On the train ride back to Magnolia, everyone was chattering excitedly, imagining what the new Guild tavern would look like after the reconstruction.
"The original Guild was a bit run-down, so I wonder how much it's changed," Lucy mused.
"Wow..."
This was the collective reaction of everyone as they stood at the entrance of the Guild upon their return.
Even Raizel couldn't help but marvel—it was a massive upgrade.
The old, shabby tavern had been around for ages, mostly made of wood and constantly in need of repairs.
The new Guild, however, was several times larger in area, nearly twice as tall, and entirely constructed of sturdy brick and stone, maximizing its durability and grandeur.
They had actually caught a glimpse of it from afar while still on the street, but seeing it up close was still awe-inspiring.
'Heaven knows how many of Makarov's secret stashes this must have cost,' Raizel thought, shaking his head with a smirk.
"It's finished..."
"A brand new Fairy Tail."
"Is this an outdoor café?" Lucy asked, pointing to the side.
The Guild had enclosed a large area to serve as an open-air café, which could be operated for the residents and tourists of Magnolia, serving as a new source of income.
When it came to making money, Raizel had to hand it to Makarov; the old man knew how to capitalize on the location.
Everyone's expressions were stunned.
"There's even a general store..." Lucy didn't know where to begin with her complaints about the commercialization.
"Welcome!"
Max greeted them warmly from behind the counter, only to realize upon a closer look that it was the returning members.
"Oh, it's you all. Welcome back."
"Max is working as a shopkeeper!" Happy flew over to the general store counter. "It's been a long time since we last met."
Max scratched his cheek and said, "Because I was following the Master's orders to learn this trade while the guild was being rebuilt."
It really had been a long time; the last time Happy saw Max was before Lucy joined the Guild.
"Max Alors, the one featured in Weekly Sorcerer!" Lucy exclaimed.
Although it was her first time meeting Max, she had seen him in the magazine before.
"Nice to meet you. I've already heard about you, Lucy."
"I can imagine what you've heard..." Lucy sighed, dreading the rumors. "By the way, what do you sell here?"
"T-shirts, wristbands, mugs, towels," Max listed proudly. "And the most popular item: scaled-down models."
"It's a Lucy figurine!" Happy held up a Lucy action figure with both paws.
"Why would you make such a product without permission?!" Lucy shouted, blushing.
At times like these, the person involved is always the most embarrassed.
"And here's one of Raizel's!" Happy grabbed another one to show Raizel.
"Please keep that thing away from me." Raizel's mouth corner twitched as he held out a hand in refusal.
For some reason, looking at his own miniature figurine gave Raizel the creeps.
...
"Why do you look like that?" Gray asked Natsu, who had been keeping his head down and frowning ever since they entered the magnificent hall.
"It's different from before," Natsu muttered.
Natsu was feeling very strange right now.
He still preferred the old, shabby tavern; this new one felt too clean, too big, and too incongruous to him.
Raizel understood Natsu's reaction quite well.
After all, the original guild tavern carried everyone's memories.
They had been here since childhood, playing together, roughhousing together, and growing up together—one could say they spent most of their lives in that old wooden tavern.
Raizel also felt somewhat dazed for no particular reason, recalling bits and pieces of life at the old guild.
Then he gently shook his head—it was time to look forward.
Raizel patted Natsu's shoulder to comfort him and said.
"What matters isn't the guild tavern, but the people inside it. Besides, the original guild tavern still lives on in our memories."
As he spoke, Raizel tapped his temple with two fingers.
"Alright," Natsu grumbled.
Seeing this, he could only press his lips together and nod helplessly.
"Lucy-chan, welcome back!" Levy waved and greeted them when she noticed Lucy entering the main hall.
"I happen to be free, let me show everyone around."
"There's even a swimming pool behind the tavern," Levy enthusiastically introduced to everyone.
Raizel quickly scanned the area—the bar counter was quite large, with Mirajane and Lisanna currently mixing cocktails.
"There's an amusement underground too," Levy added casually.
"It really has everything..." Lucy's complaints, though late, arrived as expected.
"The biggest change is the second floor. Now anyone can go up to the second floor," Levy explained.
Hearing this, Elfman approached the second-floor railing and greeted everyone from above.
"A real man welcomes you back!"
"Of course, to take on S-Class quests, you still need to be accompanied by an S-Class Mage," Levy clarified.
"You're back." Makarov appeared behind the group with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Master."
"Gramps."
A girl stood beside Makarov, now wearing a new blue-and-white dress and a matching hat.
"She's our new member, Juvia."
Juvia had rushed back to the guild immediately after the Tower of Heaven incident ended to officially join, unlike the others who lingered to sightsee and eat, taking several extra days to return by train.
"Everyone, Juvia have joined Fairy Tail. Please take care of Juvia from now on." Juvia pinched her skirt and performed a polite curtsy.
"Hahaha, you really joined. Congratulations, Juvia," Gray smiled and congratulated her.
"Welcome aboard. Please take care of us from now on," Erza nodded slightly.
"Welcome," Raizel and Ultear nodded in unison.
"Thank you, everyone! Juvia will do her best!" Juvia beamed.
"Besides her, there's another new member joining. Aren't you going to greet everyone?" Makarov said, looking toward a dark corner.
"Is there someone else?"
Everyone turned to follow Makarov's gaze.
"Eh?!"
"You're kidding, right?"
Hearing Makarov's words, the figure who had been sitting alone eating iron turned around.
"Gajeel!"
"Why are we accepting this guy?!"
Natsu and Gray immediately assumed fighting stances, glaring angrily at Gajeel.
Although Juvia was from Phantom Lord, she hadn't done anything destructive to Fairy Tail directly.
But Gajeel was the one who had destroyed the original guild tavern and attacked their members.
"No wonder I've been feeling uncomfortable—it must be your smell!" Natsu pointed at Gajeel and shouted angrily.
"What do you mean my smell? You didn't even notice it! Otherwise, you would've discovered me earlier!" Gajeel retorted.
He hadn't cared much when Natsu and Gray assumed fighting stances, but Natsu saying he smelled bad really annoyed him.
"Wait, Gajeel was introduced by Juvia," Juvia stood between the three, waving her hands frantically to mediate.
Although Gajeel wasn't actually introduced by her—Makarov had asked her to say so to smooth things over.
"This guy is the one who destroyed the Guild!" Erza also frowned deeply, glaring intently at Gajeel.
"Now, now, as the saying goes, yesterday's enemy is today's friend," Makarov said nervously.
'Say something you damn brat!' Makarov kept winking and making faces at Raizel, silently urging him to help smooth things over.
'You're something else! Are you trying to sacrifice me!' Raizel glared back with his eyes.
'Who's the Guild Master here? And you promised to help!' Makarov glared back unyieldingly.