Year X377, Middle of the Second Month of Summer.
28 months after Natsu's revival.
…
8-year-old Natsu smiled as the final patient of the night left along with their family before he locked the clinic.
Zeref and Acnologia had been approached by the family after their grandmother had fallen ill in the past few days. Being the closest doctor to the slums, they desperately brought in their ailing relative. The family was poor and could only afford a small sum for Zeref's services.
But Zeref only waved the pay and continued with the treatment free of charge.
Natsu couldn't help but smile as the family departed from the clinic with grateful and relieved expressions. The past year had been eventful for them. Zeref opened a clinic near the slums, and both Acnologia and he were dragged into helping. Natsu advanced his education, and Acnologia had been given a crash course in medicine and magic. Each day was filled with patients and lessons, the blue-haired teen was exposed to new experiences the longer he worked as Zeref's apprentice. Natsu was delegated to handle the desk while watching over the waiting area, pushing his language, reading, and writing skills to the brink. The boys had progressed in a different area too…
Natsu willed the small flame burning on the lamp to die down, the clinic light doused with only his intention. He also flicked at the entrance to lock the door, making sure nobody would enter the establishment at night. Although it was quite common for them to receive emergencies at night, forcing them to be awake anyway.
"Door's locked!" Natsu shouted as he jumped off the raised seat at the counter. He quickly ran into their small kitchen, willing the fire alive with a wave of his hand. The food was a simple soup he prepared hours earlier, but Zeref and Acnologia skipped dinner to attend to their last few patients. It was now midnight and the two must be tired after another day of attending to people.
Natsu arranged two plates on the table, complete with wooden cutlery for the two of them. While the food was heated, he also started boiling water for their late bath. A nice warm bath before bed felt good, especially when everyone was tired.
Acnologia stumbled into the kitchen, washed his hands, then plopped himself down on their small kitchen table to eat. His last meal was more than ten hours ago and the only thing on his mind was food and sleep.
"Zere's still busy?" Natsu asked while using his magic to rapidly raise the pot's temperature. Zere was a nickname that he picked up for Zeref, and Acnologia had grown accustomed to using it.
"No, he should be coming here any-"
Someone knocked on the front door.
Natsu frowned. The knock wasn't hurried like most emergencies- and whoever was knocking did it with little strength. He left Acnologia in the kitchen while making his way back, instinctively casting out his senses. Natsu's magic had progressed in leaps and bounds in the past year, enough for him to "feel" out magic. For some reason, Zeref kept making Natsu always keep the practice up, but sometimes Natsu would get tired and turn off the ability since it took a lot of focus.
Weird, the stranger outside the door was an unusual mage wrapped in some sort of dark-colored magic.
Natsu looked through the small gap provided on the door. Zeref had paid a carpenter to make the addition when they first moved in, it was a small precaution that would let them view the people knocking on their clinic.
Picking a place near the slums was a trade Zeref wanted. It was dangerous back when they started, but their affordable services and relative distance to the slums made them the best option for many. Soon, they garnered a reputation as a good clinic that gave quality treatment for a price the people could afford. Gangs and ruffians left the place alone as a sign of respect for the help they provided, while also protecting the block from other troublemakers.
"We're closed! Is it urgent?"
Natsu looked at the dark cloaked stranger standing outside the door. It wasn't unusual for mages to appear at their clinic since the entire city was filled with them.
"I need to speak with the doctor."
The voice was silent. While the stranger spoke, he was looking left and right on the street. Natsu watched as the mage increased his magic output. He could feel the density of the spell increasing.
What was the man doing?
"Zere! Someone wants to meet you!" Natsu called while watching the mage with interest. He could feel the obscure form of the magic, giving him a clue as to what it was. Some sort of concealment magic that he couldn't read precisely. He was still learning to sense magic after all.
Zeref appeared after a few moments, eyeing the door with hidden suspicion.
"Natsu, I will handle this. Go back inside and prepare the bath."
After his brother scurried away, Zeref adopted a serious expression when meeting the mage.
Natsu didn't notice anything unusual about the stranger, but Zeref did. It was hard not to, not when the person was basically a black clump of shadows from his perspective. The mage was casting a camouflage over himself, and the dark street's shadow was angled perfectly over their door to mask him, adding another layer of cover.
