Thus, Mavis's public identity became Layla's older sister. Afterward, Mavis explained that she was merely dropping by for a visit and would not be returning to the guild, a precaution to keep her true identity hidden.
Mavis and Layla acknowledged this, and then they walked out of the room together with Makarov.
"You know what to say when we go out there, right?" Makarov instructed Layla.
"Don't worry, old man, leave it to me." Layla patted his chest, gave a thumbs-up, and struck a confident pose.
Makarov stared at Layla, making the boy feel a bit uneasy. "You'd better be able to give me some peace of mind," Makarov thought to himself. "On his very first day in the guild he makes off with a book, on the second day he doesn't even show up, and the moment he comes back he hands me the First Master. If he stays here any longer, won't he end up hauling home someone else?"
Walking into the common room, Makarov exchanged greetings with Layla and Mavis before returning to the bar. Mavis and Layla walked over to a table and sat down to order some food. Most of the guild members were already out on jobs, leaving only Macao and Wakaba, who strolled over.
"Layla, who is this?" Macao asked, catching sight of Mavis sitting beside him.
"My name is Mavis. I'm Layla's older sister, and I've come to check up on him today," Mavis answered gently.
"Oh, Layla's a very good boy here. And with us around, don't you worry, we'll take good care of him," Wakaba chimed in upon hearing Mavis's words.
"Yes, I can see the guild's atmosphere. It's so lively and full of joy. I'm sure Layla will grow up wonderfully here. Thank you both."
After they finished eating, Mavis prepared to take her leave, but the sight of a young child caught her attention. The boy looked remarkably like someone she once knew: Yury.
Laxus walked into the guild hall, greeted several fellow members, and headed straight for the bar. Makarov hopped down from behind the counter, his gaze filled with deep affection as he watched Laxus approach.
Meanwhile, Layla grew rather excited. Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled his camera from his bag and snapped a photo. Then, following Laxus's movements, he captured another shot of Makarov and Laxus together.
"Is that boy Makarov's grandson?" Mavis asked, seeking confirmation for her guess.
"Yes," Layla replied, checking the resulting photograph.
Mavis was somewhat speechless at how Layla carried his camera everywhere. Layla explained that it was just a little quirk of his—he loved using his camera to document everyday life.
Once Makarov finished talking with Laxus, he brought the boy over to Layla and introduced them. As for Layla, Makarov had already told him on his first day that he had a grandson named Laxus, though Laxus hadn't been able to make it to the guild that day.
Upon hearing the introduction, Laxus greeted Layla, and Layla returned the greeting. Back then, Laxus was still quite friendly, soon asking what kind of magic Layla studied.
When Layla told him he practiced the Arc of Embodiment, Laxus looked thoroughly puzzled. Layla proceeded to explain the magic, leaving Laxus deep in thought before suddenly challenging Layla to a duel.
Layla declined flat out, explaining that he didn't really enjoy fighting and hadn't learned his magic for combat. Makarov, standing nearby, was well aware of Layla's strength; he could tell that if Layla actually fought Laxus, Laxus might not win at all.
Laxus didn't seem disappointed, merely declaring that he would keep striving. Perhaps he simply wanted to spar with someone his own age, or perhaps he was eager to prove that, as Makarov's grandson, he was stronger than everyone else.
Makarov cut in to change the subject, asking how Laxus's checkup with Porlyusica had gone. Laxus replied that Porlyusica had said his health was great and the Lacrima condition was entirely stable.
Hearing this, Mavis asked, "A Lacrima?"
"Yes, a Dragon Slayer Lacrima was implanted inside Laxus. Because his health wasn't very good, his father had the Lacrima implanted," Makarov explained, a trace of resentment toward Laxus's father evident in his tone. "Fortunately, Laxus's body adapted to the Lacrima exceptionally well. Not only did his physical constitution improve, but he also gained the ability to use Dragon Slayer Magic."
"I see. This boy will surely grow up wonderfully and become an outstanding Mage." Mavis stared at Laxus, sensing that his Lacrima was lightning-elemental. Reminded of Yury's lightning magic, a wave of nostalgia washed over her.
"Big sis, who are you?" Laxus asked, looking at Mavis.
"This is Layla's older sister. Show some manners," Makarov told Laxus.
"Oh, hello, big sis," Laxus said politely upon hearing his grandfather's words, greeting Mavis.
"Hello to you too, Laxus," Mavis replied with a warm smile at the well-behaved boy.
Layla hadn't the heart to shatter Mavis's fond illusion, though the thought of Laxus's future rebellious phase crossed his mind. *I'll just have to take plenty of photos when that time comes,* he thought. *They'll make prime blackmail material.*
"In that case, I'll be heading back. I'm quite relieved to see Layla settled here," Mavis said to Makarov.
"Ah, right," Makarov replied. He had wanted to use formal language, but remembering that others didn't know her true identity, he simply gave a casual response.
"Goodbye for now, Layla," Mavis said, turning to him.
"Bye, sis," Layla answered with a resigned sigh.
Macao and Wakaba piped up at that moment. "Hey Layla, your sister doesn't look very old, but she seems awfully mature."
"Yeah, she really is." Considering Mavis should have been around thirteen or fourteen when she was cursed, her actual age was well over twenty, making her quite the little adult.
"Say, Layla, how about joining a team with us? You don't even have to take on jobs—just supply the information. In a few years, when you're old enough..." Macao sidled up to Layla's right side, draping a left arm over the boy's shoulder in the classic pose of a shady recruiter trying to lure away a child.
In Fairy Tail, there were many children like Layla who lacked families for various reasons. The guild provided them with financial support, and once they were capable, allowed them to take on requests—though older members always kept a watchful eye to prevent accidents.
"No thanks. I'm not ready to take on jobs just yet. But if you guys ever want any information, feel free to come straight to me. Any guild member can."
Layla had his own ideas and had already mapped out a plan. His strategy had several steps, the most crucial of which was establishing an intelligence hub right inside the guild. Any news circulating in the guild could be funneled through him as a way to generate funds.
Whenever he had spare time, Layla planned to head into the Eastern Forest to train. However, his magic training carried certain risks and required learning some basic Aavsh. Fortunately, Layla's natural talent was quite good; he figured his high soul strength significantly enhanced his perception of magic power and his rate of cultivation.