The fact that this "group of five" and this book could so mysteriously draw each other together had touched a nerve in Marco.
If he hadn't taken preventive measures in advance, the outcome would have been different. But even if he prevented it this time, what about the next?
Or the time after that? Could something unexpected happen?
For instance, what if his "Crystal Wall" happened to fail or get destroyed?
You can't guard against a thief forever.
The best solution was to use the book directly, putting it back into cooldown so he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.
"What's... wrong with this book?"
Seeing Marco start speaking but then suddenly fall silent, Lucy asked, her voice tinged with unease.
Lucy and Erza exchanged puzzled glances.
They watched Marco's expression shift from grave to resolute, as if he had made some momentous decision.
The significance of this book seemed far beyond their imagination!
"Lucy, Gray, if you met my younger self, what would you say? Specifically, the thirteen-year-old me from year x778."
Marco took a deep breath, his expression serious as he posed the question to Lucy and Gray.
He emphasized the time and age while quickly scanning Natsu, Erza, and Happy present, confirming that only these two needed special warnings.
Lucy—because she interacted with him and the guild frequently—and Gray—who had said something clearly inconsistent with the current timeline—were the ones who absolutely needed to be cautioned.
"Huh? Year x778? That was... I think I was only ten then? I probably hadn't officially joined Fairy Tail yet?"
Marco's sudden question left Lucy somewhat bewildered.
She furrowed her brows and began recalling - year x778 was already six years ago.
Lucy was seventeen now, meaning she was eleven six years ago.
That year held special significance for her, because that was when she first met Marco and became his apprentice.
By year x779, when she turned twelve, she officially joined Fairy Tail and began her career as a Mage.
"I'd probably say... make sure to write Sherlock Holmes' story properly!"
After some thought, Lucy voiced her opinion.
She had first met Marco at the book signing for "The Great Detective Sherlock Holmes 2," which eventually led to her connection with Fairy Tail.
This book naturally held extraordinary meaning for her.
"No, you should tell me not to kill off Sherlock Holmes."
Marco immediately shook his head, correcting her with a serious expression.
"But I already know he'll come back to life! You told me that, and isn't 'The Return' already planned as the title?"
Lucy looked conflicted.
If this was before Marco had told her these things, she would definitely have said "don't kill off Sherlock Holmes."
But now, she certainly wouldn't say that.
"Then pretend you don't know. Also, when you meet my younger self, you can't act too familiar because that version of me doesn't know you at all."
Marco continued speaking, making Lucy's expression turn strange.
Why was he being so serious about this? It was as if she really was going back in time to meet Marco as a child.
Was something like that even possible?
"Gray, you don't need to be too polite with me. You should have me teach you Diamond Dust Fist. You've wanted to learn it for a long time, but kept it to yourself until Lucy started learning it, then joined in."
Ignoring Lucy's peculiar expression, Marco turned to Gray and continued.
"You knew back then that I wanted to learn it all along?"