Fairy Tail: Starting with Marrying the Dragon Queen Irene

After a while...

"Second master, second master, are you alright?!"

Even Precht himself didn't know how much time had passed. He only heard an anxious voice persistently calling his name in his ears...

The voice sounded familiar, and so Precht slowly opened his eyes.

Hmm, the first thing he saw was Makarov's old face.

"Sigh..."

Seeing this, Precht sighed helplessly.

"Why do you look so disappointed, second master, when you see my face?"

Makarov looked at the sighing Precht, asking with confusion.

"So, how long was I unconscious?"

Precht seemed unwilling to answer Makarov's question. Instead, he cast a casual glance at Makarov and asked weakly.

"You were unconscious for exactly an hour."

Makarov wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and spoke urgently.

"Is that so?"

"Heh heh..."

"I think I just had a dream..."

"In my dream, Mavis told me that she no longer needed my protection. Now that I think about it, that's simply impossible! How could Mavis not need my protection?!"

"If Mavis lost my protection, who would she have to rely on?!"

"Would she rely on the Black Wizard who killed her..."

Precht muttered to himself, seemingly trying to convince himself. It appeared he was deceiving himself. Because self-hypnosis works best when you fully believe it, without any lies, Precht ended up accidentally revealing a massive secret.

"Second master..."

Fortunately, Makarov was rather dense, and he didn't pay much attention to what Precht said. Instead, after listening to Precht's muttering, his nose turned sour, and he wiped away a tear at the corner of his eye, thinking, "Second Master cares so much about the First Master, and just because of her words, he got so agitated that he fainted. After he woke up, he even cast a self-hypnosis spell on himself, forcibly trying to forget everything that happened! Second Master is really too kind, I could cry."

At the moment, all of Fairy Tail knew that the second guild master Precht was Mavis's hopeless simp.

Except, of course, Precht himself.

"Makarov…"

"I understand now, you're completely different from how you used to be."

"Trying to take back control of Fairy Tail from you is nothing but a pipe dream, an unrealistic fantasy!"

"So, from today on, you and I, we'll both do our best in our own ways—one in the light and one in the shadows—to protect the best person in the world, Mavis."

Precht wasn't satisfied with just making himself a simp; he wanted to pull his loyal disciple Makarov along for the ride...

Yes, Precht was the ultimate simp in the world.

"If Mavis doesn't wish to see me, then I'll leave!"

"I think it's getting late, it's time for me to return…"

Precht muttered softly.

Indeed, Precht knew perfectly well that all he heard earlier was not some illusion—it had actually happened…

Even if the intent wasn't to make him leave!

His heart, aching as it was, did not lie…

Precht had once thought that when he created Grimoire Heart and sank into the abyss of dark magic, he had let go of all his human emotions—just like the one he admired, the one he resented, the one he had always wished to replace or become: the Black Wizard Zeref, who had become an embodiment of darkness.

Yet, just one simple sentence from Mavis still hurt him so deeply.

Precht: "I finally mustered up the courage for once, and you made me lose so utterly?!"

"Second Master, what are you saying? Second Master!"

"Now that you've returned to Fairy Tail, of course, the position of guild master belongs to you! I've been meaning to retire anyway…"

But, just as Precht was about to finish his sentence…

Makarov abruptly reached out, grabbing Precht's arm firmly, his face showing a determination that made it clear he wouldn't let Precht leave.

"Huh?"

Precht was baffled.

For a moment, Precht thought that his identity as the guild master of Grimoire Heart, the strongest dark mage guild in Ishgar, had been exposed.

"Makarov, what do you mean by this?"

Precht looked at Makarov and cautiously asked.

To be honest, Precht wasn't afraid of Makarov. He was confident that, even if Makarov found out everything, he could still walk away unharmed.

But Precht didn't want to show his dark side in front of Mavis. He wanted Mavis to remain forever pure and innocent.

"Second Master! What are you saying?"

"Since you've returned to Fairy Tail, how could there be any reason for you to leave again?! The guild master's position belongs to you, naturally!"

"Besides, I'm really not suited to managing a guild!"

"I was just taking care of it temporarily while you were gone."

"Now that you're back, Fairy Tail should, of course, continue to be led by you."

Makarov held Precht's hand tightly, speaking emotionally.

"But this…"

"How could I accept?"

Precht's expression kept changing, but in the end, he lightly smiled.

Only, Precht's eyes were cold—he wanted to see what Makarov was playing at!

"No! You absolutely shouldn't be hesitant about this!"

"This is your rightful duty, and you cannot shirk it…"

Makarov held Precht's hand tightly, speaking earnestly.

However, in Makarov's heart, a different story was playing.

'Second Master, you've finally returned.'

'This time, no matter who comes, I won't let you leave.'

'As long as you stay in Fairy Tail, I can focus on breaking through my own limits. Once I reach the level of the 'Heavenly Kings,' let's see if those rebellious kids in the guild, who just barely entered the ranks of the 'Ten Wizard Saints,' still dare mock me!'

