Gildarts wasn't around—they said he'd gone fishing again, though knowing him, he was probably just hiding from work.
As for Ur, Raizel learned from Makarov that she had dragged Gray and Lyon back to Mount Hakobe for intensive training.
Since Raizel and Ultear hadn't sent any word about their return, Ur likely wouldn't have left if she'd known they were back.
Raizel sat at the bar, nursing a drink next to the Master.
"What did you discuss at the recent Guild Masters' meeting?" Raizel asked casually.
"Just the usual," Makarov grunted, his face already red from ale. "Talked about what's been happening in each guild lately, and the topic of recruiting new members came up. Everyone wants to lower the age limit to recruit younger Mages now—they saw you and got jealous, hahaha!"
Makarov burst into boisterous laughter, slapping the counter.
"Honestly, he's drunk again," Raizel muttered, shaking his head.
"Has the First Master visited recently?"
"No," Makarov hiccuped. "She hasn't come since she finished teaching Ultear and left for Tenrou Island."
"What about Laxus, do you know when he'll be back?"
Raizel hadn't seen Laxus in quite a while.
Laxus had become a workaholic, taking job after job and disappearing for weeks, while Raizel spent most of his time training in the eastern forest or traveling.
"He hasn't been paying me much attention lately," Makarov sighed, his cheerful demeanor evaporating instantly.
"But it should be soon. It's been a while since his last job."
Hearing his grandson's name, Makarov seemed to sober up.
His eyes, usually twinkling with mischief, grew somber.
"I expelled Ivan from the guild," Makarov said quietly. "Laxus couldn't understand it. He argued with me fiercely. He didn't run away from home, but... he's been ignoring me ever since."
Raizel nodded slowly.
He didn't ask why Ivan was expelled.
Like Gildarts, Raizel had never liked Ivan Dreyar.
The man radiated a slimy, deceitful aura. But since Ivan was Laxus's father, Raizel had always chosen to avoid conflict out of respect for his friend.
Raizel hadn't expected such a major event to happen while he was away.
He guessed that Ivan, seeing Raizel, Gildarts, and Ur all absent, had coveted Fairy Tail's greatest secret—Lumen Histoire—and made a move, only to be caught by the old man and expelled in a fit of rage.
Before becoming an S-Class Mage, Raizel had been cautious, sticking close to the guild.
After reaching S-Class, he spent his time training nearby.
Ivan had likely been waiting for a window of opportunity that never fully opened until Raizel left for his long trip.
"It's fine, Grandpa," Raizel comforted him, patting his arm. "I'll talk to him when he returns. I actually need to ask him for a favor anyway."
Makarov looked taken aback for a moment, then nodded gratefully.
He didn't ask what the favor was, simply returning to his drink to drown his sorrows.
...
Life returned to a routine for Raizel and Ultear: the dormitory, the guild, and the eastern forest.
Raizel occasionally sparred with Ultear, testing her Arc of Time against his armor, but most of the time, he meditated to increase his magical power.
Until Ultear successfully unlocked her Second Origin—or developed her mana capacity naturally—this was the only way she could train effectively.
"I heard from the old man you were looking for me."
A voice cut through the serene forest air.
With a crackle of golden lightning, Laxus appeared in front of Raizel, looking taller and broader than the last time they met.
He wore his signature headphones around his neck and a scowl on his face.
"Ultear," Raizel said gently, standing up. "I'm going to have a chat with Laxus over there."
He pointed toward the lakeside.
Ultear didn't respond verbally, merely giving a slight nod before returning to her crystal ball practice.
Raizel walked over to Laxus, digging into his backpack.
"This is for you."
He pulled out a vinyl record—the latest album from a famous rock band in Crocus.
It was Laxus's favorite group.
"When we visited the capital, I specifically went to buy the album and attended the signing event," Raizel explained.
"Our trip wasn't completely empty-handed."
Laxus looked at the album cover, his scowl softening slightly. "You didn't call me out here just to give me a souvenir, did you?"
"How about some fishing?" Raizel grinned, pulling out two collapsible fishing rods. "I bought these too. After seeing how much fun Gildarts had fishing last time, I decided to take up the hobby."
