Archaic Vs Refined
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Meredy asked as she emerged from the back of her team's Rhino, looking over an intricate city from a hilltop.
"Intel says this is a city of mages with people who no doubt dress in the stereotypical fashion of wizards; pointed hats and all." Macbeth answered as he took in the size of the city, which was unimpressive when compared to Crocus.
"So there's no harm in us coming through with our regular clothes, beats having to where the FEF uniforms if you ask me." Erik added, leaning against a tree and taking in the sounds of the city for anything interesting.
"Too bad nobody asked, I just want to stretch my legs for a while. Queen's got us cooped up in the castle since our first visit to this world." Sawyer replied and was met with the cold glare of the poison dragon slayer.
"Ah to see the two of you expressing your love in your own ways is refreshing after so much sadness and hatred because of this war." Richard spoke up as he looked off into the distance, his eyes aglow from using his Heaven's Eye. "But like this war, all things must come to pass for our fearless leader is returning."
The team looked out to where the earth mage was watching and could see the darting of a bright light skimming across the land. Meredy wasn't happy at the idea of Jellal standing out like that but was glad that the city didn't seem so active after this display. The light skipped a few times before launching itself into the air with a planned trajectory as Jellal landed expertly in front of his guild. The blue-haired man simply took one glance at Meredy and knew she wasn't amused with the usage of his meteor magic so close to the city of Rondel.
"So, what's the game plan, Boss?" Sawyer asked, eager to get moving again and especially if it meant on his own two feet.
"From what I've gathered with my quick reconnaissance, most of the wizards seem to be going about their usual days. A few words of thankfulness here and there for the fact that the war was far away from Rondel." It was quite a curious thing to see that many people so calm during a time of war, while people in Fiore are on high alert since they crossed the gate. "I don't see a problem with us simply walking through the crowds, we'll fit right in although we must keep to ourselves."
"Heh, no shit. Rick over there will raise a couple of questions just by the way he looks." Erik said as he pushed off the tree. "Those people use magic, sure, but from what I hear it doesn't sound like they're on a level like us."
"Whether they are as strong as us is irrelevant, our mission is to try and keep a pulse on their activities and intervene where needed. For the good of our people fighting here." Jellal said as he pulled out a file from his cloak. "We need to find a wizard master by the name of Mimoza La Mer, she's a trusted colleague of that sage living with the JSDF."
"Once she's found, what then? Will we coerce her into becoming our mole within the city?" Macbeth questioned as they needed a purpose for seeing the woman.
"The Supreme Commander has tasked us to convince her in seeing things our way, to become a friend who could vouch for us if the FEF move their sights to Rondel," Jellal responded as he went over Mimoza's profile. "She a powerful wizard in her own right and apparently traveled alongside a demigoddess in her youth."
"With a rep like that, I can see why Baldie would want to make friends with her." Sawyer said as he began playing with his knife.
"That's the debrief, from this point on we will use our codenames to avoid anyone tracking them down in case there is loyalty to the empire," Jellal said as he put away the file inside the Rhino, taking a pouch of coin left on his seat that was provided to them. "We'll stay in the city for a few days and take note of anything important, the more we learn about magic in this world will only help us down the line."
"Alright, let's get this show on the road," Erik said as he began making his way down the hill as the rest followed after him. "You know Jellal, what do we call you for a codename?"
"He's got a point, we have Cobra, Hoteye, Midnight, myself as Racer, and Melody. You haven't actually gone by a codename before, as far as I know anyway."
"I told you, I hate that codename..." Meredy grumbled under her breath but was otherwise ignored.
"We'll use Siegrain then, that way even I'm familiar with a name that I'll answer to." Jellal replied promptly, the group accepting it without question although Meredy had a sympathetic smile for their leader after his reply.
After an hour's walk from their hilltop, leaving the Rhino in a secured area, Crime Sorciere had finally entered into the city of Rondel where the collective knowledge of magic and its future practitioners come together. Amongst the group, Erik was keeping a close ear to any conversation worth listening to, Sawyer did his best to not draw out his magic to take full stock of the people around them and Macbeth busied himself with illusions centered around Richard. He was the only one who could really help lessen the visual impact the geometric man would make, though the illusionist truly wondered what wizard was capable of seeing through his ploy. Richard on the other hand was captivated by everyone's clear fascination and, in a way, love for the magic they were creating with their various staves. It was as if he could feel the attunement each wizard had with each spell they attempted to cast, the close bond they had to magic as objects glowed and reactions followed suit.
"With the way people act around here, you wouldn't think there's a war going on a few hundred miles away." Sawyer said as he continued to see the number of excited and young faces around them, with a few haggard ones from most likely work than of war.
"Apparently, the mage community acts as its own sovereign land within the empire, so the problems it faces are almost little of their concern," Meredy said as she caught sight of a wizard demonstrating levitation on four separate objects. "Plus, most magic in the empire is mainly centered right in this very city."
"Makes you wonder how people with our kind of gift can do so much evil in our world, where the few in this one try to better the lives of their fellow man." Richard spoke up as there was a genuine air of discovery within the streets with every little magical project they passed by.
"Surface appearance aside, man is still capable of evil. It's simply the path they choose that defines how magic is used." Macbeth replied as he eyed a stressed man that seemed bitter towards his peers while they passed him. "Magic is power and I'm willing to say that the empire will want to have a hold of that power."
"That's what bothers me the most, our enemy will want any advantage they could get and will do what they can to get it," Jellal said as he scanned the streets for a specific building, doing his best to ignore the stares he was receiving from the opposite sex. "So many bright and young faces wasted if they're made to fight us or the JSDF."
"And that's why it's up to us to sow the seeds of friendship between one group of mages and these wizards." Meredy added as she took notice of a couple of stalls selling magic items, though their wares appeared simple in design.
"Which starts with this Mimoza woman, right?"
"Right and we're in luck, this is her building." Jellal said as he walked up to a normal curved top door, a small circular window with a cross frame adorning it.
"So where are we exactly? There's a lot of buzz going on about life work needing to be done and months wasted in a blast." Erik said as Siegrain knocked on the door, Meredy being the one to answer him.
"From the map drawn out for us, this is supposedly Rondel's district of research and development. This is where all their "breakthroughs" are made." The pinkette emphasized that last bit since a lot of their discoveries they've made in the last decade, had already become common knowledge back home.
