Compared to the spacious and open first floor of the Guild, the second floor was relatively smaller.
There were only a few square tables in the middle, and the mission requests on the request board were sparse and pitifully few.
Makarov walked directly to the exquisite and small bar counter, lightly pushed off with his feet, and agilely jumped onto a high stool.
Ches followed closely and sat down next to him, his movements casual and natural, not adhering to any rules between the Guild Master and members.
That stuff simply didn't exist in Fairy Tail, which was like a big family!
Mira, dressed in a wine-red dress, slowly walked behind the bar counter, skillfully concocting fruit juices and alcoholic drinks, preparing beverages for the old and the young.
Makarov calmly took the drink Mira handed him, looked at Ches, and asked straightforwardly, "Ches, what were the characteristics of the Dragon you encountered on the Kilteana Continent? Is it really an invincible existence?"
In a world dominated by Magic, especially in a Magic power like the Fiore Kingdom, Dragons with immense power were definitely the most terrifying existences.
According to ancient legends, they were terrifying monsters that could flatten an entire town just by opening their mouths, far beyond what human power could contend with!
The Dragon Slayer Magic that Natsu used originated from this.
"That giant Dragon was entirely crimson, enormous in size, with sharp fangs and claws, scales as hard as iron, and its strong tendons were filled with violent and surging Magic Power."
Ches simply described the Fire Dragon he had encountered, picked up the coffee in front of him, took a light sip, and then sighed with a heavy expression.
"It's hard to say if humans can defeat it, but one thing is certain: even if you tied ten of me together, we wouldn't be a match for that monster."
If it were an ordinary Dragon, with the extremely special cheat that is Duelist Soul, he might have been able to struggle a bit, but the opponent was one of the Five Dragon Gods, rumored to be on par with Black Dragon Acnologia!
Although this statement was a bit like all the generals claiming to be unrivaled after Lu Bu's death, Ches hadn't fought Acnologia either.
But even if the Five Dragon Gods weren't as terrifying as Acnologia, their power was definitely not comparable to ordinary Dragons, causing a deep sense of despair.
"Really? Even ten Ches can't defeat it?"
Mira covered her mouth in disbelief, her beautiful eyes wide.
She knew Ches's strength quite well; even among the Guild's S-Class Magicians, he was a top-tier powerhouse.
Even Erza had admitted that in a full-power battle without reservations, she was not Ches's opponent.
According to the Fiore Kingdom's definition of a Magician, Ches was fully qualified to be awarded the title of "Ten Wizard Saints" just like the Guild Master!
And yet, such a powerful Ches would say that ten of himself wouldn't have a chance of winning?
It was easy to imagine how perilous the situation was at that time!
Thinking of this, Mira looked at the unharmed Ches and couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, feeling a lingering fear.
"Actually, that's a rather conservative analogy."
Ches saw the worry deep in Mira's eyes, slowly put down his coffee, and chuckled softly, "But that monster isn't an ordinary Dragon either."
"In that encounter, it called itself... Ignia the Flame God Dragon!"
Flame God Dragon?
Ignia?!
The extremely familiar name caused Makarov and Mira to turn pale with fright.
Makarov took a deep breath, calming his restless heart, and said in a deep voice, "Is this guy related to Igneel, the Fire Dragon King who raised Natsu?"
"According to it, Igneel is its biological father, which makes it Natsu's half-brother from a different father and mother," Ches explained calmly.
Of course, this was information he uniquely possessed as a Crossing .
The real situation was that he unexpectedly stumbled upon Ignia, who was in self-sealing.
Ignia was afraid of its aura being detected by the Black Dragon, and after only a few rounds of fighting, it unleashed an unreasonable roar that directly crushed Ches and the Card monster into dust.
If Ches hadn't known how terrifying this Fire Dragon was and prepared sufficiently in advance, throwing out a Magic Card 【Monster Reborn】 that could revive on the spot at the critical moment, he wouldn't have been able to come back alive at all.
There was absolutely no communication between the two sides—the arrogant Ignia didn't even bother to speak to a mere human!
"Natsu's half-brother from a different father and mother, huh? That's really... a strange description."
Mira tilted her head in thought, feeling that something wasn't quite right.
Thinking of Natsu, for some reason, her instinctive fear of the Flame God Dragon lessened significantly, and she even developed a gossipy urge to learn more information.
Ches noticed the change in her emotions and warned her with a serious expression, "That monster is cold-blooded and brutal, viewing humans as ants. It is an extremely dangerous existence and has no resemblance to Natsu whatsoever!"
"Sorry, sorry." Mira realized her assumption and apologized repeatedly.
Makarov's eyes were lowered, watching the ripples on the drink in front of him.
"You can talk about the Dragon to some extent, but you absolutely cannot let Natsu know about this information regarding Ignia."
He had watched Natsu grow up and knew this troublesome child very well.
If this guy heard even a hint, he might run to the Kilteana Continent across the sea the very next day!
Ches and Mira, who understood the stakes, nodded slightly.
"Ches, don't go running around everywhere during this time. Rest and recuperate in the Guild first."
Although Ches had appeared relaxed throughout, the sharp-eyed Makarov still saw deep fatigue in his eyes.
The old father of the Fairy Tail family felt very distressed.
"But Guild Master, the impact of the failed Ten Year Mission..." Ches hesitated a little.
"But what 'but'? It's just going through the motions and saying a few nice words. Haven't I cleaned up enough messes for you?!"
Makarov slapped his hand down, his tone firm and allowing no refusal.
Hearing this, Ches's handsome face instantly broke into a brilliant smile, and he chuckled sheepishly, "Hehe, then I'll leave it to the Guild Master!"
This smile made Makarov raise an eyebrow, and he inexplicably had a bad premonition.
However, since he had already said it, he didn't say much more, just waved his hand, indicating that Ches could leave.
When they returned to the first floor of the Guild with Mira, the noisy and chaotic atmosphere immediately quieted down.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Ches, their pupils filled with curiosity.
—Except for Lucy, who was sitting dejectedly in the corner, continuously drawing circles with her finger.
In the end, she couldn't suppress her strong urge to gossip and paid a hefty sum to Happy for a trade.
The result she got was that Ches and Mira were not a couple, the two had never even gone on a mission together, and there were no "rumors" that could be investigated further!
This greatly disappointed Lucy.
Looking at Happy's annoying appearance as he rubbed his face with the money that should have belonged to her, the regret in her heart was overwhelming:
Lucy, you are a super big idiot!
