Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

"Miss Mira? Miss Mira!" 

"Huh?" Mira blinked, snapping out of her thoughts as she realized Lucy was calling her.

"Miss Mira, remember when you said I could choose where to place the guild's crest? I've decided!" Lucy announced, holding out the back of her right hand.

"Alright!" Mira responded enthusiastically.

She pressed a pink Fairy Tail crest onto Lucy's hand, the mark taking shape like a small bird in flight.

"There you go! You're officially a member of the Fairy Tail guild!"

"Wow! Look, Su Yan! The Fairy Tail emblem!"

"Congratulations on joining Fairy Tail," Su Yan said with a smile. Although he was fond of Mira and Erza, he had to admit Lucy's enthusiasm was infectious. 

Lucy seemed especially excited to show off her new mark to Natsu and Happy.

"Looks great, Louise," Happy chirped.

"It's Lucy!" she corrected, a bit annoyed.

Across the room, Wakaba, one of the guild's more mischievous members, gave Lucy a scrutinizing look, his expression sly.

"Hey, kid," he asked Natsu, "where'd you manage to find such a beautiful girl?"

Wakaba and Macao—both guild veterans—were known for their playful personalities, especially with the younger members. They weren't exactly the most serious men around, much like the guild's other notorious womanizers, including the Guild Master, Gildarts, and a few others.

"She'd make a good addition to our team," Wakaba's partner chimed in.

Since wizards in Fairy Tail often took on dangerous missions, many of them chose to team up for safety. Teamwork made it easier to take on high-reward challenges that would be too risky alone. Of course, some wizards preferred to work solo, like Su Yan.

Natsu suddenly stood up. 

"Natsu, where are you going?" Lucy asked.

"Work. I'm broke!" he replied, heading over to scan the quest board, Happy fluttering behind him.

Just then, a small voice spoke up from behind Su Yan.

"Is my dad back yet?"

Su Yan turned around to see a little boy, no older than five, standing there. He recognized him immediately—Macao's son, Romeo. Su Yan hadn't seen Romeo for a while, as he'd spent the past year away on missions, but he remembered how Macao had occasionally brought Romeo to the guild in the past.

Makarov turned toward the boy. "Romeo, don't cause trouble here. You're the son of a wizard; you should trust your father. Go home and wait for him to return."

"But… he promised he'd be back in three days," Romeo protested, his voice trembling. "It's been a week, and he hasn't come home yet."

"Macao went on a job over at Huckleberry Hill," Makarov replied calmly.

"But that's not far from here! Please, help me find him! I'm worried!"

"Enough, Romeo! Your father's a wizard—our guild doesn't need to babysit every time someone's late from a job. Go home and drink your milk!"

"Meanie!" Romeo cried out, leaping forward to punch Makarov in the face before running out of the guild in tears.

Su Yan frowned as he watched Romeo leave. Huckleberry Hill wasn't far, and while Macao could complete most jobs in a few days, being gone for a full week was unusual. Something might have gone wrong.

The jobs that Fairy Tail members undertook varied widely—from tutoring and item retrieval to slaying monsters and defeating dangerous enemies. With riskier missions, lives were often at stake. Although Fairy Tail was known for its resilience, Su Yan had learned that death was a common reality in this world. Wizards from their guild, even strong ones, sometimes didn't return from their missions.

To ensure their members' safety, Makarov carefully reviewed each mission to make sure the wizard taking it was qualified for the job. If he didn't think someone could handle a task, he wouldn't allow it. Mira took on this responsibility in his absence. However, unexpected things could happen on any mission, and no one, not even the guild master, could account for every possibility.

"That was a bit harsh," Lucy whispered, unsettled by Makarov's attitude.

Mira, who had been listening, smiled gently. "It might seem that way, but deep down, the master is very worried."

**Bang!**

Just then, Natsu slammed his selected quest onto the board, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he prepared to leave.

"Hey, Natsu! You broke the board!" shouted Nab, a guild member who practically lived in front of the task board, browsing quests he'd never take.

Mira sighed, watching Natsu head out. "Master, is something up with him?"

"He's going to find Macao," Makarov replied.

"That kid…" Makarov shook his head with a small smile. "He still has a lot to learn. Trying to rescue Macao may end up hurting Macao's pride. A man's path is his own to walk, and Natsu has chosen his."