Truthfully, Marco's actions were a bit irregular.
Though he was the guild master's grandson, he didn't have the authority to decide promotions—that was Makarov's privilege.
But Marco did it anyway.
Even if it meant getting scolded by Makarov, he had to do it.
Because Laki... was truly a rare talent!
With Laki and her Wood-Make Magic, the guild could save a fortune.
This girl was practically born to be a master of construction!
Marco had reviewed the guild's account books.
The monthly property damage was a significant sum—the guild members were simply too rowdy.
Of course, everyone did take the initiative to compensate, so the guild itself didn't have to cover too much of the cost.
But money was still money and this unnecessary expense was undeniably being spent.
After Laki joined, however, that expense could be saved.
This was also one of the reasons why everyone in the guild supported making Laki a full member.
The older members weren't deliberately trying to damage property—they were just passionate people and sometimes their emotions got the better of them.
With Laki officially joining, everyone didn't let her go straight back to the dorm.
Instead, they gathered to celebrate for her.
Any excuse for a celebration—this was an old tradition of Fairy Tail.
Makarov returned after buying his porn magazine and happened to witness the scene.
"?"
"What are you guys celebrating?" Makarov was completely baffled.
He had only stepped out for a while to buy a porn magazine, so how had things gotten so lively by the time he returned?
"Grandpa, we have a new guild member."
Marco noticed Makarov standing at the entrance and stepped forward to explain, believing the old man would understand his reasoning.
"Huh? A new member? What new member?"
Sure enough, Makarov's wrinkled face was full of confusion.
"Follow me."
Marco gestured for Makarov to follow him.
The old man and the young man made their way through the crowd until they found Laki, who was surrounded by guildmates introducing themself.
"Ah! It's that pervy old man!"
Before Marco or Makarov could even speak, Laki blurted out in surprise upon seeing Makarov.
"..."
Instantly, the room fell silent.
Laki blinked, bewildered.
Huh? Why did it get quiet again?
"Ahem, let me introduce you. Laki, this... is our guild master, Makarov Dreyar!"
Marco cleared his throat, barely suppressing a laugh as he introduced Makarov to Laki.
He could see Laki's face visibly stiffen—clearly, she was utterly shocked.
"Wha—?!" Laki was dumbfounded, it turns out this midget pervert was the guild master!
"Hahaha~! No worries, no need to be nervous Laki. Did I scare you when I went out earlier?"
Seeing her reaction, Makarov burst into laughter, trying to soothe the clearly flustered girl.
Being called a "pervy old man" was something Makarov wouldn't mind.
Well, because it was the truth—he was a pervy old man.
Upon seeing Laki, Makarov remembered.
When he had gone out earlier to buy his porn magazine, he had run into Laki carrying her bag.
That must have been when he startled her.
"N-No, not at all! It's an honor to meet you, Master!"
Makarov's kindly demeanor eased some of Laki's tension and worry.
She greeted him with deep respect and wisely avoided mentioning the earlier scare.
"Good, carry on then."
Makarov nodded with a smile before pulling Marco aside, leading him deeper into the guild hall.
"Explain."
Once inside a private office, Makarov hopped onto a chair and sat down, waiting for Marco's explanation.
He trusted Marco wouldn't act recklessly, so he hadn't pressed the matter in front of everyone.
Instead, he brought Marco here to talk privately.
"Grandpa, didn't you notice the guild hall looks different from when you left?"
Rather than explaining, Marco countered with a question.
"Hm?" Makarov frowned, thinking.
He really hadn't paid attention—his focus had been entirely on the noisy crowd.
He jumped down from his chair, quickly ran outside to look around the guild hall and soon returned with a surprised expression before hopping back onto his chair.
"Marco, what's going on here?" Clearly, Makarov had also noticed the changes in the guild hall.
The little old man asked curiously, already having a vague guess in his mind.
"Laki is skilled in Wood-Make Magic. It's all thanks to her." Marco said with a smile, as new ideas began forming in his mind.
Perhaps they could hire Laki as a guild staff member.
"I thought as much." Makarov nodded.
He had already considered this possibility.
Marco wasn't surprised.
Makarov was already eighty-one years old and his experience in magic was immeasurable.
Such small matters could easily be figured out with just a little thought.
"Grandpa, how about we hire Laki as a guild staff member? Airo and the others have been working quite hard. With Laki's help, at least the guild's property damage could be reduced. Besides, we can't let this child work for free every day."
Marco voiced his thoughts, believing this would be a fair arrangement.
Even though everyone in the guild was family, that didn't mean they should work or contribute for nothing.
Family should be treated even better, with fairness and equality.
Laki's abilities were worthy of the guild offering her a proper salary.
"You're right. Let's do that." Makarov agreed with Marco's suggestion.
He felt quite gratified.
Marco was far too mature for his age, handling many things exceptionally well.
If not perfectly, at least he considered the thoughts of most people and treated his guildmates with genuine sincerity.
No wonder he was so beloved by everyone in the guild.
In contrast, Laxus...
At this thought, Makarov let out a long sigh.
Laxus still hadn't grasped that the position of Fairy Tail's guild master was never about "strength."He
didn't even understand the core ideals of Fairy Tail.
Ignoring Makarov's melancholy, Marco left the office to inform Laki about the job offer and seek her opinion.
After all, such matters required mutual consent—no one should be forced to work for the guild.
"I accept!"
Faced with Marco's offer, Laki agreed without hesitation.
As a newcomer with little savings, securing a stable job at the guild was a great opportunity