Chapter 18
The last couple of hours were nothing but a blur, and all I remembered was that I ate, ate, and ate some more. Never in my life had I gorged myself on so much food, and I definitely should've felt bloated.
Yet I felt great, better than ever even. There wasn't even a sign of belly fat on my body despite the crazy amount of food that I ate, and my muscles were more defined than they had ever been before. Though… my eyes felt really itchy.
However, I could barely stop myself from eating. This new food–the one grown from the trees–was just so addicting and that was one of my current problems. The second was… well, I wouldn't say that my other meals tasted bad, but they felt bland and unsatisfying to my taste buds.
I tried multiple different combinations and even cooked the Apples and Peaches from my garden, but even they couldn't satisfy me. Oh, sure, they filled my body and Soul with power, but they tasted bland! That was just so mind boggling to me since I knew that my cooking was good. I knew that I cooked them to perfection, yet they didn't taste as delicious as they used to.
I was starting to panic and quickly went through my Status, noticing that there was something new there. Apparently, my body now had a large amount of Gourmet Cells. I wasn't exactly sure what they were, but they made me five times stronger than before. That was amazing, though they were also the reason for my troubles. Any type of food without a good amount of Gourmet Cells just didn't taste good. In fact, food without them barely provided any nutrients for my body.
I already had an idea which types of ingredients were filled with Gourmet Cells, but I still made a thorough check, tasting every single type of food in my Inventory and my garden.
The two new types of plants I got were a given, and I expected as much. The chocolate sap from the tree was one of the remaining two, and surprisingly, the tree that produced alcoholic coconuts was the last one.
There was not a single other ingredient in my possession that had Gourmet Cells and that was a problem. Mostly because I didn't think I could stomach eating the same thing over and over again without any variety.
So how would I go about solving this issue? Well, I had to find a way to mix the Gourmet Cells to some of my other plants. That was definitely the first step, and I would figure out the next ones after dealing with it first.
Right… I left my house and went to my garden, noticing that the Templant was missing the last bunch of tempuras that were hanging from it, and I was sure that I hadn't eaten them myself. I narrowed my eyes as I looked around, pushing my senses to their limit as I tried to find who was the one responsible for taking them, but I couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary.
Had I eaten them myself? I started doubting my memory, but I was certain that I wasn't the one that took them. I even checked my Inventory to be sure, but they weren't there. Who was the one that took them then? Idunma? I couldn't think of anyone else that could so easily avoid my senses.
I… I would let it slide if it was her. She had done a lot for me and helped me by teaching me her Magic. However, if it was someone else… I'd certainly have a pleasant talk with them when I found them.
Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself and focused on the task at hand. I had to figure out how to splice my other plants with those Gourmet Cells. After all, I didn't want to eat the same thing over and over again, no matter how tasty it actually was.
Right, I needed to solve this issue quickly. Though first I had to study those Gourmet Cells and see what I could figure out about them.
I sliced off parts of all three plants that had Gourmet Cells before using Heal on them to fix the damage done. After ensuring that they were all fine and healthy, I began studying the Cells.
They looked normal at a first glance even with my enhanced eyesight–which seemed oddly way better than before, though my eyes still itched–but sensed a great amount of energy in them when I pulled on my Nature God Magic. At first, I thought that was a type of Magical Power, and it made perfect sense to me, but there was something different about it.
If it was Magic Power, I could've just showered the plants with my own Magic and produced the same effects. I tried doing that with some of my simpler ingredients just to make sure, but that didn't make them taste any better.
So, I began slicing them into smaller pieces, until I was left with just the portions that contained the energy. They were all so tiny, yet they were all bursting with power… with life. How fascinating. I still wasn't exactly sure what the Gourmet Cells were, but I dubbed what I sensed as life energy. It just felt right to call it that.
I took a deep breath and looked away from them, managing to stop myself from consuming them on the spot. Though… I popped a small portion in my mouth, letting out a pleased sound as their divine taste filled my being. A single bite wouldn't hurt anyone, and I had plenty more to work with.
I ended up eating the rest, failing to resist my urges, so I had to slice some more from my plants. This time, I succeeded in controlling myself and looked at the rest of my garden, wondering which ingredients I should start with.
My eyes briefly glanced at the Apples and Peaches, but I shook my head. Those were too important, and I didn't want to accidentally ruin them. Instead, I decided to start with the spices, so I could generously sprinkle them on all my meals.
The Cells fought against me at first, refusing to attach themselves to the normal plants, almost as if they had a mind of their own. However, no matter how much they resisted, I still had control over all plants in my surroundings thanks to my Magic.
The first batch I created wasn't that great, and the species barely had any of the Cells within them. That didn't dissuade me, and I continued trying again and again until I finally had what I wanted.
Quickly, I went ahead and cooked a simple meal with the spices and some normal meat I had gotten from a monster. Gingerly, I gave it a taste, and a smile grew on my face as the meal felt just right to my taste buds.
Well, that solved one of my problems, and I quickly made a bunch more to store in my Inventory, so I could snack on them during the day. I'd have to experiment some more with those Cells to see what else I could create, but I was satisfied for the time being and could relax without worrying about my hunger.
There were those interesting Magical Notes I recently got, which seemed like the perfect way to relax. Plus, I could translate them as I study them, making them the perfect gift for Levy when she wakes up. I took them out alongside a blank book and started reading through them with my Gale Force Glasses.
Mathematics perk, Combat Prediction: Through the study of mathematics, we can predict the moves of our opponents in battle.
"Wow," I muttered as I read through the notes, finding myself astonished by them. This Ajuka person was most certainly a genius, and the way he viewed the world was one of a kind. It was just so fascinating how he had an equation for everything, and I meant everything, including Magic.
However, I did notice some odd things in his writing. Mostly the way he spoke about Devil Magic and how it differed from what I knew about it myself.
I summoned Lord'oran to see what he had to say about all of this and what his thoughts were about this Ajuka.
"Beelzebub?" My Demon Soul asked in astonishment after I told him about the author of the notes
"Do you know him?" I questioned with interest.
"I know of a Beelzebub," he replied with narrowed eyes. "He is one of the seventy-two Devils. The first of our kind and the progenitors of all Devil-kind."
"No wonder his notes are so advanced." I nodded, starting to realize why they were even better than the ones we found in the Fairy Tail library. This guy was absolutely ancient, after all, and he had all the time in the world to study and develop his Magic.
"But Ajuka… I've never heard of him being referred with that name," Lord'oran continued, staring at the papers in confusion. "We only know him as the Lord of the Flies."
"That's an odd title," I replied, thinking that it sounded weird, if anything else. I honestly though that Devils would have more intimidating titles.
"Not to mention that I don't even recognize the language," Lord'oran said, still staring at the notes.
"Maybe it's just really old?" I offered and rubbed my eyes. They were fine, I was sure of that, and I even used Photosynthesis to heal myself, but they continued feeling itchy.
"Maybe…" He replied, looking uncertain about it.
"What else can you tell me about those seventy-two Demons?" I asked after seeing he didn't have much more to say about the notes.
"They are the strongest of our kind, the absolute pinnacle a Devil could strive for," he explained, staring in the distance with a wishful look. "Though quite a few of them had died over the years, and only about half of them are still alive."
