Makarov and Ur had been gone for four long days, attending the emergency Council meeting.
During this period, Raizel had fallen into a routine.
Every morning, he would teleport to Fairy Hills to pick up Wendy, and every evening he would drop her off.
With nowhere else to go due to the "Raizel Mania" gripping the town, the two spent their days in seclusion at Raizel's house.
They meditated together, Raizel taught Wendy how to read more complex books, or they simply ran around in his large, enclosed yard.
'It's a pity,' Raizel thought, looking out the window at the bare branches.
It isn't the flowering season for the Red Maple trees yet. If they were in bloom, this yard would be a sea of crimson... a much better view for a little girl.
But today, the routine was broken.
The Guild Master and the Ice Mage had returned.
"I almost regret becoming one of the Ten Wizard Saints," Ur sighed, collapsing onto a bench.
She was holding Wendy in her lap like a stress-relief plushie.
Ur's face looks so tired, her eyes and brows heavy with weariness.
She felt more exhausted after these four days of sitting in a chair than she did after a week of intense magical training.
"Listening to those Council members drone on with their slow, long-winded speeches... it was nothing short of pure torture," Ur groaned, rubbing her temples.
"Hahaha! I don't think so at all!"
Makarov laughed heartily from his perch on the bar counter.
He held a tankard of ale, looking in high spirits—a stark contrast to Ur's fatigue.
"Master," Ur said, her lips twitching between amusement and exasperation. "I would believe your enthusiasm if you weren't constantly called out for sleeping during the sessions."
She cleared her throat and deepened her voice, mimicking the Council Chairman.
"Makarov-san, we are in a meeting. Please do not sleep!"
"Makarov-san, please show some respect!"
"Makarov-san, please stop snoring!"
"Makarov-san... wipe the drool off your chin, it's your turn to speak."
"Huh? Is it over? Can I go home?"
Ur recounted the scenes vividly.
Makarov had dozed off countless times during the two-day marathon session attended by the Councilors, the Ten Wizard Saints, and the elite Guild Masters.
One could argue he single-handedly prolonged the meeting by forcing everyone to repeat themselves.
"Ugh..."
Makarov's cheeks flushed bright red.
He stammered for a moment, unable to find a retort because it was all true.
"Ah, well... the seats were very comfortable," he laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his bald head.
He quickly took a long swig of ale to hide his face.
Raizel watched the interaction with a smirk.
If Makarov weren't the Master of Fairy Tail and a Wizard Saint, someone would have beaten him up long ago.
Fairy Tail was currently at the peak of its influence.
It was the nail that stuck out, and usually, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
"Anyway," Makarov coughed, deciding to change the subject to cover his embarrassment.
His expression shifted, the goofiness vanishing instantly. "This meeting had something to do with you, Raizel."
Raizel straightened up.
"They discussed Tartaros," Makarov said gravely. "There was a serious debate on whether it was possible to launch a preemptive strike to eliminate them."
Raizel's eye twitched.
"I think they're trying to get me killed," Raizel deadpanned.
Makarov blinked.
That wasn't the heroic response he expected.
'Asking me to fight the Underworld King right now? Are you insane?' Raizel screamed internally.
'That's basically sending me to the slaughterhouse!'
He felt a phantom sensation of Mard Geer roaring in the distance.
Tartaros was a guild composed entirely of Etherious demons from the Books of Zeref.
Their leader could face the Celestial Spirit King head-on.
Their curses were absolute.
If Raizel could, he would teleport to the Council headquarters, grab the Chairman by the collar, and shake him until his teeth rattled.
Which idiot has such high expectations of me?!
"Oh?" Makarov raised an eyebrow, pleased. "Good. I was truly worried about overconfidence."
He took a sip of his drink.
Makarov wasn't afraid of Raizel growing too fast; he was afraid of him becoming arrogant.
Arrogance killed mages faster than dragons did.
"Don't worry, Gramps. I know my limits," Raizel said, his expression serious. "The Tartaros guild has existed in the shadows for decades. They aren't something I can just challenge whenever I feel like it."
