Welcome back my lovely readers! I apologize for the delay/odd absence. I recently discovered that I literally can not muster up the will to write at any point that isn't night time... real shame that happened after manually fixing my sleep schedule.

MasterDarkElf: I'm pretty sure I wrote that Phantom Lord took his body away for private burial. If not, then I apologize for the misunderstanding.

Alright, enough delay, on with the chapter!

Sweat beaded down the teen's face as he practiced his magic control more and more. With his God Slayer magic on the backburner for the foreseeable future with his arm in its current state, Matt instead focused elsewhere for the time being.

With the advice and instructions he'd received from Zeke, the teen finally had a new direction to take his arsenal. He felt genuinely excited to deep dive into learning magic once more after all these years. Sure Runes were still an active learning process, but that was more akin to mental translation than nitty gritty learning.

Slow, controlled breaths smoothly passed between his lips. Matt sat cross-legged atop a tree stump he'd known for many years now, a simple black tank-top and beige shorts made up his outfit. A few birds had perched themselves on various parts of his body, something that showed the teen's ability to tame his wild magic power amd his ability to completely focus.

Summer was making itself known quite quickly in late June, the sun seemingly beating down quite a bit rougher than normal for the season. It definitely contributed to the teen's training though as the stump absorbed the heat, making Matt practically sit on a burning stove.

The birds suddenly flew off as Matt opened his eyes. His limbs cracked and popped as he contorted his body in various stretches to loosen up post-meditation. A harsh exhale of relief came from Matt as he finished.

"Man, wish I could multi-task when I do that stuff. Would at least help me not feel like a board after I'm done." He sighed and began to make his way back to the guild.

As he walked, he noticed a familiar tune was ringing throughout town by the bells of the Cathedral.

"Oh? He's back pretty fast. Must've taken an easy one." Matt nodded as he continued on his way, not noticing the familiar brown-haired girl approaching him with a hesitant face.

"Uh, hey Matt." Cana nervously spoke.

"Hm? Oh, Cana. What's up?" Matt nodded her way, pocketing his hands.

"Well... I wanna ask a favor." Her timid nature towards this told the teen it must've been important.

"Sure, what can I do?" He softly smiled, trying to ease her misplaced unease.

"I uh... I... can I uhm..." The girl tried to muster up the courage to ask.

"Mm-hm?" He nodded, urging her on.

"I need your help picking out a gift."

"A... gift?" He raised a brow at the request before shrugging, "Sure. Who for?"

"Well... it's uh... it's for someone important." Her vague tone told the boy exactly who it was, the bells beginning to fade out.

"I see. In that case, I'll make sure to give it my all." He nodded, a solemn expression on his face.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Now then, what kind of gift do you have in mind?" The teen immediately ruled out anything above the age of 18 for countless ethical reasons.

"I want it to be something special. Something he'd always keep close." She quickly spoke, already knowing it had to be sentimental.

The teen pretended not to hear the pronoun used as he ran through the potential items that fit the bill.

"Hmm. Maybe an accessory of some kind? Like a pocket watch or ring?" The teen suggested.

"Hm. I like the idea, but I want it to mean something more." The girl put on a contemplative expression.

"Well why don't you we think it over elsewhere, standing around won't solve anything. Especially with this heat."

"Oh! You're right, it is getting kinda hot." The normal demeanor of the girl returned, awkwardly laughing as she rubbed the back of her head.

The duo made their way over to the bustling guild hall where someone was flung out the door, specifically a pink speeding bullet smashed into the cobblestone street that'd returned to normal.

Natsu dug his head out from the ground, spitting some dirt. "I'm not done yet Gildarts!" He charged back in, only to be immediately dug back into the ground, over and over.

"Shouldn't you stop this?" Cana arched a brow at the teen as she looked on at the beating the dragon slayer was taking.

"Nah, he'll either pass out first or Gildarts'll fling him across town. I'm more concerned for the road damages, Master definitely won't like the Mayor breathing down his neck." Matt sighed as he walked into the building.