"Makes sense." I nodded after thinking about it. "Plenty of dangerous beings are running around. Dragons if they still exist, Gods, which we know for sure are still around. Not to mention how dangerous we, humans, could become."
"Humans are the ones that had slain the most of the seventy-two Devils," he replied with a shake of his head before pointedly looking at me. "Sitri was the latest to be killed."
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked with a tilt of my head. "I'm fairly sure I'm not responsible for that."
"You're not," he said with a knowing grin. "But you do know the person that had done the deed."
"I do?" I asked, trying to think of who could've done it. Plenty of names came to mind, including all the S-Class Mages in the Guild. However, the most likely candidate was, "Mira?"
She did use Satan Soul, after all. Though I wasn't certain since I hadn't seen her in action before she stopped acting as a Mage. Lord'oran was also quite terrified by her, so that seemed plausible.
"Perhaps, perhaps not." He smirked without really answering my question.
"Whatever." I rolled my eyes as I got up. "Since you are out, why don't you make yourself useful and help me set up the dining room."
"As you wish, Master," he replied with a deep bow before walking away.
The girls realized there was something different the moment they walked down the stairs and laid their eyes on me. I had bulked up just a little bit from the Gourmet Cells, after all, and it wasn't that hard to notice.
"Are you using your Giant's Magic?" Levy asked as she sat down, her hands grabbing her coffee without even looking at it.
"No." I shook my head. "But I should definitely practice that some more."
Levy took a sip from her coffee and let out a deep breath. "So what did you do?"
"What makes you think this is somehow my fault?" I asked with a pout as I crossed my arms.
"When is it not?" Cana asked with a chuckle before she began counting on her fingers. "The other night you befriended that Juvia girl and ended up recruiting the two munchkins. The night after you went out and beat up one of the most powerful Mages on the continent. And that's just in the last couple of days."
"Well…" I scratched my head. "I may have overeaten just a bit."
"You ate too much?" Levy asked with a skeptical look.
"And this." Cana waved her hand up and down at me. "Is the result of overeating?"
I ended up explaining about the Gourmet Cells and what I discovered about them, including how I thought it might be best for others to avoid consuming food with them until I learned more about the Cells. I also didn't forget to mention that my eyes had been itchy, though I wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with them.
"Try to take away my coconut, and I will bite you!" Cana pointed at me as she stood up. "Plus, you already solved the issue. I just have to make sure I eat your food more."
"She's not wrong," Levy agreed with her after considering it for a moment. "Plus, it sounds like there are plenty of benefits to consuming them."
"I guess," I replied. There were indeed plenty of benefits as I was five times stronger than before. Of course, there was the side effect of needing to eat more of them, but I also solved that issue.
"There you go!" Cana proudly nodded to herself and sat down with a satisfied look in her eyes. "Problem solved, and my coconuts remain safe, hehehe."
I shook my head in amusement and moved on. "Do you have any plans for today?"
"Nope," Cana instantly replied before pausing. "Actually, there's a few things I want to work on with my Magic."
I nodded and looked at Levy, who shook her head. Since she had no plans, "Do you want to spend the day just reading together? I have some interesting notes I got my hands on, and i already translated them for you."
"Oh?" That caught her interest and she leaned on the table. "What kind?"
"Pretty advanced ones that focus heavily on mathematics," I answered. "I even got a few ideas from them, and I'm considering making a few Spells for Archive."
Levy bit her lips, staring at me with a heated gaze, and that's all I needed to see. Though…
"I do want to check to see if I can purchase the properties near our house first because I do want to expand my garden," I said and added, "Maybe I can even rebuild our house in the future as well. Or I can even make something smaller for the kids, so they don't try sneaking in again."
"Alright then," Levy replied with a nod. "I'll see about setting some protections for the house while you do that."
We finished our breakfast after that, and I left to check if the nearby properties were available for purchase.
Observation Perk: Magical Eyesight: Can now see the once invisible Magical Energy in the air.
Mind Reader: By focusing on a target, we can faintly hear their thoughts. Adds Observation modifier to our battle modifier when fighting living beings.
Microscopic Eyesight: By focusing, we can observe the smallest details of a target or an object.
Treasure Hunter: Gain a +80 bonus when looking for treasure.
Fetish Reader: Can deduce the fetish of another person with just a single look.
Future Sight: Reduce the enemy battle modifier by half for the first (Observation/2) combat rounds.
As I walked through the streets of Magnolia, I realized how much stronger my senses were now. They had been steadily growing the more I used my Dragon Magic, but this was a sudden and massive jump. Like, I could accurately smell what the people were cooking for breakfast and even hear their quiet conversations from inside their houses.
The Gourmet Cells sure had a side effect of making most food taste bland, but damn if the advantages weren't extremely good. Now if only my eyes could stop itching…
I rubbed them again and used Photosynthesis, but that didn't resolve my problem. I tried shaking it off, which obviously didn't work as well. In fact, it made things even worse as my vision narrowed down, to the point where I was capable of seeing each individual speck of dirt on the road.
"What the…" I passed, blinking my eyes rapidly, wondering just what was going on. I shook my head, trying to fix this. Thankfully, it worked and my vision returned back to normal.
"This is so weird," I muttered to myself as I tried to replicate it again, realizing I could zoom in by just focusing on my eyesight.
I played around with my new ability as I continued walking towards my destination, getting slightly used to right before I reached the office responsible for selling and buying property in Magnolia. There a brown-haired woman greeted me, and things continued getting weirder.
"Good morning," she said with a bright smile.
"Good morning," I greeted her back.
'Oh my God! He's somehow even more handsome than when he last visited! And his voice! Gah! I hope I didn't mess up my makeup today.'
I tilted my head, eyes blinking as I stared at her. I clearly heard her voice, yet her mouth didn't even move. At first, I thought she had somehow used Telepathy, or maybe even I had done it by mistake somehow, but I sensed no Magical Energy.
"Um, I'm here to see if I could purchase the surrounding properties near my house," I continued, pretending like nothing had happened while I tried to figure out what was going on now. "My address is…"
'As if I didn't know where the King of Fairies lives.'
I blinked as I heard her voice again, and it took me a moment to realize I was somehow hearing her thoughts. What did those Gourmet Cells do to me? This was certainly yet another amazing ability, but this was starting to get out of hand. At least I managed to figure out a way to turn it off as I didn't wish to hear the thoughts of every single person. Though this could definitely be useful in a fight, and I already envisioned multiple ways to make use of it.
The woman ended up telling me that both of the neighboring houses were currently ownerless, and I bought them both without hesitation. They were just two hundred and forty thousand Jewels, which barely put a dent in my savings.
I quickly left the office after that, planning to immediately return home, so I could figure out everything that was happening to me. However, that's when my eyes started burning with pain, and things continued to escalate even more.
I moved to the side, holding a hand over my eyes while using my Magic to try and heal myself. Though there was nothing to heal. My eyes were perfectly fine despite the current agonizing pain.
I don't know how long that lasted, but when I opened them again, I saw the world for what it was. Energy freely flowed everywhere I looked, gently brushing against everything, be it an inanimate object or a living being.
