The noise coming from the guild hall grew louder and louder. The sounds of Macao and Wakaba's drinking competition, Master Makarov's roars, and the crisp clinking of cups and plates intertwined into a rhapsody belonging to Fairy Tail. Everyone was immersed in the joy of surviving a disaster (referring to Riyao not being killed by Gildarts) and the carnival of free alcohol, surging into the hall in a grand procession.
No one noticed that in the shadows of the corridor leading from the backyard to the hall, two figures had quietly stopped.
"Hey, hey, you brat, what are you pulling me for? The old man said the first drink is free. If I go late, I won't even get to drink the foam!" Gildarts complained, turning his head impatiently as Riyao firmly gripped a corner of his cloak. His scruffy face was written all over with a craving for ale, and his Adam's apple bobbed unconsciously.
Riyao didn't answer immediately. Instead, he peeked around to confirm that no one was indeed paying attention to them before letting go. He took a deep breath, and a strange flush suddenly appeared on his face, which had been somewhat pale from the previous battle and recovery.
He lowered his head, hands twisting together, two index fingers poking each other uneasily, and his body swayed awkwardly like a twist of dough. That posture looked exactly like a young girl in love preparing to confess to her favorite senior, giving Gildarts a whole body of goosebumps.
"You... what's wrong with you, kid? Did your brain get damaged in the fight just now, or are your wires crossed?" Gildarts took a half-step back, looking at Riyao warily with his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm warning you, this uncle is only interested in mature and sexy older sisters. Don't come at me with this disgusting act, you little brat whose hair hasn't even grown in!"
Riyao suddenly looked up, his clear eyes actually filled with a mist of tears as if he would cry at any moment. He bit his lower lip and spoke faintly in an extremely shy, even slightly trembling voice:
"Uncle... actually... actually..."
"Actually what? Just spit it out! Don't look at me with those eyes, it's creeping me out!" Gildarts took another step back, his back already against the corridor wall. He, the strongest Mage of Fairy Tail, had never flinched even when facing a dragon, but at this moment, he was being driven back step by step by the gaze of a ten-year-old kid.
Riyao took a deep breath, as if he had made a huge decision, suddenly closed his eyes, and shouted loudly, "Actually, you have a child!"
*Clang!*
It was as if a bolt of thunder had exploded in Gildarts' mind. He froze on the spot, eyes wide as copper bells, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an ostrich egg. His face, which had been flushed with the desire for alcohol, instantly turned deathly pale.
"A ch... child?" Gildarts' voice was shaking. He tremblingly pointed a finger at Riyao, while images of his romantic escapades over the years flashed wildly through his mind. Those voluptuous tavern owners he met in various towns, passionate waitresses, and even some mysterious women whose faces he couldn't quite remember...
He shook his head violently, trying to shake off those terrifying thoughts. Then, his gaze fell on Riyao again. Looking at this handsome kid with blond hair, blue eyes, and delicate features—who, despite being only ten, already looked like he would definitely be a heartbreaker in the future—a complex, indescribable emotion suddenly welled up in Gildarts' heart.
This kid... blond hair... although he had orange hair himself, hair color mutation wasn't impossible... these delicate features... could they be inherited from his mother? This freakish magic talent and recovery power... it's definitely inherited from my excellent genes!
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and Gildarts' breathing became rapid. With trembling hands, he walked toward Riyao step by step. His rough, large hands paused in mid-air for a long time before finally landing gently on Riyao's shoulders.
Gildarts' voice was terrifyingly raspy, and his eyes were actually turning a bit red. "Who... who is your mother? Is she... is she okay? Why... why did you only come looking for me now?"
Seeing Gildarts' expression, which looked like he was mourning a parent yet moved to tears, Riyao was practically blooming with joy inside, but on the surface, he maintained that pitiful appearance. He sniffled, tears swirling in his eyes, and said in an extremely aggrieved voice:
"Uncle... do you... do you really not remember?"
As Riyao spoke, he was frantically complaining in his heart: This script is way too melodramatic! But looking at Gildarts' reaction, he's eighty percent convinced! Hahahaha!
"Child... I'm sorry... it's Daddy's fault..." Gildarts finally couldn't take it anymore. He pulled Riyao into a tight embrace, tears and snot flowing freely. "Daddy has been out on missions all these years and neglected you and your mother... You've suffered! From today on, Daddy will definitely make it up to you! Whoever dares to bully you, Daddy will use Crush Magic to blast them into dust!"
Riyao was squeezed so hard by Gildarts that he almost couldn't breathe. He struggled desperately and finally managed to poke his head out from that embrace filled with the smell of sweat and alcohol, gasping for air.
"Cough, cough, cough! Let go! Let go! Are you trying to murder your own... ptui! Murder a guild companion?!" Riyao's face turned red as he pushed Gildarts away with force.
Gildarts wiped away his tears and looked at Riyao with an affectionate face, saying softly, "Good son, don't be afraid. Daddy will never leave you again. Come, Daddy will take you to the hall and announce this good news to everyone! I want the whole world to know that I, Gildarts, have such an outstanding son!"
As he spoke, he was about to pull Riyao toward the hall.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Seeing that the joke had gone too far, Riyao quickly shook off Gildarts' hand and took two steps back. The shyness and grievance on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by an extremely punchable, mischievous grin.
"Uncle, aren't you being a bit too dramatic?" Riyao crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Who said I was your son?"
Gildarts froze, his outstretched hand stiffening in mid-air, his expression frozen in an extremely comical moment. He stared blankly at Riyao, his brain failing to process for a moment. "Ah? Didn't you just say... I have a child? Could it be... you're here to collect a debt for your mother?"
"Collect a debt your head!" Riyao rolled his eyes and said irritably, "I only said you have a child just now, I never said that child was me! Your imagination is way too strong. It's a waste of talent that you're not writing novels!"
"It... it's not you?" Gildarts felt as if he'd been struck by lightning; his whole being was stunned. He looked at Riyao, then at his empty hands, and a massive sense of loss instantly surged into his heart. That brief moment of fatherly love as solid as a mountain was like a colorful soap bubble, ruthlessly popped by a single sentence from Riyao.
"You brat! You dare play me?!" Gildarts snapped back to reality and instantly flew into a rage, raising a fist the size of a sandbag to smash it onto Riyao's head. This little bastard actually dared to joke about such a thing, making him shed so many tears for nothing and almost making a fool of himself in public!
"Wait a minute! I didn't lie to you! You really do have a child!" Seeing this, Riyao quickly covered his head and ducked, shouting loudly.
Gildarts' fist stopped an inch above Riyao's head, the wind from the punch ruffling Riyao's blond hair. He looked at Riyao with gritted teeth and roared, "You still dare to talk nonsense? Believe it or not, I'll blast you into dust right now!"
"I'm not talking nonsense!" Riyao looked up from the gap in his arms. Seeing Gildarts' angry yet slightly hopeful face, he put away his joking attitude and his expression became serious. "That child is in the guild. You even saw her just now."
"In the guild? Saw her just now?" Gildarts frowned, his mind quickly flashing through the crowd in the backyard earlier. Macao? Wakaba? Impossible, those two old guys were older than him. Master Makarov? Even more impossible!
Suddenly, a small and cute figure froze in his mind.
Our Best Actor Riyao silently exited the stage, hiding his merit and fame deep within.