When it came to business operations, Erza clearly didn't have much understanding, so she didn't debate Marco on this point.

Her wish was simple—she hoped the familiar shop owner could expand and strengthen his business so she could keep ordering the latest armor from him.

"If he goes out of business, I'll have to find someone else to order from," Erza muttered.

She had noticed that while Magnolia's foot traffic had increased and all kinds of shops were popping up like mushrooms after rain, many stores were also closing down due to the heightened competition.

Some of the older shops that couldn't adapt to these changes now only existed in Erza's memories.

No wonder she was worried this particular shop might suddenly shut down.

"Probably not. He seems pretty good at running a business," Marco said with a smile.

He had been observing the tailor shop owner earlier and noticed that the man had adapted well to Magnolia's changes.

His service was excellent, and he didn't take his regular customers for granted just because his shop was established—he was also welcoming new clients.

"I wonder if these changes are for better or worse," Erza mused. She missed the shops she used to frequent, but she had to admit that Magnolia was livelier and more convenient now with all the new stores around.

"For Magnolia's citizens, this is both an opportunity and a risk. They might gain a better life from it, or they might get completely wiped out by the competition. Whether it's good or bad is relative. Even if the overall trend is positive, not everyone will benefit," Marco said.

At first, Marco had also found Magnolia's transformation a bit jarring, but he eventually accepted it because many of the town's residents had indeed improved their lives as a result.

"That's true. Even without this much competition, some old shops would still disappear. Those little troublemakers are getting stronger—and more destructive," Erza nodded, shifting the topic to the guild. She was, of course, referring to Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel.

Whenever those kids got into a fight in Magnolia, they could easily wreck a shop in the process.

Many long-standing businesses had vanished because of them.

Of course, they had to pay hefty compensations for the damages.

Despite working hard on missions, they were constantly strapped for cash—proof that they were experts at creating their own problems.

"Didn't they say they got too excited and wrecked the dormitory again yesterday?" Erza asked, immediately recalling the topic they had just been discussing.

"Yep. I've lost count of how many times this has happened," Marco sighed helplessly.

This wasn't the first incident, and he had given them a stern scolding before, but clearly, they never learned their lesson.

Natsu and Gray alone were already chaotic enough, but now with Gajeel added to the mix, fights broke out at the slightest provocation.

The boys' dormitory was getting destroyed more and more frequently.

Marco had discussed the issue with Makarov, and the old man's patience with them was nearing its limit.

Chattering about various amusing incidents in the guild along the way, Erza and Marco returned just as the banquet was winding down.

Their timing was perfect—Makarov was currently loudly addressing the issue of the boys' dormitory.

Since the dorm had been destroyed, even though the banquet had ended, Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and the other male mage who lived in the dorm were still lingering in the guild hall.

"How many times has this happened?! Can anyone tell me?!"

Makarov glared furiously at the male magic users, who all hung their heads guiltily.

The destruction of the boys' dorm wasn't solely Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel's fault—the energetic single men all shared the blame.

Once the fight started, none of them had stayed idle.

Instead of stopping it, they had all joined in, turning it into a massive brawl.

"At this point, I don't see any reason for the boys' dormitory to exist anymore. Since you lot tear it down every other day, it'd be better for all of you to move out. At least that'll save the guild some expenses."

Seeing the boys cowed into silence by his scolding, Makarov announced his decision.

After learning that the boys' dorm had been nearly destroyed yet again, he had resolved to solve this problem once and for all.

The solution? Simply abolish the boys' dormitory.

No dorm, no more worries about it being destroyed—problem solved permanently!

"NANI?!"

A collective gasp rose from the crowd.

Clearly, no one had expected Makarov to take such drastic measures.

"No! Master Makarov! Don't kick us out!"

Someone wailed dramatically, as if they were being exiled from the guild, making Makarov's eye twitch in irritation.

"I'm just telling you to find your own places to live. Stop pretending like this is some great tragedy—it's punishment for your repeated misbehavior."

Makarov remained unmoved, firm in his verdict.

From today onward, the boys' dormitory of Fairy Tail would become history.

There would be no rebuilding it.

"How could this happen…" Gray's eyes widened in shock.

He had lived in the boys' dorm since joining the guild and was well aware of how often it got destroyed.

But it had always been rebuilt afterward—he had taken it for granted.

But this time… had they really fought so hard that the dorm was gone for good?!

"If we have to move out… does that mean we have to build our own houses?"

Natsu scratched his head, troubled by the thought.