"Oh me, Oh my, visitors! I wasn't expecting anyone today or for a while to be more accurate!" Came the excited tone of an elderly woman with a bit of spry in her old body as she opened the door to see the group of six. "What can I do for you?"
"We're looking for a Mimoza La Mer, we were told that this was where we could find her." Jellal said as the smile on the older woman seemed to beam brighter as she placed her hands on her cheeks.
"Oh me, Oh my, Oh my! You needn't look any further young man; you're speaking to her!" She said happily, stepping further into the building and holding the door open to them. "Come in, come in!"
The group looked at each other for a brief moment before Erik stepped in first who was then followed by Sawyer until Jellal was the last to enter. After closing the door behind him, he took notice of the stacks of books all around him and then towards the walls lined with bookshelves upon bookshelves filled with books. Many of the group feeling exhausted by the sheer amount of knowledge printed onto each one of them, Erik already wishing to leave soon at the sight of it all. While in his personal disgust, the poison dragon slayer could hear the steps and shuffling of another person within the building, taking a moment to fall behind to speak to the blue-haired man.
"We've got another body in the building, female by the sound of it and younger too." The dragon slayer reported as Jellal nodded in understanding and signaled for him to keep an eye out.
"So what brings you to me, hmm? Wanting to take on an apprenticeship with me, are you? Don't see how that will work since you all are pretty strong with magic by the looks of it, especially the one with blue hair." Mimoza began and it came to no one's surprise that she could gauge someone's magical talent, so they decided to leave it to their level-headed leader to speak for them.
"Actually, we've come as an earlier group of representatives for an... organization," Jellal replied, but widen his eyes in realization as they followed behind the elder. "My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Siegrain and these are my associates." He said as he began to name off everyone from his group from right to left.
"Beside me is Melody. Hoteye, Midnight, Racer, and Cobra. They are my traveling companions on most of these meetings."
"Me, oh my, you are all so diverse in both appearance and magical talent. Especially your large friend there, who I could've sworn was a normal height a moment ago." Mimoza said as they drew closer to her desk and took in everyone's' varying attire and appearance. "You've all met me already, but have yet to me-!"
Her sentence was cut short as she tripped over a stack of books that she hadn't seen for being distracted by the group of visitors. A small dust cloud had been kicked up in the wake of her fall and before Jellal could help her up, Erik nudged his arm to let him know that the second person was making their way to them and fast. As Mimoza laughed off her clumsy mishap, a worried cry rang out from behind her as a young woman began storming over in huffed anger.
"Mimoza! I told you to be careful with my books! This is the third time this week and I can't afford to have them ruined!" The young woman cried as she began to restack her books while Meredy went to help the old woman onto her feet.
"Forgive my clumsiness, I was going to say that you have yet to meet my student Arpeggio El Lalena," Mimoza said as she pointed towards the brunette young woman who was busy picking up the fallen books. "She's a strong one, but it would do her well to learn to relax."
"I can't do that when I have to keep working to make both ends meet and fund my research since the school academy won't properly fund my field!" Arpeggio said as she hastened herself to fix her books, taking glances towards the strange visitors.
"Oh my, you'll tire yourself out long before you're prepared to showcase your work," Mimoza said as she was met with an exhausted huff in reply. "So, Siegrain, what can I do for you?"
"Well, Ms. La Mer..."
"Please, call me Mimoza. Much easier for everyone and I prefer it that way."
"Right, Mimoza, we've come to you under reference from an elderly sage our organization came into contact with some time ago. One, Cato El Altestan. Who believed that you would be the person who could help us?"
"Oh my, I'm surprised that old crone wouldn't be the first person to offer his help before sending you my way, deary." Jellal could've sworn that he saw an angered glint in her eye at the mention of the sage's name before fading back into her usual peppy look. "So, what is it that requires my assistance?"
"You are an Elder here at the academy and so, we've come to ask for your support in creating an alliance with our organization, a nonaggression pact at the very least," Jellal said as Mimoza was taken aback at his request. "We have several... agents that are scouring the immediate area and other regions within the Empire and ask that you vouch for our existence in the region."
"My, that is quite the request. Bringing it forth to the other Elders won't be much of a problem, but for them to agree would be a much different matter I'm afraid." Mimoza replied as she took a seat behind her desk and offered the one in front of her towards Jellal. "These "agents" over yours, will they pose a threat to the students here or will threats follow them?"
"They are non-threatening, only ever retaliating in self-defense if the need arises. I am afraid to say that threats will follow them, however." Jellal knew that for there to be trust, Mimoza and the other Elders had to know what they'll be getting into. "That threat primarily being the Empire as progress for peace is rather tenuous and fighting can still break out."
"Oh dear, now that is quite the problem. Am I to assume that you'd wish for our support if it comes to blows in Rondel's vicinity?"
"Oh, nothing like that. We are far more capable of dealing with Imperial forces ourselves, what we worry about is the safety of the students and possibly the other masters within Rondel getting involved or forced to face against us."
"We are more than able to handle ourselves, deary. No real need to worry about the Empire antagonizing us to fight on their behalf." Mimoza reassured, but Jellal was more than assured that their enemy would rely on underhanded tactics to achieve their goals, the torched villages being a clear example to the FEF.
"Let's just say that my superiors are more than justified to worry for the safety of others in a conflict that should be contained to the parties willingly involved. Coming to learn about Rondel has put into perspective the potential loss to a majority of the city if the Empire were to have its way."
"The Boss Man's got a point, y'know. Most of your magic is rustic at best and close to archaic at worst, a thing that won't be able to handle our kind of magic in the long run." Sawyer decided to speak up since the old woman looked like she was putting all her faith in her people. "From what I've learned, one of our guys took out a majority of Imperial wizards in a single blast, so those guys will be looking to restock."
"If they couldn't resist just one attack, then those mages were more than likely dropouts from the academy. At worst, they were students who decided to join the military to earn coin to fund their research." Arpeggio spoke up this time as she had finally finished putting her books back in place. "Most forms of magic are similar in their formation, but are differentiated by its use so I don't understand your claim that the magic around us is "archaic" in your opinion."