Ur nodded, picking up the conversation.
"Don't worry too much. It was just a proposal from the radical faction," she explained. "The motion was quickly rejected. First, because we can't even locate their headquarters. And second, because their true strength remains an unknown variable."
Tartaros had been wandering around Ishgar for years.
The Council only found traces, never the source.
Raizel breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least there are still sensible people in the Council.
As for the leak... Crawford Seam was still the Chairman.
In the current timeline, he hadn't defected to Tartaros yet, so he had no reason to side with them.
But Raizel wondered if there were other spies in the council.
"However," Makarov continued, a mischievous glint returning to his eye. "They proposed another motion. And this one... both Ur and I agreed to."
"What is it?" Raizel asked cautiously.
If these two agreed, it probably wasn't a death sentence.
"If any Demons or Demons from Zeref books appear in the future, you will be the first one assigned to deal with them," Ur frowning slightly as she delivered the news.
Before Raizel could react, Makarov spoke up, his voice heavy with authority.
"I considered this motion carefully before deciding to agree," Makarov said. "Demons generally harbor deep hostility toward humans. They destroy towns, kill innocents, and slaughter Mages. They are a plague."
He looked Raizel in the eye.
"Since you have the capability and within your power as a Mage of Fairy Tail... I believe it is your responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves."
He paused, softening his tone.
"Of course, I'm not saying you have to handle every demon. If you encounter something like Tartaros... run. There is no shame in survival."
Then, Makarov's face crumpled into comically tearful eyes.
"And also... this is somewhat selfish... but please take these Council missions! I really can't stand listening to their nagging anymore! It's too annoying! If you do the jobs, they'll shut up!"
"Gramps..." Raizel sighed.
"Though I'm sorry to say this, I feel the same way," Ur added softly.
She looked down at Wendy, but her mind was elsewhere.
"When they were discussing this, I thought of Gray," Ur whispered. "His parents died at the hands of Deliora. His hometown was erased from the map. Countless people in the north suffered because we couldn't stop one demon."
She looked up at Raizel, her eyes fierce yet apologetic.
"I don't want that to happen again. But I know it's a heavy burden. I will assist you with such missions in the future whenever I can."
Ur's hand tightened around Wendy.
She felt guilty pushing this onto Raizel, treating him as a weapon against the monsters that haunted her past.
"Ur," Wendy whispered.
The little girl reached up.
Her small, warm hand gently smoothed the furrows in Ur's brow.
Raizel watched the scene.
He nodded slowly.
He didn't consider this a huge problem.
As long as he didn't have to solo the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros right now, he was fine.
Individual demons? With his speed and UlforceVeedramon form, he could always escape if he couldn't win.
Plus... the Council paid extremely well for these specialized hits.
"Ur, Gramps," Raizel smiled. "Don't worry about it. If that's the case, then I accept. As Gramps said, this is what a Mage of Fairy Tail ought to do. I have the power, so I'll do the job."
"Good lad," Makarov exhaled, his shoulders slumping in relief. "Actually... even if you didn't agree, there's nothing you could do about it. We already signed the papers."
He flashed a shameless, toothy grin.
Ur look relaxed too.
Seeing Raizel's acceptance and feeling Wendy's touch, the guilt evaporated from her and a gentle smile returned to her face.
Truth be told, Makarov felt the weight of it.
He saw Raizel as his own grandson.
Sending him to hunt monsters was terrifying. But he had to weigh his love for Raizel against his duty as a Wizard Saint to protect the realm.
It was a difficult decision, hidden behind his goofy laughter.
Raizel knew this.
He had been with Makarov for nearly ten years. He knew the old man wasn't as carefree as he pretended to be.
'I just hope there aren't too many demons popping up,' Raizel thought.
'My plan to lay low and avoid fame is officially ruined.'
'But... if Ur helps me, maybe I can shift the credit to her in the newspapers?'
He smirked.
'Yes. "The Ice Saint Saves the Day." That has a nice ring to it.'
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