Then he recalled Mirajane's family and Laxus, who had built their own homes—he had even helped with the construction.

Maybe he could build his own place too?

Natsu glanced at Happy, who was still stunned.

Happy had lived in the dorm with him ever since hatching from his egg.

Now that the dorm was gone, Happy would naturally have to move out with him.

"Then let's build our own houses. Actually, I've been thinking about this too—we could plan out a whole community together."

Seeing the boys still reeling from the news, Marco smiled and shared his idea.

The notion of building his own house had crossed his mind even before Laxus moved out.

Now was the perfect opportunity to bring this matter onto the agenda, and his idea could be expanded further.

"Planning a community?"

Marco's words caught everyone's attention, and the male members all turned to look at him.

"That's right, a community. I think we could all build our houses together, living in close proximity. We'd be able to look out for each other, ensure safety, and live with peace of mind."

Marco nodded and continued outlining his vision.

The male dormitory was being abolished, and all the guys would have to move out.

If they were going to build their own houses, wouldn't it be great to have them all in one place?

If they were renting, there wouldn't be much to discuss—they could just rent places in the city.

However, current rental prices were likely exorbitant, making renting a poor value.

It would be better to build their own small houses with everyone's help, even if it meant going into debt temporarily.

"That does sound interesting..."

Marco's proposal stirred excitement in many.

There was no way around it—housing prices in Magnolia City were truly high, and rental costs had skyrocketed along with them.

"Living in Magnolia is no easy feat" wasn't just a joke anymore; renting in the city was far less economical than living outside it.

In fact, Magnolia City was already expanding outward, with the original suburbs being incorporated into administrative districts.

Now, if they wanted to build their own houses in the nearer suburbs, they might even get a visit from the Magnolia City government.

"So where should we build our houses?" Gray asked curiously.

Would the guild step in to negotiate with the city government?

Would they allocate a piece of land in the suburbs for their community?

"I think the area where Laxus's house is located is quite nice. There's plenty of open land and woodland around it that hasn't been zoned yet, which could save us a lot of money." Marco spoke up, clearly having already thought this through.

At the very least, he had originally planned to build his house near Laxus's place.

"Huh?! What the—? Why next to my house?!"

Laxus, who had been silently observing the situation, was stunned.

He had been listening in, expecting to find amusement in the discussion, only for the matter to suddenly involve him.

"If that doesn't work, we could build near Mira's place. However, her house is already close to Magnolia's outskirts, and the surrounding area is about to fall under city management. If we're building new houses, we should go deeper into the forest, closer to your place."

Hearing Laxus's protest, Marco explained that it wasn't intentional—it was just the most cost-effective and convenient option.

Given Fairy Tail's standing in Magnolia City, they could certainly request the city government to allocate a piece of land for an exclusive community—possibly even for free.

But that wasn't their guild's style. If they applied, they'd definitely have to pay, which would drive up costs.

Rather than that, it made more sense to move further into the forest.

Ordinary people might fear the dangers of the forest and wouldn't dare settle there without government oversight, but magic users like them had no such concerns.

There was no need to waste money unnecessarily.

"Even so... building a house still costs a fair bit, doesn't it?" Natsu wore a bitter expression.

Back when Mira's family built their house, it had cost several million J and Laxus had spent no less—and that was with the discounted "friendship price" from having guild members do the construction.

"Gramps, can the guild provide funding? I think the guild could set up a housing loan to help everyone build their own cottages. They could repay the loan gradually after the houses are built."

Marco's mind quickly turned to this solution.

It was perfectly normal for Natsu, Gray, and the others not to have millions of J saved up—whatever they earned was barely enough to cover their damages.

The fact that they weren't already in debt was already a testament to their efforts; saving money was out of the question.

"Sure, the guild can help. And we won't charge any interest—just pay it back later."

Hearing Marco's suggestion, Makarov agreed without hesitation.

His decision not to rebuild the boys' dormitory had been to teach them a lesson, to push them to grow—not to leave them homeless or sleeping on the streets.

Makarov thought Marco's idea was excellent.

This way, everyone would have a place to live, stay close to each other, and maintain their friendships.

Most importantly, they'd be living in their own homes, saddled with millions in housing loans—they definitely wouldn't dare cause reckless destruction anymore.

"Really?! You mean it?!" Natsu's eyes widened.

He was completely sold on the idea and had already started fantasizing about building a big house of his own.

"No problem. If you all want to go with Marco's plan, the guild can back you up with the funds."

Makarov nodded, giving his assurance once more.