Makarov thought fiercely. Of course, the "rebellious kid" in Makarov's heart specifically referred to Laxus.

'Could it be that Makarov is still testing me?'

However, Precht didn't seem to feel Makarov's sincerity. He didn't agree immediately but instead narrowed his eyes, looking at Makarov with some suspicion.

If he were in Makarov's position—having spent over forty years turning Fairy Tail from an obscure mage guild into the strongest guild in the world—and the previous guild master, who had disappeared for decades, suddenly reappeared to take the credit, he would never accept it.

In fact, most people wouldn't!

But it just so happened that Makarov was one of the rare people who didn't care about power and was eagerly looking for someone to take his place so that he could retire early.

"Makarov, why don't you tell me all the current S-Class mages in the guild?"

Precht was a smart man. Before making a power grab, he decided to test if Makarov would be honest with him.

If Makarov told him the truth, it would prove he had no ill intentions and genuinely wanted Precht to take over as guild master.

But if Makarov didn't tell him the truth, then the implication would be obvious.

'Makarov, let's see if the list of current S-Class mages you give me matches the one I already have.'

Precht thought to himself, watching Makarov closely.

"Uh…"

"Currently, our guild has five active S-Class Mages…"

"No, wait, we actually have eight."

Upon hearing Precht's question, Makarov immediately began counting on his fingers.

"Hmm? Eight?!"

Precht was momentarily stunned.

That number didn't match his intel at all. Precht had assumed that Makarov would keep one or two S-Class Mages as a hidden trump card.

But, according to Makarov, the Fairy Tail guild had not only not hidden anything, but the number of S-Class mages was even greater than the number Grimoire Heart had found!

"They are Ian, Gildarts Clive, Ur Milkovich, Laxus Dreyar, Irene Belserion, Erza Belserion, Eresh Belserion, and Selene."

Makarov revealed the list of current S-Class Mages in Fairy Tail without any hesitation.

"Wait a second..."

"What's going on with this Belserion family?"

"Out of the eight S-Class Mages in the guild, three are from the same family?"

Precht seemed to notice something odd, narrowing his eyes…

In fact, even his right eye, hidden behind an eye patch, narrowed.

Precht's heart was full of confusion. If three out of eight S-Class Mages belonged to the Belserion family, didn't that make Fairy Tail their family guild?

"You misunderstand…"

"The Belserion family hasn't taken up three spots."

Makarov noticed Precht's furrowed brows and knew his teacher had misunderstood Ian's family.

"Oh?!"

"I see, they just share the same last name?"

Precht sighed in relief. He thought that the three Belserions were all part of the same family.

"I mean…"

"They haven't taken up three spots; they've taken up five spots."

As soon as Precht relaxed…

Makarov's next words almost made him cough up blood.

"What?!"

"Five spots?"

Precht stared at Makarov, his shock evident.

"Irene Belserion and Selene are Ian's wives. Erza Belserion and Eresh Belserion are Ian's daughters."

"So, Ian's full name should actually be Ian Belserion. I remember he once mentioned that Irene was the queen of some country, and that he married into her family..."

Makarov rubbed his chin and started gossiping.

Indeed, there's no shame in marrying into someone else's family, especially if it means gaining a throne.

But it seemed like Ian hadn't taken on the Belserion name?

Could it be…

Was Ian really just taking advantage of the situation? Makarov seemed to have realized something else.

"Five?"

"Out of the eight S-Class Mages in the guild, five are from the same family?"

"Makarov, are you insane?!"

"You're just going to sit back and let this Belserion family dominate Fairy Tail?! In the future, who will Fairy Tail obey—the Belserion family, or us, the guild masters?"

Precht's eye twitched slightly, and he didn't know what to say. Eight S-Class Mages, and five from the same family—it practically turned Fairy Tail into a family-run guild!

"Uh…"

"What domination…"

"Ian is currently the strongest mage in Fairy Tail."

Makarov started to introduce Ian's background.

"The strongest mage in Fairy Tail? Isn't that supposed to be Gildarts?"

Precht paused. According to his intelligence, the strongest mage in Fairy Tail and the entire kingdom of Fiore was Gildarts.

"No, no, Gildarts lost to Ian."

"If we were to rank all of Fairy Tail's S-Class Mages, both active and inactive, Ian would be first, Gildarts would be second, Ultear third, Warrod fourth, Erza fifth, and Laxus sixth."

Makarov rubbed his chin, thinking it over before continuing.

"Wait, what about Irene, Selene, and Eresh?"

"Why aren't those three on the ranking list?"

Precht looked at Makarov, puzzled.

"Uh…"

"Because Eresh is a dragon!"

"As for Selene, she's also a dragon! Apparently, she's quite famous in the Northern Continent of Guiltina, where locals revere her as a 'God' and call her 'Moon Dragon Selene' for her god-like powers."