"What Racer means is that magic from where we are from has had centuries to refine itself into a stable form that has improved its strength overall," Jellal interjected and was met with an interested brow from both Rondel citizens. "Essentially, most magic users within our organization have had to make adjustments with power calibration, otherwise their magic would run amuck."
"This organization of yours, Deary, who are they to be able to afford magic users as skilled as yourselves?" Mimoza asked and Crime Sorciere could tell that she had been gauging their magical talent for a while, especially towards their blue-haired leader.
"Mention Gray to them, or rather the Foolish Prince since Erza's said his story has been spread out within the Empire." Meredy said through telepathy at Jellal, reminding him that their friends have already made enough renown for themselves to get on people's good side within the Special Region.
"Has the title; The Foolish Prince, spread out to this area of the Empire?"
"I've heard of him, an old friend of mine that kept tabs of my little sister in Carne Village spoke about a young man by that title. Though I don't believe in parts where she says he went off to fight a dragon. No one's stupid enough to do that." Arpeggio said as Mimoza gave a short giggle at her response. "What's so funny!?"
"Oh me, oh my, no need to get your cloak in a bunch Arpeggio. It's that your friend's tale is more fact than fiction if the stories circling about are anything to go by. Why Cato himself has written to me about that same young man and in great detail as well."
"Well then, this makes things easier to explain since we are a part of the same organization as the Foolish Prince is." Jellal said as Meredy elbowed Sawyer in the side, the sharp-nosed mage having trouble keeping his chuckles to himself when everyone was referring to the ice mage.
"You're kidding..." Arpeggio said and tried to keep her thoughts from slipping under her breath since she's been told that he was unbelievably handsome and getting close to him could help get a leg up over her stupid genius little sister.
"Nope, if there's someone with a bit of a death wish then it's the Foolish Prince." Sawyer said in a subdued voice since he tried to not laugh at the title, which was far better to laugh at than Ice Boy.
"In any case, do you think you can vouch for us towards the other Elders of Rondel, Mimoza?" Jellal asked again and this time Mimoza had a more thoughtful expression towards his request.
"As I said, Deary, it will be difficult to convince them of such a thing but for saving that crotchety old man from the Flame Dragon... I'll do my best to show them that you people aren't here to harm anyone of Rondel." She replied with a kind smile and Crime Sorciere gave thankful nods towards her agreement of help.
"We gratefully appreciate your cooperation, Mimoza, and if you have further questions then we'll do our best to answer them." Jellal said as the old woman was about to wave it off until her student took a stand and made her way in front of the blue-haired man.
"If you're so willing to answer questions, then how about you show me this "refined" magic you claim to have at your disposal?" Arpeggio was a student of Rondel and to be told that the magic she was spending so much on was inferior didn't sit right with her and made her blood boil.
"Well, here's a quick example. Racer?" Jellal said as a cocky smirk appeared on the sharp-nosed man before he disappeared from Arpeggio's sight and before she knew it, he stood right beside her.
"As you can see, it's more than just a name, Sweetheart." Sawyer said as he once again disappeared and this time was sitting on a chair at the other end of the room.
"Oh me, oh my, oh me, I haven't seen someone use speed-enhancing magic at this level before! You could probably keep up with an old friend of mine at that pace." Mimoza was excited to see such a thing, given the fact that she hardly saw him move in any way.
"For a bonus, we'll do another example. Midnight, do you remember what Gray looked like when he was deployed with the ambassador?" Jellal said towards the dark-haired and pale young man behind the group, a calculating expression on his face before giving a short nod. "If you wouldn't mind?"
"My magic is for more than mere show, but I haven't had a chance to use more extensive senses so, why not?" Macbeth said before a strange miasma of shapes and colors blanketed the room which caused Arpeggio to panic slightly.
She looked towards Mimoza for some form of guidance, but the old woman was enraptured to see such a thing surround her. The brunette made for her minerals, but the miasma faded away and the room went back to normal, though Arpeggio's heart had yet to settle after such an awful sight.
"Now what were you attempting to reach for?" Came a brand-new voice she hadn't heard before as she looked back towards the group.
In front of her was a young man dressed in a unique armor not familiar within the Empire as his dark hair swayed with the tilt of his head. He was well built if his frame was of any indication and his height towered over her, looking nearly equal to that of the blue-haired man. His eyes drooped at the corners and yet they pierced through Arpeggio's heart as she felt weak in the knees at the sight of him. He took a few steps closer to her and tilted her chin up to look at him as she froze in her spot. The brunette hearing the giddy laugh of a schoolgirl coming from Mimoza snapped her back to reality, but he was already so close to her that she could feel a cold aura from him. He drew closer to her, holding her there for a few seconds and Arpeggio closed her eyes for what was to come, but nothing happened.
She opened her eyes to see that the dark-haired young man was gone and all that was left was Racer and the scarred man, Cobra, laughing themselves silly before the large orange-haired man thumped Cobra on the back of the head with his book. Arpeggio looked down in shame and embarrassment as her cheeks were flushed red, turning to look at Mimoza who seemed disappointed that nothing had happened.
"That was the Foolish Prince if you were curious." Midnight said as he didn't seem to be making fun of Arpeggio's little moment, though the Melody girl seemed annoyed with the feminine-like man.
"You do know Gray wouldn't actually play with someone like that." Melody huffed, but Midnight shrugged his shoulders in response.
"He gave me that impression, but we each see what we see."
"Was that some form of thought projection, did you conjure an image of the Prince from your memories with the help of magic?" Mimoza was very curious as it was near lifelike in both action and movement, something that has never been explored by any of the other Elders from what she was aware of.
"That was far too real to be just a thought projection; I could hear him, I felt him when he touched me and I could also feel this cold aura coming from him." Arpeggio recounted as she has never experienced such magic in her life, especially with how sensory-driven it was.
"It was illusion magic, I simply specialized in having it so that not only are your eyes deceived, but your other senses are as well." Macbeth clarified to them, but it didn't matter to him if they knew since his real specialty was much different than that.
"Oh my! That truly is remarkable! So, all of you are capable mages far talented at your age than other mages here in Rondel." Mimoza said although Erik huffed at her words, drawing a curious look from both the master and student.
"The people of Rondel are closer to wizards than mages, compared to us who are mages." Erik said as the various magic forms he's heard about them being capable of doing exceeded a normal mage's repertoire.
