Chapter 371: A New Beginning

"Why did you do that, Macbeth?" Sawyer asked, genuine confusion coloring his voice. He had finally dropped the ridiculous ’Brain II’ alias; there was no need for grand titles when they were all just lowly lackeys now. Frankly, Sawyer was just incredibly grateful he was allowed to leave the mansion immediately after Finn ordered them to hunt down bounties. Restoring his expensive motorcycle hobby required serious cash.

Still, he couldn’t wrap his head around Macbeth’s sudden, chivalrous decision to take on Sorano’s workload and insist she stay behind.

"Don’t you understand, Sawyer?" Erik looked at his comrade with an expression of sheer pity. "Your lack of situational awareness is why you are still single."

"Don’t look down on me! I’m not the only single one here! What about you? And Macbeth? And Erigor?!"

"...Please leave me out of this," Erigor sighed heavily from the back of the group.

He was deeply questioning his life choices. He had gone from being the terrifying master of a massive Dark Guild that terrorized entire cities, to a pathetic fugitive, and now, to an obedient lapdog for a corrupt Council politician. He felt entirely helpless. Then again, having spent years operating within the ruthless underworld, he quickly accepted his new reality. The rules of their world were violently simple: the strong devoured the weak, and Finn Hoen was the absolute apex predator.

"Do you really not understand, Sawyer?" Macbeth asked, his tone unnervingly calm.

"No?"

"Well, think about it objectively. What exactly are Angel’s practical advantages right now?"

Sawyer fell into deep thought. He tried to think of Sorano’s combat strengths, but honestly, he couldn’t find a single one. Her life force was depleted, she was practically useless in a fight, she complained constantly, and she was absurdly spoiled. She was a massive liability on a bounty hunt.

"Wait..." Sawyer’s eyes widened in sudden realization. "Did you intentionally dump her on Finn-sama so she wouldn’t drag us down?!"

"....."

The rest of the men stared at him in utter silence.

"This guy is a complete idiot," Erigor muttered under his breath.

"Hey! I heard that!"

Erik sighed, massaging his temples. Macbeth simply pinched the bridge of his nose before explaining it like he was talking to a toddler. "No, Erigor is right. You are a complete idiot."

"....."

"Sorano is incredibly beautiful, yes? She has a premium body," Macbeth continued. "I am absolutely certain that Finn-sama harbors an interest in her. If you lock a powerful, ravenous young man and an incredibly attractive, submissive young woman in a mansion together... what exactly do you think is going to happen?"

"...Mating?" Sawyer offered bluntly.

"....I was going to say ’dating,’ but given his personality, yeah, you aren’t wrong."

"....."

Considering Finn’s ruthless, dominating nature, none of them pictured a fluffy, romantic courtship. Finn would likely just throw her onto a bed and ruthlessly claim her. But regardless of the method, Macbeth’s strategy was crystal clear.

"If they become intimate, and she secures a place as his woman... we benefit as well," Macbeth concluded.

"O-Oh!"

Sawyer’s eyes sparkled as the realization finally hit him. If Sorano actually became Finn’s lover, their living conditions would drastically improve. And when that happened...

"...Our criminal records could disappear."

Sawyer whispered the words, but the heavy thought resonated in everyone’s minds.

Finn hadn’t explicitly promised them pardons. He hadn’t promised them anything but survival. Yet... with his absolute authority within the Magic Council, could he actually wipe their slates clean?

Why had they desperately sought the Infinite Clock in the first place? They had wanted to completely erase their dark, traumatic pasts so they could step out of the shadows and forge a new future. But what if there was another way? What if, through loyal servitude to a corrupt mastermind, they could earn a clean reputation and a respectable life in the light?

"Also, you shouldn’t have brought up Erik’s relationship status," Macbeth lightly scolded.

"Oh... sorry, Erik," Sawyer apologized, looking genuinely awkward.

"No, it’s fine," Erik waved it off, though his eyes darkened.

Unlike the others, Erik wasn’t destined to be single forever. He had someone he deeply loved—a woman he was willing to sacrifice his entire life to protect. But he knew that with his status as a highly wanted fugitive, being with her was impossible; he would only drag her down into the mud. But what if Finn Hoen could offer him a chance at genuine redemption? A chance to proudly hold her hand in public without fearing the Rune Knights?

He wouldn’t hesitate for a single second. Finn hadn’t made any concrete promises, and serving him was akin to signing a contract with the Devil himself. But for a man who had survived the hellish torture of the Tower of Heaven, selling his soul for a real future was a low price to pay.

"We have a massive quota to fill. Let’s move!" Erik ordered, his eyes burning with renewed determination.

