"Alright, you can all head back now. Until this matter is fully resolved, stay put and await further summons."

Seeing how obedient and cooperative Totomaru was, Aqua nodded in satisfaction before addressing the four of them.

As key witnesses to the incident, the four would undoubtedly be summoned again later.

Aqua could have taken them all in right then, but given Makarov's willingness to take "responsibility," he allowed them to return home and await official summons.

So, no matter the time or situation, being willing to pay a little extra always had its uses—money could even make the devil turn the millstone.

"Understood. We'll cooperate fully with the investigation," Makarov replied with a nod.

Marco also assured his cooperation with the Magic Council's work while elbowing a visibly disgruntled Laxus, silencing the latter before he could retort.

Complaining in private was one thing, but in front of officials, they had to maintain some decorum.

If they pushed too hard and embarrassed the Council, the backlash might land Makarov in hot water again.

After all, Fairy Tail couldn't operate outside the Magic Council's jurisdiction.

Maintaining good relations with its members brought convenience and avoided unnecessary trouble.

With Aqua' permission, the group of four—now five, as a little tagalong had joined them—departed.

"Gajeel, don't be afraid. We're comrades now, aren't we?" Marco said with a smile, looking at the skittish Gajeel, who kept his distance from him.

But his words did little to reassure the boy.

Gajeel forced an awkward smile but didn't take a single step closer to Marco.

Gajeel had been invited to join Fairy tail by Makarov.

The guild master had taken a keen interest in the young Dragon Slayer Magic user, convinced that Phantom Lord would only lead him astray.

With earnest persuasion, Makarov urged Gajeel to come with them.

The old man's passive talent for spotting and collecting wayward children had activated again—this time, poaching from another guild.

Gajeel had been reluctant at first, given his lingering trauma from Marco.

But Makarov's words eventually swayed him.

"At Phantom Lord, you'll never defeat Marco. But at Fairy Tail, you might just grow strong enough to surpass him. Because I'm far stronger than Jose Porla—what he couldn't achieve, I just might be able to."

Those words struck a chord in Gajeel's heart.

Whether it was bravado or not, the promise was undeniably tempting.

Right now, Gajeel's sole goal was to defeat Marco, to dispel the fear haunting him and reclaim his pride.

But Jose Porla, Phantom Lord's strongest, had already fallen to the combined efforts of Marco and Laxus.

How could Gajeel ever hope to surpass Marco under Jose's leadership?

There was simply no path forward.

And so, Gajeel made his decision—to join Fairy Tail.

He hoped that under Makarov's guidance, he could grow stronger, strong enough to one day surpass Marco.

Of course, Totomaru's persuasion played a role as well.

Having a familiar face around made it easier for Gajeel to accept the situation.

Aqua turned a blind eye to the matter—after all, poaching members wasn't illegal.

Given the relationship between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail, poaching each other's members was hardly a big deal.

If you could pull it off, that was just skill!

At the moment, Gajeel still wasn't quite sure whether joining Fairy tail was the right move or not.

His fear of Marco was obvious—he was terrified Marco might suddenly jab him with another needle.

This kind of thinking was absurd, but in Phantom Lord, it was completely normal.

There, the strong could freely bully the weak.

Gajeel himself had casually pushed around and ordered those weaker than him.

If he hadn't been used to it at first, once he tasted the benefits, he started to enjoy it.

By taking Gajeel out of Phantom Lord now, Makarov had truly saved him, preventing him from being led further astray.

"What a guild that worships strength above all else," Marco muttered, then glanced at Laxus.

Would Phantom Lord's fate have any impact on Laxus?

Phantom Lord was a guild where power truly dictated everything—the strong held near-limitless authority within it.

"A guild like that has no cohesion. The moment it faces setbacks, it'll fall apart instantly, with no chance of recovery. To put it bluntly, it was just Jose's personal playground," Makarov remarked sharply.

The old man's experience shone through—his words cut straight to the heart of Phantom Lord's nature.

"It's a guild with no spiritual legacy," Marco added.

If Phantom Lord disbanded, no one would even think of rebuilding it.

Those who had actually lived and worked there wouldn't feel the slightest bit of nostalgia for it.

"As much as I'd like to argue, I don't even know how to," Totomaru said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.

He had to admit—Makarov and Marco were absolutely right.

"..."

Gajeel didn't understand all that.

All he knew was that when he left, he hadn't felt much reluctance or longing.

But wasn't that just how guilds were?

Was there supposed to be something different?

Environment had a massive impact on a person, especially a child.

Gajeel's temperament was naturally a bit rough, but with proper guidance, he wouldn't have turned out like this.

He could've learned to control himself.

He should be grateful—grateful that he'd crossed paths with Fairy Tail early and been invited by Makarov to join.

"..."

Laxus listened in silence, his brow furrowed.

Totomaru and Gajeel's accounts made him frown, but truthfully, he didn't agree with Phantom Lord's ways either.

The guild Laxus wanted to build was one of elite powerhouses.

He had no intention of keeping weaklings around, so there'd be no chance for the strong to oppress the weak in the first place.

*****

The group of five took a carriage back to Magnolia City and returned to the Fairy Tail guild hall.

Makarov immediately withdrew funds from the guild's account—this was the promised compensation.