The heat was hitting the mages quite hard this year. Grey was literally in a puddle of his own magic, desperately trying to keep cool. Erza was beginning to regret wearing armor constantly as her head rested against a table. Mira would capitalize on this opportunity, but she was too busy trying to keep sane with her siblings, her hand fanning her face. Levy was using her magic to keep herself cool, Jet and Droy already on the floor. Kagura slammed glasses of ice water, relishing in the brief relief it brought.

The only people handling this well were Natsu, a fire mage, Brandish, who lived by the desert, Cana, who'd spent many summers in a stone home with other kids, and the other mages worth their salt.

Gildarts was speaking with Makarov at the bar, the S-class mage already downing some booze on the rocks. The mage heard the familiar footfalls of the teen and turned.

"Oh? Well if it ain't Matt." Gildarts greeted the teen as he approached, "How's it going?"

"Fine," Matt shrugged. "About as well as you'd expect these days."

"I see." He nodded before adopting a coy grin, "Soooo, how's the dating scene going? I know the ladies must be swooning over the guy I taught all my secrets to."

"Gildarts all you taught me was to follow the exact opposite of your advice." Matt dryly looked at the man.

"Gah! C-C'mon! That's still advice!" He protested, technically correct.

"Fight me Gildarts!" Natsu charged in with a drop kick.

"As I was saying." Gildarts backhanded Natsu through the ceiling, "You're at that age kid. I know you gotta be eyeing a pretty lady. C'mon, you can tell ol' Gildarts!" He lightly elbowed the teen, a silly look in his face.

"Sorry, not interested." Matt shot that down.

"Just because you aren't now doesn't mean ya won't be!" The man laughed, patting Matt's shoulder.

"Why does it feel like every time we talk, it's always about women."

"Aw c'mon kid, we're guys, we can have a little fun here and there. Remember our glory days out in the town!"

"All I remember was those women offering me free food and their addresses while you got kicked out."

The man face planted into the floor at that callous reminder, a few snickers coming from the usual eavesdroppers.

"Still more action than you guys are gonna get." Matt spoke to the sneaks, all of them immediately being hit by that and going silent. "I'm surrounded by people who only think with their second head." Matt pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning in annoyance.

"Anyways, getting on track to something else." Gildarts sported a grin as he spoke, "The old man is bringing back the S-Class Trials."

"Yeah, I was the one that talked him into it. What about it?"

"There's been some hearsay y'know? People are betting about who'll make it: you, or Laxus."

"And? You throwing your hat in a ring? Need I remind you that gambling ain't your strong suit?" Matt had gone 57-0 against the mage.

"Ha! Normally I'd agree with you, but this time? I'm feeling pretty good on my bet." The older mage slammed the mug of liquor.

"I see. And I suppose you're gonna keep that a closely-guarded secret until payout?"

"Yup! More fun to keep you youngsters on your toes." A challenging expression soon morphed itself onto the face of the experienced mage. "Besides, I'll get to gague that all myself." The ominous tone was definitely unnatural coming from Gildarts.

"What do you mean?" Matt slowly asked, genuinely a bit unsettled by the inflection of Gildarts' tone.

"Don't worry about it for now." The jovial manner of the man returned as he waved off the question. "All you should concern yourself with is making sure you're in tip-top condition come December."

That was all Gildarts said as he walked off. Matt was too busy trying to find the meaning of those words as Gildarts made a new hole in the wall, Makarov yelling at the man.

"That couldn't mean what I think it could..." Matt muttered to himself, not noticing Cana approach.

"Uh... Matt?"

The teen immediately refocused on reality as he gazed at the girl, "Right. The gift. Sorry about that." He shook his head.

"Oh it's fine." The girl smiled as they both sat down at a table.

"So, you want it to be sentimental?" He asked.

"Mm-hm."

