Gray's eyes widened instantly, his mouth slightly open, enough to stuff an egg in.
"I—Ivan?! You—you really got him—"
"Otherwise?" Shane was even more confused. "You all knew I went to chase him; what's so strange about me bringing him back?"
"But—but—" Gray's voice changed pitch, pointing at Ivan, his fingers trembling a little. "Did you really beat that Ivan? He is—he is an S-Class Mage!"
Heaven pity, Gray hadn't even accumulated the qualifications to participate in the S-Class Mage Trial this year.
At least for now, Ivan, who was ranked alongside Gildarts, was an existence needing to be looked up to in his mind, an absolute powerhouse in the guild.
But now, such an existence was actually—by Shane—
This made him temporarily unable to accept it.
Shane shrugged nonchalantly. "So what? Even this kind of trash can be S-Class. If I could take the test, I should have been one last month."
His tone was as flat as talking about what he ate for dinner today.
"—" Gray was choked by these words and couldn't speak for a long while.
Bypassing Gray, who was still in shock and whose brain seemed to have crashed, Shane walked straight toward the gate. "Alright, don't block me; I still have serious business to see the Master."
Gray was still immersed in the shocking news that "Shane really single-handedly took down an S-Class Mage," subconsciously stepping aside to make way, his brain blank.
When passing through the hall, he happened to meet Cana's worried and Erza's inquiring gazes.
Shane waved to them casually, revealing a "done" smile, then dragged Ivan straight up to the second floor under the curious and astonished gazes of a group of guild members.
Erza watched Shane's back disappear at the staircase entrance, calmly drinking the remaining warm black tea in her cup.
Then she raised her eyes to look at Gray, who had just followed in with a dazed face, and said with a smile, "See, Shane won, right?"
The girl's expression was as if she had won herself. Gray opened his mouth, silently found a seat, and began to doubt life.
He felt his worry was wasted.
Who would just finish fighting an S-Class Mage and the first thing they do upon returning is scare the companions who care about them?
Cana, however, looked at Gray doubtfully. Everyone knew Erza and Shane had a good relationship.
But Gray—when did he become so close with Shane too?
This discovery gave her a subtle feeling of being left behind by peers in the guild.
Second floor, Master's office.
Shane pushed open the wooden door and found the atmosphere inside was even heavier than when he left.
It had been more than ten minutes, yet Master Makarov and Laxus, grandfather and grandson, were still staring at each other.
Shane really felt it difficult to insert himself into this atmosphere, so he walked silently to the center of the office and let go.
Thump!
With a muffled sound, Ivan fell directly onto the floor like a broken sack.
This noise finally broke the suffocating silence in the room.
Laxus turned his head abruptly. Seeing his father on the ground with dirty clothes, unconscious, and with many abrasions and scorch marks on his body, his expression changed drastically. "You! Did you kill him—"
"Idiot! Look carefully!" Makarov interrupted him sternly. "He is still breathing! Just fainted!"
The old man sat on the table, his face ashen. "Moreover, even if Shane really killed him, a guy like this who hurts companions and betrays the guild deserves to die!"
"Bastard old man, you—" Laxus raised his face violently, veins popping on his forehead, about to erupt.
"Now, now," Shane hurriedly smoothed things over, scratching his cheek. "Anyway, I brought the person back. Let's all calm down first?"
However, his words failed to ease the atmosphere much.
Makarov's face remained as dark as water, while Laxus clenched his fists, his chest heaving violently.
Shane sighed somewhat helplessly. He really wasn't good at dealing with such complex family emotional disputes.
On the contrary, it was Makarov who spoke first again, his voice returning to a forced calm. "Laxus, you go out first. I have something to say to Shane."
Laxus's chest heaved violently a few times, but perhaps confirming that his father was at least still alive, he glared fiercely at his expressionless grandfather, then looked at Shane complicatedly. Finally, gritting his teeth, he strode toward the door.
When passing by Shane, he said quickly in an extremely low voice, "Thanks."
After speaking, he slammed the door and left without looking back.
Shane raised an eyebrow somewhat unexpectedly. This guy looks grumpy and rebellious, didn't expect him to be quite reasonable. His personality seems—unexpectedly not bad?
Only Shane, Makarov, and the unconscious Ivan remained in the office.
Makarov didn't speak immediately. He just walked to Ivan's side, lowered his head, and stared deeply at his disappointing son.
That gaze was complicated and obscure, containing anger, disappointment, and perhaps a trace of indescribable pain as a father.
Shane waited quietly for a while, then couldn't help asking, "Master, how do you plan—to deal with him?"
Makarov raised his head slowly, his eyes having recovered the decisiveness and cold hardness belonging to a guild leader.
He said in a deep voice, "I will wipe out all his memories regarding magic, as well as 'Lumen Histoire'."
These words truly surprised Shane.
Depriving a Mage of memories regarding magic was simply crueler than killing him. The punishment couldn't be said to be light.
He originally thought that since Ivan was the Master's biological son after all, the old man would show some mercy.
Makarov seemed to see through his thoughts, his voice low. "He is no longer a companion in the guild; I have no need to shield him.
Moreover, as the father who once taught him magic, I have the responsibility, and also the qualification—to deprive a son who went astray of the right to use magic.
Not only is he unworthy of being a Fairy Tail Mage, he is unworthy—even as a Mage."
At this moment, Shane understood the old man's spirit of protecting the guild deeper.
He genuinely loved this guild from the bottom of his heart and devoted himself fully to action for it. "Understood." Shane nodded. Although he was the one who brought Ivan back, he really shouldn't offer superfluous opinions on handling such family and official matters.
However, depriving memories, huh— Shane pondered secretly.
If the Master also wanted to deprive him of his memory regarding this part, he would really feel a bit uncomfortable. After all, the feeling of having memories interfered with wasn't good.
While he was still hesitating whether to agree, Makarov's gaze turned to him, his tone softening a bit. "Rest assured, Shane. Wiping memories, I will only do this to Ivan.
Regarding Ivan's disposal, an announcement will be given within the guild.
As for 'Lumen Histoire'—please keep this matter strictly confidential for me. Do not mention it to any companion in the guild."