"I don't understand, is there a difference to the titles?" Mimoza asked as it seemed odd that they were being called wizards since it was just synonymous with a mage.
"There is; wizards specialize in a multitude of magics which are all at their disposal though they become a jack of all trades and a master of none. A mage specializes in one magic, learning all that there is to it and becomes a master in that field." Erik replied and Mimoza was left with a thoughtful expression on her face at his claim, finding some truth to his words.
"Why limit yourself to one field over learning all there is to magic, wouldn't discovering the secrets of our power be something you want to strive for?" Arpeggio questioned and Jellal was the one to answer her this time.
"Sometimes one field is enough for most people since you'll spend a lifetime trying to master every magic you've learned to harness otherwise. Plus, the search for the limits of magic can have dangerous repercussions." Arpeggio didn't need a keen eye to see that Siegrain had gone through something very similar to what he had warned. "Though there are some mages who pick up a secondary magic that blends well with their first."
"I see your point, Deary. I can attest to that about spending a lifetime to master the magic at my disposal, but that's where the fun is in my opinion." Mimoza replied with a smile on her face and Jellal gave a small smile at her words, reminding him of a time long past.
"To each their own, but it's nice to see the curiosity about magic is expressed in other worlds." Jellal replied as he signaled for Sawyer to come back to the group now that they finished what they came to do, "We best be getting on our way, but it was a pleasure to meet the two of you."
"Likewise, Deary, it's shame that you have to go. I would've really enjoyed seeing more of what you all can do." Mimoza said as she stood up from behind her desk to walk them out. "Most of the puffy Elders would be blown away from what little you've shown me today, they'll never believe me when I say how far someone can take illusion magic."
"We'll be staying in the city for a few more days, so if we need to see you again then perhaps, we could show a little more of our magic." Jellal said as he bowed his head goodbye before stepping back outside into the city of Rondel.
"I have a quick question for you," Mimoza said to Meredy who was the last to leave as the others began to gather out in the street. "In battle, how well do you believe Siegrain can do?"
"He fought the group six on one and came out on top, I believe he can do well for himself. Against all of them with one being the "poison dragon", he did alright." Meredy replied as Mimoza hummed in response before giving the pink-haired young lady a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"I thought so, thank you, Deary." The old woman said as she watched the group make their way back towards the main city as Arpeggio came up to see them go as well. "What a curious group of friends."
"Strange more like, do you really think that they are as strong as they make themselves out to be?" Arpeggio was still on the fence about that group being this strong in their magic, even though she had to admit that their skills are quite impressive.
"Arpeggio, my dear, if I was fifty years younger, I still wouldn't want to face Siegrain in a magic battle."
Crime Sorciere returned to traveling through the magic capital of the Empire and was rather curious about the many things they noticed about the students here since many of them ranged from relaxed with their studies to some drenched in thrown fruits. It was still pretty bizarre to see such a thing, but it seemed like a common occurrence since no one seemed to bat an eye to these people. Most of the sightseeing went by uninterrupted and as the sun began to set, the independent guild had decided to find lodging for the time they would stay within the city. It took some asking around, but the group had found just the inn with enough room for them and paid with the coin they were given by headquarters for their mission.
"Hey Jellal, was that little flying thing a pixie or a fairy?" Sawyer asked once they had made it to the hallway leading to their rooms after seeing a small flying being hand the blue-haired man a quill at the reception desk.
"I honestly couldn't tell you, if it were a pixie then I'm impressed it was suitable to do tasks without pulling off a prank on me. If it was a fairy then I know a guild who'll be disappointed in learning that they don't have tails." Jellal replied as he gave thought to it, but decided that it was best for Erza and her group to see it for themselves if they ever come to the city. "And what did I tell you about using our real names while we're in public?"
"Come on, Boss, it's just us now." Sawyer pleaded halfheartedly but decided against arguing the point more since it was Jellal he'd have to argue with.
"Anyways, do you really think that the Empire will try to enforce wizards into their army?" Erik asked as it was still a pretty stupid plan on their part to even try since it was magic they were dealing with. "You got guys fighting in iron armor with sword and shield versus a city filled with magic users, uneven match up if I've ever heard of one."
"Knowing what they did to those villages, I wouldn't put it past them to try." Meredy said as the reports indicated that the fires were too controlled for a mindless lizard to keep its focus on solid location.
"What boggles my mind is how they expect to even accomplish doing such a task." Richard said as it would take a sizable force to punch through the amount of magic from just the Elders and masters within the city.
"Given to the fact that there are several bridges that lead into the city, there's a likelihood that they'll either destroy those bridges or set up a blockade to starve them into submission." Macbeth theorized and the group agreed that it wouldn't be out of the question that the Empire would take drastic measures.
"That's what concerns me, no matter the strides they've made with magic already, Rondel's magical capability doesn't have versatility as ours does. They follow the simple patterns of the natural elements and more reserved spirit magic that seems to be exclusively used by elves." The blue-haired man said as creation magic is limited to small scale items and attack spells are geared for concussive blasts of energy or elemental attacks.
"True, Mimoza called my magic speed enhancement when it's more of a time perception deal." Sawyer said as he was expecting the Elder mage to grasp his magic at its roots given her title.
"Illusion magic does exist, though it seems to be limited on what exactly can be created. I wouldn't be surprised if they use illusion magic as a mere paltry trick or to scare away animals when the need arises." Macbeth said as his Gray illusion was so easily made, but it was more than accepted by the two wizards when he showed them.
"For now, we'll stay within the city and gather as much information as we can for the base. Keep in mind that the Empire might have a presence here somewhere, so we need to be careful not to have them mobilize forces here to stop the FEF." Jellal said as he continued to instruct his guild of the various points of interest they needed to look into before leaving the city.
Three days have passed since Crime Sorciere had met with Mimoza and made their way around the city in search of the knowledge requested of them to retrieve for the FEF. The team had taken interests within the city with Macbeth curious about what the wizards deem outlandish in conceptual ideas about the world around them, Sawyer having a blast messing around with people by running circles around the cockier wizards, and Richard expressing the need for love in life to those weary souls who feel the onset of burning out because of the research they were doing. Those wizards who heard the preacher's words and took them to the heart had actually come out of their rut and made progress in their lives, though it is unsure if they made any in their work.