"Tch," Laxus scoffed, sounding disdainful.
But he accepted the rod without hesitation.
The two sat on folding stools, their lines cast into the placid water.
The only sound was the wind in the trees and the distant hum of Ultear's magic.
"How did your mission go?" Raizel asked, eyes on his float.
"Easy as pie," Laxus grunted. "What about you? Why aren't you taking any missions lately? You used to be a maniac for work."
Laxus had a nearly perfect mission completion rate—the failures were only because he occasionally got lost.
"Haha, missions aren't challenging enough right now," Raizel shrugged. "I can't take on the 10-Year or 100-Year quests yet. Plus, I'm feeling lazy. I want to enjoy my youth."
"Seriously," Laxus shook his head helplessly.
"What about you? Confident about this year's S-Class exam?" Raizel asked.
Fairy Tail was growing, but the S-Class rank was elite.
They didn't hold exams every year.
"Grandpa doesn't seem to plan on holding one," Laxus said, his tone surprisingly calm. "He probably thinks I'm still not ready. Mentally, or whatever."
"It's fine. If you take more missions next year, you should make it," Raizel offered a standard platitude.
"I don't need your comfort," Laxus snapped, his face darkening.
"And your comforting skills are terrible!."
Silence stretched between them for a moment.
"Grandpa mentioned you've been ignoring him lately," Raizel said softly.
"Don't listen to his nonsense," Laxus huffed, staring at the water. "I've just been busy with missions. Sometimes when I come home, he's already asleep. Should I grab him by the collar, wake him up, and shout 'I'm home, Grandpa!'?"
It was a deflection, and they both knew it.
Laxus's voice lowered, losing its edge.
He leaned back in his chair, his grip tightening on the fishing rod until his knuckles turned white.
"What I can't understand... is why he drove Ivan out of the guild. That's his son. My father."
From Laxus's perspective, it was baffling.
His father Ivan had treated him well enough, even securing the Lightning Dragon Slayer Lacrima that gave him his power.
To be cast out without explanation felt like a betrayal.
"Hey, hey, don't crush my fishing rod. It was expensive," Raizel warned lightly.
Laxus ignored him.
Raizel sighed, looking out across the lake.
"He's your father, Laxus. I don't know him well, and I won't speak ill of him to you. But I believe Grandpa made that decision from the standpoint of the Guild Master of Fairy Tail."
Raizel turned to look at his friend. "Grandpa loves you deeply. And I think he loved his son just as much. Expelling his own flesh and blood... do you think that was easy for him? That decision probably hurt him more than anyone."
Laxus sat up straight, his jaw clenched. "I know. Deep down, I know. I just... I can't accept it right now. When I asked him for the reason, he wouldn't tell me. He just said I'm 'not ready to know yet.' Am I still a child to him?"
"That secret is likely something only the Master is allowed to know," Raizel said. "It's a burden he's carrying alone."
"Work hard," Raizel patted Laxus's shoulder. "Become the Master of Fairy Tail one day. I'm sure you'll find out the truth then."
"Guild Master..." Laxus let out a bitter chuckle. "I'm still far from that."
It had been their childhood promise.
Laxus wanted to lead the guild.
He had expected Raizel to be his rival, but Raizel seemed content to just be a strong mage.
"Besides that," Raizel said, reeling in his line slightly. "There's something else I need your help with."
"Go on," Laxus said. Internally, he was relieved.
Being asked for help made him feel needed, valued as an equal rather than treated as the Master's grandson.
"I want to go to Rosemary Village in the next few months," Raizel said seriously. "I'd like you to come with me."
"Rosemary Village? Why there?"
"I have a bad feeling," Raizel lied smoothly. "A premonition. I think something bad is going to happen there. We might need to stay for a while."
Raizel couldn't be sure when the Child Hunt for the R-System would target Rosemary Village.
He hadn't heard any rumors of attacks yet, so he could only use the most basic method: camping out and waiting for the enemy to show up.
"Specific time?" Laxus asked.
"Within a month. Are you in?"
Laxus smirked, a spark of his old confidence returning.
"Alright. Count me in. I need a break from the old man anyway."