The four of them sat down on the wooden chairs at the entrance, with Raizel doing his duty—brewing hot tea.
Warrod, getting excited, pointed around the property and said, "Since retiring, I've been promoting desert greening activities. Look around..."
"It's very nice outside! Full of vitality and lush greenery," Mavis smiled.
She followed Warrod's pointing hand and looked out, her eyes filled with vibrant green vegetation.
Warrod was very pleased by Mavis's praise.
After a hearty laugh, he replied, "This is the result of my long efforts over the decades. When I first arrived here, it could be said to be a barren wasteland, devastated beyond recognition."
Raizel said in a sincere tone, "Warrod-senpai, this endeavor of yours can truly be said to benefit the present and future generations of Ishgar."
Warrod pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and shook his head humbly. "You flatter me, young man. I use Green Magic to prevent the desert from expanding further. Calling it a charitable, noble activity might sound better, but in truth, it's just my personal hobby. Because of this, I'm always running around in the harsh desert year after year."
"If Precht hadn't suddenly come to me, and severely injured at that, I might have already set off on my next journey to manage the desert borders."
"Regardless of whether it's out of a hobby or a grand purpose, you've done it, and that's enough. Actions speak louder than intentions. Let me toast you with tea instead of wine," Raizel said, raising his teacup in a toast before drinking it all in one go.
Warrod was undoubtedly an elder worthy of respect.
Previously, there was no opportunity, but now that there was one, Raizel wanted to express his admiration.
"Hahaha!" Warrod followed Raizel's lead and downed his hot tea in one go.
"Me too!" Mavis also wanted to imitate them, but unfortunately, she couldn't interact with the cup.
'If only August were by my side...' she thought wistfully.
Precht, on the other hand, remained as if invisible nearby—he knew he had no right to join in the lighthearted toasts.
He had ordered his subordinates to destroy several innocent towns and villages in his dark pursuit.
"Precht, what are your plans for the future?" Mavis looked at the old man and asked curiously.
Precht was taken aback for a moment before replying, "I'll be following Warrod to manage the desert from now on. Of course, Mavis... if there's anything you ever need me to do, I will step in."
This was Warrod's practical suggestion to him.
Warrod often frequented the deep desert, where it was sparsely populated, so Precht wouldn't be discovered by the Magic Council.
Moreover, it could also serve as a grueling way for Precht to atone for some of his sins against the earth.
"No, I don't need anything anymore," Mavis shook her head gently.
Precht looked at Mavis, hesitated for a long time, and then tentatively said, "By the way... there's something I'm deeply sorry about. If you don't forgive me for it... I'll accept it."
"Are you referring to the child?" Mavis was very clever and immediately guessed what Precht wanted to confess.
"You know?!" Precht's pupil sharply contracted in shock.
"What child?" Warrod frowned, completely in the dark about the guild's deepest secret.
"I know, but I only found out recently," Mavis nodded with a sad smile.
Seeing Mavis's forced smile, Precht felt deeply guilty.
He lowered his head and stammered, "I'm sorry... I..."
Precht didn't know how to explain his actions.
"No, Precht. I should be the one thanking you."
Hearing Mavis's words, Precht immediately looked up and tentatively asked, "Could it be...?"
"He's still alive. I've already met him, but it needs to remain strictly confidential for now. I'll introduce you to him when there's a chance."
"That's wonderful... truly wonderful..." Precht suddenly found himself weeping uncontrollably, burying his face in his hands.
To be honest, after abandoning the infant August in the woods, he had regretted it for a time, but as he descended further into darkness, he purposefully forgot the trauma.
Since regaining his clarity on Tenrou Island, he had been consumed by fresh guilt—Mavis should have had a child, but he believed he had caused its death by abandoning it.
Now, learning that the child had somehow survived and grown, his crushing guilt lessened somewhat.
"Wait, you're not...?" Precht had another paranoid thought—that Mavis might just be saying this to comfort him and ease his guilt.
"No, I can prove it because I was there when they met," Raizel quietly raised his hand from the table.
"And it's indeed not suitable to introduce him to you all yet," Raizel added quickly.
"That's good... that's good..."
Hearing Raizel confirm it, Precht breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
"Wait... what are you all talking about?! What child?!" Warrod quickly interjected, looking between the three of them.
Mavis explained gently. "When I 'died', I was actually pregnant. While I was in a state of suspended animation inside the lacrima crystal, Precht helped save the child from my womb."
"So your child was abandoned by Precht in the wilderness, but is somehow still alive, and you've been reunited?" Warrod summarized, stunned.
"Who's the father?!"
"He's alive. Not long ago, he even took me around the continent to see the sights. As for the father... it's the man who originally taught us magic." Mavis thought it over and decided not to tell Warrod it was the Black Wizard Zeref.
"So it's him."
Memories of learning magic in the past flooded back to Warrod.
The face of the gentle, black-haired man remained vivid in his mind—after all, he was considered his beloved teacher.
Warrod nodded in understanding, his grip on his wooden cane tightening slightly.
Only someone as mysterious and powerful as him could capture the heart of a young Mavis.
'If it was him, it made sense.'
The three founders chatted and reminisced for a long, long time.
Mostly, Mavis did the talking, sharing various amusing stories from her recent outings with August and the young members of Fairy Tail she got along with these days.
Warrod and Precht simply listened with warm smiles, occasionally reacting to the chaotic tales of Natsu and Erza.
Seeing that Mavis had finally slowed down her storytelling, Raizel seized the opportunity to speak.
"By the way, Warrod-senpai, I have a favor to ask."
Hearing Raizel's words, Warrod grew curious and looked at him with a smile and said.
"Oh? Do tell. As long as it's within my power, I'll do my best to help—provided it's not illegal, of course."
Warrod's gaze toward Raizel was filled with genuine gratitude and admiration.
Regardless of him being a rising S-Class mages in the guild, from Mavis's own account, it was clear: Raizel was the one who ensured Mavis wasn't alone for over a decade.
He was the one who reunited Mavis with her lost son.
Even when organizing guild outings, he never forgot to include Mavis's ghost.
One thing after another—in short, since Raizel treated Mavis so well, Warrod felt compelled to help the boy.
"How much influence do you currently hold in the Magic Council? I'd like to take someone to visit a few imprisoned members of the Oración Seis."
"May I ask why you want to see them?" Warrod didn't answer directly but instead asked for context.
Warrod was being a bit nosy, even wondering if it was a romantic entanglement with a dark mage.
This wasn't anything to be ashamed of, so Raizel answered with a serious expression.
"There are two members in Oración Seis who were separated from their younger siblings when they were children. I promised both of them after we defeated them that I would find their younger siblings and help them reunite."
Warrod nodded understandingly and said, "I see. If it's just a supervised prison meeting, I can make that happen."
This wasn't difficult for Warrod at all.
As one of the Four Gods of Ishgar, he had that level of authority within the justice system.