Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Crocus.
July 1, x788.
Not long after leaving the central plaza, Alfonzo returned to the hotel. And when he returned to his room, the first things he heard were Amar'e crying and Elicia trying to comfort him.
In fact, the reason Alfonzo was so annoyed was not because he was dragged out of his room by Laxus, nor was it because the loud buzzer and Mato's voice woke him up. Rather, it was because Amar'e was scared by the loud noise. And because of that, he wanted to beat someone up. Unfortunately, he could not beat up Mato. So, when Laxus showed up at his room, he became the target for Alfonzo's ire.
On a side note, because Alfonzo wanted to spend as much time with Amar'e as he could on this trip, Amar'e's crib was set up in Alfonzo's room. So, there was no nighttime fun between him and the girls.
"So, did Laxus get first place?" Elicia asked with a smile after she saw Alfonzo.
"Yeah." Alfonzo replied briefly.
"Well, that's good." Elicia said as she continued to rock Amar'e.
"That's good news, but what I heard after that isn't." Alfonzo said as he sat down next to Elicia and started making funny faces at his son. "Come on, Little Man, don't cry. Daddy's here."
That actually seemed to calm Amar'e down, as the volume of his cries lowered while he reached out for Alfonzo from Elicia's arms.
Seeing how ready to leave her Amar'e was, Elicia could not help pouting a little bit. Even so, she asked about the last thing Alfonzo said to her.
"What do you mean?" Elicia asked curiously. "What's not so good about the Grand Magic Games this year?"
"Bacchus is leading Quatro Cerberus' team." Alfonzo said as he took Amar'e into his arms.
Immediately, Elicia froze. However, that only lasted for a moment, as she frowned shortly afterwards.
"I hope he learned his lesson." Elicia said in a slightly dark tone. "Because if he hasn't, I might have to finish the job."
"*Sigh* Stop saying stuff like that." Alfonzo said as he poked Elicia on the nose while holding Amar'e, who was now happily playing with his hair, in the other arm. "It makes you a little scary. Besides, if he really wants a piece of me for something so stupid, I don't mind kicking his… *cough* Putting him in his place."
Naturally, Alfonzo had to correct himself, as he was about to start swearing in front of his son. And the fact that Elicia was glaring at him had nothing to do with it.
"Anyway, we can deal with Bacchus depending on the way he behaves if we meet him." Alfonzo said to change Elicia's focus. "for now, let's just get Little Man back to bed and get back to sleep ourselves, okay?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Elicia said while shaking her head. "I just really hope he's changed."
July 7, x788.
The Grand Magic Games went by in a flash. And once again, Fairy Tail was crowned the champion and defended their title as the strongest guild in Fiore. But what really surprised Alfonzo and Elicia was the fact that they did not run into Bacchus even once during the Grand Magic Games.
Despite that, Bacchus surprised the people of Fiore greatly during the Grand Magic Games. For one, there were no sightings of him drinking, at all, during the festival. Secondly, He put on a phenomenal display during the games themselves, winning an event for Quatro Cerberus and tying in a battle round with Kagura of Mermaid Heel.
In fact, if he did not run into Kagura during the Grand Magic Game battle royale event on the last day, there was a chance that he could have led Quatro Cerberus to victory. However, because he was tied up with her for too long, they were unable to overtake Fairy Tail.
"Maybe Bacchus has changed." Alfonzo said while packing his luggage for the trip back to magnolia. "I mean, no one saw him drinking or flirting with women during the whole Grand Magic Games festival period."
"Maybe." Elicia replied while sketching a design for this year's fall collection. "but I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes."
In response, Alfonzo only shook his head as he continued to pack.
On a side note, Amar'e was currently out with Shizuka and Rika as they walked around the capital for the last time before the guild headed back to Magnolia.
"*Sigh* I guess I spoke him up." Alfonzo muttered.
*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*
Not long after Alfonzo muttered to himself, there was a knock on the hotel room's door. And Alfonzo stood up to answer it after realizing that Elicia had no intention of doing so.
"What is it, Bacchus?' Alfonzo asked as he opened the door. "Did you come here to start shit? Because if Lici tries to kill you this time, I'm not gonna stop her. I'm just gonna get rid of the body and erase the evidence."
Hearing that, Bacchus, who was standing on the other side of the door, could not help but smile embarrassedly while scratching the side of his head.
"Um… Can I come in?" Bacchus asked.