"Woah…" my gaze moved around, noticing how the energy flowed into people through their noses as they breathed. A majority breathed it out moments later, but some held it in their bodies, pulling it towards their Ethernano container.
I focused on those people, studying how the Magic flowed around them. Suddenly all of them duplicated, forming ethereal clones that were always five steps ahead of them. I didn't panic since I felt no energy from their clones, and instead, narrowed my eyes, trying to figure this out.
I felt a Magic Pulse just as I realized that I was somehow seeing a few seconds in the future as crazy as that sounded. Turning towards the location the pulse came from, I saw a wizened old man sitting on a bench and silently overlooking the river running through Magnolia. He had a long narrow white beard and was overflowing with a massive amount of Magic Power that was held in a firm grasp in his body.
The old man must've sensed my gaze because he patted the spot next to him without turning towards me. I walked over, interested to see what this was about and sat down next to him.
"I heard that an incredibly talented young man had joined Fairy Tail," he said, his gaze still focused on the flowing water. "But it seems even that might be an understatement."
"Do I know you?" I asked, feeling like I had seen this man before.
"Perhaps," he replied quietly before finally turning towards me, and I saw that he had an eye patch over his right eye.
There was something off with that eye, almost reminding me of the feeling I got from Zeref's Demons. However, I was sure that he wasn't a Demon, I could tell as much with my new eyesight.
"You might know me as Precht," he continued, introducing himself as the man that wrote those Magical Theory books that were quite helpful to me a couple of months ago.
"Oh, I know you," I said, and his eye gleamed in expectation.
"You do?" There was something in his voice, hinting of desperate hope. Perhaps he hadn't been recognized in a long time? Just to be sure, I focused on him, trying to hear his thoughts.
'Does he really recognize me?' Precht sounded hopeful in his mind, and I figured I was spot on with my guess. I stopped focusing on his mind since there was no point in listening to his thoughts.
"I do. You are the second Guild Master." I nodded, not that surprised that he was still alive. Warrod was from the same generation as him, and he was still going strong, after all. It wasn't that shocking that Precht was still around since powerful Mages could live for a very long time.
"Oh, I see," he replied and looked back at the river in thought.
"You're also the one that wrote that nice Magical Theory book in the library," I continued, trying to make him feel a bit better. "And that was a fun read."
"I did leave those there, though I believe I had hid them," Precht said as he looked back at me.
"It wasn't that hard to find." Granted, I had some help from Mavis, but I couldn't tell him about her. After all, I had promised to keep her existence as a secret with Levy, and I planned on keeping my promise to her.
"I suppose it wouldn't be to someone like you," he mused before smirking. "And you say it was a fun read?"
"It was, it was." I nodded in affirmation. That used to be the best book I had read about Magical Theory up until today. Now that spot was taken by the notes from that Ajuka Devil.
"It helped me figure out some things," I continued, offering him a grateful smile. "I've even been considering writing my own, and I might even show it to you as thanks."
"Ha!" He slapped his leg as he barked a laugh, a fond smile appearing on his face.
"Huh?" I titled my head, confused by his reaction.
"Forgive this old man," he replied as he stared in the distance, more specifically, towards the location of Fairy Tail. "I was just reminded of a particular memory."
"Oh." I shrugged, he was over a hundred years old, after all. "Are you here to visit the Guild?"
"No," he replied after thinking about it for a moment. "As much as I'd love to visit the Guild, I already left it to the younger generation, so I could go on a quest of my own."
I felt like Precht still hadn't succeeded with this quest of his with the way he said that, so I offered him my assistance if he needed it. "Maybe I can help with that?"
"Perhaps you can," he replied and looked me in the eyes with a serious expressions. "I'm searching for the source of all Magic, The One Magic."
"The One Magic?" I asked as I cupped my chin in thought.
"Yes." He nodded, expectantly staring at me.
"Hmm." I tapped my chin before looking at him. "Are you looking for the source of all Magical Power, the energy that is all around us, the one that Mages use to fuel their Spells? Or are you after a Magic that you believe all other types of Magic had originated from?"
"You think there's a difference between the two?" Precht asked with a frown.
"Maybe, maybe not," I replied, his eyes narrowing at me. "To use Magic, you need the knowledge and the willpower to produce your desired effect. Every living being fulfills those requirements, and I can argue that the intelligent mind is the Source of all Magic with this."
"Hmm." Precht stared at me as he gestured with his hand for me to continue.
"However, even if someone fulfills those two requirements, they still need the energy, the Magic Power, to successfully make their desires a reality. Now, the question is how is that energy being produced?" I continued before looking away.
There was already an idea in my mind about this after I discovered the difference between me and pretty much every other Magic user. All of them needed the energy in the air, and they had to absorb it in their bodies before they could cast Spells. I, on the other hand, endlessly produced my own energy directly from my Soul.
I could be a completely unique case, but… what if I wasn't? All of the Ethernano in the world had to come from somewhere after all, so what if there was a being that was endlessly producing it just like me? That seemed fairly likely, but the question was, who or what was the one producing all of this energy?
"I suppose you might be correct." Precht cracked his back before straightening himself. "But this is what I believe…"
Precht watched the young-looking man walk away while he stayed in his spot. His gaze moved back to the river, wondering when was the last time someone debated Magic with him. More importantly, when was the last time he was on the backfoot when it came to Magic…
'Just like back then…' Precht thought with a sigh, recalling when another young-looking man had taught him Magic. The two of them were so similar to each other, though their appearance was slightly different. Not that changing one's appearance was hard with Magic…
He looked back at Leon, but he was already out of sight. Maybe he was wrong in his assumption that He had found a way to kill himself after Precht couldn't find Him no matter how much he searched for Him.
'Or perhaps I was right.' He mused. It made no sense for someone so young-looking to have so much Magical knowledge. It was simply impossible for someone to reach such heights in just a few months. That much he was certain of.
Unless that person already had that information in their mind and was simply relearning it all. That would explain how someone like Leon had progressed to this level in just a few months. He wasn't advancing at a never before heard pace. Instead, He already was the most knowledgeable person in existence and was simply pulling from His erased memories.
The more Precht thought about it, the more it made sense in his mind. His theory explained the young man's impossible growth. It explained how He developed Devil Slayer from scratch. He was the creator of an entirely new species of Demons, after all. Figuring out Devil Slayer was a simple matter for someone like Him.
It explained the reason why He made a b-line towards Fairy Tail the moment He gained back his Magic. His old love was here, after all. He might not remember it yet, but He was slowly regaining his memories. Precht was sure of this after he saw Him clutching His head earlier, certain that He was in the process of gaining back His erased memories.
It explained why he couldn't revive Him no matter what he tried. After all, he wasn't dead, to begin with. How was he supposed to revive someone who was already among the living?
Everything was starting to make sense in Precht's mind. Now the question was whether he should attempt to help Him regain His memories faster or simply let Him slowly return to His true self. From what he saw, He was already close to returning to His former self, so it might be better to wait and see before he made a decision.
Waiting for a few more months or even a couple of years was a simple matter to him. He had waited for so much longer, after all. Though perhaps he could even send some challenges His way to speed up the process. Brain–or Zero–as he called himself now was looking for Leon, after all.