Erik took the time to listen to the city itself, hearing the very life of the magic capital beat with wizards stressing, joyfully celebrating, or even break down to bring themselves back up again. The dragon slayer had to admit that these wizards were very resilient and bounce back when given the chance, even when they felt that everything they worked on had gone up in smoke, sometimes even literal. All the while Jellal and Meredy were much more intrigued with the available information about Rondel's wizards' stances about time magic and how such a thing is unachievable to mortal men. How the two relished in the memories of their departed friend and how she would be turning heads with what she could do here in this city.
As the third day was coming to a close, rumors circled about in many plazas that Imperial forces had been spotted on the outskirts of the city. Many a wizard didn't believe them and others thought that they were merely trying to show off what manpower they had against the magic that Rondel was blessed to have, though Crime Sorciere on the other hand didn't take the news lightly and had decided that they may soon be overstaying their welcome in Rondel. Sadly they were too late come morning on the fourth day as arguments were plenty amongst wizards on the latest news circling the city that the Empire was seeking "volunteers" for the glorious army. Overhearing a few masters saying that their students hadn't returned from their morning duties and there hasn't been word from them, another saying that they may have foolishly surrendered their life away to a fool's gambit.
The guild didn't believe that there was much they could really do since this was more or less the situation for Rondel to deal with and would have kept it that way if Mimoza hadn't come in search of them. The old wizard informed them that apprentices had gone missing near the edges of the city and a few of the masters have noticed that the more financially struggling students have also disappeared.
"I'm afraid that we can't really interfere in this situation as it would be out of our jurisdiction, but the least we can do is investigate for you and let you know what is happening." Jellal said and Mimoza was very appreciative at his offer, running off to inform the other masters to keep a mindful watch of their charges.
"So, what's the plan here? We go poking around and then what?" Erik asked as they began making their way towards the edge of the city.
"If the students are merely joining up on their own, then our job's done. No need to push further if someone is stupid enough to join a losing cause." Macbeth said as he began to notice older generations of wizards picking up supplies from shopkeeps rather than the more youthful learners that he's gotten used to seeing the past few days.
"Keep a mindful eye out for those who feel out of place in the city," Jellal said as Sawyer sent him a confused look, "I meant about people other than ourselves."
The independent guild made their way towards the outskirts of the city to see whether the claims around Rondel were true and much to no one's surprise, Imperial camps were set up across the hills. Richard summoned his magic to use his Heaven's Eye to get a better view of the camps and witnessed numerous Imperial soldiers stationed about the area with the most concerning fact that a number of them were carrying chains and cuffs. He continued to scan the area and had noticed youthful robed individuals chained up together off to the side, while other robed ones were signing on a paper before a table. The geometric man relayed everything he was witnessing and Jellal focused on the current issue on hand, obviously seeing that some students had been taken in by force.
"I don't get it, why won't they just fight back? Sure, most of them are C-class at best, but they could still put up a fight if they worked together." Sawyer questioned as he found it odd that a bunch of wizard kids had been taken in so easily.
"There could be several reasons; the Empire may have threatened their families if they didn't comply, they were taken by surprise and are still dazed or the biggest offender is that they don't have anything to channel their magic." Meredy answered as she had noticed that a number of the citizens within Rondel all carried specific objects on their person, even while using their magic.
"It would seem that they need a focus to use their magic at its fullest potential and according to Richard, they've all been stripped of their items and are likely powerless." Jellal added as the aforementioned mage commented about another group of chained students were making their way to camp.
"Still though, how could magic users get caught so easily by normal people?" Sawyer just couldn't really fathom the idea that a person gifted with these abilities didn't even retaliate or even warn people at the very least.
"Because they're all a bunch of wet blankets. I remember hearing about a mage killing duo for hire, boasting about beating mages without being able to use magic themselves because they believed every magic-user was physically weak." Erik recounted the story, remembering how he wanted to beat their asses for being stupid enough to think that. "Wasn't the case when they met our all too familiar Fairy Tail dragon slayer, but it isn't the case here in the Special Region."
"Erik has a point, I've noticed that a number of these mages have decent enough reflexes, but are in no way physically fit to fight in hand-to-hand combat. They're basically regular people if they are disarmed from their magical focuses, who are no match against a trained soldier." Macbeth said as not a single wizard he's seen has the form of a fighter.
"Then what shall we do? Those innocent wizards will be led to their deaths if they are taken away." Richard said as he caught sight of the new group of wizards being pushed towards the table, a familiar brunette now visible amongst the group chained up. "Oh dear, it seems Arpeggio has been apprehended by those heathens."
"Great, now it looks like we have a reason to interfere." Sawyer said annoyed as he was given a quizzical look by Erik.
"How so?"
"Because, if we intervene to save these wizards and Mimoza's own student then the FEF will have a bit more renown within Rondel and the old wizard will try harder to push the acceptance of our people operating in the area." Macbeth answered as that series of events seemed the most plausible to occur which only really helps them in the long run if they have to inconvenience themselves with fodder for a short time.
"Right on the dot, Macbeth. Get ready to move everyone, but we'll do this slowly. Richard, are you ready to preach the word of love?" Jellal said as a delighted smile appeared on Richard's face at the prospect and the others listened in on the blue-haired man's plan.
Soldiers mingled about their camp as their superiors were busying themselves with documenting the newly conscripted mages into the Imperial army. Word spread that they had sent messengers out two days ago in search of volunteers for the service of the Emperor and the Empire, but had been openly mocked by the mages and were constantly turned away when given the opportunity. That was reason enough for the higher-ups to conscript the more student mages into the fold since they were not going to be belittled by the magic community, though the idea of forcefully taking mages was a worrisome one to most. After being instructed on how to take a mage down and render them powerless, many a soldier felt at ease at the idea of taking them in and found it easy after grabbing the first seven mages.
Many of them were preparing for another conscription request gathering after the last group came in, this time with a mouthier mage complaining nonstop that many were surprised she could store so much air in her lungs. A few soldiers assumed that she stored all that air in her bosom, judging by the amount of her bust that her cloak didn't cover. That joke spread around for a time, much to the annoyance of the young woman before they were quieted down when a lookout called out that someone was approaching. Soldiers came to attention and prepared themselves for whoever was daring to come, be it a stranger or someone who was openly wanting to join the military.
