As Ben expected, they wanted him to leave Fairy Tail. They haven't liked Fairy Tail in a long time because that guild's members often cause trouble. That was the case initially, but now some high-ranked officials just hate the guild and can't see it getting stronger.

Now with Ben a member of Fairy Tail, they've gotten a lot stronger. Having Gildarts alone is considered cheating because he is one of the most powerful mages in Ishgar. Previously, they even had Laxus and still have Mira and Erza now who are stronger than most S-Class mages.

"Leaving the guild? Sorry, but I won't do it even though you offered me a lot of benefits as a Wizard Saint. I am indebted to master since I was in my old guild. He helped us the most at that time and I am not an ungrateful person. You don't want to leave too, right, Bella?" Ben asked Bella who is lying lazily on his head.

"Not leaving." Bella nodded.

The Council officials were surprised by it and the Wizard Saints who came from other guilds looked at Makarov with envy. It's very rare for a mage to refuse the position of Wizard Saint because it's very beneficial for them.

Everyone murmured among themselves.

"Are you sure you want to refuse it, kid? If you become a Wizard Saint, you will gain access to many benefits that can make you far stronger than you are now. You might even become the strongest in 20 or 30 years." Draculos asked.

Ben smirked after hearing that.

'20 years? Hah, I'll surpass God Serena in less than 10 years even if I work on my own. If I become a Wizard Saint, it will be even faster.' He thought.

While Ben thought about that, the others were surprised by what Draculos said. His words indicate Ben could surpass God Serena. That man is very strong and even has 8 types of Dragon Slayer Magic.

But they forget that Ben is still 17 and has been offered to become a Wizard Saint at his age. Draculos is the Magic Council's chairman so surely he has access to everything in the Council. It's easy for him to find Ben's track record and judge him from there.

"I reached my current level with every limitation I had in Cait Shelter. Do you think I can't do it now when I have better facilities and access to a lot of things? Old man, you're clearly underestimating me." Ben said with a smirk.

A middle-aged man with grey sideburns suddenly got angry with Ben, "INSOLENCE! How dare you talk like that to the chairman. Not only is he the chairman of the Magic Council, but he's also the 2nd ranked Wizard Saint. He's not someone you can talk to so casually."

"What are you mad about? The man himself is rather chill. Though I'm not sure he breaks a table in secret." Ben questioned out loud.

"You!" The man was still angry and so were his comrades.

"ENOUGH! Don't get worked up over this. The kid is right, I'm probably underestimating him. Besides we can't force someone to become a Wizard Saint. So he can refuse it if he wants to." Draculos admitted.

The others were surprised that Draculos admitted out loud he was underestimating Ben. They all think how high Draculous thinks of Ben's talent. Makarov and Jura, who have seen his power first hand, share Draculos' opinion. Although they're still surprised Draculos would think of Ben like that.

"Kid, you're really going to turn this offer down?" Draculos asked again.

"Yeah. Unless I'm allowed to stay in Fairy Tail, I won't join the 10 Wizard Saints." Ben declared.

"Fine. Too bad we can't get a talented young man like you in our ranks. But I hope you'll still help Ishgar when it's needed." Draculos sighed in disappointment.

"As long as Ishgar doesn't try to harm me and my loved ones, then I will help you if you ask for it." Ben nodded.

"Alright, I hope that'll never happen. This meeting has concluded with the candidate refusing the Wizard Saint position. Dismissed." Draculos said before he cut off his virtual connection.

The other Wizard Saints who attended the meeting virtually also cut off their connection. Then the Council officials leave the room, grumbling unhappily. Jura and Makarov, who remained behind, approached Ben.

"It's been a long time Ben." Jura said.

"Yeah, you seem to be a few months older since we last met." Ben responded with a smirk.

"Is that supposed to be a joke? It sounds like a insult instead. Anyway, you sure are gutsy to refuse such an offer and talk to Mr. Draculos that way." Jura said.

"Just because he is far stronger than me, doesn't mean that I should be afraid of him. Losing in a fight and not even daring to fight are two different things. The only thing I'm scared of is losing my loved ones. Compared to that, even my death is not scary." Ben stated.

He already died once, so death doesn't scare him anymore. But the death of those he cares about is what really scares him. Even now, he still regrets not being able to save his past life's family.

Ben and Makarov talk with Jura for a few minutes while Bella sleeps on Ben's head. Then they leave the room and exit the building with Geld's guidance again. The man was disappointed Ben turned down the Wizard Saint position but still respected his choice.

Then Ben, Makarov and Bella return to Magnolia with Light Runner. But now they took the land route because they were no longer in a rush. They pass by a few towns and buy a few souvenirs for their guild mates.

When they pass through a mountain road, they even encountered a group of bandits. Ben took care of them fast with his magic revolvers because he didn't want to waste energy on these guys.

Then he tied them up and put them on a cart before taking them to the nearest town. He was surprised when the police gave him a lot of money and even gave him a job completion letter when they found out he was a mage from a guild.

This group of bandits is actually extremely dangerous and had been hunted many times before. The people here even put up a job to subdue them on job request boards in guilds but none have succeeded so they increased the reward. Ben completed a job without even trying.

"I'm very lucky, I guess. Now I just need to do more jobs so I will be qualified to join the S-Class exam." Ben said to himself.

"You want to join the exam?" Makarov asked with a surprised tone.

"Of course, I want to be a S-Class mage again and complete S-Class jobs. No, maybe SS-Class jobs or above since I haven't tried them." Ben answered.

Ben didn't notice that Makarov had a surprised expression on his face before it turned into a smirk as he realized something. But Makarov remained silent and didn't say anything to Ben. Then they resume their drive back to Magnolia and arrive after 4 hours.

"Then, Ben, good luck with your jobs. Do your best before the exam starts." Makarov said as he exited the car and enters his house.

"Alright, I'll make sure you choose me as a candidate for the exam, master." Ben said confidently before driving off and returning to his home.

Makarov watched his departure.

"Ha ha ha, he is still a kid, after all." He said.