"Do I look like a man who needs thirty million Jewels and the validation of people to prove myself?"
Finn's calm voice answered Erza's question with a helpless sigh.
The core members of Fairy Tail were completely silenced.
When they really thought about it, why did Fairy Tail even want to join the Grand Magic Games? It wasn't just for the thirty million Jewel prize pool. Sure, the money was a massive help, but for colossal powerhouses like Blue Pegasus, Sabertooth, or even Erza's personal armory, thirty million Jewels was pocket change.
No, the true purpose of the Grand Magic Games was reputation. It was the ultimate advertisement. Earning the title of Fiore's strongest guild guaranteed an endless influx of high-paying, premium quests from wealthy clients. But Finn? He was the Head of the Magic Council. He controlled the quests. He was the economy. He didn't need to perform like a circus animal for a crowd to generate wealth.
"Now, leave," Finn dismissed them, picking up his quill pen. "I have actual work to do."
With that final, absolute dismissal, the heavy, imposing presence in the room made it impossible for them to linger. The heavily armored Rune Knights stepped forward, gesturing to the exit. Makarov, Natsu, Erza, Gray, and the rest cast one last, complicated look at the young man who had seamlessly resumed stamping documents, completely unbothered by the legendary mages in his presence.
"Let's go," Mavis ordered softly, floating toward the exit, as she knew that their time was over and they had to leave.
The massive, heavy oak doors slammed shut behind them with a resounding, echoing thud, leaving the Fairy Tail mages standing in the cold, polished marble hallway of the Council building.
"I want to fight him!" Natsu immediately roared, slamming his fist into his palm. The faint smell of ash and sulfur leaked from his skin.
"He will never accept your challenge, Natsu," Mavis sighed, rubbing her ethereal temples.
"Why?! Is he scared?!" Natsu grinned, completely missing the point.
"Do you really need to ask that?" Mavis looked at her fiery child with boundless patience. "You saw him in there. Does he look like a coward to you?"
If Finn were a coward, he would have been sweating bullets facing down the core of Fairy Tail. Even when they passively threatened to become his enemies, his expression remained as cold as ice.
"Then why won't he fight me?!" Natsu demanded.
"Because you are a broke, penniless bastard, Homeless-Pink," Gray sneered, crossing his arms.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME, YOU NAKED PERVERT?!"
"Ah! Crap! My clothes! Where did they go?!" Gray panicked, suddenly realizing he was standing in the middle of a highly secured government hallway wearing nothing but his boxers.
"Gray is right, though," Mavis nodded, ignoring the stripping habit. 'There's absolutely zero benefit for him to fight you. If you want his attention, you have to offer him something of equivalent value. While he might seem cold, terrifying, and ruthless, he is incredibly simple to understand."
It hadn't taken the Fairy Tactician long to decode Finn Hoen.
If you wanted to be treated well by Finn, you offered him a profit. If you wanted your life to be financially, legally, and socially ruined forever, you became his enemy.
"Is it really okay for a man who is calculating and soulless to stand at the absolute peak of the Magic Council?" Erza narrowed her eyes. The heavy steel of her breastplate pressed uncomfortably against her chest as she breathed. To her righteous mind, a man like Finn was entirely unsuited for government leadership.
"Actually, Erza... I think he is the most suitable man for the job," Makarov answered quietly, leaning heavily on his cane.
"Master?"
"The Magic Council isn't like Fairy Tail. It is a den of vipers," Makarov explained bitterly. "Most of them are corrupt bastards who hide behind fake smiles and twisted ideals. But Finn? He doesn't pretend. As long as the kingdom is peaceful and you don't mess with his business, he leaves you alone. Isn't that correct, Bisca?"
Makarov looked over at Bisca.
The voluptuous sniper jumped slightly. She was standing quietly near the back of the group, her thighs pressed tightly together. Beneath her tight denim skirt, a wet, heavy heat was still pulsing between her legs. The musky, intoxicating scent of Finn's arousal still lingered faintly on her skin and breath, mixing heavily with her floral perfume.
"Y-Yes, Master," Bisca stammered, frantically trying to compose her flushed face. "Overall, Finn-sama is strictly neutral. He won't go out of his way to cause trouble. But if you cause him trouble first..."
She shot a pointed, terrified glare at Natsu. The fiery Dragon Slayer actually flinched.
