The journey was uneventful, and the carriage arrived safely in Magnolia.

The carriage stopped outside the cafe, where Mr. Lazio had been waiting for some time.

Marco's crow had already delivered the message ahead of them.

The large crow didnt spare any magic power and unconcerned about the "passenger's" safety, had raced through the sky and arrived long before Marco and the others.

If not for the concern that riding the crow directly might be too thrilling and risk shaking old Valtava's frail bones apart, Marco would have loved to let him experience the sensation of 'flying on a crow'.

This made him realize how necessary it was to have a proper 'carriage' that the crow could pull.

After all, his crow flew much faster than a carriage could run and burning a little extra magic power during urgent trips was no big deal.

"Good to see you again, Master Valtava!"

Lazio was genuinely delighted to see Valtava, warmly helping him down from the carriage.

He truly loved Valtava's music and the serene feeling it brought.

"Mr. Lazio, it's been a while."

Valtava exchanged pleasantries with Lazio, and the two got along splendidly.

Valtava seemed to get along well with everyone—no surprise for a bard who had traveled the world with just a harp.

His years of experience in the world certainly weren't for nothing.

"Well, I'll leave you two to chat. I'm heading back to the guild."

Marco bid farewell to the two, knowing Lazio would arrange Valtava's accommodations, especially since he still wanted to host a concert for him.

"Go on, go on."

Valtava waved him off and continued catching up with Lazio.

He truly appreciated people like Lazio, who genuinely loved his music.

Watching Lazio and Valtava enter the cafe, Marco suddenly felt like he had forgotten something related to Mr. Lazio.

"Ah well, it can't be anything important."

Shaking his head, Marco turned and headed back to the guild hall.

The moment he arrived, he was swarmed by a group of girls.

"Marco, is Granny Hilda alright?!"

Erza pushed to the front, her face full of worry.

They had already heard the news—Granny Hilda had nearly been in an accident and almost fallen off a cliff, only to be saved by Marco who happened to pass by.

Now, she was resting at home.

Aside from Erza, Levy and Cana were also deeply concerned.

For these girls who had grown up in the guild since childhood, Granny Hilda was an important figure—someone who had always cared for them like family.

Laki, Wendy, Juvia, and even Mira and Lisanna, who hadn't stayed long in the dorms before moving out, all looked worried.

Granny Hilda had taken care of them too and even the adult female Mages wore expressions of concern.

"Don't worry, everyone. Granny Hilda is fine—just a few minor bumps and bruises. She should be back at the dorms soon."

Marco smiled reassuringly and his words visibly eased the tension in the group.

Watching this scene, Marco couldn't help but think that if this were some kind of dating sim, he'd probably have just raised everyone's affection by +1.

Granny Hilda was undoubtedly a key figure in the girls' dormitory—a cherished presence in all their hearts.

"Where have you been?"

After Marco excused himself from the girls, a voice called out from the second floor, making him look up in surprise.

"Laxus?!"

Seeing Laxus leaning against the second-floor railing, Marco was astonished before his expression brightened with joy.

"You passed the S-Class trial?!"

Being able to access the guild's second floor meant one thing—Laxus had now become an S-Class Mage of the guild.

Marco was thrilled that Laxus had finally gained this recognition.

"That's right. I'm now an S-Class Mage of the guild."

Laxus wore a proud expression.

He had wanted to show off to Marco as soon as he returned, but had to wait until now for Marco to come back.

"Congratulations, Fairy Tail's youngest S-Class Mage!"

Marco teased Laxus with a grin.

"...Brat."

Laxus rolled his eyes.

He knew this title wouldn't last long—Marco was a monster in his own right and then there were the equally strong competitors like Erza and Mira, who were the same age as Marco.

At seventeen, Laxus was four years older than these three thirteen-year-olds.

That gap was more than enough time for them to challenge the S-Class trials—something Laxus had no doubt about, given their obvious talents.

"Laxus, have you seen Gramps?"

After exchanging a few more playful words with Laxus, Marco asked.

"The old man? No idea. Try checking the magazine stand. New issues came out today—he's probably camped out there."

Laxus paused, then answered with an exasperated look.

"...Makes sense." Marco nodded.

Makarov was either drinking or reading magazines—his retired life was nothing if not carefree.

Laxus descended the stairs holding a job request form.

"See you in a few days. I'm off on an S-Class mission."

He waved the request in front of Marco while feigning nonchalance, before heading straight to the counter to complete the paperwork.

"..."

Marco chuckled helplessly.

Was he bragging?

Even Laxus occasionally showed these childish quirks befitting his age.

"Safe travels. Come back in one piece."

As Laxus finished his paperwork and prepared to leave, Marco called out.

Laxus hesitated mid-step before continuing forward, muttering only a quiet, "Yeah."

"That guy—always going solo these days."

Watching Laxus depart alone, Macao commented between sips of his drink.

"Well, you'd need to qualify for S-Class missions first to join him!"

Wakaba immediately delivered a brutal retort, landing a critical hit.

"If you hadn't been holding me back, I'd have made S-Class ages ago!"

Macao flushed red, squaring off against Wakaba.

"Hah? Still dreaming, are you?!"

Wakaba fired back without hesitation.

After a few more heated exchanges, the two promptly started brawling.

"..."

Marco watched the two middle-aged men—who seemed like scripted NPCs stuck in a loop—and sighed, at a loss for words.

"One day, I'll defeat Laxus!"

"Try beating me first."

"Damn you, Stripper!"

Meanwhile, the dumbass duo had also started fighting.

"Erza! Let's continue our unfinished battle!"

"Don't be so shameless, Mirajane! If I hadn't gone easy on you last time, you would've lost already!"

"Shut up you tin can bitch!"

The girls were just as competitive, quickly joining in the chaos.

Standing in the guild hall, Marco watched as everyone—young and old, men and women—brawled around him.

He let out a long sigh and quietly stepped outside.

Just another day to get used to—this was his everyday life.