"UWAAA, MAKAROV! THIS GUY IS A BULLY!"
Mavis Vermillion threw a massive, ghostly tantrum, hovering in the air and pointing an accusing finger at Finn. Ghostly tears streamed down her cheeks.
"There, there... First Master..." Makarov sighed heavily, awkwardly patting the empty air where her shoulder should be. He tried to comfort the legendary founder of Fairy Tail, but deep down, he knew exactly why she had been shot down.
Finn's rejection was absolute. Because honestly, what kind of ruthless underworld boss would forfeit thirty million Jewels just for the abstract concept of "friendship"?
Furthermore, would Fairy Tail even abide by that promise?
Absolutely not. Finn knew they all secretly hated him. To them, he was just a cold, greedy creditor constantly demanding payment. It didn't matter that Fairy Tail viewed themselves as the righteous protagonists of the world; when they were backed into a corner and asked to pay their debts, they acted just as lawless and aggressive as the thugs they fought.
The rest of the guild stood in awkward silence, acutely aware of just how shameless Mavis's request had been.
"You really don't think there are any benefits to being our friend?" Mavis sniffled, floating closer to Finn. She puffed out her cheeks and looked up at him with massive, teary, puppy-dog eyes.
She was undeniably cute. But Finn's newly evolved, draconic tastes leaned heavily toward the mature and voluptuous. Bisca's incredibly soft, wet service from earlier was still fresh in his mind, and looking at the flat-chested ghost did absolutely nothing for him.
"What exactly are the benefits?" Finn asked, staring at her with dead, uninterested eyes.
"We can help you out whenever you want!" Mavis declared proudly, putting her hands on her hips.
Finn took a deep breath. He slowly raised his hand and snapped his fingers. "Bring out the 'Troublesome' archive."
"Yes, Sir!"
Within seconds, a dozen of his busty, tightly-skirted secretaries marched into the room, their heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. They dumped a massive, towering mountain of quest flyers directly onto the floor in front of Fairy Tail.
Curious, the guild members leaned in and began reading the scattered papers.
"Cleanse the highly toxic poison miasma blanketing Mt. Hakobe..."
"Retrieve the Absolute Zero Lotus from the peak of a freezing, monster-infested glacier..."
"Manually scoop pure magma from the core of a highly active underwater volcano..."
"If we're such good friends," Finn said, leaning forward and offering them his most flawless, gentle smile, "Then I assume you won't mind risking your lives to clean up all these national disasters for me... completely free of charge, right?"
"......."
The entire guild froze. It was a perfectly polite smile, but it sent a terrifying, icy shiver straight down Erza's spine.
"Don't look at me like that," Finn chuckled darkly, leaning back in his chair. "Isn't this exactly what you just proposed? Becoming 'friends' just so you can take advantage of me?"
"WE ARE NOT LIKE THAT!" Erza roared, her hands balling into tight fists. Her massive breasts heaved indignantly against her armor.
"I don't know, Titania. That's the exact impression you just gave me," Finn sighed, interlacing his fingers. "Tell me... have any of you ever visited the absolute worst slums of Crocus?"
"Well..." Gray frowned, looking away. They knew of the slums. They were dirty, disease-ridden places filled with absolute poverty.
"Do you know why those slums are overflowing with starving people?" Finn asked, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper. "And do you know why your guild members aren't rotting in them right now?"
Finn's smile vanished, replaced by an aura of crushing, absolute authority. "You are not in the slums because I allow you to take my jobs. You are lucky that you have magical talent, so I gave you a chance to survive. But if you cannot appreciate that... then get the hell out of my sight."
Did they really think his empire of wealth just fell out of the sky? Did they think he didn't work himself to the bone? They had absolutely no idea the sheer amount of blood, sweat, and sociopathic sacrifice he had made to climb out of the gutter and reach this throne.
"I am sorry."
Mavis's ghostly form solidified slightly. She knew she had crossed a line. She had acted childishly, treating the crushing reality of debt like a lighthearted joke. She could feel the terrifying, heavy shift in Finn's magical aura. It felt less human and more... monstrous. If she played around again, he would crush them.
No, he wouldn't be using magic, just by simple words, he could do many inconvenient things to their guild.
"I won't joke around anymore," Mavis said, her tone suddenly turning deadly serious. The Fairy Tactician had awakened. "We are entirely serious about paying off this debt."
"How?" Finn raised an eyebrow.
"The Grand Magic Games!" Mavis declared, pointing directly at him. "The grand prize for winning the tournament is exactly thirty million Jewels! If we win, we will hand the entire reward directly to you to cover the desk and a portion of the principal debt!"
"W-What?!"
While Natsu, Gray, and Erza eagerly nodded, fired up at the prospect of a massive tournament, Makarov looked like he was going to pass out.
All thirty million Jewels?! Going straight to the debt?! Makarov groaned internally. The guild desperately needed liquid cash just to eat and repair their rotting tavern! But he sighed in defeat. He knew clearing Finn's ledger was the absolute top priority. Surviving the White Devil was more important than a new roof.
