Chapter 152: The New Guild
In a lavish, secluded villa by the sea, Ultear Milkovich let out a soft sigh, sinking deeper into the steaming, rose-petal-filled bath. She swirled a glass of red wine in one hand, the picture of decadent relaxation. In front of her, a large communications lacrima glowed, projecting the dark, swirling symbol of Grimoire Heart.
She was reporting to her guild master, Hades.
"...and that's how things are," she concluded, her voice a calm, smooth purr. "The Council's headquarters has been... compromised. The responsibility a Council Member has to bear is too great, so 'Siegrain' can't operate for now. The entire Council might even be replaced and disbanded in the chaos."
"Well done, Ultear," Hades's deep, disembodied voice rumbled from the crystal. "You have played your part perfectly. How is Jellal?"
"I heard he was captured and sent to the army by an unknown person, then imprisoned by the new Council," she said with a dismissive wave. "It must have been Fairy Tail who did it. What a pathetic man."
She took a sip of wine, a cruel, beautiful smile on her lips. "He didn't even know he was being used by me. For eight long years, he never realized that the 'ghost of Zeref' he was channeling... was just me, in disguise. He was completely brainwashed, and things developed quite smoothly. Involving the entire Council in this turmoil, forcing them to deploy Etherion... everything is in line with the plan."
"However," she admitted, her smile fading slightly, "the Etherion blast being transferred... that gave me a fright. According to Jellal's final, frantic roar, it must have been Ren who did it. Truly remarkable."
After all, that was Etherion. The ultimate weapon of the Magic Council, and it was actually teleported. She didn't know what method Ren used, but to be able to do such a thing... he was definitely unprecedented and unmatched. He truly lived up to his many titles as a 'super monster.' He was... dangerous. More dangerous, perhaps, than even Jellal's R-System.
Hades's voice came from the crystal ball, heavy with ancient thought. "Fairy Tail?... I hope they don't get in my way. Our goal is the Great Magic World. They are merely ants on the path. But... if they do get in my way, I will have no choice but to destroy them."
Magnolia Town.
"This... This is!!"
"Wow!"
"Oh... oh!"
"Is it... already finished?!"
"The new... FAIRY TAIL GUILD!!"
Ren, Mira, Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Lucy stood in the center of the street, looking at the brand new guild hall with expressions of pure awe.
The new guild was magnificent. It was several times larger than before, a grand, three-story structure of stone and timber, with a soaring, whimsical roofline. Its exterior was incomparable to the old, dilapidated one. It had proper walls, a massive, arched gate, and the aura it gave off was one of strength and joy. The massive Fairy Tail banner, now clean and new, snapped proudly in the breeze.
"Yo, you're back!"
"Surprised, aren't you? This is our new home!"
The guild members standing near the new gate, including Alzack and Bisca, greeted Ren and the others as they returned.
"This isn't bad at all!" Ren's eyes lit up, a genuine smile on his face. He hadn't expected the guild to be completed so quickly.
"There's also an outdoor cafe!" Lucy pointed, her eyes sparkling.
"There's even a small shop at the entrance?!"
"Welcome! Oh, it's you guys! Welcome back!"
Macao, wearing a salesman's apron, greeted them from the shop's counter.
Happy, zipping over, exclaimed, "Wow! Macao opened a shop, Aye!"
Macao called out, "Come on! See if there's anything you want to buy. We have Fairy Tail special T-shirts and wristbands, mugs, towels, and original Magic Lacrima!"
"Among them," he said, puffing his chest out, "the most popular item is this Mage Figurine, 3,000 Jewel each!"
Erza was a bit speechless. "They even sell... these things..."
Mira's eyes lit up as if she had discovered a new toy. "Huh? Ren, look! Isn't this your figurine?!"
Lucy also exclaimed, "So many Ren figurines!!"
She was right. An entire shelf was dedicated to them. There were figurines of Ren in his Ulquiorra form, one in his Yoriichi Tsugikuni form, one in his Fushiguro Toji form, and also ones in his Ace and Whitebeard forms.
Among them, the Whitebeard form figurine was the largest, clearly several times bigger and more detailed than the others.
"Ren's figurines are the best-sellers! By far!" Macao said, holding up the Whitebeard one. "Especially this one! Priced at 10,000 Jewel, it's already a national best-seller!"