"Right behind you!" the others agreed.

Without a doubt, working directly under Finn immediately provided massive logistical benefits. They were given access to premium transportation networks, luxury hotels, unlimited food stipends, and untouchable Council intel, making their hunting trip incredibly comfortable and devastatingly efficient.

Meanwhile, sitting behind the massive mahogany desk in his high-rise office at the Fiore Branch headquarters, Finn reviewed the latest reports. Even without Erik’s Hearing Magic, he knew exactly what his new dogs were plotting. And while they hadn’t explicitly asked, he fully intended to scrub their criminal records clean eventually. Having highly visible fugitives operating openly under his direct command was a nightmare.

But now isn’t the right time.

He was the highest-ranking Council member in Fiore, but that didn’t mean he possessed absolute, unchecked authority across the entire continent. He still had powerful, entrenched enemies within the Central Magic Council who were desperately looking for an excuse to tear him down.

"What is he doing in there?"

A man with a prominent scar across his face glared at Finn’s closed office doors, his voice dripping with barely concealed disgust. He turned to his coworker, a man with long, dark hair tied neatly back.

"He’s been locked in his office for days, handling his private business empire. He hasn’t shown the slightest interest in the upcoming Grand Magic Games or even the recent return of Fairy Tail."

"Well, that’s normal for a man like him," the long-haired man replied coolly. "In his eyes, the only thing that actually matters is raw profit and expanding his influence. Why do you think he managed to claw his way to the top so fast?"

"You mean because he’s a corrupt bastard?"

The scarred man was Mest Gryder—currently operating under the alias ’Doranbolt’. Officially, he was a member of the Council’s intelligence division. Unofficially, he was a deep-cover spy originally planted by Fairy Tail to infiltrate the Council.

It was a massive, jarring contradiction. How could Fairy Tail—a guild universally mocked as a collection of chaotic, brainless meatheads—coordinate such a subtle, long-term espionage operation?

The truth was, Fairy Tail wasn’t entirely stupid. They were simply so overwhelmingly strong that they rarely needed to use cunning tactics, preferring to solve their problems with pure, destructive brawn. But their lack of political finesse was exactly why Mest had struggled to climb the ranks. Despite his espionage skills, he remained a low-level grunt within the Rune Knights.

The Rune Knights seemed prestigious to civilians, but internally, they were nothing more than expendable foot soldiers entirely controlled by power-brokers like Finn Hoen.

Mest’s companion, Lahar, was different. He was the Head Captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit. Unlike the politically malleable Finn, Lahar was deeply, inflexibly righteous. Because he refused to play the dirty political games, his rank was significantly lower than Finn’s, despite Finn being much younger.

"No, not because he’s corrupt," Lahar corrected, adjusting his glasses. "It’s because he is predictable in the eyes of the ruling factions. He delivers peace and economic stability, and in return, they look the other way. Also, we desperately need his power right now. You know exactly what kind of threats are beginning to stir. Without his strength, the Council forces will be troubled."

Lahar knew that if an all-out war broke out, relying purely on the Rune Knights was suicide. They needed Finn’s power to hold the line.

"Also, why do you harbor such a hatred for him?" Lahar asked, genuinely confused. "He might be a scumbag behind closed doors, but the results he brings to Fiore are absolutely undeniable."

"I just... I just can’t stand him."

Mest clenched his fists, looking away. If he were being completely honest with himself, his hatred for Finn Hoen was entirely rooted in deep-seated, pathetic self-loathing. He hated himself because he was a coward. When Fairy Tail was facing total annihilation on Tenrou Island, Mest had run away. He had abandoned his supposed family to save his own skin.

Yet Finn Hoen—a notoriously corrupt, selfish politician who owed the guild absolutely nothing—had stepped in during their darkest hour. He had stabilized their finances and offered them a massive loan to save their guildhall from foreclosure.

Of course, Fairy Tail was currently drowning in debt solely because they were terrible with money and recklessly kept borrowing from him. But the fact remained: the corrupt politician had done more to save Fairy Tail than their own dedicated spy.

Mest couldn’t handle the crushing weight of his own guilt, so it was easier to project all of that hatred onto Finn Hoen.

"Anyway, wipe that pathetic look off your face," Lahar sighed, giving up on trying to reason with his friend. "Even if you hate his guts, he is still our superior. Act like a professional."

"I know."

Mest nodded tightly. He knew Finn Hoen wasn’t a saint. But he also knew that no matter how angry or resentful he felt, he was utterly powerless against a man who looked down on him like an insect.

"How completely useless," a chilling, familiar voice echoed from the shadows behind them.

"...."

Mest’s blood ran instantly cold.