While Finn was buried in his mountain of Council work, the rest of the Fairy Tail members began their grueling training. They all knew the harsh reality: seven long years had passed. Even if they hadn't technically grown weaker, the rest of the world had moved forward without them. The suffocating feeling of weakness and helplessness wasn't something they ever wanted to experience again. They needed to grow stronger, pay off their crushing debts, and finally slip out from under Finn's absolute control.
"LET'S ALL WORK HARD!"
"OHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
But before diving into the intense training camp, Lucy decided she needed to visit her father. She hadn't even informed him that she had returned from Tenrou Island. When she arrived at her old apartment—the exact same one she had lived in seven years ago—she expected it to be rented out to someone else. Instead, the landlord informed her that the rent had been steadily paid the entire time by a man who seemed to be her father.
"I wonder how he is..."
Even though their relationship had always been terribly strained, Jude Heartfilia was still her father. The last time she saw him, he was completely bankrupt, desperate to start over. A part of her worried he was still the same greedy, cold-hearted man he used to be.
"What's wrong, Lucy?" Happy asked, hovering nearby as he noticed her heavy sigh.
"N-Nothing!"
"Anyway, we're just going to visit your old man, and then we go train, right?" Natsu asked, practically vibrating with excess energy.
"Yeah, that's all."
"Okay, we're coming with you."
Naturally, the usual team—Natsu, Gray, Erza, Wendy, and the Exceeds—tagged along to support Lucy.
However, when Lucy finally tracked him down, she was completely dumbfounded. Her father didn't look like a struggling, poor man at all. He looked remarkably well-off, dressed in clean, high-quality business attire.
"Huh? Lucy?! When did you get back?! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Jude was utterly startled. His eyes widened in disbelief before he rushed forward, wrapping his daughter in a tight, desperate hug.
"P-Papa... I-I mean, Father!"
Lucy flushed, feeling a bit shy about the sudden affection, but she hugged him back tightly. A wave of profound relief washed over her. He was her only family. After losing seven years, she had been terrified that she might return to find him gone.
To celebrate, Jude insisted on taking Lucy and her loud, chaotic friends to a high-end restaurant he frequented. "Come in, sit down, and order whatever you want. It's entirely my treat. Eat as much as you like."
"Thank you, Uncle!" Natsu, Gray, Erza, Happy, and Wendy cheered in unison, immediately diving for the menus.
"Thank you very much," Carla added politely. However, the white feline narrowed her eyes, studying Jude curiously. She had heard the stories of his complete financial ruin. How on earth had a bankrupt older man managed to rise back up and secure such a comfortable lifestyle in just seven years?
"I am just so glad you're safe, Lucy..." Jude whispered, looking at his daughter with misty eyes. The weight of his loneliness seemed to melt away just by seeing her sitting across from him.
"Yeah... me, too." Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat. She had harbored so much resentment toward him in the past, but seeing him now, she couldn't help feeling emotional. She wanted to cry, but she was a grown woman now. She took a deep breath, pushing her generous chest forward slightly. "H-How have you been? You seem to be doing really well... Did you rebuild your company?"
She looked for the old, familiar glint of ruthless greed in his eyes, but it was completely gone. Jude seemed entirely different—softer, grounded, and genuinely at peace.
"No, no. This isn't my own company's success," Jude chuckled, shaking his head. "With how far I fell, I never thought I could succeed on my own again. To be completely honest, I was on the verge of giving up more times than I can count. The business world is brutal, and my old rivals wouldn't have let me rebuild."
He knew his limits. Returning to his past glory as the head of the Heartfilia Konzern was an impossible dream. He had resigned himself to living a quiet, miserable life in poverty—until he met him.
"I am actually working under someone now."
"Huh? Really?!" Lucy blinked in shock. The great Jude Heartfilia, working as a subordinate?
"Yes," Jude nodded proudly. "He is an absolutely incredible young man. While I would love to introduce you to him, he is far too busy running things to meet. And please, don't misunderstand—I'm not bringing him up because I want to marry you off to him. I know perfectly well that's impossible..."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IMPOSSIBLE?!"
Lucy slammed her hands on the table, highly offended. Sure, she was often broke and struggling to pay rent, but she was incredibly proud of her body! She had a gorgeous, voluptuous figure, a massive bust, and flawless skin. Her father had literally tried to sell her off in a political marriage before because of her premium looks.
"...You aren't bad looking, Lucy, but let's be realistic. Besides, it isn't like you're looking for a boyfriend or a husband right now, right?" Jude replied calmly, not wanting to joke about his terrifyingly powerful boss. He knew exactly how clumsy and unreliable his daughter could be.
Lucy crossed her arms beneath her heavy breasts, inadvertently pushing them up into a highly distracting, lewd display. She puffed her cheeks in annoyance. She didn't want a relationship right now—her focus was entirely on Fairy Tail and the Grand Magic Games. Still, her pride as a beautiful woman was deeply wounded. For a man to allegedly have zero interest in a body like hers, he either had impossible standards or he was gay.
"...Don't go thinking anything rude about my boss, Lucy. If you insult him, our comfortable lives are over," Jude sighed, suddenly looking several years older at the thought of Finn's wrath.
"Well, who exactly is this amazing boss of yours, Dad?" Lucy asked, her curiosity finally winning over her indignation.
The rest of the Fairy Tail crew stopped eating and leaned in, equally curious. The comedic family banter was heartwarming, but hearing that the former tycoon Jude Heartfilia deeply respected and feared his current boss was highly intriguing. He was managing massive regional transportation networks now; whoever pulled his strings had to be a monster.
"My boss is the head of the Fiore Branch of the Magic Council... Finn Hoen."
The entire table went dead silent.
Lucy's jaw dropped. A deep, furious blush immediately exploded across her face as she instinctively covered her chest with her hands. "Ah! The one who stared at my boobs?!"
"..."
Jude stared at his daughter in horror. Yes, it was definitely for the best that he never, ever let Lucy anywhere near his boss.
Achoo!
"Are you okay, Boss?"
Finn rubbed his nose, leaning back in his lavish office chair. "I'm fine."
He briefly wondered if he had caught a cold, though that seemed impossible. His body was still humming with the lingering heat from his incredibly lewd, exhausting morning with his wild night before, or Lisanna, who suddenly came before.
[Report. The user's body is in optimum and perfect condition.]
So, someone is just gossiping about me behind my back, Finn mused.
He decided to ignore it. A faint smirk crossed his lips as an urgent message arrived from his avian network. They had finally located exactly what he was looking for.
"I'm taking an extended lunch break," Finn announced, standing up and grabbing his coat.
"Yes, Boss!"
An hour should be more than enough time, Finn thought.
Stepping out onto the high balcony of the Council building, Finn unleashed his magic. Massive, majestic falcon wings erupted from his back, catching the wind as he launched himself into the open sky.
His destination? A hidden location currently housing one of the most famous villain groups in history.
It was time to pay a visit to the Reborn Oración Seis.