But for Natsu to have seen through this stranger's magic meant that it wasn't strong enough to counter his little brother's ability.
"What do you want?" Zeref whispered. He had an uncomfortable suspicion as to who was behind the person. It was expected that despite his work as a doctor would be noticed, but not enough to attract the attention of those people.
Not yet anyway.
Unless…
"The Crown wishes to meet you."
The man slipped him a note before walking off and disappearing down the street. He didn't wait for a reply, which meant that Zeref had no choice. If he didn't come, then there would be consequences, as per usual when dealing with royalty.
It was sooner than Zeref expected, but still within his expectations. Natsu and Acnologia's entrance exam would've garnered attention anyway.
He read the note's contents before burning it to a crisp. Zeref walked back into the kitchen and plopped right beside Acnologia who was finishing his meal.
"So? What was it?" Natsu asked from across the table.
"Another patient. The problem is that they cannot move her for fear that she might suffer. I will be going out tomorrow and I trust you both to keep the clinic open."
Acnologia nodded. It was a common occurrence for families to request Zeref to treat their sick at home. Especially when bringing the patient here could risk their health. The clinic could operate without Zeref as he and Natsu were capable healers to a degree. Acnologia studied medicine during his free time and worked with Zeref to handle complex cases. Natsu wasn't interested in reading theory and books about medicine but was perfectly willing to join them when it came to the magical side of things. So Natsu was delegated to simple problems while Zeref and Acnologia worked on harder patients.
"Buy some paper when you come back. We're a bit low on stock." Acnologia reminded. He used paper to write his own notes in preparation for the entrance exam. While the normal exam focused on magical ability and intellect, Acnologia was aiming for an advanced course, namely the medicinal branch of the Dragnof Academy. For him to be accepted, he needed to take the theoretical and practical tests for the branch.
Zeref nodded before digging into his dinner.
.
.
.
Zeref shouldered the bag of medical equipment with him while waving at Natsu at the clinic's doorstep. Acnologia was busy inside tending to another patient, and as such, could not bid him goodbye.
He travelled in the direction of the slums, before circling around and heading toward the capital center. Zeref wasn't going to actually enter the capital looking like a doctor from the slums, but he had been given a location. He assumed that from there, he would be transported to his meeting without being seen. Zeref's eyes wandered to the wide avenue and the large buildings, without a doubt, there would be a few spies tracking him down while he moved.
That was exactly the reason Zeref could not decline. They knew about Natsu and Acnologia, and that alone was enough to threaten Zeref into accepting the invite. They would not threaten him outright, fearing that the Black Wizard would become an enemy.
Zeref stopped in front of the specified location- an inconspicuous tavern. It looked normal, nothing that stood out compared to the other buildings on that avenue. He entered the designation point and headed straight for the barkeep. The establishment was not particularly crowded since it was early in the morning, but there were a few customers eating late breakfasts.
That was all a cover though. Zeref felt the eyes of some hidden agents digging into his back once he entered the establishment. Clearly, they had been provided with his identity. He didn't stand out from the normal crowd, unless someone specifically knew how the Black Wizard looked. The only people who knew his face were those who he worked with, and those he worked for in the past.
Someone had provided the Dragnof Kingdom with his appearance.
"One Scarlettele please. I would also like to rent room for a few hours." Zeref whispered as per the instructions on the note. He handed the barkeeper a silver coin for his supposed drink.
That was the code provided to him. Zeref did not know what the code meant, but it was confirmation to the barkeeper about his meeting.
"Right. I'll show you your room then prepare the Scarlettele afterward. If that's fine with you?"
"Thank you."
The bearded man smiled while waving his arm to the side, showing where to go. Zeref followed him down a short hallway before heading up a staircase to the second floor. They walked down a couple of doors before stopping at the last one.
"Right here, sir. Enjoy your stay."
Zeref expected the man to open the door but became intrigued when the man pulled the door's handle to the opposite side of the wooden panel. Zeref sensed a magical formula activate from behind the entrance before the man opened the room.
Suddenly, the small room he was expecting was replaced by a stone corridor leading to a platoon of guards.
Ah. The door must be a gateway if activated. Clever.
