Chapter 22: First, Understand the Spirit of the Guild
Strictly speaking, what Moen had done wasn't exactly by the book.
Sure, he was the grandson of the guild master—
But he didn't actually have the authority to officially approve a new member.
That power belonged solely to Master Makarov.
Still, Moen did it anyway.
Even if it meant getting chewed out later—he had no regrets.
Because Laki… was a rare talent.
Her Wood-Make Magic could save the guild a ton of money.
This girl was basically a walking construction miracle!
Moen had read the guild's financial records—
And furniture damage made up a shocking portion of the expenses.
Everyone here was just… too rowdy.
Granted, the members always paid for what they broke.
It rarely came out of the guild's own budget.
But money was money.
And that money didn't need to be spent at all.
With Laki around, they could save a fortune.
And honestly, that was one of the reasons why everyone supported Moen's decision to make her a full member.
It's not like the uncles and big brothers in the guild wanted to destroy stuff.
They were just passionate people—
And sometimes, passion meant things got broken.
Now that Laki was officially part of the family,
No one rushed her off to the dorms.
Instead, they gathered around and threw a spontaneous welcome party.
Celebrating any excuse—
That was another long-standing tradition of Fairy Tail.
Just as the festivities reached full swing,
Master Makarov returned from his short trip.
"...?"
"What are we celebrating this time?"
He stared blankly at the noisy scene.
He'd only gone out for a magazine, and now everyone was in party mode?!
"Master Makarov! A new member joined the guild!"
Moen spotted his grandfather and quickly moved to explain.
He hoped the old man would understand his reasoning.
"Huh? A new member?"
Makarov blinked in confusion, clearly out of the loop.
"Come with me."
Moen led him into the crowd, where Laki was still surrounded by smiling faces, nervously introducing herself.
"Ah! It's that pervy old man!"
Before either Moen or Makarov could say a word,
Laki's surprised voice rang out.
"..."
The room fell dead silent.
Everyone turned to look at her.
Laki froze, confused.
Wait… why did it get quiet again?
"Ahem. Laki, let me introduce you."
Moen cleared his throat, clearly holding back laughter.
"This 'pervy old man' here is our guild master—Makarov Dreyar."
Laki visibly stiffened.
She looked absolutely horrified.
"A-AH?!"
She gasped in slow motion…
Then immediately shrieked in high-pitched panic.
"Ahahaha! Don't worry, don't worry, little miss!"
Makarov burst into hearty laughter, waving it off.
"Did I scare you earlier when we bumped into each other outside?"
He tried to soothe the clearly flustered girl.
As for being called a pervy old man?
Makarov didn't mind.
Because, well... it was true.
He had, in fact, been on his way to buy a rather refreshing magazine when he bumped into Laki.
That must've been the moment she got startled.
"N-No, not at all! Good day to you, Master!"
Laki quickly straightened up and greeted Makarov respectfully.
His kind and gentle demeanor had eased some of her nerves,
so she chose not to bring up how he'd startled her earlier.
"Good. Carry on, then."
Makarov smiled and nodded warmly, then turned and walked off with Moen in tow.
Once they were alone in the back office,
Makarov casually leapt onto a chair and crossed his legs.
"All right, care to explain what's going on?"
He hadn't questioned Moen in front of the guild,
because he trusted the boy wouldn't act recklessly.
Still, this was something worth a private conversation.
But instead of answering, Moen raised a brow and asked:
"Grandpa, didn't you notice anything different about the guild hall when you walked in?"
"Hm?"
Makarov frowned slightly and thought back.
Actually… he hadn't.
His attention had been completely absorbed by the lively crowd.
But Makarov was a firm believer in seeing with your own eyes.
He hopped off his chair, hurried out into the main hall, and looked around properly.
Moments later, he rushed back in—visibly surprised—
and jumped back onto the chair.
"Moen, what the heck happened out there?"
He was stunned.
The hall looked almost brand new.
But deep down, he had a hunch.
"It's all thanks to Laki. She's skilled in Wood-Make Magic."
Moen replied with a satisfied grin.
In fact, he was starting to think…
maybe they should offer her a formal staff position at the guild.
"Just as I thought."
Makarov nodded in approval.
He had suspected as much.
With his years of experience—over eighty-one, in fact—
he could piece things together without being told much.
"Grandpa, why don't we officially hire Laki as guild staff?"
Moen proposed.
"Sister Elra and the others are already working pretty hard.
If Laki helps out, we can reduce damage costs—
and more importantly, we shouldn't make her work for free."
Even if the guild was a family,
family should still be treated fairly.
Moen believed that people like Laki—who made real contributions—
deserved proper recognition and compensation.
That's what true fairness looked like.
"You're absolutely right. Let's do it."
Makarov readily agreed.
In fact, he was inwardly quite proud.
Moen wasn't just considerate—he was mature and thoughtful.
He cared deeply for the guild and its members,
always trying to make sure things were handled with fairness and warmth.
It was no wonder the entire guild adored him.
Compared to that…
Makarov sighed.
Laxus still didn't understand what it truly meant to lead Fairy Tail.
He thought strength alone was what made a guild master—
but he didn't understand the heart of Fairy Tail at all.
Meanwhile, Moen had already stepped out of the office.
He went straight to find Laki,
to offer her the position—and ask her opinion.
After all, a job had to be mutually agreed upon.
"I'd love to!"
Laki accepted on the spot.
She was still new, with not much money to her name.
Getting a stable job within the guild she had just joined?
It felt like a stroke of pure luck.
(End of Chapter)