"Please... please come again..."

With a shallow face and even shallow words the middle age man from the magic council bade a goodbye to Noah, Erza and Laxus while lowering his head dripping with sweat. Standing there at the Inn’s door, he looked like he wished to never see Fairy Tail again.

Noah, Erza and Laxus didn’t particularly care about him anyway, they knew he’s shellshocked by Noah and laxus. They got their 3 million J reward, packed up and went towards the train station.

On the way there, Erza seemed like she has something on her mind.

"Is it really okay to keep one third of the reward?"

Her usually composed face look like she still has some qualm over the matter as she said to Noah who don’t look bothered at all.

"I just followed you here, and I didn’t really contribute much during this mission, I didn’t even help with anything, it’s a bit unacceptable for me to keep 1/3 of the reward like this!"

"We are guild mates, no need to be so reserved."

Noah said with a sigh.

"Since we are doing this together, so should we evenly share in the reward as well. Plus, there’s no agreement in the first place stating that the one who contributed the most gets to keep the corresponding amount of reward. Rather than mulling over it, why don’t you just accept it with gratitude? Wouldn’t that be better?"

Erza who looked like she still can’t embrace the fact made a stark contrast when compared to Laxus who accepted his share of the reward like it’s a given. He shrugged and decided to changed the topic.

"We must report the matter regarding Phantom Lord to the guild master."

Erza went silent and a flash of coldness streaked across Laxus’ eyes.

As Fairy Tail member, the trio understood that because their guild is getting stronger and stronger, the relationship between them and Phantom Lord will rise in tension, what they didn’t expect is the extent and gravity of the situation.

As seen this time, Phantom Lord has already resolved to directly meddling with Fairy Tail’s job. They even meddled when it’s a job given by the magic council, their intent can be easily guessed by anyone.

If not because Noah really could supply magic power on par with several dozens of magicians, Phantom Lord might not have sat idly by as Fairy Tail completed their mission.

It’s just a small group within Phantom lord, there’s a chance that Phantom Lord really isn’t going to fight with Fairy Tail but who’s to say that won’t be the case in the near future?

The action taken by Phantom Lord this time is more a prelude to something bigger. (Tl: In case there’s anybody here reading this without prior knowledge of the original source or may have just simply forgotten like me, the author is referring to the Fairy Tail vs Phantom Lord arc in season 1, I forgot the exact chapter in the manga but it should be pretty early as well.)

At this rate, the relationship between Fairy tail and Phantom Lord will only get worse and worse until such a time that the perfect spark sets everything alight and they go all out against each other.

To prevent another incident of the same nature and thwart any potential conflict, this matter much be reported to Makarov.

"Phantom Lord..."

Laxus said with a grave expression.

"Any punk from the streets are now stepping over the head of Fairy Tail, when did the guild get so weak?"

Erza stopped walking.

"Weak?"

Noah stared Laxus straight down the barrel.

"It’s quite the contrary is it not? It’s because the guild has become stronger that Phatom Lord is picking a fight with us right?"

"Ha?"

Laxus turned to him with a very displeased face as he met his gaze.

"A small group dares to challenge us, is this not a sign of our weakness?"

"Really"

He wasn’t riled up yesterday when Laxus made fun and humiliated him but this time he showed his fearless face steely sharp gaze, sharper even then Laxus. This startled Erza quite a bit.

"You think that Gramps’ guild is weak?"

"Phantom Lord’s guild master is one of the ten saint, old gramps is also one isn’t he?"

Laxus stopped and stared down from above.

"Being of the same status as ten saints, now some random small group comes up and diss our guild, aren’t they looking down on us?"

Noah narrowed his eyes.

Ten saints.

That’s the official designations given out by the highest authority in the magic world, i.e., the title given to what the magic council deems to be the most excellent magicians in the whole continent!

Each of this ten title holders are bearers of immense power. It is said that the battle between the ten saints would tear the earth and sky apart. Just their magic power colliding would shake the earth and mountains, these people are in the monster league!

There are ranking within the ten saints as well!

However the rankings are not based on battle prowess, there is even those who have 0 battle power, but no doubt each of them has reached a peak of mastery over a certain field of magic and nobody can dismiss this kind of existence.

Makarov is one of the ten saints!

Phantom Lord’s guild master is alaso one of the ten saints.

It’s also because the two guild has what could said to be strongest magicians that they are recognize by the population as the top guilds within Fiore kingdom.

"Fairy Tail is really growing weaker and weaker, it is basically a cradle for weaklings!"

Laxus said with much hate as he threw a violent glare at Noah.

"And you, with so much magic power, and yet you don’t have the guts to learn magic, are you satisfied being a weakling as well?"

His eyes might be showing violence but somewhere hidden within them is a sense he’s looking at iron that just won’t become steel (Tl: Chinese idiom referring to the frustration of seeing someone not live up to his full potential, e.g. a genius wasting his time by being ridiculously good at games with no professional/commercial potential.). Noah lowered his head and thought for a bit before meeting gaze with laxus.

"I will learn magic!"

Laxus grabbed Noah by the collar and shouted at him while practically seething with anger.

"Then hurry up!"

"Laxus"

Erza could not stand by anymore, she reached out and grabbed Laxus’ shoulder.

"Calm down! Let go of Noah!"

Laxus didn’t bother to respond to Erza. When he saw Noah’s sharp eyes returning to its normal calm even after being grabbed by him, an ineffable sense of anger boiled up.

"When are you going to stop hiding? Are you really going to let me look down on you?!"

"Why the rush?"

Ignoring how his body is almost lifted off the floor, he plainly placed it.

"There should be no problem even if I learn magic a bit later right?’

"You’re an eyesore!"

Laxus growled.

"You bear the family name of Dreyar and yet you have no fighting power, do you know just how many people are joking about you?"

"Family name of Dreyar?"

Noah kept his eyes on him.

"Is this family name bringing that much pressure on you?"

Laxus stopped breathing for a moment.

Clap clap clap clap

And before he could continue, a round of applause rang in the trio’s ears.