Old Men, Long Time No See
After the members of the Rune Knights left with Jiang Bai, the Fairy Tail guild was quiet for less than three seconds before returning to its usual hustle and bustle.
Natsu and Gray started fighting again over some trivial matter, with tables and chairs flying everywhere.
Cana, clutching a barrel of wine, sang a tuneless song at the top of her lungs;
Macao and Wakaba huddled together, excitedly discussing where their next mission would take them.
It was as if the tense scene just moments ago was merely an insignificant illusion.
Only the newcomer, Lucy, stood there dumbfounded, staring at everything in disbelief, her mind a complete mess.
"What... what's going on?"
She stammered as she turned to Mira beside her.
"Jiang Bai... he was taken away by the Magic Council members! And on the grounds of 'arrest'! Why isn't anyone worried at all?"
"Because he's Jiang Bai!"
Mira wiped the wine glass in her hand, a gentle smile on her face as if it were perfectly natural.
"Hey~"
Happy flapped his little wings and flew to Lucy's shoulder, saying in a knowing tone,
"This isn't the first time Jiang Bai has been taken to the Magic Council; he'll get used to it."
"Not the first time?!"
Lucy's urge to complain exploded instantly.
"How many crimes has he committed?! How can he act as casually as if he's just going to the market to buy vegetables!"
"However, speaking of which, the Magic Council hasn't contacted Jiang Bai again in the past two years,"
Happy tilted his head and thought for a moment.
"I didn't expect it to start again today."
"Why?"
Lucy asked instinctively.
Happy suddenly lowered his voice, leaned close to Lucy's ear, and said in a eerie, ghostly tone, "Because... two years ago, Jiang Bai caused a huge scene at the Magic Council ~"
That slightly chilly voice sent a chill down Lucy's spine.
"Ugh! Don't suddenly scare me like that!"
Lucy was startled and quickly pulled Happy off her shoulder.
"Hehe, cowardly Lucy!"
Happy made a face in mid-air.
"I told you not to give me nicknames!"
Lucy retorted angrily, but then she realized what Happy had just said.
A huge disturbance at... the Magic Council?
That institution representing the highest power and order in the entire magical world?
And now... he's still alive and kicking, perfectly fine?
Lucy felt that her worldview had been refreshed once again.
Why... why?
She looked at Mira, her voice trembling slightly.
"Disrupting the Magic Council... is this really okay?"
"Yes, that's what Xiao Bai said,"
Mira recalled this, a smile she couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
"He said it was because those old men wanted him to Magic Council, without any pay, which made him very unhappy, so he took the opportunity to tear down the Magic Council."
Lucy's chin was almost touching the ground.
"Wait... wait a minute! Sister Mira!"
She felt like her brain wasn't working properly.
"You mean, Jiang Bai Magic Council, and in the end... Jiang Bai won?"
"Yes!"
Mira nodded, her tone as casual as if she were saying, "The weather is so nice today."
"And it was a complete victory, without a single casualty!"
Happy added smugly from the side.
"Hey hey!!"
Lucy finally couldn't hold back and let out a deafening scream.
"Lucy really loves to yell." Happy picked at his ear.
"So... how was it finally resolved?"
Lucy forced herself to calm down, her curiosity completely overpowering her shock.
"The president also rushed over at that time."
Mira explained,
"They stopped Xiao Bai from continuing to teach those council members a lesson, and the Magic Council didn't dare to say anything more, so the two of them returned together."
"Later, it seems two new councilors arrived and used magic to repair the demolished area. In the end Magic Council completely sealed the news, forbidding anyone from mentioning it again."
Meanwhile, at the Magic Council headquarters, Era.
After Jiang Bai arrived in the Magic Council's luxurious carriage, he walked straight into the headquarters building with the captain's "respectful farewell".
Along the way, all the Magic Council staff who saw him, whether they were clerical staff or guard knights, as long as they had been through something, looked as if they had seen a ghost, and their expressions changed drastically.
I instinctively pressed myself against the wall, wishing I could shrink into it.
"Oh my god... who summoned this monster again?"
"Quickly... get away from him!"
Whispers filled the air, but no one dared to speak aloud.
Jiang Bai seemed oblivious to the stares and whispers. He navigated the long corridor with practiced ease and soon arrived at the familiar, solemn, and dignified Supreme Court.
The judges sat upright, looking down from their seats, adopting an authoritative and dignified demeanor as if they were conducting a trial.
Jiang Bai Baili didn't bother with them at all. He just glanced at them and then casually waved to an empty corner next to him.
An invisible Telekinesis surged forth, and a spare chair that had been leaning against the corner of the wall floated over and landed steadily in the center of the courtroom.
Jiang Bai swaggered over, plopped down, and even crossed his legs.
He looked up at the several faces that were pretending to be serious, grinned, and revealed a set of white teeth.
"Hey! Old men, long time no see!"
"They all look much older now. Honestly, at this age, they should retire early, go home and take care of their grandchildren, instead of just occupying positions without doing anything."
His words were so arrogant that they made the councilors' faces turn green with anger.
The hook-nosed councilor, Ogre, slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Silence! Jiang Bai! You need to understand, this is the sacred courtroom! Behave solemnly!"