Precht nodded his head and stood up. He looked towards Fairy Tail one last time before he turned around and walked away.
Soul Perk: Profound Soul: Adds one more dice to all rolls, turning the current Bo4 to Bo5.
I had a fun time talking with the old man, though I was slightly disappointed he didn't want to visit Fairy Tail. Makarov would've certainly enjoyed seeing Precht, though I wasn't sure how Mavis would've reacted. The last time… she ended up hiding herself when Warrod visited and she would've probably done the same if Precht came by. Maybe it was for the best that he didn't pass through the Guild.
As I neared my house, I noticed a signature with a massive amount of Magic Power standing outside it, and it was someone I immediately recognized. I knew she was quite powerful after she released her power, but Ultear was even stronger than I believed. If I had to guess, she had more Magical Power than almost anyone else I knew. Perhaps only people like Gildarts or Precht had more than her.
"Leon," Ultear said as I came into view.
"Hello," I greeted her with a smile. "How have you been?"
"A bit overworked due to everything happening in the Council, but mostly fine," she replied with a smile of her own.
"I suppose working for the Council has its downsides." I nodded. They were the ones that overlooked all of the legal Guilds in the entire continent, after all. They might be the biggest power in Ishgar, but they also had the most responsibility as well.
"There are plenty." She nodded in agreement. "And I'm actually visiting today as part of the Council."
"Would you like to come inside then?" I offered and added. "I can maybe make a nice meal while we discuss what you're here for?"
"That would be lovely," Ultear replied with a smile.
"Great," I said and let her in.
Levy had her nose buried in the notes I translated earlier today and only briefly looked up to check up on our visitor. I introduced the two to each other, and they had a little stare off at first, but that didn't last for long. Levy then returned to her book while I led Ultear to the kitchen, telling her I had discovered a way to imbue my Magic in my cooking, and that I would show her true Cooking Magic this time.
"Your cooking was already amazing before," Ultear said with a gleam in her eyes. "I can't wait to see how it would taste with actual Cooking Magic."
I smirked in response, prepared to blow her mind with my food. In fact, I planned to use some of my new spices to make this something she would remember for a very long time. I made sure to contact Levy with Telepathy to ask if she wished to join us, and she agreed, so I had to prepare a meal for three.
"I wouldn't necessarily call this Cooking Magic," Ultear said from beside me as she watched me cook.
"You wouldn't?" I asked as I looked at her.
She coughed, her face flushing a bit before she looked away. "I mean… I was expecting something a bit flashier."
I hummed as I looked back at my food, making sure to flip over the steaks at the right moment. "I am imbuing the food with my Magic to bring out all of its flavor."
"I suppose you are," Ultear replied, calming down a bit. "I guess not all types of Magic have to be flashy."
"Mhm." I agreed with a nod before removing the steaks from the pan, giving them a moment to rest while I checked up on the potatoes in the oven. Seeing that they were almost done, I took out the plates from my Inventory and began preparing the table while Ultear watched me with a pondering look.
I called Levy with my Telepathy, informing her that I was just about done as I started serving our meals. She arrived a moment later, holding onto the book like it was the most precious object in the world. I chuckled at her, and she stuck her tongue out before she sat down on the table.
"Here you go," I said as I pulled Ultear's chair back like a gentleman.
"Thank you," she replied with a bright smile as she sat down, her eyes gleaming as she looked at Levy for a split second. However, she barely paid any attention to Ultear as her focus was on her current meal.
"I hope you enjoy the meal," I said as I sat down myself, and Levy snorted as she began slicing up her steak.
"Wow…" Ultear murmured, her eyes opening wide as she took a bite. "This is incredible."
"Thank you~" I really enjoyed it when others praised me for my cooking, and it made me feel all giddy inside.
We ate our meal in silence afterwards. Well, sort of, since both girls let out pleased sounds after each bite they took, making me puff my chest in pride every time I heard them. I was proud of my craft and how far I had pushed it after learning how to cook from that book I bought in Clover Town.
"You mentioned you are visiting for official reasons?" I asked Ultear after we finished with our meal.
"Yes," she nodded as she cleaned herself with a napkin before bringing out a letter with Requip. "The Council wishes to invite you to become one of the Ten Wizard Saints."
Ultear handed it to me, and I saw that the letter had the insignia of the Magic Council, proving its validity. I quickly opened it up to check its contents.
"Well that was fast," Levy said as she peeked to take a look, not sounding surprised at this outcome.
To be honest, I also wasn't that surprised after what happened with Wolfheim. Sure, I defeated him thanks to my Secret Art, which I couldn't use more than once a week, but they didn't know that, and I planned to keep it that way. It was better for others to think that I could use it whenever I wanted to for the time being. I was sure that it wouldn't matter soon enough, but I thought this worked to my advantage at the moment.
Either way, I had to check the paper in my hands first. The letter stated that, should I accept, they would hold a ceremony for my admission to the Wizard Saints this Friday in the capital of Fiore. In addition, I would be granted an assistant to help me with my duties at first. This could last a few months up to a few years depending my performance.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked, looking at Ultear.
"It would be my honor to assist and work alongside one of the greatest Mages in this world," she replied without hesitation. "As long as you accept, that is."
I was already considering accepting since I felt like I could do a lot of good as one of the Wizard Saints. Plus, a vain part of me really wanted me to be known as one of the strongest people in the world. However, Levy contacted me with her Telepathy, urging me to accept for her own reasons.
'Think about all the Magical Books the Magic Council has gathered over the years.' Both of us almost started salivating at that thought. Never mind, there was actually a bit of drool on Levy's mouth as she was imaging all the knowledge that they had gathered. They had been active for hundreds of years, after all.
"I will gladly accept, and I'd love to have you as my assistant," I answered, and Ultear's face lit up in happiness.
"I'll make sure to forward your response to the Council," she replied with a nod.
"Thank you," I said before asking. "I guess with you being my assistant, you'll have to stay in Magnolia from now on?"
"Yes," Ultear confirmed.
"Do you have a place to stay?" I asked after that.
"Not at the moment, no," she replied with a shake of her head.
"Alright then, leave that to me," I said, and both girls looked at me with questioning gazes.
"I managed to buy the two neighboring properties," I explained, and Levy immediately understood. "I'm planning to rebuild the house into a bigger one and make a smaller one for the kids. Oh, and I want to expand the garden, can't forget about that."
"The kids?" Ultear asked with a tilt of her head, and we told her about my encounter with Rogue and Sting. Understandably, she was quite surprised when she heard they had pulled off a Unison Raid at such a young age, though she believed my words without questioning me.
"I want to make a place for them to stay so they don't have to sneak in during the night," I explained with a chuckle, and Ultear looked to the side with a pondering expression.
"Anyway, you can stay with us since we have plenty of space even now," I continued after a moment.
"Thank you," Ultear replied with a smile. "I will accept this gracious offer, but I first have to settle my business with the Council."
"No worries," I told her, and she stayed for a bit longer, just chatting about this and that with us before she finally left. I escorted her out, and Ultear stated she should be back by Wednesday at the latest.
Once she left, I returned to Levy and picked her up, carrying her to the couch where we laid down together. "Ready to create a few Spells for Archive?"
"What do you have in mind?" She asked as she nestled against me.