Hearing Bacchus' question, Alfonzo did not answer immediately. Instead, he scrutinized his expression. And when he noticed genuine embarrassment and remorse, he stepped aside and allowed the man into the room.
In response, Bacchus nodded in gratitude before entering the room.
"*Sigh* Why are you here, Bacchus?" Elicia, who had finally put down her pencil after Bacchus was allowed entry, asked in a tone devoid of emotion.
"I… Uh… Actually came to… apologize." Bacchus said. "to the two of you.'
By now, Alfonzo had closed the door and moved to stand next to Elicia. And they were both looking at him with unfriendly gazes.
"And what exactly are you apologizing for?" Elicia asked as she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"For everything." Bacchus replied quickly. "for imposing my misguided beliefs. For all the bad things I said about Alfonzo. For those threats I made even when you told me in no uncertain terms how you really felt about me…. Everything. I'm sincerely sorry for all the stuff I said and did to the two of you over the years."
As he reached the end of his apology, Bacchus actually dropped to his knees and bowed so deeply that his head was pressed on the floor. Despite his show of sincerity, neither Alfonzo nor Elicia said anything. And that situation lasted for nearly a minute.
"*Sigh* Get up." Alfonzo eventually said.
Hearing that, Bacchus raised his head to look at Alfonzo and Elicia, though he did not stand up.
"Look, I'm not gonna say I forgive you." Alfonzo said. "I mean, for years, you had been saying my fiancée come wife was in love with you and that I was forcing her to stay with me. You don't just get over that so quick, you know. But… I can at least say that I won't bring it up in the future. And if you actually continue to keep your shit together, then I might forgive you one day."
"I, on the other hand, don't' forgive you and never will" Elicia said bluntly. "If possible, I never want to see you again. But if I do, I don't ever want you to talk to me again. So, if that's all you had to say, you can leave."
"*Sigh* I understand." Bacchus said as he stood up from the floor. Then, he turned around and started walking towards the door as he continued. "Well, I guess I deserved that. Anyway, I apologized. And that was all I could do. Thanks for hearing me out, at least."
Just before Bacchus reached the door, Alfonzo called out to him from behind.
"Oh yeah, before you go." Alfonzo said, causing Bacchus to come to a stop. "What's the name of your new martial art. It was pretty interesting."
"[Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist]." Bacchus replied without turning around. "I learned it from an old man named Bang who teaches martial arts in a dojo on a mountain in Seven. He was the one who helped correct my attitude, too. I did have to make quite a few modifications to make it fit with my [Palm Magic], though."
After that, Bacchus opened the door and left while closing the door behind him. Unfortunately, because he never turned around, he never saw the completely amazed and dumbfounded expressions on Alfonzo's and Elicia's faces.
"Seriously, just what doesn't exist in this world?" Alfonzo asked after a few moments of silence.
"At this point, I really don't know." Elicia muttered in reply. "I kinda wonder if we'll ever run into Saitama, though. I mean, what would his catch phrase be in this world. 'I'm just a wizard for fun'?"
"Wouldn't that just make him an independent wizard?" Alfonzo asked. "Besides, I get the feeling he would be the only person on the continent that the Magic Council hated more than Fairy Tail."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Elicia replied with a nod.
A few moments later, Cana, Ultear, and Lucy, who had been out shopping, rushed into the room.
"Hey, we just saw Bacchus coming out of the hotel." Lucy said in a somewhat concerned tone. "He didn't try anything, did he?"
"Was he walking when you saw him?" Alfonzo asked with a smile, putting the thought of Saitama existing in this world out of his mind.
"Of course he was." Cana replied while rolling her eyes as she took a bottle of liquor out of her [Storage Card].
"Oh, I get it." Ultear said with a smile. "If he had done anything, there was no way he would have been able to walk out of the hotel, right?"
"Exactly." Elicia replied with a nod of her own.
"Yeah, they probably would have had to carry him out in a body bag if it were left up to Lici." Alfonzo said with a smile.
"Fonzie~~~!" Elicia whined.
"So, why was he here?" Cana asked curiously.
"To apologize." Alfonzo replied.
"Yeah, it looks like he really has cleaned up his act." Elicia added. "Still, I want nothing to do with him. And I told him that without mincing my words."
"Well, I guess that makes sense." Lucy said in an understanding tone. "I mean, he was a real pain in the butt, for a long time."