"...Then you need to be incredibly careful," Bisca warned, her voice dropping into a grave whisper. "His revenge isn't like the villains we usually fight. He won't declare war or attack you head-on. You won't even see him coming. But suddenly, your bank accounts will be frozen. Your landlords will evict you. The merchants will refuse to sell you food. It is... terrifying."
Bisca had secretly watched Finn utterly dismantle rival syndicates without ever leaving his desk. She didn't want her family to be on the receiving end of that.
"As long as we don't bother him and we pay our debts on time, we are fine. He honestly doesn't care what we do, unless..."
"Unless what?" Erza pressed.
"Unless we destroy cities, blow up mountains, obliterate public property, or completely botch our quests as we used to seven years ago..."
"..."
The entire guild fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Makarov all simultaneously looked down at the marble floor, their cheeks burning with shame.
"If you do the job right, satisfy the client, and pay his interest, he doesn't care how hard you party," Bisca finished.
Finn never once lectured Macao for blowing his money on cheap booze, gambling, or prostitutes. As long as the Council's cut was paid, Finn didn't care about their morals. To the outside world, that sounded perfectly normal. But in a world where mages constantly abused their power, having a man at the top who could ruthlessly enforce those normal rules was an anomaly.
"...But what exactly is he?" Mavis couldn't help but ask, her ghostly brows furrowing. "What is his background? Is he a fallen noble? A lost prince?"
No one wanted to admit it, but the way Finn carried himself—so effortlessly elegant, breathtakingly handsome, and dripping with absolute authority—made him seem like he possessed high royal blood.
"No," Bisca shook her head softly. "He was born an orphan in the absolute worst slums of Fiore. He clawed his way up from the very bottom of the dirt to reach that throne."
"..."
The guild was completely dumbfounded by the revelation. Was the White Devil a slum rat?
Seeing their shocked silence, Bisca knew the lesson had sunk in. They wouldn't dare underestimate him now. She brushed a strand of green hair behind her ear and took a step back toward the imposing oak doors.
"You guys can find your way back to the guild, right? I still have... work to do. So I'll be staying behind."
"Huh? You're staying here, Bisca?!" Lucy gasped, utterly confused.
"Are you truly okay working alone under a man like him?" Erza frowned, stepping forward protectively.
"Unexpectedly, yes," Bisca smiled, entirely unfazed by their worry. "He is incredibly fair. If you put in the work, you get paid. Because of his generosity, my daughter Asuka is attending the most prestigious academy in Magnolia."
"...."
Everyone stared at her. A prestigious academy in Magnolia costs an absolute fortune.
"Um..." Lucy fidgeted, her own crippling poverty weighing heavily on her mind. Natsu constantly blew up her apartments, leaving her destitute. She couldn't help her curiosity. "Exactly how much is your salary?"
"...."
The entire guild leaned in, staring at Bisca intensely.
"Well..." Bisca shifted awkwardly, her cheeks dusting a vibrant pink. "Keep it a secret, okay?"
She raised three fingers.
"Three hundred thousand Jewels a month?!" Lucy gasped, her eyes turning into giant currency symbols.
"Ah... um... yes."
Bisca awkwardly averted her eyes. She was deliberately leaving out an entire zero. Her actual salary was three million Jewels a month. But she was afraid everyone would be unable to handle the truth, so she kept it as a secret.
"Umm.... is he hiring?! Can I work with you too, Bisca?!" Lucy begged, grabbing Bisca's hands. Several other members suddenly looked incredibly tempted by the high-paying prospect.
"....."
Is that really okay? Bisca panicked internally.
She felt a sudden, fierce stab of territorial jealousy. She knew how lewd and completely unhinged the Fairy Tail girls could be. If Lucy or Mirajane started working closely with Finn, what if they stole his attention?
Then again, as a married woman, she knew that her act wasn't good, so wasn't it a good choice to introduce him to a good woman on the Fairy Tail?
Meanwhile, completely ignorant of the drama unfolding in the hallway, Finn was sitting alone in his quiet, luxurious office. He closed his eyes, his mind working through a thousand different calculations, all stemming from Erza's final question.
Hmm... Finn tapped his fingers against the armrest. Should I actually enter the Grand Magic Games myself?
---
By the way, I might have said this before, but I have uploaded my new original story. The title is "Checking Out at 5:15 PM" with the name "OnlyPureLove44," or I might change it to Akikan in the future.
Regardless, there are more than ten chapters now.
You can check when you want to read more of my work.
Thank you!