"Well what kind of sentiment should it channel? I mean there's familial sentiment, nostalgic sentiment. That kind of stuff."

The girl chose her words carefully as to avoid letting the boy in on her secret he was already long aware of. "Well, a little bit of both of those probably."

"Probably?" Matt raised a brow.

"I'm not too sure what the feelings will be when they get it, but I think both of those examples sound right." The girl guessed, not used to these kinds of emotional questions.

"I see..." Matt crossed his arms, a hum of thought vibrating in his throat. "Maybe it'll be best if we just go out and see for ourselves. After all something could catch your eye."

"Mm." The girl nodded, "You're probably right."

The boy let out an internal sigh. He admired the girl's sudden determination towards this, but he also had a feeling that fire would be quickly snuffed when the time actually came.

Then again.

He'd taken matters into his own hands before, what's doing it again?

The cold night air stung Draculos' skin as he stood atop one of the countless rooftops within the market district of Khan, the grand capital city of Pergrande.

His gaze shifted upwards where the imperial palace, Gehenna, sat atop a massive hill that was more of a mountain. The gothic look of the palace fit the dark and quiet night, the tall towers mere silhouettes against the moon.

The mage scowled at the home of his king, a man he was quickly suspecting was far more than meets the eye. Over a year of complete silence from the entire royal family, even the crown prince has reportedly disappeared.

Draculos was no fool, he could feel that he was on to something based on the well-hidden gaze constantly tailing him. He didn't want to admit who the owner of it was, but deep down, he knew Captain Czar was the one in question. Orpheus Czar is a man whose loyalties extend only to his home. The Wizard Saint had no lead or even an idea as to the true motivations of the man, but all of it would come to light eventually.

The vampire mage's ear caught the sound of quick footfalls, though the vague scraping of nails on the freezing cobblestone did not fall on deaf ears.

A figure, draped entirely in a black cloak, ran through the streets, leaving a trail of red footprints that didn't even hope to resemble a human's.

This is what he'd been waiting for all this time. A slip up in the finely tuned system of this city. It'd taken nearly a year of investigation, but it seemed fate had finally awarded the mage.

He stalked the figure, his presence being concealed by his magic. The closer the figure got, the more a familiar smell lined the walls of the mage's nose. A disgusted frown crawled its way onto his face as the figure turned into a nearby alley.

The cloaked monster crouched in the corner of the alley, saliva coating the tongue that licked lips already stained crimson. Before it could savor its impending meal, its life was ended as it's hands arose to its neck. All air and blood flow had ceased to its brain, and shortly thereafter, all life functions ceased.

Draculos approached the toppled mass with a scowl, taking a deep breath before using his foot to turn the thing upwards.

His eyes shot open and his mouth fell, vomit threatened to rise from his stomach as he stared at the monstrosity before him.

In his many decades of serving the public as a mage, he'd seen horror stories come to life. Entire villages and their populations reduced to cinders, the feasting grounds for Vulcan's long since made extinct by the Council, the aftermath of creature's no man could even feasibly remain sane after seeing.

But this? Knowing that was once human had been turned into this vile slight against humanity? That made a feeling of dread like no other swell within the man. Not even in his wildest fantasies could he have imagined this level of escalation.

Without even wasting a moment, he immediately set the corpse ablaze, the only method of disposal warranted. He could have kept the corpse to present to the council, but he knew hiding it until then would be far more difficult than he alone could manage against this city.

"..." He remained silent as he gazed at what that thing was about to finish feasting upon.

A small, frail, gentle arm lay on the ground, ripped off right above the bicep. The mage needn't even think for a second to know where this arm came from. To know what horrible tragedy had occured. To know that this, was not a rare occurrence anymore.

Blood leaked from the Draculos' clenched hands in frustration. He now knew for a fact that horrible things were occurring in this city. He knew that people, children, were being devoured and turned into these abominations!

And yet.

He couldn't do anything.

