Unconcealed ridicule, like sharp blades, deeply pierced Macao's fragile nerves.
He flushed, and angrily shouted at Ches, "What do you mean 'even a broken ape'? I took down nineteen of them in one go, you bastard!"
On a matter concerning a man's dignity, he didn't care what kind of terrifying monster you were.
"Only you would care about the number. If it were me, I wouldn't need Natsu or them to rescue me at all."
Kana, sprawled on the bar table, burped and said nonchalantly.
Macao's mouth twitched uncontrollably, and his already fragile nerves took another hit.
"Speaking of which, Kana, did you settle your drinking tab with the Council? You haven't paid yet, have you?" Ches said with a teasing smile.
Upon hearing this, Kana's expression froze. She pulled out a Card and slammed it on the table, "You bastard Ches, who are you calling poor!"
Ches completely ignored Kana's roar, which reeked of alcohol, and turned to look at the other members of the Fairy Tail.
"Bijita, I heard you ran to the Kingdom's castle in the middle of the night to dance, were chased as a pervert, and finally escaped by hiding in a dumpster?"
"And you, Loki, are you out of your mind, going to flirt with a Council member's granddaughter?"
"You, with the big grin, secretly laughing over there—yes, you—Alzack, who spied on the women's bathhouse with a Magician's sniper scope, hasn't Bisca shot you in the head yet?"
...
With every word Ches uttered, a Fairy Tail member instantly turned red, their anger levels rapidly soaring.
The atmosphere in the entire guild suddenly became somewhat heated.
"It's turned into this situation again..."
In a corner of the guild, Lucy, with shoulder-length golden hair, sighed as if accustomed to it.
"Speaking of which, that man is Fairy Tail's S-Class Mage, the Card Master, Ches Lin Edoga, who causes massive disturbances every time he goes out."
Looking at the guild scene, which was on the verge of collapse, Lucy recalled the information about Ches she had seen in the newspaper and couldn't help but murmur, "This description, in a sense, feels strangely fitting..."
As she muttered, the sound of leather boots on the floor gradually approached, and a shadow covered her vision.
Lucy felt something and suddenly looked up.
Ches, who had been standing at the door just moments ago, was now in front of her!
"You are, Lucy?"
Ches sat down opposite Lucy as if they were old friends, crossed his legs, and unceremoniously guzzled the iced orange juice in front of her.
Are we close enough for you to drink someone else's drink without even asking?!
Although her inner self was furiously complaining, Lucy still maintained the shyness expected of a newcomer on the surface.
"Um, Mr. Ches, do you know me?"
Ches put the empty glass back in its original place and adjusted the handle to face Lucy, acting as if nothing had happened.
Lucy's mouth twitched. Her inner self was about to burst out cursing when Ches said calmly, "Although you've only just joined, Lucy, your reputation is quite big now."
"Ah, a-ha? Even Mr. Ches has heard my name? Did you see it in the newspaper? I didn't expect to become famous so quickly!"
Lucy scratched her head rather shyly, but her chest unconsciously puffed out, her tone filled with airy pride and joy.
"But, but, please rest assured, I definitely won't get carried away because of this. After all, I'm still a newcomer, and my magic isn't as strong as Natsu's or my other companions'. I will definitely work hard to become even stronger!"
Ches: "...I heard it on the way here."
"Oh, is that so? So the people of Magnolia have accepted me so quickly?"
Hehe.
Lucy's smile became even brighter.
"They said that as soon as you joined, you messed up Harujion's port, and they were incredibly troubled and worried about it. Even I got lectured."
Lucy's mouth twitched, and her smile instantly froze.
Not hehe.
Aquarius's indiscriminate tidal wave clearly surfaced in the depths of her mind.
No, which bastard is such a blabbermouth!!!
"Sumimasen, hontoni sumimasen, I will definitely be more careful next time!"
Realizing her mistake, Lucy's face was filled with panic, and she hurriedly bowed to apologize to Ches, who had been implicated.
In her haste, she forgot that she was still sitting, and so...
Thud!
Naturally, Lucy hit her head on the bar table with a clear, loud sound that echoed through the guild.
"Hiss, ouch, ouch!"
Lucy gasped, clutching the large bump on her forehead.
—For a certain popular reason, the custom tables and chairs in the guild are especially sturdy, well, fall-resistant.
"Even dumber than I expected..." Ches sighed.
Lucy, whose head was ringing, didn't hear clearly and blinked her long-lashed big eyes, "What did you say?"
"I said, you and Natsu really are two of a kind," Ches said with a smile.
Two of a kind...
Does he mean the port destruction incident?
What a terrible resume, from all angles.
Lucy's mouth twitched, awkwardly unable to retort.
"Puhahahahaha!!"
Seeing her meek appearance, the Fairy Tail members finally couldn't hold back their laughter, clutching their stomachs and slapping the tables in delight.
When it came to causing destruction, Ches was a master who surpassed Natsu.
His peak was receiving ten complaints for compensation from the Council in just half a month!
If not for that, Master Makarov wouldn't have sent him out on a ten-year mission!
A cheerful atmosphere permeated the entire guild, inside and out.
Only Lucy's world was suffering.
"Hey, hey, Lucy, Ches is actually the biggest destroyer in our guild. Even Natsu can't break the record he set~"
Happy's blue head suddenly popped out from Lucy's chest.
"Huh?"
Lucy, who had just been lectured, widened her eyes, "So Mr. Ches and I are the real two of a kind... Ah, pfft! With Natsu!"
After realizing, she glared fiercely at Happy.
"Would it kill you to tell me something like this earlier!"
"Why does Fairy Tail have such a destructive record that they're proud of?"
"And, don't pop out from strange places!!!"
There were so many things to complain about that her speech became super fast and sharp.
"Aye! If I had told you earlier, I wouldn't have seen you looking so embarrassed and ashamed~"
Happy flew out from a strange position, covering his mouth with a mischievous grin.
This darn cat...
Lucy gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, the anger bar above her head nearly at its limit.
The members, the Master, and this S-Class Mage in front of her, they were all far from the strongest guild in Fiore she had admired...
The awkward yet polite smile on her face was her last bit of defiance.
"Anyway, Lucy, welcome to Fairy Tail."
A broad hand extended in front of her, breaking Lucy's complicated thoughts.
Seemingly infected by Ches's bright smile, a few seconds later, she also blossomed into a smile, reached out, shook his hand, and nodded heavily.
"Mm!"
Although very different, Fairy Tail is still the best!
"By the way, what are your measurements?"