The sooner the funds were transferred, the sooner the Magic Council could begin their work.

Of course, the Magic Council had already started working long before.

They had full confidence in Fairy Tail's credibility.

Since Makarov had pledged to cover the costs, they knew he wouldn't go back on his word.

The old man never wavered in such matters, especially when it involved so many people left homeless.

"Master! How did a single trip end up costing so much in damages?!"

Upon learning that Makarov had withdrawn a massive sum, the guild's "accountant," Aero, was stunned.

The withdrawal nearly emptied the guild's coffers—money that had been painstakingly saved over time.

"Blame that bastard Jose Porla!" Makarov cursed Jose vehemently.

If not for that old fool suddenly losing his mind, they wouldn't have had to pay such a hefty sum!

"..."

After hearing the full story, Aero sighed but didn't press further.

This time, they were genuinely unlucky, and the compensation was paid out of a sense of public duty and responsibility.

"If anyone causes trouble again soon, we won't have enough money to cover it."

Aero voiced her concern.

While the guild's funds would replenish quickly, such a severe shortage was rare.

Everyone in the guild really needed to be more careful lately.

"Don't worry, Aero. Money isn't an issue."

Marco, who had been listening nearby suddenly spoke up with confidence.

His tone was firm—after all, he had deep pockets.

In truth, the guild's regular expenses were more than covered.

Aero's worry was about another incident like this.

For large-scale damages, the "culprits" sometimes couldn't afford the compensation upfront, so the guild would step in first, and the members would repay the guild gradually later.

In a way, the Fairy Tail guild truly was the sturdy backbone supporting its members' destructive tendencies...

No matter what happened, the guild would always cover the costs.

And thanks to Fairy Tail's reputation and Makarov's influence, most "culprits" only had to pay compensation without facing further consequences.

"We really need to remind everyone to stay low-key and avoid causing any major incidents." Makarov nodded.

Though Marco had the money to lend to members who couldn't afford compensation, the list of offenses Aqua had presented had left him unsettled.

In just two months, they had caused so much destruction—some even said their impact surpassed that of Dark Guilds...

Makarov rubbed his temples.

While he did encourage the kids to go all out in battle and supported their freedom...

"They still need to go all out when necessary."

After some thought, Makarov reaffirmed his stance.

To him, the safety of his guild members would always come first.

Minimizing collateral damage was secondary—though they could at least try to move fights to open areas to reduce the risk of harming bystanders.

These issues weren't new for Makarov to emphasize, but the results were minimal.

The guild members weren't intentionally causing destruction—they just couldn't hold back once a fight started.

"Should we gather everyone? Hold a meeting?" Marco asked Makarov.

"Yes! Tonight," Makarov nodded firmly.

This matter definitely needed to be addressed.

"Alright, I'll go notify everyone right away." Marco nodded and immediately set off to spread the word.

Informing everyone was simple—he didn't need to run around.

A shout in the guild hall was enough for the message to spread, and he also posted a notice on the bulletin board.

By evening, the Fairy Tail guild hall was packed to the brim, with every member currently in Magnolia present.

"First, let me introduce our two new members," Makarov announced, standing on the bar counter.

He called Totomaru and Gajeel forward to introduce them to the guild.

Naturally, everyone in the guild already knew these two.

Gajeel had previously fought fiercely with Natsu.

He was the "Iron Dragon Slayer" and his strength was nothing to scoff at.

Though Gajeel had been defeated by Marco in a single move, no one saw that as a problem—after all, how many people could avoid being instantly defeated by Marco?

"I'm Gajeel," he declared passionately.

"I use Iron Dragon Slayer Magic. I hope to get along with all of you. My goal is to defeat Marco and become Fairy Tail's strongest mage!"

"You'll have to beat me first!" Natsu shouted from below, immediately undermining Gajeel's grand declaration.

Gajeel's gaze snapped towards the fidgeting Natsu.

The two glared at each other, neither willing to back down.

Gajeel's addition to the guild had given Natsu yet another rival.

"I'm Totomaru," the next newcomer introduced himself.

"I plan to open a fire magic school within the guild. Anyone interested in learning can sign up with me."

Totomaru's announcement caused quite a stir, especially among the guild's fire magic users.

While Gajeel's bold claims could be dismissed as youthful bravado, Totomaru's offer was far more serious.

He had already proven his mastery of fire magic by defeating Macao and his skills were undeniably impressive—more than enough to qualify him as a teacher.

"Really, Totomaru? You're really going to teach?" Macao was the first to step forward.

Though older than Totomaru, he had no qualms about learning from him.

In magic, mastery mattered more than age and his own fire magic skills paled in comparison.

"Of course, Mr. Macao. Would you like to sign up?" Totomaru replied confidently.

He had decided to stop taking missions and instead make a living through teaching.

With Fairy Tail's backing, he could attract more students.

His initial plan was to share a portion of the tuition fees with the guild, allowing him to openly use the guild's name and facilities for his classes.

But Makarov wouldn't accept it.

Makarov had only one condition - that the apprentices who had been studying under Totomaru would join Fairy Tail.

Of course, the goal was to have as many join as possible, but no one would be forced.

If some insisted on leaving, they wouldn't be stopped.

Naturally, Totomaru had no reason to refuse this.