Even as a young child, Gajeel would receive judgemental looks from the nearby children and parents.
He bitterly remembers how parents brought their kids closer when he walked past them. Whispering 'thug' or 'troubled child'.
It is easy for someone to say and act like they don't care. Gajeel spent his early childhood as an outcast of society.
But Irene saw him differently. While he was rough looking on the outside, Gajeel was a wonderful kid on the inside. He was a child full of love and kindness.
Gajeel even remembers how Miss Irene defended him against a brigade of judgemental stuck up mothers.
"Keep your freaky kid away from my baby!"
"No wonder your son is a delinquent! Just look at how you talk with him! You just let him walk all over you!"
Behind the two, another three mothers had wide smiles as they started speaking in hushed voices.
"Fufufu didn't you know she's a single mother?" whispered one woman while maliciously giggling.
"Her husband probably got fed up with her uselessness and left her for his mistress."
"Haha, and look at how she dresses!" commented another one under her breath.
"No wonder the kid has problems. She's probably some slut who got caught cheating."
Gajeel clenched his fists in anger. Hearing them insult Miss Irene, a kind and wonderful person, pissed him off. He was ready to snark back but Irene smiled as she led the two of them away.
"Why didn't you do anything?!" asked Gajeel, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Why did you allow them to say such stupid stuff?!"
Irene simply smiled as she knelt down and pinched his cheek.
"Because Gajeel, what would crushing a bunch of weaklings accomplish?"
Gajeel turned his face away in anger. "Beating them up would stop them from saying that garbage!"
"Hehe, oh Gajeel."
Irene pulled Gajeel into a deep hug. The young boy held onto her tightly. His face was buried in her long silky hair. To hide the tears from her…the only other person to care about a brat like him…
His mother…
In between the hug, Irene leaned into his ear. "Trust me, Gajeel. In this world, you'll find the weakest one's bark the loudest!"
Gajeel sniffled and nodded. It seems deep down, he knew she was right. His mother, one of the world's most powerful high enchanters, had to limit themselves.
Power isn't always everything…sometime's self restraint is the most powerful thing one could achieve.