Opening the door from the left side would've shown him a normal room, but moving the handle to the opposite side would've sent him to a different place.
Zeref walked through the door, which closed behind him once he entered.
"The Black Wizard Zeref, you are hereby called by her majesty. Please do not attempt to make any trouble." The captain announced as he took a step forward.
His reply was a nod, then the guards surrounded him as an escort, also doubling as the first line of security. No doubt, powerful mages, and fighters alike. They led him down a corridor, walking past the other branches leading to somewhere.
Soon, they came upon the chamber at the end. It was hollowed out of stone, just like much of the others. A large teleportation circle was engraved into the center, the red markings glowing in tandem with the magical power coursing through it.
"Please enter the circle. Her majesty awaits you on the other side."
The entire platoon stayed back while Zeref walked to the middle.
Then his world flashed red.
…
The next thing Zeref saw was a grandiose room of marble and curtains. It was not as big as he imagined, significantly smaller than the throne rooms he saw in the past. This led him to the conclusion that this must be a private chamber to discuss matters. The side was an open balcony, curtains ruffling as a breeze blew by.
Zeref's eyes landed on the sole person sitting on an exquisite canape in front of him. She was a beautiful red-haired woman, dressed in a fancy flowing gown that would've made even nobles jealous.
Just like every mage out there, there was a certain degree of magical sense each one had. The more one dabbled in magic, the better they grow to identify it. All it took was one look from both sides to ascertain who they were talking to.
This woman…was powerful. He could tell.
That wasn't the only powerful source of magic in the area.
Zeref slowly slid his eyes to look at the dragon outside the window.
"So, it was true…you still look this young for someone of your age…" The woman mumbled as she took in his features.
Zeref was at least in his 60s, yet he held the complexion of someone in their 20s.
"Irene. Please focus…"
The large dragon outside leaned and his head appeared over the balcony.
"Of course, of course, Belserion. I was merely voicing my observation."
Zeref idly wondered what his chances were. There was no chance that they would start a fight, but the amount of power contained in such a small area was baffling. He was outnumbered 2 to 1 here, but in terms of magic- he had the advantage.
"Forgive my rudeness, allow me to introduce myself and my companion. I am Queen Irene Belserion of the Dragnof Kingdom. As you have heard, the dragon outside is our First King Belserion."
"How many times have I told you that I am now an advisor. No longer do I rule Dragnof." Belserion sighed.
Zeref smiled as he greeted the two leaders of the nation. The king was usually the leader of the nation, but Irene Belserion had earned the right. Her marriage was one of politics, to ensure an alliance with another human kingdom.
"Greetings your highness, I am The Black Wizard Zeref. I hope my presence has not caused… any trouble."
The only way his presence would've been noticed is if someone had known he was in the capital. His cover had worked for more than a year, and it was only now that Dragnof had noticed him. Even then, they were keeping it a secret.
In a city this big, with this many people? That left one option as to who could possibly have found him.
Irene Belserion, the most powerful mage in Dragnof.
"Of course, not unless you were planning something behind our backs. Finding the Black Wizard inside Dragnof was quite a shock." Said mage smiled.
He must've only been found recently then. Zeref could understand that this could be a panic reaction from Irene and Belserion. It wasn't every day that you found one of the most renowned mages on the continent hiding in your backyard.
Well, he had a trump card up his sleeve to play anyway.
One that Irene could not refuse.
2 months later.
Zeref waved at Natsu and Acnologia as they entered Dragnof Academy. Over a year of preparation and the entrance exams were finally here.
The Academy premises were filled with parents and children alike, though a few adults were also taking the exams to enter specific branches. One such example is Acnologia, who was taking the entrance exam for medicine. Usually, such exams were taken after graduating from the basic magical education branch of the Academy, but those who have unique circumstances like experience and training could attempt it. All exams were open to the public after all.
Zeref kept smiling until the two disappeared into their respective testing venues.
"So…those are the two students of the Black Wizard. Must be quite talented." A voice commented from beside him.
"Shouldn't you be in the palace?" Zeref sighed while turning to the woman shrouded in illusion magic. He had felt her presence in the area and had a clue as to why she was there.
The Dragnof Academy entrance exams were a big event for the people, if their queen appeared, then the people wouldn't be able to focus on their exams.