"Good for you, Girl.' Cana said as she walked over to Elicia's side and slung an arm over her shoulders. "Then, we should celebrate with a drink. Say Ahh!"
"Why are you acting like you need a reason to drink, Cana?" Ultear asked.
"I know, ri--- Mmph!" Elicia started to agree with Ultear. However, once her mouth was open wide enough, Cana shoved the bottle into her mouth.
"You mean how you always have to give Alfonzo a reason to ravage you, Tear?" Cana asked cheekily while continuing to pour the contents of her bottle into Elicia's mouth.
"*Sigh* Cana, if you don't stop, you're gonna choke Lici to death." Alfonzo said as he stepped forward to stop Ultear from starting a fight.
"Huh?" Cana exclaimed in confusion before looking down at Elicia, who was struggling to take the bottle out of her mouth while liquor was spilling from the sides of her lips and tears were forming in her eyes. "Oops…"
Cana then pulled the bottle out of Elicia's mouth before taking a swig.
"Sorry about that, Lici." Cana said.
However, instead of getting a reply, Elicia threw a punch that sent her flying and the bottle in her hand falling to the floor.
Luckily, Alfonzo reacted quickly, catching the bottle with a hand he made of metal before it could fall to the floor and shatter. Meanwhile, Elicia and Cana started to fight like the Fairy Tail wizards they were. They even managed to pull Ultear and Lucy into it.
Alfonzo, on the other hand, just watched from the bed. He did remember to coat the whole room in shock absorbing metal before anything got damaged, though. Because if Fairy Tail caused any property damage during the Grand Magic Games, they would never hear the end of it. On top of that, all the hard work they had done to raise their reputation would go down the drain.
"Well, they'll probably be at it for a while." Alfonzo muttered as he created a small metal coin in his right palm. "S-Class wizards have stamina in spades. For now, I'll just start researching that mysterious metal we got from killing those Wealth Hands in Tartarus. And if I'm quick, I might be finished before they're done."
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Sorry folks, I accidentally uploaded teh wrong chapter at first. This is the real Chapter 618
Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Crocus.
July 7, x788.
After Bacchus left and the girls had their fight, all the guilds who participated in the main event of the Grand Magic Games were invited to a banquet at Mercurius, the Flower Light Palace, to celebrate another successful Grand Magic Games.
"You girls did well this year." Elicia said to Kagura during the banquet. "You all got third place, pushing Lamia Scale all the way down to fourth. I bet Old Man Jura is wondering what happened."
"Still, we only got third place again." Kagura said in her usual emotionless tone.
"Yeah, but who would have thought that just Bacchus coming back would have been such a big push for Quatro Cerberus?" Araña said while shaking his head. "I wonder how he got so strong."
"I'm sure being sober had something to do with it." Lucy said. "I mean, it's kinda hard to go through so many complicated events when you're basically floating along with the alcohol, right?"
"Although I hate to admit it, he probably would have done well even if he were still that same drunkard." Elicia grumbled begrudgingly. "I mean, he was able to make S-Class even while he was always drunk, right? So, he would have been able to handle it."
"Then what do you think the reason was?" Risley asked curiously.
"It's probably his new martial art." Elicia replied. "Fonzie asked him about it when he came to apologize last night. And he told us that he learned it from a master martial artist in Seven."
"That must be it, Meow!" Millianna exclaimed. "He would have to learn a super-powerful martial art to fight so evenly with Kagura, right?"
"Definitely." Beth added with an emphatic nod. "Kagura is so strong, someone like Bacchus wouldn't be able to fight with her like that otherwise."
It should be mentioned, during Mermaid Heel's S-Class promotion Exam in x786, Kagura was promoted to S-Class, becoming Mermaid Heel's ace in Yoruichi's absence.
While this conversation was going on, Alfonzo was sitting with a few of the guys from the various guilds and talking about the Grand Magic Games, as well.
"Damn, Guy, you'd been holding out on me when we sparred back at the Leaf Village, hadn't you?" Alfonzo asked. "You actually opened [Seven Gates] during the Games. You never opened more than six whenever we fought."
"That's because those were only friendly spars." Guy said with his usual smile on his face. "Although I intended to let my youth burn brightly, the time for it to explode passionately was on a stage like the Grand Magic Games."
"Still, If I had been in that event, you wouldn't have won." Laxus said proudly. "When it comes to speed, not even Alfonzo can keep up with me."