Who would even believe him if he spoke of these things? The council isn't foolish enough to challenge a kingdom of Pergrande's calibur. That's a fight they might not win, even with Etherion. Any evidence would be quickly found and disposed of. This was his first break in nearly a year, who even knows the sort of luck Draculos had with this.

If this problem was going to be solved, it was gonna have to be done personally. Except, Draculos was just one man. Even if he was the strongest mage in this continent, he lacked the confidence to take on the kingdom by himself.

All he could do for now, was bide his time until opportunity arose.

Draculos knelt down and lifted the arm. The hand was soft and freezing cold. Bitter sorrow lined his features as he gazed at the only surviving piece of what embodied unimaginable innocent potential.

"I swear, I will make sure your loss wasn't in vain. One day peace will return. So rest easy with those you care for, and please wait for that day." The hand was slowly turned into ashes in his pale embrace.

A raging inferno lined Draculos' eyes as his gaze shot towards Gehenna.

He will restore peace to his home.

No matter the cost.

Cana and Matt gazed at the various pieces of jewelry behind the glass cases.

"You lookin' to see if they have that person's gemstone?" He absentmindedly questioned.

"Hm? What's that mean?" The girl curiously asked.

"Well y'see, a person's gemstone is... it means..." Matt paused, his brain being unable to recall what that meant. Hell, why did he even say that in the first place? When did he ever care about useless trivia about gemstones? Probably got it from some book his brain didn't care much for.

"Matt?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothin', forget I said anything. Probably just misremembering." The teen brushed off the girl's concern. If there was one thing she knew for a fact Matt was, it was not the type of person to misremember something he brought up that assuredly.

The girl kept her concerns to herself for now, maybe she'd bring it up with Kagura later.

"All that aside, are you sure this person is even the type for rings or bracelets?" He steered the conversation elsewhere.

"... No. No they aren't." The girl sighed, berating herself for wasting time on something she could've easily figured out with just a second of thought.

"Don't worry about it, not like the world's future hinges in this y'know?" The teen tried to ease the girl's mind.

"I know, I just wanna make sure it's perfect."

The boy smiled, "Well I'm sure with our powers combined, we can figure this out."

Cana eyed the teen with a smile of her own, "Yup!"

"Alright then!" He nodded, "So, let's go over the details again to figure this out."

Cana nodded, "Well, they definitely do a lot of hands-on work."

"So rings and bracelets are definitely out."

"Right. They also like to pack lightly and simply."

"That pretty much means something of high maintenance is a no-go. So watches are definitely out."

"Yeah, which leaves necklaces." The girl concluded.

"Okay then, how about a locket for a photo?" Matt suggested.

Cana adopted a surprised look for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, that'll do it!"

Matt grinned, "Alright then, now that we know what we're looking for, this'll be way easier."

"Yup!"

With that the duo wandered around the city. At this point Matt was no-longer needed, but he figured the girl would probably want him around as moral support of some kind. He didn't mind truthfully, though he never realized just how many damn jewelry stores there were in this town. He'd also never realized just how scummy a lot of them are.

Hiking up prices way past their regular value, bartering with a friggin kid, trying to use tactics akin to sleazy salesmen. Half the time, Matt and Cana got the boot once he started giving them a cold glare.

Cana sighed in defeat as the sun was beginning to set. They'd visited practically every jewelry store in the city and came up dry.

"Maybe we're just approaching this wrong." Matt spoke, his hands behind his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we're assuming this person cares for something like fancy appearance. What ultimately matters is the heart behind it, not the monetary value. At least I hope the person you're gifting this to ain't like that. Those kind of people tend to be shallower than a kiddy pool." He sneered in distaste.

"No, I'm very confident they aren't like that." She quickly affirmed as they passed the street vendors, her gaze wandering to a bored vendor's selection.

The girl stopped as she eyed something she just knew was perfect. A small, simple, iron locket with brown fabric making it into a necklace. It was absolutely perfect based on the image in her head.