"What kind of mother wouldn't accompany her daughter to the exams?" Irene hummed while raising an eyebrow.
Zeref blinked. Now it made sense why there was such a commotion around a young red-haired girl earlier.
"I see. So, Erza Belserion is also taking the exam this year?"
"Indeed. We both came here in disguise to spend some mother-daughter time before she entered. Too bad it's against the rules for people to hide their identities when taking the exam."
"If you're here undercover…then who's managing the nation today?"
"Don't worry. I've got capable people on it."
70 year old Richard Belserion had retired a few years ago, on behalf of passing his throne to his daughter. Nowadays, he worked as a senior advisor of Dragnof, assisting in the kingdom's affairs. He didn't handle the affairs directly…not until today.
Someone sighed loudly beside him.
"Alright, let us begin with today's session." Thrummed the loud powerful voice sitting on the large granite throne.
A special dragon-sized throne had been teleported in due to special circumstances. Said dragon-sized throne being the original throne created for the first king of the Dragnof Kingdom hundreds of years ago.
The Sage Dragon Belserion.
In front of him, many of the kingdom's council gulped and shook in their chairs. Some of them were councilors and leaders he had worked with during his reign, but a fair few had retired and new people had been promoted into their positions. He didn't blame them, not only were they in council with the previous king, but more importantly…
They were in council with the first king of Dragnof.
Belserion was usually absent in such meetings, content to advise the ruler of Dragnof personally and privately. Only the dragons and rulers knew Belserion's true character. To the rest of the people, he was a legend whose reputation garnered only their utmost respect.
And he was here today to rule once again…
Just for a day.
That was why Irene also approached her father. So that he could assist Belserion for the day. In essence, it was practically two kings ruling over the council matters while she was off spending the day with Erza.
Richard and Belserion were friends, as the Sage Dragon also advised him during his tenure as king.
Nothing could possibly go wrong when two former kings handled the reigns of the kingdom for a single day.
Right?
Irene continued smiling brightly at Zeref. Her husband Rung was on a trip to visit his family in another nation, and she had delegated the task of ruling to her father and Belserion. Today was a special day for her, and it was nice to get some time off from leading the nation.
"Right. So, you'll be watching the entrance exams from here?" Zeref asked.
Some magical displays had been posted up all over the Dragnof Academy gardens they were in. Families and relatives were all attending to watch their children take the exams. Each family was handed a special card that would show them their child as they took each test. There were only 1000 slots offered every year, unless special circumstances happened.
Which meant it was a competition to enter.
"Of course. My parents were too busy ruling to watch me take the exams. This time, I want to experience what the people would." Irene activated her card, flashing a scene of her daughter taking a seat in an examination room.
Zeref eyed the surroundings to search for the kingdom's agents. But couldn't find them. Were they really that confident in their queen's safety in the presence of the Black Wizard? Surely not.
"If you're searching for the guards trailing me, then do not worry. I made sure that they lost track of me."
His eye twitched. This woman had just ditched her guards.
"Are you not supposed to be escorted by guards? I don't think the kingdom would like this."
"What's so wrong with escaping for some me time? Besides, I could protect myself better than they can."
It was a testament to Irene's abilities that she was confident to defend herself against Zeref until the kingdom came to her aid.
"And besides, I doubt you would feel comfortable with them around. You've put up your own disguise."
Touché.
Zeref activated his own cards, showing Natsu on one and Acnologia on the other.
The exams were starting soon.
9 year old Erza Belserion was in a cheerful mood. The written part of her exam was easy as can be. She blitzed through the contents, having learned basic education like mathematics and language from her personal tutors. As for magic and theory, she had learned directly under her mother.
Nothing like having the best mage on the continent as your parent.
The test was not only limited to basic education but also briefly extended into magic in general. Just a small tidbit though. Common everyday magics, their applications, and simple problem-solution questions.
Having finished her paper, Erza glanced at the other examinees in the room. The rest were still taking their tests, which meant she was way ahead of everyone. Her eyes slid to the black-haired boy beside her, muttering about a particular person with his head hunched over.
"Zere was right…I should've practiced more reading rather than magic…"
She noticed that the boy was still in the first quarter of the exam. Was it really that hard? The test was scheduled to be three hours long. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to finish all the questions. Looks like she had two hours to wait. Might as well review her answers again.
