It took a few days of bureaucratic nonsense, but Ankh and Mirajane finally received their reward from General Carteus.
Delighted by their efficiency, the wealthy General even tossed in a hefty bonus, which they accepted without a second thought.
They even managed to strike up a friendship with the man—having a General in your contacts list was never a bad thing.
With the Etherion blueprint secured, Carteus didn't linger. He led his troops back to the capital to deliver the plans.
Meanwhile, the captured members of the White Devil Cult were handed over to the Magic Council's enforcement squad.
Of course, the Council made a scene.
When the detention squad arrived, they tried to seize the prisoners from Ankh without a word of thanks, arrogantly claiming that such a major case was 'beyond the jurisdiction of a small countryside guild.'
'Ridiculous.'
If the Council was so capable, why didn't General Carteus hire them instead of Fairy Tail?
Seeing their smug faces, Ankh laughed in anger.
His hand twitched, barely restraining the urge to slap the lead officer across the face.
Well... almost, because Mirajane had already beat him to it.
'Smack.'
Under the menacing glares of the "Demon" and the "Gravity User," the Council squad eventually retreated with the prisoners with tails tucked between their legs.
Ankh was annoyed, but he knew they couldn't keep the cultists at the guild.
It would just invite trouble.
Still, the Council's attitude rubbed him the wrong way.
'Why are the people running the magic world nothing but a bunch of timid, conservative fossils?' Ankh wondered.
'They sit in their towers, reading reports and judging combat records, but they never step onto the battlefield.'
The only capable people on the Council were Jellal and Ultear—and they were villains plotting the Council's destruction via the Tower of Heaven.
'I need to figure out a way to get a seat on the Council eventually,' Ankh mused. 'With those two lurking in the shadows, I can't just sit back.'
But that was a problem for another day.
Maybe he'd ask Master Makarov for advice later.
....
With the reward money heavy in their pockets, Ankh and Mirajane returned to Magnolia.
Standing in front of the guild hall, a wave of indescribable comfort washed over Ankh.
No matter how successful you were out in the world, the guild was always the best place to be.
"Finally back," Ankh sighed, reaching out to grasp the doorknob.
Beside him, Mirajane—buzzing with energy like an unleashed husky—didn't wait for his hand to turn the knob.
She kick it down.
BAM! CRASH!
Mirajane's boot connected with the wood.
The heavy double doors didn't just open; they exploded inward.
Splinters flew across the room, bouncing off the heads of several innocent guild members.
Mirajane strode into the wreckage, hands on her hips, shouting with full swagger.
"I'M BACK!"
Ankh's hand was still frozen in mid-air where the doorknob used to be.
He slowly lowered his arm, stepped over the debris, and delivered a sharp bonk to the top of her head with his knuckles.
Bonk.
"Can't you just open the door like a normal human being?!" Ankh scolded her while rubbing his temples.
"We were only gone for a few days! Is there any need to be this excited?!"
'She is going to give me a migraine, isnt she?,' he thought.
Mirajane rubbed her head but didn't look sorry at all.
She stuck her tongue out and ran off to find Lisanna, who was playing at a distant table.
Watching her go, Ankh let out the deep sigh of a tired father whose daughter refused to grow up.
He shook his head and scanned the hall.
His gaze paused on a table in the corner.
He walked over with surprised expression.
"Rare to see you actually sitting in the main hall."
Laxus was sitting alone, nursing a drink.
He looked up, his sharp eyes softening just a fraction when he saw Ankh.
He kicked out the stool beside him.
"Sit."
Ankh sat down without hesitation.
Laxus silently slid a barrel of ale across the table.
Fiore had a somewhat ambiguous rule about drinking age—usually fifteen was the cutoff for "adulthood" in terms of ale.
Ankh was fifteen, and Laxus was two years older than him, so they were in the clear.
Cana, on the other hand... she was only thirteen, yet she was already drinking like a sailor.
Ankh took a long swig, his mood improving instantly.
He turned to Laxus. "You waiting for someone?"
Laxus nodded. He pointed a thumb at Ankh. "The Old Man told me to wait here. For you, too."
"Me?"
Ankh paused, the mug halfway to his mouth.
His expression turned serious. "Is there a mission? One that requires both of us?"
If the Master needed two young powerhouse mages to team up, the threat level must be insane.
Reality, however, slapped Ankh in the face.
Laxus gestured with his chin toward the bar. "It's not a commission. That girl was told to wait, too."
Ankh looked over.
Cana?
'What exactly is the Master planning?'
Just as the two fell silent, a striking figure in armor walked over, dragging an energetic Cana by the arm.
Erza stopped at their table.
She looked at Ankh with curiosity. "Ankh, Laxus. You two were asked to stay behind as well?"
Laxus let out a cold snort.
Ankh nodded slowly. "You too?"
Erza shrugged. "Yes, but the Master didn't give any details."
'This is getting interesting.'
Ankh looked at the group. Laxus. Erza. Cana. And himself.
Suddenly, it clicked.
'The S-Class Mage Promotion Exam.'
In the original story, Laxus and Erza were the future S-Class mages.
Cana had participated in the exam multiple times but failed due to anxiety.
If Ankh was included...
'This year might be the very first S-Class exam for Fairy Tail's 'Golden Generation'.'
The exam had been suspended for years.
But with Ankh's rapid rise and the strength of the others, Makarov must have felt confident enough to restart it.
"It's the S-Class Exam," Ankh said aloud.
Laxus frowned, then nodded slowly. "I heard the exams were suspended after Gildarts passed his trial years ago. But... with this group? It makes sense to bring it back."
When Laxus mentioned that name, the air at the table shifted.
Cana's hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists.
Her usually bright eyes dimmed instantly.
'Gildarts... Father...'
'If I pass... will I finally be worthy of standing next to him?'
Ankh caught the shift in her mood. He knew the secret she was hiding.
She was the daughter of the Guild's strongest mage, Gildarts Clive.
But Gildarts didn't know she was his daughter and Cana was too afraid to tell him until she proved herself.
This complex was the reason a cheerful girl was slowly turning into an alcoholic.
She believed only an S-Class Mage was worthy of being his daughter.
Ankh tapped his fingers on the table while watching her.
'Should I tell Gildarts?' he wondered. 'It would be amusing to get a front-row seat to that chaotic father-daughter reunion...'