"Cana?" The teen asked as the girl stood in front of the vendor, her eyes glued to a particular item. He let out a simple chuckle as he eyed the low price, tossing the neccessary coin to the vendor currently enthralled by the newspaper. The man let out a hum of acknowledgement to the purchase as the duo left.

"Thank you." The girl placed the necklace in a pocket.

"Don't worry about it." Matt simply replied as they stood outside the guild hall.

"Well, I'm gonna go get this ready for later. See you tomorrow." The girl smiled and waved before quickly hurrying off.

"Good luck, you're gonna need it." He simply spoke before heading in.

Gildarts howled with laughter as he guzzled another mug of alcohol, his fifth so far.

"Man you always fight the weirdos!" Gildarts slapped the counter as Matt recalled his fight against Gil.

"You do realize you're throwing yourself in that list right?"

The man immediately stopped laughing at that realization, "He-Hey! I'm not weird damnit!"

"No, you aren't weird." Matt admitted.

"That's ri-"

"You're more hopeless than anything."

The S-Class mage spat out his drink at that. "I'm not hopeless!"

"You're recent record with women says otherwise old man!" Macao hollered.

"Don't you bring age into this! You'll be hitting that tender age of 40 sooner than you realize!" He cursed the fire mage.

"Hey! Nothing wrong with being over 40." Makarov chimed in, his cheeks slightly flush.

"Master is right, he doesn't look a day over 100." Wakaba snickered.

Gildarts held the tiny man back in his arms.

"Master! You can't pick a fight with someone half your age!"

"The hell I can't! Let me at em!" The geezer bellowed.

"Your fists can't even reach him!" The middle-aged mage spoke more forbidden words.

Now it was Matt's turn to hold the old man back from assaulting Gildarts.

"Damnit Master! You can't pick fights with everyone when you're drunk!" Matt cried out, struggling to hold back the rabid old man.

"I'll kick his ass damnit! I'll rip his legs off and stick em' on his head!" The old man kicked and waved his arms frantically.

This was soon rendered moot as a table collided with the teen and drunk old man, setting the balding honey badger loose on those who wronged him.

Matt landed on the other side of the bar, groaning as he stood up. His hair stuck to his head from alcohol.

"Atetete." He rubbed his head as he saw Makarov gnawing on Wakaba's head, the pompadour wiggling everywhere.

The teen sighed before noticing the small form of Cana behind a pillar, nervously eyeing Gildarts. He opted to keep out of it as he mindlessly caught a flung mug heading at him.

'C'mon kid, you got this.' He sent encouragement towards her, something starting to bubble inside of him.

The brunette eyed him and then the floor a few times before Gildarts stood up.

"Well I better get going. I'm heading out tomorrow for another job." He informed Matt before starting to walk off, Cana's gaze falling to the floor in defeat.

"...Hold on a second Gildarts." The teen spoke up.

"Hm? Is something wrong."

"Yeah, I need you to look at something real quick. A second opinion would be handy." He quickly forged a plan.

"Sure." The man nodded as Matt hopped over the bar, walking towards a certain door.

"I'll show you in here, it's kinda private." He easily faked embarrassment.

Gildarts nodded before walking into the supply closet, only for the door to slam shut.

"Huh?! The hell are you doing?!" Gildarts went to open the door, only to find it locked.

"Just wait in there. Oh. And do remember a major support pillar for the building is right in front of the door. It'd be bad if that got split apart." He immediately made it so the man couldn't use brute force.

Matt wordlessly approached Cana.

"Huh? Oh, Matt, what's going oHHHNN?!" He lifted the girl with one arm and approached the door, quickly opening it and tossing her inside.

"Are you crazy?! Why are you throwing a kid?!" Gildarts cried out as the girl collided into him.

"Just shut up and listen to what she has to say. Neither of you get to leave until she does." He uncharacteristically gave a sudden ultimatum.

Cana's eyes widened as she realized the teen had figured it all out.