Erza turned back to her paper and started checking it.
.
.
.
To avoid cheating and other possible tricks, the examinees were provided lunch at the academy dining hall. Students were free to pick their seats and Erza found herself being surrounded by noble children who wished to meet her. Aristocrats flooded her to the point she couldn't eat without being interrupted by discussion after each bite. She graciously conversed with the others as per her training, but it slowly ground her nerves with how many there were.
Not that she blamed them. Erza lived in the royal castle and had little contact with the aristocrats. To them, this was their first chance to make a favourable impression. She knew about building connections, but it felt so tedious when the other children were discussing the exam.
Rather, they were trying to argue which question proved the most difficult and what the correct answer was.
Erza managed to escape under the pretense that she wanted to get a second helping of desserts. She headed to the magically refilling buffet tables to serve herself some cake when her eye caught a near-empty table. Erza took a few slices of cake, changed her features with magic, then headed over. Just like that, she had escaped.
As she sat down, she noticed the other occupant on the table.
It was the boy with the ruffled hair.
"Zere is going to kill me…"
And he was mumbling again.
Erza ignored him in favor of eating the delicious cake in front of her.
.
.
.
The examiners applauded after Erza finished showcasing her talent. The second portion of the entrance exam was a series of tests for magical ability. It tested the flexibility, strength, and control of the examinee. Even if your magic was weak, your creativity and precision could shine through. They were given trials to pass and problems to solve, a good half split between practical problems and magic.
Of course, just like the exam in the morning, they were not shown their grades. The examinees would only receive them after all the applicants finished.
Their applause was the only confirmation she needed to know that she aced her test.
After her turn, Erza watched a few more applicants go through the assessment. Her mother had told her that she was far ahead compared to the average mage, and Erza didn't know just how far her true caliber was.
Not until today.
It was disappointing. Erza was looking forward to seeing mages outside the castle. Most of her expectations came from her mother and personal tutors. But to see the actual talent pool of the others opened her eyes. At least, some of the aristocrats in the room she was assigned showed some ability, though not close enough to match hers.
Still, some examiners applauded. Which should mean that they were impressive, right?
"Next!"
The previous applicant headed over their finished section and sat on another one of the chairs before the next examinee came.
It was the same boy again.
Erza raised an eyebrow when he shuffled forward nervously.
"Before we start this exam, could you tell us a brief description of the magic you use?"
The same question before the examiners conducted the test. They needed to have an idea of what the applicant specialized in before they decided on the assessment.
"W-well, I'm good at healing and using elements."
"Elements?" The examiner raised an eyebrow. "Any in particular?"
"O-only the basic ones?"
He didn't look confident at all.
"Okay then. Let's start with ice. Melt this sphere." The man produced a ball of ice in his hand and extended it to him.
The grading panel observed calmly as the boy walked up to the sphere…
And converted it straight into liquid.
…
Natsu wasn't sure if he did the task correctly.
He held the ball of water in his hand after the tester asked him to melt it. The sphere wobbled in his hands but kept its perfect shape.
One member of the panel raised an eyebrow, but not much reaction came from them.
"Very good control. Can you show us how many elements you can use?" The man asked.
Natsu morphed the property of the magic, flipping from liquid to air. The ball of wind quickly changed again, burning into an orb of flame. He condensed the spreading ethernano into a thin line, converting fire into flashing lightning, before stopping the lashing ethernano completely, solidifying it into a ball of earth.
This time, one examiner gave a nod. Impressive for a young boy to have control over multiple elements. It was a sign of how flexible his magic was.
They didn't know Natsu was controlling literal ethernano, a result of his etherious nature.
"I can also combine some of them…"
Natsu applied water to the earthen ball, turning it into clay. With a few adjustments, he created a walking doll. It was one of his methods to distract the children while their parents underwent treatment from Zeref and Acnologia.
The panelists noted down his ability along with the others he showcased.
He was beginning to grow nervous again. They hadn't shown much reactions as they had to the previous examinees.
"You said you have experience in healing?"
"Yes…I've been working as an assistant at my brother's clinic."
