Chapter 21 The Beginning of a Boy Going Bad Starts with Never Coming Home
-------------------------------------
Translator: JayM
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Beginning of a Boy Going Bad Starts with Never Coming Home
-------------------------------------
"I see..."
Evan nodded gently. Since Gildarts believed that Guild Master Makarov was fine, then he wouldn't say more. The other mage obviously had more experience than him...
Since Gildarts said it was fine, then it definitely was fine.
In fact, when the sky gradually darkened and it was already dusk...
Makarov returned to the guild alone while humming a little tune. It could be seen that his face was a bit red, and his steps were somewhat unsteady. At a glance, it was obvious he had drunk too much.
"Evan, Gildarts..."
The very first moment the old man returned to the guild, he loudly clamored that he wanted to see Evan and Gildarts.
"What is it?! Master!"
Gildarts, who was drinking himself dead drunk at the bar counter, heard Makarov's shouts, turned around, and looked toward the Guild Master behind him.
"Gildarts..."
Makarov furrowed his brows tightly, his eyes staring fixedly at the middle-aged mage in front of him.
"Master Makarov..."
Gildarts similarly furrowed his brows.
For a time, the atmosphere between the two gradually became tense. Faintly, there seemed to be magic power fluctuations around them.
"Hey?! They aren't going to fight, are they?"
Evan looked at Gildarts and Makarov confronting each other with a nervous expression. If the two started fighting here, then right now, the only person in this guild who could stop them was him alone.
No, if it really came down to it, Evan had already made preparations to seek Irene for help...
After all, if two non-human level drunkards started fighting here, the entire guild, and even the entire town of Magnolia, would be completely and cleanly destroyed, right?!
Boom!
Just as Evan was nervous, Makarov made a move. His arms suddenly became large as he pulled Gildarts into his embrace.
"Wuu wuu wuu...
Gildarts, you really brought me honor!
After so many years, I was finally praised by the Council for once..."
Makarov hugged Gildarts and started crying loudly.
"Master Makarov!"
I still remember back then when we sat together, secretly peeping at the bartender lady changing clothes while swearing to make the guild bigger and stronger!
And then we’d recruit a group of pretty young girls to the guild and hold a lingerie contest every year!"
Gildarts wrapped his arm around the old man’s shoulders and, riding the buzz of the alcohol, began to reminisce about the past.
"Gildarts, you still remember that?! It's truly rare...
I’m very gratified...
Wuu wuu wuu..."
As Makarov spoke, he started crying again.
"Master!"
"Gildarts!!"
Evan silently watched the two drunkards who were now dead drunk hugging each other and crying bitterly, and prepared to go home.
"Evan..."
Just as he was planning to leave, he suddenly heard the Guild Master’s call.
"What is it, Master?"
Evan turned around, looked at Makarov, and asked.
"You absolutely mustn’t secretly go and take S-Class quests, alright?
Even if you do complete S-Class quests, absolutely don’t let me see you!
Otherwise, I won't forgive you..."
Makarov looked at the boy and roared loudly.
"Hehe..."
After hearing the old man’s words, Evan revealed a trace of a smile. He knew what Makarov meant.
Simply put, due to the rule that Fairy Tail mages below S-Class absolutely couldn’t take on S-Class quests, Evan couldn’t do S-Class quests despite possessing strength above S-Class!
This was theoretically not allowed...
‘Theoretically’ being the emphasis here...
Since Evan would be criticized if he was seen by Makarov, then wouldn't it be fine as long as he wasn't seen by the Guild Master when accepting S-Class quests?
"I understand, Master!"
Evan waved his hand gently at the old man, turned around, and left the guild.
"What’s your take on this child Evan?"
After the boy left, Makarov asked Gildarts.
"A genius..."
Gildarts thought for a moment and plainly replied to the old man with these two words.
"He’s indeed a good child!"
Makarov nodded after hearing Gildarts's words.
"Honestly speaking, Master!"
Even if you conducted an S-Class promotional trial alone for Evan in advance and granted him the title of Fairy Tail's S-Class mage, it wouldn't be going overboard!"
He very much qualifies as an S-Class mage!"
The flush on Gildarts's face seemed to have vanished quite a bit. He seemed to have sobered up a lot for this talk.
"Of course I know that...
Let alone the guild's S-Class mage qualification, even the Ten Wizard Saints, as long as Evan wanted it, he could definitely obtain it!
But rules are rules..."
Makarov stubbornly turned his head away.
"I really have to hand it to you..."
Hearing this, Gildarts looked at the old man helplessly. Even though Makarov had already granted Evan the qualification to accept S-Class quests, he stubbornly refused to give the boy the title of S-Class mage. It was clearly just an empty title, yet he took it surprisingly seriously.
"It's not like that...
It's just that, the rules set down by the Second Guild Master have basically all been broken by me...
I want to at least not break the trial rules set down by the First Guild Master.
Otherwise, when the day comes that Precht returns and sees the completely changed guild, he definitely won't forgive me, right?"
As Makarov spoke, beads of sweat flowed down his forehead.
"Hahaha...
I didn't expect this. You also have someone you're afraid of, Master?"
After hearing the old man’s words, Gildarts laughed heartily.
"So noisy, you brat!"
Makarov looked at the laughing mage beside him, his expression stiffening, and then he forcefully knocked Gildarts on the head.
"Master, that hurts a lot..."
The latter rubbed his red and swollen head while looking at the former with displeasure.
"Hahaha..."
This time it was Makarov's turn to laugh heartily.
On the other side...
When Evan walked out of the guild and looked at the unfamiliar streets before him, he finally remembered that he didn't know the way home at all...
"This is troublesome…"
Evan fell into deep thought.
"Big Brother Evan!"
Just as he was thinking hard, a clear and bright voice attracted his attention.
He saw a young girl with beautiful scarlet hair standing by a streetlamp on the street. At this moment, the girl had her hands on her hips as she called out to her big brother.
"Erza..."
Evan floated over to the girl and called out her name.
"Honestly, ever since joining this guild, Big Brother Evan has learned not to come home...
Could it be that you’re going to become a degenerate and a bad man who doesn't come home, Big Brother Evan?"
Erza looked at Evan menacingly as she spoke.
"Ah?! Who did you hear all of this from?!"
Evan was somewhat speechless after hearing his little sister’s words. He gently rubbed Erza's small head.
"Cana told me. She said that the beginning of a boy going bad starts with never coming home!"
Erza answered Evan's question.
"This..."
Evan thought for a moment. He found that what Cana had said indeed made a certain amount of sense. At the very least, Gildarts was absolutely a scumbag, there was no doubt about that!
-------------------------------------
T/N - Aw, Erza’s so cute here! Also, lol at Cana throwing shade at her father. Well, Gildarts is a scumbag anyway, so he deserves it. Lastly, sorry little Erza, but you’re too late. Gildarts has already corrupted the MC with some bad habits. Wait ‘til Irene finds out. 😂