"Hey!" Gildarts pounded on the door to no avail. "He must've used some runes to keep the door close and make it so any noise we make doesn't get out." The man sighed.

Cana sat on the floor, mulling over the absolute perfect opportunity Matt handed to her.

"Well, he said you had something to talk about. Doubt he'd go through all this if it wasn't important." The man looked at the girl, awaiting her answer.

"..." The girl remained silent, mentally berating herself for completely wasting this chance.

"What's the matter? Do you have to use the bathroom?"

"What?! No!" She cried out.

"Ah, so you can talk." He nodded, his ploy working to least confirm that.

Cana realized this and immediately fell silent again.

"C'mon kid, it's not like I'm gonna blabber about this if it's that much of a deal. It can be between you and me if that's what you want." Gildarts tried to reason with her.

"..." Silence still served as his only response.

"Geez, this must be a big deal." Gildarts realized the gravity of it, and decided maybe some lighthearted amusement would help her talk. "I wonder what it could be. Hmmmm. Ah! You must be a princess!"

Cana shook her head, a small smile being cracked.

Seeing his plan was working, Gildarts pressed again. "Not a Princess then eh? Hmm... Ah! I got it! Obviously you've come to confess your forbidden desire for my affections."

"Ew! That's gross! I'd never date my dad!" The girl cried out in disgust, only to realize what she'd said.

"...Eh?" Gildarts' brain froze at those words.

Cana immediately looked away, her face buried in her hands.

"EEEEEEHHHHHHH?!?!" The man screeched at the top of his lungs. "W-W-W-Wa-Wait a minute here! Whose kid are you?!?! Sarah?! Naomi?! Clara?! Phina?! No, Mary?! Liza?! No no the hair color is off!" He fell to his knees, "Emma?! Lila?! Jennie?! Sidney?! Kate?! Maybe the Yuuko Sisters?!" The man desperately tried to piece together this massively important puzzle.

"S-SISTERS?! How many women did you whore yourself out to?!" The girl chided him.

"Wait! It's gotta be Silvia! She made that angry face a lot!"

"Argh! I wait all these years to try and tell the truth only to find out my old man was this much of a deadbeat!" Cana cried out, furiously scratching her head. "Aw whatever! I just wanted to let you know so I can get it off my chest. Later." The girl began to walk towards the exit.

"W-Wait! Hold up a second!" The older man spoke up.

"I don't have a thing left to say to you. Don't worry about me wanting to move in, obviously I don't wanna ruin your already awful game. Like I'd wanna be around that anywa-" The girl was cut off as the man embraced her.

"Cornellia. You're her daughter." Gildarts spoke, more sure of that than anything else in his life.

"...Please let me go." The girl weakly retorted.

"Why? Why did you wait so long?"

"...I just... I was scared. How was I supposed to tell someone that I didn't even know I was their daughter? I just couldn't handle the idea you'd completely reject me." The girl honestly spoke.

"Your mother, out of every women I've ever been with, was the only one who ever had my heart. I'd felt no greater joy in my life than when we got married to spend eternity together." The man nostalgically smiled, "She left me all those years ago because all I ever did to show my love to her was work. When I heard of her passing, it was like my entire world shattered apart. But to think, a part of her was still with me... I can't even begin to apologize." The mage poured his heart out.

Cana gently broke the embrace, "It's fine, I was the one keeping it a secret and all. Kinda nice not having to worry about that anymore." A soft smile decorated her features.

"To think, something so important to me was right under my nose this entire time. I'm such a damn fool." Tears began to well in the corners of his eyes.

"H-Hey! There's no need to cry or anything! I never expected anything from you. You don't have to treat me like I'm anything special." An arm rose up to clutch to other, her head turned in some embarrassment. "B-But if it's okay... I wanna be selfish just this once." She smiled widely at the man. "I'm really glad I got to meet you... dad."

Gildarts gazed at his daughter, the girl who represented his pride and joy. The living monument to what was without question the happiest he's ever been. All thoughts of fury at his own incompetence, sorrow at the passing of his love, joy of knowing he has a daughter, those were all washed away in an overwhelming love that bloomed.