"I doubt we can actually find someone injured today…we'll send someone over to verify at the clinic tomorrow instead." One of the examiners suggested while writing down the reminder.
"How about you show us a magic circle? Even a basic one like a shield?"
Natsu blinked. He had watched the previous examinees cast different kinds of spell formulas and the shield spell was one of the easy ones. His etherious nature allowed him to observe the manipulated ethernano and he knew how to replicate the spell.
He silently casted the shield spell. Natsu watched with curiosity as the formula worked. It was the first time he used it, and he could already see the spell's inefficiencies. Some parts were hindering the flow of ethernano, weakening the overall strength. Natsu decided to redirect the unnecessary complications and improved the overall form.
The result? A more powerful shield spell.
The bright shield flashed in front of him, drawing a few ruffled brows from the panelists.
It was stronger than any of the previous ones.
"Impressive shield spell." The man observed.
"A-ah…thank you." Natsu murmured.
"Can you show us more spells?"
Natsu quietly flashed through the other spell formulas he saw that day. They were nothing impressive as most of them were from children learning to be mages too, but he improved upon them where he could.
The panelists at first were silent, but slowly started whispering to each other as Natsu slowly showed spell after spell from earlier. None of them noticed that they were the spells showcased before, only noting down the improved results.
"You didn't tell us you could cast so many spells earlier."
Natsu pressed his lips together in shame. Those weren't his spells. He just copied the ethernano manipulation others were doing.
It felt like cheating.
"I-I know one last spell."
Natsu copied the hardest spell formula he saw, one that came from the red-haired genius that the judges applauded.
…
Erza froze. The black-haired boy just performed a spell from her Scarlet clan. It wasn't known outside the family and was only graded as another random spell by the judges.
There was no possible way for someone outside the clan to have learned it. It was a Scarlet spell from before Belserion's establishment of the Dragnof Kingdom. Their clan was aptly named due to their red genes overpowering any other hair color.
So how was it possible for this stranger to know it?
Just what was going on?
…
Natsu exhaled a sigh of relief after he was released. His assessment had lasted half an hour, significantly longer than the rest. At the end of it, the panelists had remained silent, busy conversing with each other rather than asking him to show more of his abilities.
But for some reason, he couldn't understand why everyone's eyes were on him. Particularly, one red-haired girl's gaze was burning straight at the back of his head.
It wasn't like his magic was anywhere near impressive like the magic that red-haired girl showed earlier. She could create magic circles, weapons, and armor!
"Mom?" The girl lowered her cutlery as she paused from dining.
"Yes, dear?"
"Have any Scarlet spells been shared outside the clan?"
Irene's interest was caught. Erza looked like she had something on her mind while they were eating dinner. Both queen and princess were in disguise, enjoying dinner at a delicious restaurant outside the castle.
"No, why?"
"There was a boy in the exam who used it."
She blinked. If Erza was bringing this up, then it must've been a non-Scarlet member.
"Pardon?"
Erza's reply was to cast a memory spell, showing the event from her own eyes. Irene didn't watch the other assessments; her interest was only in her daughter's exam.
Her eyes narrowed.
It was Zeref's little brother.
There was no doubt about the connection anymore. At first, she assumed he was a talented student that the Black Wizard picked up. They looked related, but she wasn't going to jump on that conclusion yet.
But Zeref was known for his legendary spell craftsmanship.
For this boy to deconstruct, replicate, then improve her family's spell that easily?
"Mom?" Erza asked cautiously. Irene had been looking at the spell for over a minute before she interrupted.
"My dear, I think it's in your best interest to befriend this young boy. He is very talented." The queen smiled.
"You think so too? I watched his spell formulas, they were stronger than the ones we use." Erza flashed through some of the other magic circles he showed.
Irene's eyes were twinkling.
Surely, a little bit of matchmaking wasn't too bad right?
It's not like Erza building connections with Black Wizard's brother was manipulative. She was doing it so that her daughter finally had a friend she would find interest in! It's not her fault Erza found weaker mages boring. She was simply built with quality like her!
Like mother, like daughter.
The advantages it could bring to the kingdom were just secondary.
Absolutely secondary.
Erza blinked when her mother's eyes landed on her. They looked like they were sparkling.
"Say, Erza, would you like to come with me and visit them tomorrow?"