"Finally, there's Irene, the creator of Dragon Slayer Magic, the Mother of Dragon Slayers! Just like the legends, and similar to the apocalyptic descriptions of the 'Black Dragon' Acnologia, she cultivated Dragon Slayer Magic to its highest level, transforming from a human into a dragon."

Makarov seemed to have no reservations as he shared everything he knew about Fairy Tail with Precht.

"What?!"

Precht's eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth agape.

This time, Precht wasn't acting…

Indeed, Precht thought that Fairy Tail had raised a single dragon—the one that wreaked havoc in Crocus, Eresh.

But who would have thought that Makarov hadn't just raised a single dragon in Fairy Tail?!

This old man had clearly raised a whole nest of dragons!

Maybe it was time to rename the guild. Instead of Fairy Tail, how about Dragon Tail?

"'Moon Dragon' Selene, 'Dragon Queen' Irene Belserion… So it wasn't just a common name! Who would have thought that in the tiny Fairy Tail guild, I'd meet individuals I could only read about in ancient texts or history books. Incredible."

Precht shook his head. He suddenly felt deflated. With the power Fairy Tail currently possessed, how could Grimoire Heart compete?

"Second Master? Are you alright?"

Makarov noticed Precht deep in thought and asked with concern.

"Uh, heh…"

"I'm fine… I'm fine…"

Upon hearing Makarov's words, Precht trembled slightly and turned to look at him, shaking his head vigorously.

"I absolutely can't let Makarov know that I founded Grimoire Heart."

"Not to mention whether it would disappoint Mavis and Makarov…"

"If I tell them, they'll surely mock me for founding such a weak guild! I can't afford that kind of humiliation."

Precht no longer felt any pride in Grimoire Heart, which he had once declared to be the strongest dark mage guild in Ishgar.

The so-called strongest dark mage guild in Ishgar?

It was complete nonsense!

The real strongest dark mage guild in Ishgar, which harbored dragons and demons alike, was Fairy Tail!

Fairy Tail was too wicked.

"Whew..."

After hearing the list of Fairy Tail's current S-Class mages and their power levels from Makarov, Precht slowly exhaled...

The one who had made such a brilliant show in the Grand Magic Games in Crocus...

Laxus, whom he considered a powerful opponent comparable to, if not stronger than, the strongest mage in Grimoire Heart, Jellal—he was actually at the bottom of the S-Class rankings. And the strongest S-Class mage wasn't even human.

"Anyway, let's leave it at that for now!"

"For now, let's just take it one step at a time."

With that thought, Precht got up from the bed and followed Makarov back to the first-floor hall of Fairy Tail.

Yes, when the power gap becomes too wide to be bridged, it becomes tempting to just give up…

After all, if you can't beat them, you might as well join them.

"Let's all warmly welcome Guild Master Precht's return!"

"At the same time, I'd like to announce…"

"From today on, Fairy Tail will once again be led by Guild Master Precht, while I will be stepping into semi-retirement…"

Makarov stood on the platform, loudly announcing his retirement.

"No, Master, please don't!"

"Master, I'll miss you so much."

With Makarov's announcement, the entire guild burst into tears, behaving as if Makarov were on his deathbed.

"Quiet!"

"I'm still alive!"

Makarov was exasperated. He waved his hands at the careless young mages, his voice heavy with irritation.

"I'll just be residing in a cabin in the eastern forest of Magnolia, so if you need anything, come find me there…"

Makarov waved his hand casually as he spoke.

"By the way…"

"Isn't Porlyusica also living in a cabin in the eastern forest?"

As soon as Makarov spoke, one of the guild members noticed something important, grinning mischievously as he said it.

"Eww~"

The entire Fairy Tail guild burst into teasing jeers as everyone seemed to see right through Makarov.

"You brats! Quiet down!"

"I'm going there because the eastern forest is quiet and sparsely populated—it's the perfect place for me to train!"

"What do you know?! Hmph!"

Makarov's face turned beet-red as he yelled at everyone in the guild.

"By the way, Makarov…"

"Even after I left, you still haven't managed to get together with Porlyusica?"

"Back then, everyone in the guild thought you'd eventually end up with Porlyusica. After all, you two were already like a married couple."

While everyone was teasing Makarov…

Precht's words nailed it.

"Guild Master, I'm eighty years old, have some mercy, will you?"

Makarov turned even redder, lowering his head and mumbling softly, unable to meet Precht's eyes.

"…"

Silence fell over the room.

"Pfft…"

"Hahaha…"

And then someone, unable to hold back, burst out laughing, which quickly spread across the entire guild.

"Laugh! Go ahead and laugh!"

"One day, you'll be the ones who can't laugh…"

Makarov's face darkened as he shouted angrily.

"Heh."

Precht chuckled softly.

It had been so long since he'd felt this relaxed. Indeed, there was no place like Fairy Tail.

Meanwhile, in Grimoire Heart…

"The Guild Master went to Fairy Tail to tear it down! Let's show those goody-two-shoes the true power of the Abyss of Magic!"

Sadly, the Grimoire Heart mages didn't know yet…

Their guild master had already surrendered.