Previously, when Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord clashed, Ren had defeated the Ten Wizard Saint Jose in this very form. That entire battle was broadcast nationwide. Ren had become famous throughout the Fiore Kingdom because of it.
On Weekly Sorcerer, he had ranked first in the Mage popularity poll, first in the Mage strength poll, and first in the 'Most Wanted as a Boyfriend' poll, holding the top spot for several consecutive weeks.
Ren would also buy Weekly Sorcerer when he was bored. Seeing his ranking, he felt a secret, smug joy in his heart. As a young man, he naturally had some vanity.
"Hoh," Ren said, picking up the Whitebeard one. "The craftsmanship isn't bad. They got the mustache-curl mostly right."
"Oh, Ren-kun, you're so popular," Mira teased, picking up the Ulquiorra one. "I like this one. So cool and brooding."
"Give me one of this, this, and that!"
Ren waved his hand, buying all of his own figurines and a newly-spotted Mirajane one. He had loved figurines before he transmigrated, and he had bought some.
"Thank you for your patronage!" Seeing the huge sale, Macao immediately got to work.
"Look!! Lucy, there's a figurine of you too!" Mira called out.
"Eh—?!"
"Don't just make things like this without permission! It's so embarrassing..."
Seeing this, Lucy felt somewhat shy.
"Wow!" Happy, fiddling with the figure, pressed a small button. The figure's plastic clothes suddenly ripped open, revealing it in just its underwear.
"Of course! The clothes are removable!" Macao said proudly.
"STOP IT—!!"
Lucy, bright red, quickly tried to put the figure's clothes back on.
Natsu and Gray just stared. "Whoa..."
Ren glanced at it. "Uh... I'll take a Lucy one too."
Mira, who was standing right next to him, heard Ren's words. Her sweet smile didn't change, but a dark, terrifying aura began to radiate from her. Her hand fiercely pinched Ren's waist, right on the muscle.
Ren winced in pain, his face twitching. "No... on second thought... I don't want Lucy's anymore..."
Cana, standing at the new, massive guild entrance, also noticed them and immediately raised her hand to greet them. "You're back? Stop playing with your dolls and come inside!"
The group, laughing, finally stepped into the guild.
"Oh... oh!!"
"So beautiful!!"
The interior of the guild was also completely renovated. It was even more grand and magnificent than the outside. The main hall was huge, with a high, vaulted ceiling, a massive, polished bar, and dozens of tables.
"Hi! Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
A new waitress, wearing a tight-fitting short skirt with the Fairy Tail logo printed on it, greeted the group.
"The waitress uniforms have changed too," Erza noted.
"They're... quite cute!" Happy said, his eyes turning to hearts.
Lucy mumbled with a deadpan expression, "This must be the Master's hobby..."
Ren's gaze was also drawn, and he secretly stole a few glances. 'You can doubt the old man's motives,' he thought, 'but you can't doubt the old man's aesthetic.'
"The new guild isn't just that," Cana continued, grabbing a barrel of ale.
With that, she led them to the back door of the guild. A massive, beautiful swimming pool had been built there. Then they went down to the basement, which had been converted into an amusement park and game room.
"But the biggest change is the second floor!!" Cana grinned. "Now, anyone can go up. But, of course, to do an S-Class Quest, you must be accompanied by an S-Class Mage."
Lucy's eyes lit up, turning into Jewel signs. "I can go up to the second floor now?! So I can also go on S-Class Quests with Ren?!"
She had personally seen how generous Ren was when doing S-Class Quests. If she went on one S-Class Quest with Ren, she wouldn't have to worry about a year's rent!
Natsu, Happy, and Gray's eyes all lit up. On one hand, they could earn money by following Ren, and on the other, they could finally go on S-Class Quests together.
"Alright! Ren, let's go!" Natsu cheered.
"No!"
Ren directly and decisively refused. He didn't mind bringing girls, but he wasn't about to babysit Natsu and Gray on a job that might require subtlety. Besides, with Mira right here, he had to show loyalty.
"Stingy!!" Lucy pouted, expressing her dissatisfaction.
Just then, a booming voice walked over. "You're back, you brats."
It was Makarov, standing on the bar, a proud, tearful smile on his face.
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