"Can you actually win?" Finn asked flatly.
"....."
"Are you looking down on us?" Erza narrowed her eyes, her hand dropping to the hilt of her sword.
"No. You are the ones looking down on the competition," Finn replied coldly, refusing to elaborate. "I cannot agree to those terms."
"Why not?!"
"Because I don't think you are currently capable of winning."
"WE WILL WIN!" Natsu roared, flames leaking from his teeth.
"If you want to gamble your debt on a tournament, you need to provide a guarantee," Finn calculated. "In the highly likely event that you lose, you need to give me collateral."
"What do you want?" Mavis narrowed her eyes, floating closer.
"Knowledge." Finn tapped his temple. "I am a collector. If you fail to win the Grand Magic Games, you will hand over the complete, unredacted magical records and training manuals for your personal magics."
"....."
"...Is that really okay?" Wendy asked, peering timidly from behind Erza. Could magic knowledge really replace thirty million Jewels?
"I will appraise the value of each magic first," Finn said smoothly. "For example, I am quite fond of Master Makarov's Titan magic. If you hand over the complete blueprints for it, I will wipe ten million Jewels off your debt."
"You are massively underestimating the value of Titan magic!" Mavis shrieked, genuinely insulted.
Did Finn think Makarov's magic was a cheap parlor trick?! Titan magic was an incredibly powerful, strategic asset! If sold on the black market, it would easily fetch over a billion Jewels!
"I know it is," Finn nodded calmly.
"....."
"But it takes decades of grueling physical and mental conditioning to master it," Finn countered, taking another drag from his cigar. "And frankly? I'm being generous. I don't even want to become a giant."
"What about mine?!" Gray stepped forward, slamming his hands together.
"Your magic?"
"Ice-Make!" Gray shouted, instantly shaping a beautifully intricate, freezing ice sculpture of an eagle. "It's pretty badass, right?!"
"Five hundred thousand Jewels."
"..." Gray's jaw dropped.
"WHY IS IT SO CHEAP?!"
"Because while it might fetch five million on the open market, I personally have zero use for it," Finn deadpanned.
"..." Gray hung his head in absolute defeat.
"M-Me!" Lucy eagerly raised her hand, her massive, incredibly soft D-cup breasts jiggling heavily with the motion, drawing Finn's gaze for a brief, appreciative second. "Mine is Celestial Spirit Magic! How much is it worth?!"
"The training manual is worth exactly five thousand Jewels."
"........"
"WHY MINE IS SO CHEAP?!" Lucy shrieked, her face burning bright red.
"Because the magic is useless without the corresponding Golden Keys," Finn sighed, looking at her as if she were an idiot. "Even if I master the theory, I would still have to spend billions tracking down the actual spirits. It's a logistical nightmare."
"..." Lucy pouted, crossing her arms under her heavy chest. She was secretly glad he didn't demand her Keys. They were her precious friends. And despite his cold exterior, the fact that he understood the bond between a mage and their Keys made her realize he wasn't entirely a heartless monster.
"Um... hypothetically... if I were to sell my Titan magic to the public, how much would it actually be worth?" Makarov asked, rubbing his chin.
"Probably around one billion Jewels."
"ONE BILLION JEWELS?!"
"Me! Me! Appraise mine next!" Natsu yelled.
"Do mine!"
"Every single appraisal inquiry from here on out will cost you a non-refundable fee of five hundred thousand Jewels," Finn stated coldly.
The entire guild instantly snapped their mouths shut.
"Instead of gambling your entire future on the Grand Magic Games, wouldn't it be far more logical to just pay the debt off slowly?" Finn asked, genuinely baffled by their stupidity. "I can funnel you safe, high-paying quests. You can pay the principal off securely."
"..."
In Finn's hyper-logical mind, risking everything on a tournament when a secure, steady income stream was available was absolute madness.
"Finn Hoen," Mavis floated forward, her ghostly eyes glowing with an intense, unyielding light. "I think you are mistaking us for a normal, logical guild."
"So... you admit you operate like a Dark Guild?"
"No, no! We are a completely legal guild!" Mavis frantically waved her hands, sweating nervously. "But at the same time... we are Fairy Tail! For us, the impossible is just a starting line!"
The core members all puffed out their chests, grinning with absolute, unwavering pride.
"Fascinating," Finn deadpanned. "Then, since nothing is impossible for you... can you just pay me the thirty million Jewels right now?"
"....."
The proud grins instantly melted off their faces.
"...I am deeply sorry. Please give us more time," Mavis whispered, bowing her ghostly head in utter defeat.
"....."
"Then I suppose we should sign a legally binding contract regarding the Grand Magic Games," Finn smirked, pulling a thick stack of parchment from his drawer.
Yes, he was absolutely taking advantage of their desperation to hoard their magical knowledge. But if he didn't exploit every single opening, how could he remain at the absolute top?
For Fairy Tail, there was no other choice. They had to sign.