"Well, take a look at this first," I said as I used Telepathy to show her what happened to me earlier. "This gave me a few ideas, and I was thinking of making a Spell that could predict the actions of my opponents."
"Oh?" That caught her interest. "Now that sounds intriguing."
"Right?" I asked back. "Let's see if we can figure this out."
Levy was inspired from reading the notes, and she was more than helpful in my endeavor to create a couple more Spells for Archive. She seemed far more interested in the one we developed by taking inspiration from my recent abilities, and we named it Combat Algorithm together.
"I wonder if I can turn this into a Spell that predicts the actions of multiple people at the same time," she mused as we tested it out by play fighting with pillows.
"I don't see why not," I said as I ducked under her swing before attacking back. She spun away from my attack and threw her pillow at me, which I easily caught.
"I win." Levy grinned as she placed her hands on her waist.
"What…" I stared back in confusion.
"You didn't dodge, so I win." She stuck her tongue at me.
I narrowed my eyes, but the door of the house burst open at that moment. Cana rushed in with a large grin on her face.
"I'm hoome~" She jumped towards us, but we both dodged out of the way at the last moment, and she ended up falling on the couch.
"That was mean," Cana said with a huff and pouted at us. "And to think I wanted to show you something cool?"
"Oh? Like what?" I asked as we sat down next to her.
"I'm not telling," Cana crossed her arms and looked away.
"What if I promise to give you a massage later?" I asked and wiggled my eyebrows at her.
"Deal!" And she instantly folded. "Take a look."
Cana took out the card I gave her before she slapped it on her chest. Bright light enveloped her form, and a new outfit that came along with a wand replaced her current clothes. She twirled around, showing off her appearance and looked at us with rosy cheeks. "So? What do you think?"
"Oh, wow, you look great," I sincerely said as I looked her up and down, gulping a little from how seductive she looked in her current attire.
"I'm assuming that this does more than just changing your clothes?" Levy asked as she circled her around.
"It does." Cana nodded. "It takes quite a bit of Magic Power to sustain, but it makes up for that since it greatly improves my control of all my Magic."
Cana twirled the wand in her hand, the air visibly cracking at the tip of it as she displayed her improved control of her Magic. She then grinned and puffed her chest, waiting for us to praise her more.
"Congratulations." Levy smiled at her, and Cana wiggled left and right.
"You're amazing." I pulled her for a kiss, and she melted against me. "Now let's see about that massage, huh?"
"Yes, please!" Cana clapped her hands before pulling me up the stairs.
I turned back towards Levy and gave her a wink as I beckoned her over. She quickly followed along, knowing that I was quite good at massaging. It was safe to say that both were more than satisfied after I was done with them, and they fell asleep with pleased smiles.
With both of them out for the night, I figured I could do some renovations in my garden. I owned two new properties, after all, and I could easily expand my backyard even more. I just had to bring down the walls separating the buildings first, which took me no time at all, and I stored them in my Inventory.
Taking care of my plants and spending time in the garden was one of my favorite daily activities. It was just so relaxing and peaceful, and I wondered if I could somehow get the girls to do it with me. Juvia did seem to have a lot of fun, but unfortunately, they didn't seem that interested in gardening. So how else could I get them to spend more time here?
I looked around my garden, which was now three times as big as before. I could've easily filled it all with plants, but saved one corner for something special. Since we all enjoyed taking baths together, I figured I could try to make an outdoor bathhouse. One which we could all enjoy and relax in whenever we felt like it.
Now how would I go about building one? Well, first I had to dig out the foundation, which was super easy, barely an inconvenience with my Magic. I just had to flex my will, and the earth began raising itself. I threw it all in my Inventory and looked around. That was plenty of space for me to make what I wanted to.
Right… I was starting to feel slightly nervous since the only thing that I had ever built was the shack back in Loya, and… well, that one didn't turn out well. I shook my head and threw those thoughts away. I knew a lot more now, and I had all the knowledge I needed to create a bathhouse.
Slowly, I started working on the foundation, using the building materials that I had obtained from the generous donation of the once Duke. My Volcanic Dragon Magic worked wonders, proving that it was more than just a type of Magic focused on destruction, and I managed to set up a nice and lovely place in the corner of my garden.
Next, I filled the pool I dug out with my Storm Devil Magic, and there was only one thing left for me to do. I took out a few Lacrimas from my Inventory, and I infused them all with my Volcanic Magic, focusing on making them steaming hot before I threw them in the water, watching as it slowly started to bubble.
I thought that the temperature was perfect after I tested it out, though I had to admit that I wasn't a good judge for that due to my resistance to it. I would have to ask the girls tomorrow to see if it was actually okay, or if I would have to remove a few of the Lacrimas.
Either way, I was done with that for the moment, and I moved one, planting some of my plants in the bathhouse to add to its ambience. I finished it off by adding some lounge chairs for us to relax on.
I looked around with a large smile on my face, proud of what I managed to create on my own. It wasn't anything that impressive, but I thought it was a good experience for me since I did plan to rebuilt the entire house. That would definitely be a far larger project, and it would take me more than just a few hours, but I was starting to believe I was ready to do it now.
I couldn't wait to see the reactions of the girls, though they were still sleeping, so that would have to wait until morning. Since there was plenty of time left, and I figured I could work on some of my Magic and improve some of my Spells.
I was slightly anxious during breakfast and it showed as both instantly caught onto that.
"What's up?"
"What's wrong?"
They asked at the same and looked at each with smirks on their faces before turning back towards me.
"Well, I did a thing," I said as I conjured my Clone and had him start cleaning the dishes.
"A thing?" Cana tilted her head.
"What kind?" Levy narrowed her eyes.
"I have to show you," I said and beckoned them to follow me outside. They came along and stopped in place the moment we exited the house.
"So, I did some renovations around the garden first," I said, gaining more confidence from their reactions.
"This is beautiful," Levy said, giving me a bright smile.
"A bit too peaceful for my tastes, but I have to say, it does look really nice," Cana added, and I wasn't that surprised by her words. She was a lot more adventurous and active while the garden had a more peaceful vibe.
"This is just part of it," I said and grabbed their arms, leading the girls to what I really wanted to show them.
"Wait! Is this what I think it is?" Cana asked with widened eyes.
"A bathhouse just for us," I replied, and I felt Levy gently squeeze my hand. She gave me a bright smile when I turned to her while Cana quickly rushed inside.
"Oh, man! This is amazing!" Her voice came from inside the bathhouse, and we entered after her, seeing that she was already taking off her clothes.
"You even have a few of the coconuts growing inside! Hahaha, this is the best!" Cana plucked one of the coconuts and cracked it open before taking a large swig from it. She then dipped her toes in the water, but quickly pulled back. "The water is a bit too hot."
"I can fix that," I said and took out one of the Lacrimas heating the water before cooling it down a bit with my Ice Magic.
"Now it's perfect!" She declared and dropped inside, resting her hands on the side while taking small sips from the coconut. "Ah… I feel like I could stay here for an entire day."
Well, Cana obviously loved the bathhouse, so I turned to Levy. "What do you think?"
"I think… I will have a hard time showing you exactly how much I appreciate you." Levy smiled as she held onto my hand.