Off in the distance, the men saw a large figure walking their way towards them with orange hair and had the attire of a holy man. This preacher paid little mind to the soldiers who had their arms at the ready and greeted those on the outer reaches of the encampment with a smile, but many a face was taken aback by his appearance. They didn't know what he was or even if he was human as his face and hands showed no semblance of smoothness, it was as if he was made of stone to resemble a human as even his mustache was angular in shape. Whispers went about that this preacher was in fact a golem since there was no humanly possible way that he could be considered anything but artificial. With weapons trained on him, they waited for what the golem would do and was surprised when he offered a smile and bowed humbly.
"Dear friends, no need for weapons to be drawn on me, for I come only to offer the word of love and in concert, the word of life!" Richard began and noticed the many confused faces of the soldiers, but he wouldn't skip a beat of his sermon. "Why must you toil your life to a servitude that oils you like a cog, forced to continue turning until you meet a bitter end?"
"Whatever god or goddess you plan to push isn't required here, Preacher, turn back to where you came from." A commanding officer said as he came to see the spectacle that was the golem his men were talking about within the camp.
"I don't preach for the sake of a deity, but for that which surrounds us. Life is full of mysteries that we as humans are limited in time to explore and love binds us to appreciate that which we hold dear in our limited lifetime." Richard continued and was met with a discerning look from the commanding officer, noticing the different expressions of his men around him. "War is upon us, but are you truly wishing to sacrifice your time for a guaranteed end in which history itself will forget your name?"
"To fight is a gift of honor within the Empire, and these invaders will be stopped." The officer replied, but Richard could tell that his words were reaching some of the wayward souls within this regiment. "Pay no attention to the golem, men, and return to your duties!"
"Are you willing to forego the lives of bright and young magical students of the arcane to prolong a fight with a foe far superior to yourselves?" He watched the officer's eye twitch at his words and knew that his pride would get the better of him. "Sacrifice love upon the willing, but do not sacrifice it on those who didn't swear fealty to your war."
"Keep preaching and I'll have you destroyed, golem!" The officer barked as he made a hand gesture towards Richard and some soldiers began closing in on him, while others seemed hesitant to make a move. "You blaspheme the greater Saderan Empire and Emperor Molt!"
"My allegiance is to love and life, for that I am sorry for my next course of actions. Though you should not fear, for I will not take away either one from you." Richard said as he placed his index and middle fingers on his forehead in a "v" shape before swinging his hand out in front of him.
The soldiers were confused about the golem's actions until they began to notice that those closest to him began to sink within the earth itself. Many cried out in shock and began to struggle free, but it made it worse for them as they began to sink faster. Those soldiers sunk until they were chest-deep into the earth before the commanding officer yelled to attack the golem; however, Richard was already on the move as he flung his hand out again and a wave of liquid-like earth rose and crashed against a squad of soldiers. It flung them away into the air before they crashed harshly onto the floor, a few archers took a chance and fired a small volley at the golem but he reacted once again as another wave appeared. This time, it seemed like it was about to consume the orange-haired man but stood tall and still as it blocked the arrows from coming near to him and many of the Imperial soldiers, they believed that this golem was made with much more powerful magic than at first glance.
Richard took a few steps forward and those soldiers who were hesitant to lift their blade when ordered immediately dropped their weapons in surrender and fell to their knees in repentance. A smile crept up on the orange-haired man's face as he used his liquify magic to gather all those that surrendered and placed them into a protective dome of earth. The officer watched as his men were swallowed into the dome and cursed the cowards for surrendering, calling for more reinforcements to his position.
Those wizards who had been collected had heard the commotion and found a way to shift their chain group to get a better sight of what was happening, many in awe as a wave of earth flung another group of soldiers across the camp. Among them, Arpeggio had been the one to recognize Hoteye as the supposed golem they were screaming about and was rather intrigued by the act of liquifying the ground itself. She watched in interest before a blur appeared before her and in that instant, the soldiers guarding them keeled over as their necks poured out blood and the chains that were holding them went slack. She turned to look where the stranger she had met some time ago had gone, watching as more bodies fell over lifeless and more wizards were being freed. She almost gave up until she caught sight of Racer leaning against a tree, wiping away the blood on his knife with a soldier's cape.
She was about to call out to him but pointed her over towards another area where soldiers were making rallying battle cries as they charged the scarred man, Cobra. He kept a free hand in his coat pocket with the other lifted, waiting for them to draw closer as they charged him. Once they were in a comfortable range in Cobra's eye, Arpeggio watched him snap his finger and a high-pitched whine rang out as a faint pressure could be felt from her position. Which she could assume was much worse in the general vicinity of the scarred man as the soldiers dropped to their knees in pain before the area around them exploded as the dust was kicked into the air. The fallen bodies of Imperial soldiers laid strewn about around the spiky-haired man as he was unfazed after his attack, but the brunette was shocked with his next action.
She watched as Cobra breathed out a dark purple-black mist from his mouth over his fists and charged the soldiers with a gleeful smile. He only ever struck an opponent with one swing and moved onto the next, but Arpeggio noticed that it was all it really took as the men cried out in excruciating pain before it droned out and faded away. She kept her eye on one soldier who was struck and watched as that same mist slowly engulfed the soldier's arm, continuing to spread up to his chest before the soldier expired with pain on his face. She was unsure what that mist was, but it was obvious that it was extremely deadly if all it took was for Cobra to strike you once to take effect. She followed the scarred man's movements until a mass of soldiers put up tower shields in defense against him, but a dark smirk appeared on his face as he breathed in and puffed his chest out.
"Poison Dragon's Roar!" Cobra called out as a stream of that dark mist shout forth from his mouth and engulfed the mass of soldiers all at once.
Arpeggio watched as once it made contact, pained cries came from behind the shields before they fell over to reveal all those caught within his attack were covered in what she now knows as poison. Which was another matter as the brunette was watching a supposed poison dragon in action, in human form no less! The story she was told about involving a Sky Dragon and Flame Dragon taking on human forms was being to sound so very true and it seemed that they must've also convinced a Poison Dargon to do the same. That in itself was terrifying as there was a literal dragon out there that can spew poison at will, making an encounter with it just as deadly if not far more painful than that of a Flame Dragon encounter.
