Night sat lazily on the grass, chewing on a blade he had plucked from somewhere, his eyes half-closed in pure bliss as he basked in the warm sunlight. Perhaps it was because he was a Light Mage that he found sunbathing to be the most deeply satisfying way to relax.
Ever since inheriting Fairy Glitter, Night had begun dedicating significantly less time to his training. Nowadays, he preferred to simply unwind and keep Mavis company.
This wasn't born out of laziness, however. It was simply that his magical power and comprehension of the arcane arts had reached an incredibly profound level. At a certain stage in a mage's development, blindly repeating exercises ceases to yield results. What is required instead is a deeper, more fundamental understanding of The One Magic.
There were numerous paths to comprehending The One Magic, but the most effective by far was genuine combat. Only in the crucible of battle could one expose their own weaknesses, synthesize all their accumulated knowledge, shatter the ceiling of their limitations, and emerge even stronger.
Throughout the entire history of magic, there had never been a single great wizard who ascended to the pinnacle of power solely by meditating within the confines of four walls. Every single one of them had forged their strength in the fires of endless battles.
Unfortunately, having grown up entirely on Tenrou Island, Night was utterly deprived of such opportunities. He had long since reached the point where he could effortlessly grind the local beasts into the dirt with one hand tied behind his back. Beating up weaklings could hardly be considered combat training. True progress could only be forged in battles steeped in blood and fire.
But there was another reason as well. Lately, Night had begun to notice a carefully concealed sorrow lingering in Mavis's eyes. No matter how masterfully she tried to hide it, it could not escape his perceptive gaze. Night was far from a fool; he understood perfectly well what these emotions meant to her. That was precisely why he had set aside his training, choosing instead to spend the majority of his days by her side, constantly cracking jokes to lift her spirits.
But if Night was currently sunbathing in solitary bliss, then where exactly was Mavis?!
It is worth noting that today was no ordinary day. It was the day of the Fairy Tail guild's S-Class Mage Promotion Trial.
This year, the new generation of mages—such as Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, and Erza Scarlet—had only just joined the ranks of Fairy Tail. The Strauss siblings—Mirajane Strauss, Elfman Strauss, and Lisanna Strauss—would not be joining until the following year. Therefore, while Fairy Tail was already a prominent guild, its overall power had not yet reached the legendary heights depicted at the beginning of the canon.
Up until this point, Fairy Tail had lacked mages with the requisite potential to be deemed worthy of the S-Class title, which was why the guild hadn't sent anyone to the island in previous years. But this year, everything had changed. Among the guild's younger generation, someone had finally risen above the rest.
...
"Third, it's been a while!" Mavis said with a warm smile. She stood beneath a sprawling tree, addressing a little old man who was somehow even shorter than she was.
The old man sported a thick white mustache and was dressed in a red shirt under a beige coat. Combined with his pint-sized stature, he cut a rather comical figure. But one should never judge a book by its cover: this little old man was one of the Ten Wizard Saints, the third and current Guild Master of Fairy Tail—Makarov Dreyar! He was an incredibly formidable wizard!
"First!" Makarov's voice trembled with profound emotion.
As the third master of Fairy Tail, he was naturally privy to the secret that the First Master's ethereal projection resided on Tenrou Island. However, despite having visited the island numerous times over the years, he had never once encountered her. If the First did not wish to reveal herself, finding her was an absolute impossibility.
Yet, who could have imagined that this time—upon arriving on the island with his guild members to conduct the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial—he would receive a telepathic summons from the First the very moment they made landfall! His joy truly knew no bounds.
"Third, you have done a splendid job over the years. Under your leadership, the guild is truly flourishing," Mavis said with a gentle smile. Through the dense foliage, her emerald eyes observed the two figures standing on the shore. They were the guild members who had accompanied Makarov. The First recognized one of them, while the other was the main candidate of this year's trial.
"Haha, please, I am merely doing my duty!" Makarov replied modestly, though his face was practically splitting from an ear-to-ear grin. It was obvious that praise from the First was the ultimate reward for him. However, he quickly composed himself and asked, "First, you summoned me... Is there a task you need me to fulfill?!"
"Yes, I do have a small favor to ask," Mavis nodded.
Makarov immediately puffed out his chest and assured her, "Ask anything of me, First! If it is within my power, I will do absolutely everything I can!"
"It's nothing too difficult, really..." At the thought of her request, Mavis's voice took on a much more cheerful tone. "There is a boy living here. I want you, Third, to take him back with you to Fairy Tail."
"A boy?" Makarov asked, thoroughly surprised. Could someone else actually be living on Tenrou Island aside from the First?
"Yes. This boy is my greatest student. He is my child, my most precious treasure, my family..." As she spoke of Night, Mavis's eyes crinkled involuntarily, curving into two joyful little crescents.
"Good heavens! A student of the First herself!" Makarov gasped in awe. As the Master of Fairy Tail, he knew better than anyone just how legendary the guild's founder—the brilliant Fairy Tactician—truly was. If this boy had been taken in as her personal student, and was worthy of such glowing praise, his talents had to be absolutely extraordinary.
Since this was a direct request from the First, and one that promised a powerful new addition to the guild, Makarov didn't have a single reason to refuse. "You can count on me, First! But where is this boy?"
"There's no need to rush on that front!" Mavis laughed, her gaze drifting back toward the coastline. "That blond-haired young man down there... he's the one taking the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial, isn't he?"
"Yes, that is my grandson, Laxus Dreyar!" As he spoke those words, Makarov beamed with the exact same pride Mavis had shown when speaking of Night. Though he would never dare show it in front of Laxus himself, he simply couldn't resist bragging to others. This was his grandson, his absolute greatest pride and joy!
In Mavis's eyes, this boastful little old man looked exactly like an overgrown child.
To reach the level of an S-Class Mage at the mere age of sixteen was indeed a valid reason for such immense pride. However, due to a certain incident in the past, Laxus's personality had taken a dark turn, and this change weighed heavily on the old master's heart.