"Guild master, huh? Anyone is fine, just pick one among the senior members." Ben stated lazily.
Ben didn't care who the next guild master was. He would support anyone as long as they do a good job as a guild master. But the person the others proposed wasn't what he expected.
"What do you mean anyone is fine? It's not fine at all. A guild master is a important individual so not everyone can be one." Mira scolded him.
Ben was surprised Mira was scolding him, but she wasn't the only one. Bisca also gave her opinion. "She is right. This is a very serious matter and we need to think about it carefully. A guild master is a guild's face to the outside world and the one with the highest authority in the guild. So there is a lot to be considered."
"Power, intelligence, fame and reputation. These things are important things in selecting a guild master. From the first factor alone, power, only you and Mira have sufficient power to be the guild master because you two are S-Class mages. So it must be between you two."
"As for intelligence, no one else in Fairy Tail is smarter than you. Not even me, the self-proclaimed Wise God. Even Levy, a bookworm, has a hard time keeping up with you." Kenshin added after he took a break from doing research.
"You did outsmart her during the S-Class exam." Mira recalled.
Ben had a dark expression on his face as Mira was trying to push the responsibility on him. He looked at the others but no one seemed to support him.
Bisca then proved with her next sentence.
"As for fame and reputation, you already have them. Word of your battle with Acnologia spread and it made you very famous. People also respect you because you fought for your friends and you even protected Mira and Bella while putting your own life at risk. If the news of your recovery spread, your fame would skyrocket even more." She said.
"Also, you will gain more fame and your reputation will increase after you become a Wizard Saint. So you are the most suitable person to become the next guild master." Wakaba added.
"But I'm just a newcomer that joined a few months ago." Ben said, still trying to keep the others from choosing him.
"Why does it matter? You became a S-Class mage without taking an exam. That means the 3rd master really trusts you. To be an S-Class mage, you need the master's approval and trust. You won't be an S-Class mage without taking an exam if master doesn't fully trust you." Macao argued.
"If it's a S-Class mage, Mira is also a S-Class mage, right?" Ben asked, trying to shift the focus to Mira.
"Yeah, Mira can also be the master, but she won't be as famous as you when you become a Wizard Saint." Wakaba said.
"A Wizard Saint doesn't always need to be a guild master, right? Jura is a Wizard Saint and he didn't become Lamia Scale's guild master." Ben pointed out.
"We know, but the 3rd master was a Wizard Saint before he was presumed dead because of this incident. If you, a Wizard Saint, doesn't want to replace him, it will cause trouble for our guild. Also, with a guild master who's a Wizard Saint, our guild's reputation will be maintained. Don't you want to prevent our guild's reputation from dropping?" Bisca asked.
The others also start bombarding with their reasons. They really want him to be Fairy Tail's next guild master. His achievements on Tenrou Island erased the doubt from their hearts.
Some people couldn't fully trust Ben before and they were jealous of him. He became a S-Class mage without taking an exam, so some of them thought it was unfair. Furthermore, he is a newcomer who only joined the guild a few months ago.
That was before what happened on Tenrou Island. That incident wiped out their doubts and jealousy. Now they knew that he had the power to back up that special treatment. He is also very loyal to the guild as he would put his life at risk to save his guild mates.
His exploits on Tenrou Island compelled everyone to follow him. They no longer cared that he was a newcomer. They just knew Ben could be trusted to lead them. Besides, he was the one who gave them hope again after discovering the truth about Tenrou Island.
"Um, I'd like to refuse." Ben said.
"We reject your refusal." Everyone else said at the same time.
Ben was taken aback because it seemed they anticipated this and prepared their answer.
"You guys, have you planned all of this?" Ben asked suspiciously.
"Oh no, we've been exposed." Bisca said mischievously.
Ben had a displeased expression on his face and then looked at Mira. She shook her head with a shocked expression on her face. Mira didn't know anything about this, so it was purely the other's idea.
"Well, we've thought about and discussed this a month ago. We have decided that if you recovered in 2 or 3 months like Mrs. Porlyusica predicted, then we will choose you as the next master. We will only choose someone else if you didn't wake up during that time." Wakaba said.
"But Romeo said you hadn't decided anyone." Ben protested.
"Romeo? Of course he doesn't know anything. Why would we discuss such a heavy topic with a kid?" Macao asked, leaving Romeo dumbfounded.
"Um, may I ask you would choose if Ben didn't wake up within 3 months?" Mira asked.
"You of course." Bisca answered.
"I thought so. Phew, good thing it didn't happen." Mira sighed in relief.
Ben had a dark face seeing Mira was relieved because he became the victim instead of her. Now he knew she was a demon both physically and mentally. The most terrifying thing is that he still loved her even after she 'betrayed' him like this.
'She must be a succubus.' Ben thought.
Most of them kept pestering him to become the next guild master. None of them cared about his refusal, something to be expected of Fairy Tail mages. They just do as they please even in a important matter like this.
In the end, Ben finally gave up and he accepted the guild master position unwillingly. But at least he successfully set a few conditions. He will only become a guild master if they accept these conditions.
1. He can take a job once every month.
2. He can go on a short adventure once every month.
3. Every mage needs to go on a job at least once a week except S-Class jobs because S-Class jobs take a long time to finish.
4. He will ask for more reasonable things in the future.
The mages agree but they'll discuss the 4th condition when the time came. What Ben asked is basically to be allowed to ditch his work every once and a while. Being a guild master is a busy position and it will tie him up, so he asked those guys to have some time to enjoy himself.
After everything was settled, the Fairies want to hold a celebration, but Ben stopped them. They need to hide the truth about Tenrou Island, so they shouldn't act happy now. Rumors will spread if they held a party a month after the incident.
Mira then reminded him about the rune formation that hides whatever happens inside the guild so no one outside the building can see them. That's why it was okay to hold a party, at least for now. They can at least enjoy this time after being sad for over a month.
Ben forgot about the rune formation because of the discussion concerning the guild master. So he now permitted them to have a party because everything Mira said was true. They can be happy for the time being because they will act sad and depressed after this to hide the truth from the world.
The Fairies enjoy themselves that night because a heavy load had been lifted from their shoulders. Now they know that their friends are alive and now they have a new guild master to lead them through this hard time. The era of Ben Cooper, the 4th guild master, had just begun.