More soldiers could be heard in a panic as the similar miasma that Arpeggio had to undergo flared up once again. She watched as a few soldiers seemed to be fighting an invisible enemy before they were cut down just the same, many holding onto their sides as if they were dying and yet no real visible attack was made. The brunette noticed Midnight make his way through the cowering soldiers with an unamused look in his eye, but was betrayed with a sadistic grin on his face. Those that he hadn't captured with his illusion had actually charged him head-on and a sure strike to his heart almost seemed to miss entirely as it passed away from him. Another attack was made against the feminine-like man and another blade missed, but Midnight countered instead. The same strike made to him had actually struck his attacker in the same motion as if he had somehow reflected the attack altogether. She watched as he defended himself and, in a moment, his unamused stare hardened and she watched four soldiers cut clear through with just a glare. She couldn't believe that he had the power to kill with a simple look, a truly terrifying power at his disposal.
Cries of pain rang out behind her and she looked towards Racer who dispatched another group of soldiers, but he pointed a thumb in another direction to show her that it wasn't him making that noise. She followed where he was pointing at to see Melody surrounded by ethereal, teal blades before they pierced through the various soldiers she was facing, but as they seemed to have passed through their bodies, there was no blood to be seen. Though that didn't stop the howls of pain the Imperials suffered as they each fell into fetal positions, holding onto themselves, crying out that the pain was unbearable. She watched Melody swipe at several soldiers with her ethereal blade before setting her sights on just one, going into a barrage of physical attacks on the poor bastard she faced. Arpeggio then noticed that not only was the soldier's wrist aglow with pink light but so was the others that the pinkette had tapped with the teal blade.
The brunette watched as each strike that Melody made on her opponent caused a reaction to the several other soldiers around her, flinching at where a strike had connected. It wasn't until she attacked in tandem with her blade that the pain became far more visible on their faces until the one man she faced couldn't take anymore and fell unconscious which was followed by the others. She had never seen magic at the extent that these people were capable of doing and in the abilities of a dragon in the case of Cobra, but a shining stream of light had caught her attention as it soared through the air before landing with a powerful stomp in the center of the chaos.
"Enough!" The figure shouted as Arpeggio noticed it to be Siegrain, standing tall amongst the many soldiers around him. "Many of your comrades have already fallen, surrender before you end up joining them."
One of the last remaining officers made his way to the forefront of the soldiers to speak with Siegrain, sweating profusely from just trying to survive this onslaught. There was a gleam in his eye that told the brunette that he was one of the stupid ones who wouldn't surrender until the last man. He took a few moments to catch his breath as the rest of his men looked worriedly at their surroundings and the blue-haired man.
"You mages think you can defy the Empire and then dare to command His Emperor's soldiers!? You're nothing in comparison to your betters!" He shouted as Siegrain glared daggers into him, the Imperial officer somehow finding the inner strength not to cower beneath his gaze. "Will fight to the bitter end and when we don't return, you'll face the greater power that is the Grand Imperial Army!"
"Those of you with more common sense than this idiot, surrender now and hand yourself over to the preacher. Those who wish to continue fighting, be prepared to face the very might of the heavens," Siegrain said as he pointed up towards the sky, and Arpeggio was stunned at seeing the massive glowing constellation of magical energy over them.
The vast majority of it covering over the entire camp and what was left would no doubt eliminate anyone that tried to flee and when Arpeggio meant massive, she wholeheartedly believed that it was noticeable all the way back at Rondel. The brunette looked upon his magic and understood his claim of facing the might of the heavens as the constellation shone just as bright as the stars above in the night sky and the magical energy she felt was far beyond anything she was aware of before.
Many of the remaining soldiers looked at each other with uncertainty as they either stuck to their duty to uphold the honor of the Empire or face sure destruction on a scale none of them could have ever imagined. One soldier took heed of the preacher's words and would rather strive to live life and have love in it, so he dropped his weapon and shield and walked over towards the golem. Arpeggio watched Hoteye outstretch his hand over to the dome he created and an opening appeared to let the soldier in, the ones who surrendered earlier on still fine on the inside. After him, two more followed suit and another then another, until the sounds of blades and shields could be heard dropping all across the camp as the officer was flabbergasted with the surrendering of his men.
He cried out that they were not true sons of the Empire, that they were mere cowards and their families would suffer for their traitorous behavior. Richard decided that this man would bring pain to those that these smart men held dear and loved, so he decided to sink his legs into the ground and silence his voice with a ring of dirt around his mouth. The orange-haired man asked those that he defeated earlier if they were willing to surrender now and many of them agreed, while there was still some who would never and vowed to follow their commanding officer's orders to hunt down the Empire's traitors. Richard could tell that their hearts were clouded and were set in their ways, saddened that there wasn't much he could do to dissuade their views, and decided to leave them there.
"Oi golem, I thought you said that you wouldn't take away life and love and all that bullshit from us!?" One of the hard-headed soldiers called out as Richard began leaving with the group of rescued wizards and surrendered soldiers back to Rondel.
"I did preach such words and I shall do just that; however, you are now at the mercy of another and it is up to him whether he shall take or not." Richard replied as he began walking away, not paying any mind to their cries of hypocrisy since he wasn't the one about to take their lives.
"You're just as well killing us! You're an accessory to this, you fucking perversion of magic!"
"Then it shall be a sin I must bear, like many I have to atone for!" Richard yelled back as he continued as many of the Special Region inhabitants were still in awe of Jellal's Grand Chariot.
The group continued forward, a boxed wave of earth encircling the surrendered enemies as they made it to a safe distance away from the spell's radius. Crime Sorciere looking towards their leader expectantly for his next move as the spell was still holding overhead. Jellal seemed confused by all the stares as he was merely using it as a scare tactic to end the fight as soon as he could, satisfied that it served its purpose.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Jellal asked as Erik rolled his eye and Meredy patted his back. "What?"
"Come on, Boss... you know why." Racer said as he pointed up to his Grand Chariot spell. "You set up it and all; sure would be a waste to let it fade away."
"That's too much power to unleash, even at a reduced power output. I think it best to let the spell fade." Jellal said as even Meredy rolled her eyes at him, seeing as he was alone in his decision about his spell.
"Everyone has already seen what the rest of us can do, so you're better off just doing it too." Meredy said and Jellal contemplated the idea of showing off for the sake of it, letting out a sigh of conflicting about what he should really do.