"You can start by throwing him in the water," Cana chipped in with a smirk. "Then we can show him how much we love him, eh?"
"I like the way you think," Levy replied with a gleam in her eyes, and I allowed her to push me in while I stored my clothes in my Inventory just before I hit the water. She took off her own clothes and followed after me before both girls surrounded me from each side.
"Just relax and let us take care of you," Levy whispered in my ear as their hands trailed down, and I took a deep breath while resting against the side of the pool, allowing them to pleasure me as much as they wanted to.
Cana had absolutely no desire to even leave the water, so we left her there to relax for the day. Levy wanted to check up on the kids and was considering taking them along with her team as they had a Job they were eyeing.
We left the house together, and as we made our way towards the Guild, I heard the people murmuring about a tragic event that had happened a day ago. Apparently, a village, one of the ones we visited with Mira, had been completely eradicated overnight.
Worst of all, the one responsible wasn't a monster, but another human. The people were sure of that as the one responsible had left a message stating that, "Zero was here."
That wasn't even the first place he had destroyed. No, the first village he had gone for was Loya. I figured that out after seeing a news article about this.
I stared at the newspaper, with all kinds of thoughts going through my head. I disliked most of the people from my village, but… I wasn't sure they deserved to all die, especially the people from that other village. They had done nothing wrong!. I… wasn't sure how to feel this at all, especially because…
"Do you think this Zero is personally targeting me?" I asked, eyes focused on the paper in my hands. The world didn't revolve around me, I knew that much, but this–call it a gut instinct–felt like a personal attack.
"Maybe… I don't know," Levy replied, placing her hand over mine. "It could be a coincidence, but…"
"It just feels too personal," I said, the paper crumpling in my hands as I pursed my lips in anger.
"You're going to go after this Zero, aren't you?" Levy asked, though she already knew the answer.
"Yes," I replied without hesitation. I even knew where to look for them. Granted, I was working with the impression that this Zero was personally targeting me. And if he was, then he'd go after the other villages that we passed through with Mira.
"I'll be back later," I told her as I formed wings on my back.
"Be careful," Levy said as she cupped my cheeks, pulling me in for a gentle kiss.
"I will." I nodded at her and took off, soaring through the sky as I flew towards the other villages. I conjured multiple of my wolves and send them all towards the rest of the places we visited with Mira while I stretched my senses to their maximum limit, searching for any signs of this Zero.
My wolves spread out, searching every nook and cranny near the villages. Some of the people saw them and got worried, but I had no time to pause and explain what was going on since I wanted to find Zero as quickly as possible before they managed to destroy even more places.
I even used my new Radar Spell to assist me with my search even though it wasn't that great yet as the range was fairly low. Nevertheless, I didn't lose much from using it, and it could've potentially helped me find Zero if that person knew how to perfectly hide their Magical energy from my senses. I doubted that was the case, but it was better to be safe than sorry, and the lives of multiple people dependent on me.
As I was flying around, I noticed a signature with a massive amount of Magic Power that was slowly moving towards one of the villages. Focusing on that, I sensed how evil and vile it felt, and I immediately rushed over.
The person, a middle aged man with white hair, looked at me with a grin. "The man of the hour has arrived!"
"So you're Zero." I narrowed my eyes as I shifted to my strongest Soul, the Ifrit. The Devil didn't put up any resistance at all, allowing me to use his power without any issues.
"Hehehe, poor, poor Leon." He maliciously grinned. "You look just like your father, and I wonder if you will squirm and beg for your life just like he did when I choked him to death. Hehehe."
"My father…" I froze on the spot, staring at him with wide eyes.
"I had so much fun with him, and I will have just as much fun with you when I get to dissect your corpse to figure out what makes you tick, hehehe." The ground around Zero started breaking apart as his Magic Power intensified.
"You killed my parents," I said, blankly staring at him, realizing just why I never met them. Why I never got to feel a mother's touch like all the rest of the kids in Loya. Why I had to grow up on my own, working hard just to get some scraps to eat. Why every winter was like a tribulation that I had to fight with my all to just survive.
Because he had killed my parents. Because he had left me in Loya and proclaimed I was cursed. He was the reason why I suffered for sixteen years. Fiery anger filled me as the ground began shaking from my state.
"And I had so much fun when I did that," Zero cackled, relishing in the despair I felt at that moment. "And I will have just as much fun killing you."
'Mother, father, I might've never had the chance to meet you, but…' Lightning boomed in the air as I took a deep breath. The fiery anger inside me turned into a cold one, and I felt calmer than ever at that moment. 'I will at least take revenge for you.'
Hades watched the confrontation on a screen formed by a specialized Lacrima, with six of the Seven Kin of Purgatory standing right behind him. They were all in their mobile base, the Grimoire Heart Airship as they observed the fight.
"He doesn't look like much," Zancrow commented with a frown. "Bet I can easily burn him to a crisp with my fire."
Hades ignored him, replaying the words the two shared while trying to figure it all out. Was he mistaken in his assumption that this was Zeref or was he wrong? He couldn't tell at the moment, so he continued observing, noting how the weather shifted and how the ground started rumbling, the world itself roaring in anger with the young man's emotions.
Leon's form twisted, turning more and more Demonic by the second, and then he pulled out a sword with his Requip. Hades' eye widened as he saw how the air twisted from the heat and pressure that the weapon emitted with its presence alone.
He wasn't sure what that sword was but… he felt like it could split him in half with just a swing from it, completely ignoring the fact that he should be immortal as long as he had his Devil's Heart.
"Hahaha!" Zero laughed as if he didn't realize what he was up against.
"Show me what you got!" He took a step, about to rush towards Leon, but the ground below him split apart, and he faltered for a split second.
"Loptr Laegjarn." Leon appeared in front of Zero, muttering something in a language Hades didn't recognize. His sword was held above him, and it looked like it was somehow bigger than a moment ago.
Hades narrowed his eye, seeing a faint phantom image of the weapon appear above the two, and it was… absolutely massive. So much so that he was capable of clearly seeing it from his ship without the Lacrima, and he gulped, feeling as if the sword could cleave the world in half. He kept his feelings in check and just watched as Leon swung down.
The entire world shook as their surroundings erupted. The ground broke apart in a one kilometer radius with fire and blue lava bursting out from beneath. Leon destroyed everything in such a large area with just a swing of that sword, turning the surroundings in a fiery hell.
"What the fuck…" The people behind him all stared with wide eyes, watching as absolutely everything there was eradicated from that single attack.
"Bluenote." Hades turned towards the deputy commander of the Seven Kin. "Go test him."
The man didn't question his decision and jumped from the ship, descending towards the ground before he used his Magic to lightly land. He then rushed towards the fiery hell, using his Gravity Magic to push away the flames.
I listlessly stared at the location where Zero was seconds ago, unsure what to think or even feel at that moment. The one responsible for my rough childhood was gone for good and yet… I felt so empty despite that. I wanted to just return home, grab all the girls, and cuddle with them for the rest of the day.
However, it seemed someone had other ideas. The blue-haired man rushing towards me was tall, and he had a completely blank expression on his face.
'I wonder if he can fly or even survive a hit from me?' I heard his thoughts loud and clear. 'I just hope he lasts at least one round against me.'