"Even if that's true, Guy won." Ikaku said with a grin. "And because of that, you almost lost the whole Grand Magic Games. If Bacchus hadn't gotten tied up with that woman from Mermaid Heel in the last event, that title would have been ours."
"Almost only counts with horse shoes and magic hand grenades." Laxus replied cheekily. "Like you said, we still won in the end. And that's what counts."
That statement led to a fierce discussion about who would be the winning guild in next year's games. However, despite the fierceness of the discussion, it was still kept rather friendly. Until Alfonzo spoke up to add his two jewels, that is.
"You guys really need to try harder." Alfonzo said with a smile. "I'm really waiting for someone to bring us down from our lofty perch."
Naturally, this caused all those participating in the conversation to look at Alfonzo with displeasure. While Laxus, Fried, and Bickslow all looked at Alfonzo as if he were a traitor for encouraging their competitors, the guys from the other guilds looked at him with fighting spirit burning in their eyes because they thought he was taunting them.
However, none of them were aware that Alfonzo, Elicia, and the rest of his team were not allowed to participate in the Grand Magic Games until Laxus and his team, or whoever managed to get the right to compete during the Battle of Fairy Tail Tournament, lost the title of Fiore's strongest guild. And by now, Alfonzo was already tired of being a spectator.
Despite the change in atmosphere in that part of the hall, the banquet continued and all the members of the guild got along in a relatively harmonious manner until Toma E. Fiore declared the end of the banquet and wished everyone well for the coming year.
Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.
July 8, x788.
The next day, all the guilds left Crocus to return to their own guild headquarters. And Fairy Tail was no exception, arriving in Magnolia sometime in the afternoon.
"Finally home." Alfonzo said as he walked into the mansion on the lake with Amar'e in his arms. "It feels like it's been such a long time since I was back home."
"It hasn't even been that long, though." Mirajane said. "I mean, you were home right before you went to the Leaf Village, right?"
"That's' true." Alfonzo replied with a smile. "Still, it feels like it's been a long time because of how busy I've been."
"When are you going back to the Leaf?" Marin asked.
"Some time after Little Man's birthday." Alfonzo replied. "Until then, I'm not taking any quests or doing any jobs for anyone. I'm just gonna stay at home, relax, spend time with Little Man, and enjoy my beautiful life with all of you."
When Alfonzo mentioned all of you, he was naturally talking about his nine wives and Saeko, who was not one of his wives yet, but was also a member of his harem.
"Well then, why don't I help you relax." Shizuka asked with a sweet smile. "If I give you a massage with my [Healing Magic], it should loosen up your muscles by quite a bit."
"Huh?" Alfonzo exclaimed as he turned his head towards Shizuka, inadvertently pulling his hair out of Amar'e's hands and making him laugh as he tried to catch it again. "You can do that?"
As he asked his question, Alfonzo turned back to Amar'e with a smile on his face and gently shook his head to make catching his hair a little harder. And that made Amar'e laugh happily as he constantly reached out for Alfonzo's dreads.
"Oh, yeah!" Sun cheered happily. "Shizuka's massages are amazing. I've had one, too. And my mom gets them whenever she can."
"You're not doing all that for free, are you?" Alfonzo asked in a concerned tone. "I mean, it's fine to give freebees to the family, but anyone outside of our family should definitely pay."
"Don't worry." Shizuka said as her sweet smile turned into one that was very merchant-like. "I charge properly. And I've made the most from Evergreen and Saya, the two who enjoy the finer things the most."
"Good girl." Alfonzo said as he reached out and combed his fingers through Shizuka's hair.
"I feel like Shizuka is being corrupted." Ultear muttered. "When she first showed up, she would have never thought of charging the members of the guild."
"Hey, you can't say it like that, Tear." Cana said with a smile. "She's not being corrupted. Instead, she's being enlightened."
"Cana's right." Elicia said in a firm tone. "Wizards don't work for free, never forget that."
"Whoa!" Marin exclaimed with a playful smile. "Look at Lici being all… Um… What's the word I'm looking for?"
"I think decisive fits in this situation." Lucy chimed in.
"Yeah, that's sit!" Marin exclaimed once again as she pulled Elicia into a hug. "Look at Lici being all decisive."
"What can I say?" Elicia said in a slightly smug tone. "Auntie Bianca and my daddy drilled that notion into me when I was little. And Fonzie made sure that I would never forget it."
"So, you're just using the wisdom of others, huh?" Erza added. "That's quite admirable."
"Exactly." Elicia said as she puffed out her chest with pride.
