Arrest Jiang Bai?

Magic Council Headquarters.

The atmosphere inside the huge circular conference hall was so oppressive it felt like you could wring water out of it.

The nine judges sat upright, each with an extremely unpleasant expression.

Before them was a huge magical crystal screen, playing the same image on a loop—the scenic mountain that had been smoothed out by the Hollow Technique "Zi," leaving a huge, mirror-like gap.

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

A councilor with a hooked nose, Ogre, slammed his hand on the table, his voice sharp with anger.

"This is blatant provocation! It's a trampling of the authority of the Magic Council! I propose that the Magic Council's army be immediately dispatched to arrest this madman named Jiang Bai and bring him to justice as a warning to others!"

Ogre looked around indignantly, hoping to get the support of his colleagues.

However, all he received in response was an eerie, deathly silence.

The councilor sitting opposite him silently picked up his teacup and blew on non-existent tea leaves.

The person next to him suddenly became very interested in the wood grain on the table and began to examine it closely.

Even Siegrain, who was always on good terms with Ogre, was now looking down at his nose, seemingly in a meditative state.

Arrest Jiang Bai?

What a joke!

Who here hasn't seen that footage? It's a monster that even Zeref's demon could kill in one hit and "delete" an entire mountain in the process!

Send troops? Are they there to arrest people, or to send them to their deaths?

Besides, who could have stopped the Magic Council being demolished last time?

Seeing no one respond, Ogre's face turned pale and then flushed. He stiffened his neck and forced himself to say, "What? Are you all just going to stand by and watch him run rampant? What about the reputation of our Magic Council?!"

In a corner, a timid councilor finally couldn't resist and muttered in a barely audible voice, "Then... then why don't you lead the team, Councilor Ogre? We'll support you in spirit..."

Ogre's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Let him go? He's not ready to die yet!

Seeing the atmosphere reach an extremely awkward point, another judge, Berno, who appeared shrewd and capable, cleared his throat and tried to smooth things over.

"Congressman Ogre, please calm down. The matter of the arrest does indeed... require careful consideration."

He deliberately emphasized the phrase "to consider in the long term".

"However, this destruction must not be left unresolved!"

Berno's tone shifted, and his eyes sharpened.

"Just because we can't arrest him doesn't mean we can't make him pay! That mountain is a famous natural heritage site of the kingdom, and the cost of its restoration is astronomical! Fairy Tail must fully compensate for this debt!"

This suggestion was immediately approved by the vast majority of people present.

"That's right! They must pay compensation!"

"Let them know that destruction comes at a price!"

"Hmph, those Fairy Tail guys should have been taught a lesson long ago! They think they're so great just because they have a few S-Class Mages!"

The council members chimed in with their opinions, as if making the Fairy Tail bleed profusely would somehow salvage the face they had just lost.

They all spoke with righteous indignation, as if they were the embodiment of justice, completely forgetting their cowardly silence just moments before.

"Compensation?"

Makarov's friend, Yajima, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally slowly opened them.

His aged and cloudy gaze swept over everyone present. Although he didn't exude any sense of oppression, he made the previously passionate councilors unconsciously shut their mouths.

"I'd like to ask you all..."

Yajima's voice was calm and unhurried.

Who was originally responsible for safeguarding the seal on the 'Lullaby'?

Silence fell once again in the conference room.

Yajima continued, "It was our Magic Council's negligence that allowed Zeref's demon to reappear in the world."

"If it weren't for Jiang Bai's intervention, the discussion now wouldn't be about the cost of restoring a single mountain, but rather how to explain things to the families of tens of thousands of victims, and how to rebuild the entire Clover Town."

He picked up the teacup in front of him and took a small sip.

Which of these two disputes do you think is bigger?

"Fairy Tail isn't causing trouble,"

Yajima put down his teacup with a soft sound.

"They're cleaning up the mess for our Magic Council."

These words left all the judges present speechless, their faces burning as if they had been slapped several times in public.

Berno still tried to argue. "But... but the damage he caused is also a fact!"

"The truth is, he saved everyone," Yajima interrupted him bluntly.

Finally, the previously silent Chief Justice, Crawford Himm, slowly spoke, bringing this farce to a close.

"Your Excellency Yajima is right."

His authoritative gaze swept across the entire room.

"Fairy Tail played a crucial role in this incident. The threat of 'Lullaby' was ended because of them."

"The Magic Council will officially issue a commendation order to Fairy Tail to recognize their contributions."

"As for the cost of repairing the mountain... that Magic Council."

Upon hearing that the bill was waived, several councilors showed expressions of pain, but none dared to object.

"But!"

The chief councilor abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming stern.

"Merit is merit, and demerit is demerit! Such blatant acts of vandalism must not be tolerated! This not only damaged the Magic Council's property but also created a negative impact on the public! It must be criticized!"

He paused, seemingly pondering a foolproof plan that would both save face for the Magic Council and avoid angering the monster.

Finally, he made the final decision.

"Here's what we'll do. Send someone to Fairy Tail to tell them that the Magic Council to summon Jiang Bai to headquarters for a hearing. We can then give him a verbal reprimand in person."

Verbal criticism?

As soon as the word was uttered, all the council members understood immediately, and their faces showed expressions of "the speaker is indeed brilliant."

This way, the "punishment" procedure is fulfilled without incurring any risk, and the public can still claim that "the Magic Council has dealt with this matter seriously."

Absolutely perfect!

I agree!

I second that!

"That's right! Let him know that the authority of the Magic Council is not to be violated!"

Looking at his colleagues who had instantly become "righteous and indignant," Yajima shook his head helplessly, picked up his teacup, and concealed the barely perceptible, sarcastic smile on his lips.

A bunch of cowards... who only dare to talk their way out of trouble.