An invisible pressure descended upon me, and I faltered in my steps, so even though I saw his attack coming before he even reached me, I still ended up getting punched in the face by him. Though…
"What…" He stared in shock, fist still against my face as I didn't even budge from his attack. "Why aren't you falling?"
I raised my sword, ignoring his words and swung it down with all my strength.
"GAH!" The ground shook from the force of my swing, but the guy managed to resist it, stopping the attack from reaching him with the same invisible force. Gravity, I deduced after taking a closer look
"Who are you?" I asked, shaking off the pressure by flexing my Magic.
"Me?" He asked, using his Magic to push away all the fire in our surroundings. "I'm the one that will test to see if you can fly. Now fall!"
The pressure intensified, but since I now knew what it was, I could perfectly counter it with my own Magical Power.
"Why aren't you falling?!" He yelled, his composure breaking as I ignored his Magic and took slow steps in his direction while I activated Boss Battle.
'Hades wants to test him? Fuck that! I will kill this fucker!' His thoughts turned savage as he narrowed his eyes.
I saw what he'd do before he even moved, so I moved to the side, avoiding the attack empowered with his Gravity Magic, and swung my sword again. He buckled under the force of my attack, but he managed to block it entirely with his powerful Magic.
"Fall, damn it!" He roared as he pushed my sword away.
"No," I muttered a response, just my vision turned blue from the Kirin then fell down upon us.
"RAAAGH!" He roared as he pushed against my Secret Art with all his might. Alas, that wasn't even close to enough to stop my attack.
"You will not defeat me!" He yelled in defiance, and I swung my sword in response. His arm flew off his body, turning into ash before it even fell on the ground.
"Fall! Fall! Fall!" He repeated again and again, but his Magic was useless against me.
I took a deep breath and spewed hot blue lava on top of him. His Magic pushed the majority away, but I continued firing my Spell, covering his entire body with my toxic lava.
"I will not fall!" He extended his arm, forming a purple-black orb in front of him that began slowly growing stronger and larger as it pulled everything towards it with its massive gravitational force.
I dissipated the Spell with a wave of my hand, his eyes growing wide as I dispelled what I assumed was his strongest attack. "No…"
"Yes," I replied, taking a step forward and thrust my blade through his body.
"GAAAAH!" His screams were like music to my ears, and I watched him burn alive before he turned to ashes moments later.
I picked the reward that formed next to him and extended my senses as far as I could, trying to see if there was anyone else that I had to take care of. There was no one else even remotely close, so I released my Magic.
I nearly slumped on the ground but I managed to stop myself. Looking around, I realized just how much devastation I had caused, and I turned my gaze towards the sword. This weapon was a lot more powerful than I imagined it was, and I had to be far more careful when using it in the future. Not to mention how it managed to burn my hands even though I should've been immune to nearly all types of Fire Magic…
I stored the sword in my Inventory and quickly healed my hands before focusing on my surroundings again. As much as I wanted to return home and cuddle with the girls, I figured I should fix this mess first before doing that.
This was taking me longer than I imagined, but I had to cool down the lava, douse all the fires, ensure none of the toxic sulfur remained, and replant all the various plants. It was honestly quite the ordeal, but I was adamant about fixing everything since I was the cause of it.
I felt an energy signature enter my range, but I wasn't worried about this one since I recognized it as friendly. He took his time, but soon enough, he came into view.
"You sure made a mess out here, huh? We felt it over at Magnolia." Gildarts looked around the mostly fixed area. He then walked over, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You okay?"
"Just a bit numb…" I replied as I continued reseeding the plants.
"You can always take a break and do it later," he said, giving my shoulder a squeeze.
"I'm not tired, it's just… Zero was the one that killed my parents and…" I let out a sigh, my mood dropping just by thinking about that.
How different would my life have been if I hadn't been an orphan? If my parents hadn't been killed by Zero? What were they like? Would I have ended up joining Fairy Tail if they were still alive? Would I have even met all the people I cherished so much right now? So many questions, but one in particular hurt me the most.
Was it… better that they had died? This one was the hardest to answer. Because… well, I really loved what I had made with my life, and… Yeah, this was too hard for me to answer at the moment. I might've never even had the chance to meet them, but I didn't want to feel happy because they had been killed by Zero… This wasn't easy at all.
"It's gonna be alright." Gildarts pulled me for an one armed hug. I paused for a second and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.
"I guess," I said as I pulled away, mechanically continuing with my work. Gildarts dropped his butt on the ground and just watched me as I finished with the area.
It didn't take me much longer, and I nodded to myself once I was done. He got up from the ground and dusted himself off.
"Ready to get back home?" Gildarts asked as he stretched left and right. "Quite a few were worried about you once the weather shifted and the ground started shaking, you know?"
"Yeah, I'm ready to return," I said with a nod and called my wolves. We both jumped on top, and I urged them to fly as fast as possible as I desperately wanted to see the girls at that moment.
"Hey," Gildarts called out to me just before we reached Magnolia. "Don't fly us directly to the Guild. Drop us right outside of the city."
I wasn't sure what he was thinking, but I followed along. As much as I wanted to return home, I figured I could take a moment or two to collect myself.
We dropped near the city, and we were quickly spotted by the people. Gildarts waved at them and turned to me with a grin. "Give it a moment."
I tilted my head and felt the ground rumble, sensing how the earth shifted, the entire moving around to form a path directly towards the Guild.
"Let's go," he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as he began walking towards Fairy Tail, all while waving at the people with his other hand. They all cheered and were happy to wave back.
"Come on," Gildarts said with a grin. "Don't leave them hanging."
I awkwardly waved back, and they all cheered as they pointed at us and wildly swung their arms in response.
"Doesn't… this massively inconvenience them?" I asked, thinking how almost everyone had to pause their day just because one guy was returning back to the city.
"Maybe." Gildarts shrugged. "But they sure love it. Just look at how happy they are to see us."
He wasn't wrong, and they did seem really happy to see us even though this should've been an inconvenience.
"Why did they rebuild the town to have this function in the first place?" I asked as we continued making our way towards the Guild, using this as a way to distract myself.
"Ah." Gildarts sheepishly scratched his head. "Sometimes I'd be in a rush to return home, or I'd be daydreaming while I walk, and… well, I might've passed through a building or a dozen, hehe. You know how it is?"
I passed for a moment, processing what he just said. Then I shook my head and continued walking. "So they figured it was just cheaper to rebuild the city instead of fixing all the damage?"
"Hehehe." Gildarts sheepishly laughed and looked away, avoiding eye contact with me.
I knew that most members had a penchant for property damage after helping Makarov with all the paperwork he had to deal with on a daily basis. But this? This was on a completely different level.
Then again, Gildarts' Magic was quite destructive in nature from what I had seen, so it wasn't that surprising. Though… I wasn't much better, at least as of late. The last few times I went out, I destroyed an island, half a mountain, and… yeah… At least I fixed up after myself for the most part.
As if sensing that my mood was dropping again, Gildarts squeezed my shoulder and grinned at me. I nodded at him, and we shortly arrived back at the Guild.
Right before we entered the building, we were confronted by a group of Rune Knights. Leading them was a slim man with black hair and lavender eyes. He stepped forward with a slightly nervous posture, but he took a deep breath and straightened his back.
