"Huh? Why would you suddenly think of that?"
Makarov and Laxus, who hadn't left yet, looked at Rayne with puzzled expressions.
They hadn't expected him to make such a request.
"My body isn't fully developed yet, and it puts me at a disadvantage in fights."
Rayne clenched his fist in front of him, frustration evident on his face.
He had noticed this during his spar with Makarov.
But in his battle against Bog and his men, this weakness became even more apparent.
Bog's massive build, combined with his giant axe, gave him an overwhelming reach.
Even with the Boosted Gear's defensive capabilities, Rayne still found himself struggling to keep up.
That's why he thought of Makarov's Giant Magic.
Until his body fully matured, this magic could help compensate for his current shortcomings.
"Tch—still just a kid, huh?"
Laxus scoffed before turning and walking away.
"..."
Makarov was momentarily stunned by the request.
He had assumed Rayne wanted to learn it because the magic was powerful… or maybe because it looked cool.
But he never expected it to be for such a practical reason.
Still, as he looked Rayne up and down, he noticed the boy had grown a bit since joining the guild.
He wasn't small for his age, but against full-grown adults, the difference was undeniable.
"Alright, I get it. If you want to learn, I can teach you."
Understanding Rayne's reasoning, Makarov didn't refuse.
"Thank you, Master."
Though he had expected this answer, Rayne couldn't help but grin in excitement.
"I'll teach you, but how well you learn depends on you."
Makarov waved a hand dismissively.
Magic was all about compatibility—no matter how much you trained, if you lacked the aptitude, progress would be slow.
But considering how effectively Rayne's magic enhanced his physical abilities…
Maybe Giant Magic would suit him after all.
"I understand. I'll take my leave then."
Rayne knew that well enough.
Still, Makarov's willingness to teach was more than enough.
Even if he couldn't reach the level of fully transforming into a giant, mastering even a partial form would give him an edge in battle.
After thanking the guild master, Rayne left half of his mission reward behind before heading toward the request board with Kanna.
Makarov shook his head slightly but said nothing more.
"Hmm… nothing really interesting here."
Standing in front of the request board, Rayne crossed his arms, muttering to himself.
Aside from a few mundane jobs within Magnolia and the higher-ranked quests he couldn't take yet, most of the available missions either paid too little or required too much time and travel.
The effort just wasn't worth it.
Honestly, even the Oak Village request had been a poor trade in terms of rewards.
But that one had been personal, so efficiency didn't matter.
Turning to Kanna, he asked:
"Find anything on your side?"
"Nope~"
Her expression blank, Kanna tilted her head up at the board before shaking it.
"Then let's take tomorrow off and find something good to eat!"
After days of non-stop travel, his body was fine, but mentally, he was exhausted.
Since there were no suitable missions, a short break wouldn't hurt.
Plus, it'd give him time to practice Giant Magic before the next job.
"Woooh!!"
Kanna's azure eyes sparkled as she threw her hands up in excitement.
Then, without warning, she grabbed Rayne's hand and started dragging him toward the exit.
**"Wait, I said tomorrow—"**
Had he misspoken?
But seeing how fired up she was, he didn't have the heart to stop her.
"Ah, whatever."
Letting himself be pulled along, Rayne gave a quick wave to Caroline and the others before leaving the guild.
"That kid's something else. Where'd you even find him?"
Gildarts sat down at the bar, sliding a drink toward Makarov with a knowing smirk.
If he could sense something unusual about that little girl, there was no way Makarov hadn't noticed.
"That's for him to decide when the time comes."
Makarov knew exactly what Gildarts was hinting at, but Rayne's secrets were his own.
Grabbing the mug, he took a deep swig.
"Hah! Fair enough."
Gildarts chuckled before downing his own drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
If the old man trusted the kid, that was good enough for him.
He'd just have to keep his curiosity in check.
"So, how'd your mission go?"
Setting his half-empty mug down, Makarov glanced at Gildarts.
**"Come on, I'm Gildarts—of course I crushed it!"**
Grinning, he jabbed a thumb at his chest proudly.
"Though after finishing, I ran into a lovely lady in trouble. Had to stick around and help her out, y'know?"
He then launched into an explanation for his delayed return.
"She was really sweet, and then—"
"Stop. I don't need the details."
Makarov held up a hand, cutting him off with an exasperated look.
He really didn't want to hear about Gildarts' latest romantic escapades.
"You're gonna get yourself in trouble one day. What if some kid shows up at the guild calling you 'Dad'?"
The man was strong, sure, but his carefree attitude made him a terrible candidate for guild master.
At least Rayne was level-headed and didn't go looking for trouble.
Once the kid grew stronger, he'd make a fine leader.
…Probably.
(Unbeknownst to Makarov, Rayne had glossed over the more violent details of his mission report, leaving the guild master with a slightly skewed impression of his temperament.)
"HAHAHA!!"
Gildarts burst out laughing—though a cold sweat ran down his back.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn't been particularly careful in his past… encounters.
"Nah, nah, that'd never happen!"
He chugged the rest of his drink, as if trying to drown the thought.
He was still young—no way was he ready to be tied down!
But as he set the mug down, his usual confidence seemed… just a little shaken.