The sky of Magnolia was soaked in warm orange-red hues. They had set off when the morning light was early, and returned when the twilight gathered from all sides.
Shane dragged his feet, his face full of humiliation.
"Those profiteers... really should be dragged out and shot one by one." As soon as he got off the train, he couldn't help squeezing this sentence through his teeth, the brightness on his face completely gone.
The spoils he worked hard to collect from Ghoul Spirit, because they were black goods from a Dark Guild and he was in a hurry to sell, were collectively suppressed to a visibly low price by the Merchant Guild.
Just on the train earlier, Shane had already shot the other party a hundred times in his mind.
"It's good enough that we could sell them," Erza, walking beside him, had a peaceful tone. "With so many explosive Lacrimas, if we kept them, they wouldn't have let us on the train."
She appeared very content. This trip earned a total of nearly four million Jewels. Erza thought this money was enough for them to use for a long time.
"...You don't understand." Shane said sullenly, feeling his heart bleeding.
He was burdened with a trial that required buying a house to complete, so he was really short of money. What was more uncomfortable was the frustration of being openly ripped off. It really made him unhappy.
"Well, at least Everlue paid the commission fee very readily." Erza tried to comfort him like coaxing a child, her tone carrying a slightly unfamiliar gentleness.
She recalled Everlue's pale fat face at that time.
First intimidated by Shane's sword, then seeing him carrying that basket of explosive Lacrimas capable of leveling two streets, and hearing the news that "Ghoul Spirit" was almost completely wiped out, the action of paying was simply brisk, as if afraid he would become part of the corpses if he was a second late.
Shane seemed not to hear her comfort, pondering all the way. He thought of the Tower of Heaven incident, where the price was also suppressed without a bottom line.
"No, can't go on like this. I must find a reliable merchant guild for long-term cooperation. Erza, help me ask around if you have a chance." Shane clapped his hands hard, as if to slap away the bad luck, and decided fiercely.
"Okay." Erza nodded, noting this matter down.
During the conversation, the two had already walked to the guild entrance. The setting sun plated the "FAIRY TAIL" sign with a gold rim, but Shane frowned slightly.
"Why is it so quiet today?"
Based on experience, usually even through the door, one could hear the earth-shaking noise and clinking of glasses inside. At this moment, it was strangely quiet.
Could something have happened? Shane's heart skipped a beat.
Although he hadn't joined the guild for long, he still had the necessary sense of responsibility. He exchanged a glance with Erza, both seeing a trace of doubt in each other's eyes, then pushed the door open and walked in.
The guild wasn't empty; on the contrary, there were quite a few people.
It just lacked the usual noise. Most people were silently sitting in their seats drinking, their conversations extremely low, and the entire hall was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere.
"What happened?" Shane leaned close to Macao, who was drinking by the bar, and asked in a low voice.
"..." Macao looked up, a hint of helplessness on his face, but before he could speak—
"Enough, Ivan! I don't want to see you right now, get out of my sight!"
It was Master Makarov's voice! That voice was filled with anger and an unconcealable disappointment and exhaustion.
Shane understood instantly. He sought confirmation from Macao with his eyes. Macao downed a big mouthful of alcohol and explained in a low voice: "That's the Master's son..."
So it was the Master's family affairs. Shane realized suddenly; even an honest official finds it hard to settle family troubles. No wonder people in the guild were like this; outsiders indeed shouldn't interfere.
"Hmph, you'll know in the future that I'm the one who is right." A slightly sinister voice followed, the tone tough but unable to hide the gloom within.
Accompanied by the thump thump sound of going downstairs, a tall man with a black beard walked down quickly from the second floor.
He looked straight ahead, exuding an aura of "strangers keep away," pushed open the guild gate directly, and disappeared into the street view.
That's the Master's son?
Shane looked curiously at the back of the departing figure, muttering in his heart that whether in appearance or temperament, he really didn't look like the Master at all.
Makarov followed closely and appeared by the railing on the second floor. His face showed none of the anger from just now, returning to his usual smiling appearance.
"Ignore those killjoys!" He clapped his hands hard. "Let's start a party! As for the reason..."
His gaze swept around the hall and landed right on Shane and Erza, who had just returned. His eyes lit up, and he raised his arm high:
"Celebrate Shane and Erza completing a commission as partners for the first time and returning safely!"
"OH——!!!"
Makarov always had a way to ignite the whole venue instantly. Before his voice fell, everyone cheered in unison, raising their glasses one after another, as if the unhappiness just now never happened.
"Eh? The atmosphere changes so fast?"
Shane hadn't reacted yet when a large mug of ice beer with white foam was shoved in front of his eyes in the next second.
The amber liquid rippled in the golden brew, white foam piled at the rim, and cool water droplets slid down the glass wall, emitting a faint malt aroma.
"Kid, how does it feel to complete a big commission for the first time? Want to try this?" Macao leaned over winking, a mischievous smile on his face, returning to his usual frivolousness.
Shane stared at the swaying liquid in the cup, his throat moving unconsciously.
"No!"
Erza immediately stepped forward, like a hen protecting its chick, blocking strictly in front of Shane.
With hands on her hips and brows furrowed, she looked sternly at Macao and Wakaba, who was watching the fun and jeering beside him.
"The kingdom's law stipulates that drinking is prohibited for those under fifteen!"
Being glared at by Erza like this, Shane immediately put on a stern face too, his expression becoming incomparably "upright," nodding repeatedly:
"Yes, yes, yes, Erza is right. Minors cannot drink." After speaking, he slipped away quickly, saying: "I'll go find Cana and Levy; I brought them gifts!"
He fled from this place of trouble, searching in the slightly chaotic hall, and soon found two familiar figures in a corner by the window.
Cana and Levy were sitting cross-legged on the floor, using several strange small toys of different colors and shapes as chess pieces, moving on simple grids drawn on the table, seeming to be playing some kind of chess.
Shane leaned over and watched curiously for a while, completely unable to understand their self-made rules, only feeling that these toy pieces were quite chic.
He didn't disturb them, just watching boredly from the side.
Well, after all, no matter how boring it was here, it was far more relaxing than Erza's "battlefield."
At this moment, Erza had completely entered the Disciplinary Committee mode, lecturing Macao and Wakaba with a stern face for trying to drink a few more glasses. The two grown men were scolded into bitter expressions but dared not refute.
"Won!" After playing for a while, Cana suddenly jumped up, waving her fist excitedly.
Levy tilted her head, looking at the board suspiciously: "Cana, you didn't cheat just now, did you?"
"A win is a win; I didn't cheat!" Cana said righteously.
"Ugh—" Levy puffed her cheeks, her small face full of defiance.
Seeing the girl in low spirits and the atmosphere just right, Shane took out the gift timely: "Levy, this is for you."
He handed over the pair of plain-looking glasses.
"This is...?" Levy took it curiously and put it on under Shane's indication.
In the next second, the gloom on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a smile of surprise.
"Wow! This is 'Gale-Force Reading Glasses'!" She pushed the frames excitedly, examining the surroundings carefully.
"I've seen it in books; it's said to be a Magic Item that can increase reading speed by 2 to 32 times! I've wanted to buy it for a long time!"