He shot out, embracing the girl as tears flowed down his cheeks without end.

"I swear! I swear on my very soul that I'll never let you feel alone again! No matter where you are, I'll always be there for you! The only thing I ask of you: is that you please give me the chance to be the father you deserve!"

Cana smiled genuinely, tears flowing down her face before looking up at the man and nodding happily, embracing her father as the family she so longed to have once more.

Matt stood outside the door, his back leaning against the frame as he listened. Before long, the teen stood up and walked off, dispelling the runes.

"""EEEEEEHHHHHHH?!""" The guild cried out in surprise as Gildarts grinned.

"You mean to tell us Cana is your daughter?!" Macao gaped.

"Y'know that explains a lot." Wakaba thought back.

"Yup! And now Papa Gildarts ain't gonna let his baby girl out of his sight." He smiled and nuzzled his head on the girls.

"Will you stop that! Your beard is prickly!" She protested.

"Still, to think Matt figured it out." Makarov absentmindedly spoke.

"Oh yeah, how long did you know?" The S-class asked him.

"The beginning." He simply responded.

""HA?!"" The father-daughter duo gaped.

"What? It wasn't hard to figure out. I can't help that everyone here is too busy fighting to pay attention." He shrugged.

"Alright alright. That's enough going crazy for today, it's time to close up for tonight." Makarov calmed the crowd.

Slowly the group began to thin out, only the family of two, Makarov and Matt remained.

"I should probably get back before the old lady gets mad." Cana spoke up before approaching Matt. "Hey Matt."

"Hm? What's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you."

"For what? All I did was force you two to talk. You did all the rest." He downplayed himself.

"Even then, you helped me a lot. So thank you, I mean it." The girl smiled brightly at him.

"Anytime." He simply responded.

Cana left for Fairy Hills afterwards, leaving only the power trio behind.

"I feel like I should thank you too." Gildarts honestly spoke.

"If you wanna thank me, then live up to those words you said to her."

Gildarts looked at Matt, surprised by that response before cracking a smile and nodding adamantly.

Eventually only Matt remained in the guild, he stared at a glass of alcohol mindlessly, spinning the liquid around.

"Family... huh?"

The word felt... foreign to the teen.

"Did I... have one too...?"

And thus concludes another chapter!

Welcome back everyone. Again, I apologize for the delay. Now that I've ruined my sleep schedule again, and subsequently missed some obvious typo's, we should be back on track!

.

.

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Christ I am a nocturnal creature.

No seriously I do apologize if this chapter isn't the best. Still getting back into the swing of things y'know?

So we had a pretty major change occur with this chapter, Gildarts now knows that Cana is his kid thanks to our stubborn protagonist.

I feel like I should preface this for future comments: my changes don't necessarily mean canon will also drastically change from how you expect. Basically all of my changes so far, (not all of them) just rewrite context and motivation. Cana will still be on Tenrou, her motivation will just be different for why she's there. Phantom Lord's Arc will still happen, but as we all know, the context behind it will be very different.

Now does this mean there won't be changes that do completely derail parts of canon? Well you'll have to wait and see to find out about that. Spoiler alert: of course not, we just won't see them for a long time.

We also got to check in with the top Wizard Saint as he investigates the atrocities occurring in his homeland. This arc will periodically cut over for setup to later arcs in between all the other stuff. But if you couldn't tell, shit is fucked over there, and I'm very excited to get to it after this arc.

Also, we hit 300 Followers. Holy shit. Thank you everyone for putting some faith in this long-term adventure, and I hope you enjoy where I steer this crazy train.

As a side-note, let me know if I should post the poll for what my 4th story will be just so it has time for people to vote before I wrap up A Beautiful World, and know what to focus long-term ideas on.

Next time, we spend a day with our young King.

Until next time, I bid you all adieu.