"There are still soldiers on that hill," Jellal said and no one argued his statement, much to his chagrin. "Will it truly be fine if they perished like this?"
"You'll be doing Rondel a favor for cleaning up the bodies left on that hill." Macbeth reasoned and was met with the soured faces of Erik and Meredy at his words. "I'm trying to put a positive spin on this."
"For what it's worth, I'm afraid that those men would seek out revenge than repent for their mistakes, their minds set to cause harm to all those around them. Even to their own countrymen." Richard said as he placed a reassuring hand on Jellal's shoulders.
"Fine..." Jellal said as he then turned to face his spell, his index and middle fingers extended out, on one hand, facing upright with the other flat with the palm facing up before calling out his spell.
"Grand Chariot!" Jellal then moved his extended fingers flat across his open palm as the spell's seals began to glow with power.
The onlookers watched as the lights glowed brightly before seven beams of light shot towards the ground. They crashed down with a tremendous force that they could feel the ground beneath them shake from the impact before a massive explosion followed suit, the ground shaking even more violently from the blast as many fell over from the sheer power of it. Many of the soldiers were aghast at the idea that they were all standing beneath that attack for a time, looking towards the blue-haired man with a renowned fear that he had access to such powerful magic. Even the wizards themselves were blown away at the inhuman amount of magical power that spell had to use to be cast, which many couldn't believe that he seemed reluctant to follow through with his casting.
Several students braved themselves to walk up to the man and ask for an apprenticeship under his guidance, hoping to learn even a minuscule amount of his vast magical abilities. Even making claims that they'd be grateful to be taught how to cast spells without the need of a focus after witnessing him accomplish his talents with his hands. Arpeggio on the other hand was well aware that they really didn't have a chance to gain his tutelage, since their magic couldn't even come close to what these strangers were used to. The brunette now coming to understand why they seemed so adamant that their magic was "archaic" since their so-called "refined" magic was capable of unbelievable power.
As they drew closer to one of Rondel's main bridges, the massive group was met with several masters awaiting their arrival with Mimoza at the forefront of them all. A gleeful smile on her face at noticing the blue mop of hair belonging to Siegrain, making a few joyful gestures to the other masters at noticing the other missing students. Many of the returned students were met with welcomes and others with worried berating for being taken by Imperial soldiers along with being told to be careful of their surroundings. Mimoza was more than happy to see that Arpeggio was fine and well, thanking Siegrain and his companions for going above and beyond what they set out to do.
Though there were a few questions a number of the masters had about the sudden surge of powerful magic some felt and about the unbelievable bright lights that others saw. Many of the students and even soldiers pointing at Jellal who decided to duck away from everyone's gazes as Crime Sorciere were prepared to make their exit from the city of Rondel. Both their mission and a small rescue operation were completed promptly, but before the guild could vanish into the air, Mimoza stopped them in a secluded area where they wouldn't draw attention.
"Oh my, you people are amazing! Rondel will be talking about this for days!" Mimoza said as Sawyer and Erik chuckled to themselves, remembering how Jellal wanted to keep a low profile.
"We're glad to have helped and as far as the Imperial soldiers are concerned?" Jellal began, but Mimoza waved him off so that he needn't worry about them.
"No need to worry Siegrain, we'll look after them until we can get them sent back towards the capital. I can tell you right now that the other Elders will have some furious words with the Emperor after nearly kidnapping all of our adorable students."
"Cut it out, Mimoza" Arpeggio whined as Mimoza pinched her cheek, swatting her hand away and bowing before the group. "But I am very grateful for the rescue, I'm far too busy to be conscripted in a stupid war."
"Hopefully this'll show them not to try this stunt again, but do take care of yourselves," Jellal said as the group drew up their hoods and made their way in a nearby alleyway. "Until we meet again."
"If any of your friends make their way to Rondel, make sure you tell them that they've got a friend in Mimoza La Mer!" The old wizard called out as Jellal nodded in response before he too disappeared into the alleyway. "Me, oh my, he was quite dashing,"
"And handsome..." Arpeggio added before realization struck and she clutched her head in defeat. "I'm an idiot! I should've asked if he was seeing anyone!"
"Oh, Arpeggio... One of these days, someone will come along." Mimoza said reassuringly as the brunette groaned in self-defeat beside her.
As Crime Sorciere continued into the outskirts of Rondel, many were quite pleased with themselves at getting a chance to really showcase their skills and make a difference, even if it only amounted to a little. Jellal just wished that they did this with a tad more stealth, but it wasn't as if they'd be returning to the city for a while anyway. This mission was given to them by Jura who in turn was also guided by both the Queen and the rest of the Magic Council to investigate the magic capital within the Empire. Maybe they'd get a chance to see how far their actions today would help the FEF accomplish their goals, bringing them a sense of atonement for their pasts.
"You know what I just realized?" Sawyer said as they made the uphill walk back to where they hid their Rhino.
"That you tried to show off to Arpeggio?" Erik replied and everyone laughed alongside him as the speed demon flushed a bit in the cheeks.
"No, you lizard lover! I meant that the whole time since we arrived on the outskirts of Rondel, we've been talking in Old Fiorean." Sawyer said as a thoughtful expression crossed everyone's faces at the realization that he was right.
"Wow, even I didn't notice that," Erik said as he scratched the back of his head, dumbfounded that his superior hearing didn't bother registering that he and his team were speaking a different language. "Guess we got in the groove of things and didn't give it a second thought."
"Well, let's just head home and report back our findings. Hopefully, nothing too crazy has happened over the past few days that we've been gone." Meredy said as she hopped aboard their Rhino with Richard and Macbeth following after.
"With Fairy Tail back at base, I wouldn't put it past those guys to have done something worthwhile." Erik said as he took the seat behind the driver, which was none other than the gleeful Sawyer at being behind the wheel again.
"How true that is Erik, how true that is." Jellal replied with a chuckle as that rambunctious guild always found its way into trouble, even when they don't even mean to.
As Jellal boarded the front passenger's seat, Sawyer kicked into high gear and got them back on the move for the Artisian Valley, many of Crime Sorciere relieved to be returning to base even if Meredy wanted to stay in the city a little longer. Jellal was simply glad that his team had managed to get the groundwork already started for the FEF and hoped that it was enough for the future.