"Excuse me," he said as he stopped us. "I'm Lahar, Head Captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit. Could you please inform us if you were the one responsible for the recent events and could you provide us with details of what exactly occurred?"
"I…" I took a deep breath before continuing. "Had a run in with Zero. He's already been dealt with."
"Zero?" Lahar asked, eyes narrowing in confusion.
"This guy," I replied with a sigh as I showed him the image of Zero with my Archive Magic.
"Ah, Brain…" Lahar recognized the man, though he knew him under a different name. Not that it mattered much to me since he was already gone for good.
"And this guy attacked me after that," I continued, remembering the blue-haired guy that rushed me moments after I dealt with Zero, and I showed his image with Archive as well.
Lahar stared at the new person with narrowed eyes before they widened in recognition. "Bluenote? That's… he's a high ranking member of Grimoire Heart and one of the most wanted men alive. What's his status? Did he manage to escape?"
"He's gone," I said with a sigh. I knew he wasn't a good guy after hearing his thoughts, but I felt a little better knowing that I hadn't killed an innocent man.
"Right, so, um, right." Lahar seemed surprised, and he didn't look like he was even remotely prepared for this.
"Would that be all?" I asked, just wishing to enter inside the Guild.
"What about the damages from the fight?" Lahar shook off his surprise and asked with narrowed eyes.
"Already fixed," I tiredly replied.
"Oh…" He paused, his eyes blinking at me. "Well, that would be all. Thank you for informing us about the situation. I will make sure to report it to the Council as soon as possible. Have a good day."
With that out of the way, I could finally return back to the Guild.
Sting was the first one to greet me, quickly rushing over with shining eyes. "Was that you? We felt the tremors from your fight, and we saw the storm! Woah! You're really strong, aren't you?"
"I guess, I am," I replied, ruffling his hair with a weak smile.
"Stop that!" He swiped at my hand, but he didn't move his head away and just pouted at me before crossing his arms.
Rogue walked over with Frosch sitting on his shoulder. "You're okay?"
"As okay as I can be at the moment," I replied, offering him a weak smile. Rogue narrowed his eyes, but he didn't push it and just nodded his head.
"He's okay," Frosch said, nodding his head along.
"And that sword!" Sting exclaimed, raising his arms in the air. "It was sooo big! And we saw it from over here!"
"What?" I frowned, wondering what he was talking about.
"Yeah!" Frosch agreed with him. "It was sooo big! Frosch thought it was about to cleave the world in half!"
"It might've been blurry, but it looked really scary," Lector said before quicking adding. "Not that I was scared or anything like that."
"Yeah, he wasn't scared," Frosch agreed with him without hesitation.
'Are you okay?' Levy asked me with her Telepathy as she came over as well.
'Could be better,' I replied as I took her hand in mine. Sting made a puking expression as he saw that, and he turned away from us.
'What did they mean by saying they saw the sword?' I asked her for clarification.
'We all saw it,' Levy replied and showed me the scene they had all seen. I paused in shock and narrowed my eyes at the blurry image of a massive Laevateinn hanging in the air as if it was about to chop down and cleave the very world in half.
'I don't remember doing that,' I said, eyes blinking as I tried to figure out how that had even happened. I checked through my Status, but I didn't have any type of Magic that could've done that. The closest thing was Lord'oran's illusions, but I used the Ifrit during that fight.
I looked at the weapon in my Inventory, reading through its description given to me by my Magic, but there was nothing there that could've explained the scene I just saw. It just stated that the power of all types of Fire Magic would be amplified when being used with the sword. So how did that happen?
'We can look into it later,' I said, deciding it wasn't worth pondering this at the moment. Instead, I asked, 'Will you be going on a Job with the kids?'
'I think… I can delay it for a day or two,' Levy said, offering me a bright smile as she squeezed my hand.
I gave her a thankful nod and looked around. A few people seemed interested in talking with me, and I even saw the Thunder God Tribe among them, but I really wasn't in the mood for that at the moment. Makarov waved his hand at me with Gildarts sitting next to him, telling me with just a gesture that I shouldn't worry about it.
Unfortunately, Erza wasn't around, so I quickly went inside the kitchen after telling Levy I'd be right back. I found Mira sitting on her own there, just silently staring at a wall.
Without speaking any words, I walked over and picked her up before depositing her in my lap. She wrapped her arms around me, tightly hugging me as she pushed her head against my chest. I took a deep breath and rubbed her back. We stayed like that for a while before I cupped her face and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
"Hey, do you want to come over and spend the day just cuddling?" I asked as I pulled back. She nodded mutely, and I got up, taking her hand in mine before leading her out of the kitchen. I left my Clone there just so it could pick up her duties.
Levy stepped beside us, and we left the Guild, returning back to my house. Cana greeted us with a large smile, but she instantly picked up on the mood and came over to hug us all. We then all walked up the stairs and ended up in a big cuddle pile in my bed while I got to tell them about what happened earlier. At some point during the day, Erza barged in the house and entered the room, instantly throwing herself on top of the pile.
I was still conflicted about it all. Zero, Brain, or whatever his name was, had robbed me from having a family, from having a happy childhood. However, I had all of those amazing girls by my side, and despite everything, I was content with my current lot in life. I was successful, and I was building a loving family. That's…that was better than what most people had.
For the first time in a long while, I drifted off to sleep, allowing myself a moment to rest while enjoying the warmth of the girls as they all clung to me.
I was plagued with nightmares at first, seeing Zero in all of them. He was surrounded by burning buildings and maniacally laughed as he killed a man that looked like me. A woman with a blurry face begged him to stop, but he snapped the neck of that man before doing the same to her.
I tossed and turned in bed, seeking out the warmth of the girls around me. That helped calm me down and my dreams turned into ones with images of them. They were all sitting around me in the garden while we fondly watched kids that vaguely resembled us happily running around as they played with each other.
A sense of peace filled me as I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling… well, I wouldn't say perfectly okay, but I was better. My arms wrapped around the girls, pulling them closer to me, and I relished in their presence, enjoying the warmth they provided me at that moment.
Mira tightened her grip in her sleep, pushing herself against me, desperately seeking my presence. I gently kissed her forehead, watching as her face relaxed a bit. Erza was hugging her from behind while she held onto my arm, squeezing it between her large breasts. Levy was snuggled against my other side while Cana squished her from behind, though she didn't look like she was uncomfortable.
I took a deep breath, a smile slowly growing on my face. The past was the past. I could spend my entire life dwelling on it, and I would never get the chance to fix it. At most, I would waste my time chasing something I would never get. Instead, it was better to focus on the present. Those four girls meant too much to me, and I wanted to make them as happy as possible. And… well, I couldn't do that if I was too busy moping about what ifs.
I wanted to live a happy and peaceful life, I was sure of that. However, This world was as dangerous as it was beautiful, and I needed to be strong enough to be able to guarantee that. To guarantee that I… no, that we would have a happy life.
I took another deep breath before summoning my Clone to send it to my garden. I had to take care of all my plants first before I continued working on my Magic. The Clone could take care of all of that while I stayed here, enjoying the comfort provided by the girls.