While the group was talking, they had been walking through the house. Meanwhile, Grayfia, maria, Mey-Rin, and Miyuki took all their luggage to the laundry room to be washed.
Eventually, Alfonzo, Amar'e, and the girls reached the living room, where they all sat down to relax after sitting in the cars all morning long. And when Alfonzo sat down, he put Amar'e on the floor so that he could play with the innumerable number of toys he had received since the day he was born.
And just like that, the group continued to chat while watching Amar'e entertain himself.
About half an hour later, Maria walked into the living room and bowed to all those present.
"Master, Madams, it's almost time for lunch." Maria said politely. "Before we start cooking, we wanted to know if master Alfonzo wanted to cook today or would you be leaving it to us?"
Hearing Maria's question, Elicia's, Cana's, Ultear's, Erza's, Mirajane's, Marin's, Sun's, Lucy's, Saeko's, and Shizuka's eyes all focused on Alfonzo. And the anticipation in their eyes was so great that he realized that saying no was not an option.
"I'll cook." Alfonzo replied. "What ingredients are prepared?"
Hearing that, all the ladies cheered excitedly. Just as Alfonzo felt as though it had been a long time since he was home, they felt that it had been a long time since they tasted Alfonzo's cooking.
"Ai went shopping this morning in preparation for our return." Maria said, beginning her explanation. "And she said she managed to buy a rather large Indigo Salmon as well as an assortment of vegetables."
"Hmm…" Alfonzo hummed as he stopped to think about what he could make.
However, before he could think for too long, his eyes happened to fall on Amar'e. And what he saw made him open his eyes wide. Then, he quickly stood up and pulled his lPhone out of his pocket.
Alfonzo's movements naturally confused the other women in the room. However, when they saw Alfonzo take out his lPhone, they noticed that he was looking towards where Amar'e had been playing. So, they looked in that direction as well. And they, too, widened their eyes in shock.
Currently, Amar'e was next to a toy fort built in the living room for him to crawl around in. However, instead of just crawling around, he had pulled himself up to a standing position while reaching for a toy that was placed on top of the fort.
Unfortunately, Amar'e's arms were a little too short to reach the toy from where he was standing. So, he lifted his little left foot to take a step closer. On top of that, he was not holding onto the fort, as his hands were still stretching towards the toy.
Then, with total concentration, Amar'e put his left foot down and pushed himself a little closer to the toy before raising his right foot to do the same. And with those two shaky, unstable steps, Amar'e was able to reach the toy that he wanted to play with, while being completely unaware of the significance of what he had just done.
Then, with a radiant smile on his face, Amar'e laughed happily while holding the toy. Unfortunately, that broke his concentration and he started to tumble over backwards. But before he could fall to the floor, or properly register what was happening,he felt a familiar sensation, as he was scooped up and held in his father's arms.
"Ahahahahaha!" Amar'e's laughter got even happier when he realized Alfonzo was holding him.
Then, he immediately dropped the toy he just worked so hard to get and started playing with Alfonzo's hair.
"Mar'e~~~~~!" Elicia squealed as she instantly appeared next to Alfonzo in a burst of speed. "Ooh~~~~~! You're getting to be such a big boy. Already walking at a few days less than eleven months old!"
As she spoke, Elicia wrapped both Alfonzo and Amar'e in a hug, making Amar'e laugh even more happily while he held on tightly to Alfonzo's hair.
Shortly afterwards, all the other girls crowded around Alfonzo, Elicia, and Amar'e while gushing over how smart and talented Amar'e was, even though they had no idea if walking before the age of one was all that impressive. But showering a child with praise when they did something good was never a bad thing, right?
Meanwhile, Maria smiled at the atmosphere while she took her own lPhone out from behind her apron and sent a text message to Grayfia, Mey-Rin, Ai, and Miyuki. And that text radiated smugness and pride, despite being only text.
Maria: Young Master Amar'e just took his first steps
Maria: And I was there to see it in person
After sending those two text messages, Maria smiled extremely brightly as she imagined the expression on the other four maids faces while putting her lPhone away.
'Ah! Today is a good day.' Maria thought to herself. 'We're finally back from the capital and I got to see Young Master Amar'e take his first steps. And best of all, I got to brag to the others about it. Oh, even better, Master Alfonzo has decided to cook lunch. And he'll definitely make shares for us, too. Oh, I cant' wait to see the others when we all take a break for lunch.'
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