Getting Weaker? A Baffling Anomaly

(Heartfelt thanks to 'Ling Luochuan' for the 100,000 reward, 'Qi Guanxuanqi' for the 10,000 reward, and 'Shen Yueyou', 'Bing Yue Ying', 'Long Tiani', 'Xiao h Zhai', 'Long Jiancanshang', 'An Heilong Pozhan', 'Wandering in a World Without You', and 'Cheng Geqi Wo Ye' for their rewards!)

"P-please come again..."

With a smile so fake it could not have been faker and words just as insincere, the middle-aged man from the Council of Magi stood at the inn entrance, drenched in sweat as he bowed to Noah, Erza, and Laxus. From the look of him, he wished he would never have to see Fairy Tail again.

Naturally, Noah, Erza, and Laxus paid no attention to the man's affected behavior. They knew he had truly been terrified by Noah and Laxus. After collecting the three million Jewel reward, they packed their luggage and headed toward the station.

However, Erza seemed unable to let the matter go as they walked.

"Is it really all right for me to accept one-third of the reward?" Her already sternly beautiful face was filled with conflict as Erza spoke to the unconcerned Noah beside her.

"I only came along with you. I didn't contribute to this mission, and I didn't even manage to help. I can't accept taking one-third of the reward like this!"

"We're all members of the same guild. There's no need to be so formal." Noah let out a slight sigh.

"Since we worked together, splitting the reward evenly is perfectly normal. There was no prior agreement that whoever contributed more would receive more. Rather than dwelling on it, wouldn't it be better to accept it gratefully?"

Seeing that Erza still could not let it go, in stark contrast to Laxus, who had accepted his third of the reward as though it were only natural from the very beginning, Noah shrugged and changed the subject.

"More importantly, we need to tell Grandpa about Phantom Lord when we get back."

At those words, Erza fell silent, while a cold gleam flashed through Laxus's eyes.

As Fairy Tail grew increasingly powerful, its relationship with Phantom Lord had become increasingly tense. But no one had expected things to have reached this point.

This time, Phantom Lord had directly interfered with Fairy Tail's work—and it had been work assigned by the Council of Magi. Anyone could probably guess what they were plotting.

If Noah had not truly been able to provide the equivalent magical power of dozens of wizards by himself, Phantom Lord would never have obediently stood aside and watched Fairy Tail complete the job.

Although Phantom Lord had not intended to openly turn against Fairy Tail this time, who could say that would remain the case in the future?

Thus, Phantom Lord's actions this time were more like a prelude.

If things continued like this, the relationship between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord would only worsen. Once the fuse was lit, they might even become full-fledged enemies.

To prevent the same thing from happening again, and to prepare for a possible conflict at any time, they absolutely needed to report this matter to Makarov.

"Phantom Lord..." Laxus's expression darkened.

"Anyone can just walk all over Fairy Tail now. When exactly did this guild become so weak?"

Erza stopped walking.

"Weak?" Noah looked straight at Laxus.

"Shouldn't it be the opposite? Isn't Phantom Lord picking a fight precisely because the guild has grown stronger?"

"Hah?" Laxus turned a sinister look on Noah, meeting his gaze.

"Even a mere branch guild dares to come and provoke us. If that isn't weakness, what is?"

"Is that so?" Noah had remained expressionless even when Laxus had mocked and insulted him over his own affairs yesterday. Yet now, he confronted Laxus without the slightest fear. His gaze became even sharper than Laxus's, startling Erza inwardly.

"Do you think a guild with Grandpa in it could be weak?"

"The Guild Master of Phantom Lord is one of the Ten Wizard Saints. That old man is one too, isn't he?" Laxus had stopped walking, glaring coldly down at Noah.

"They're both Ten Wizard Saints, yet even a branch guild from another guild dares to openly pick a fight with ours. Doesn't that mean they look down on us?"

Noah's eyes immediately narrowed.

The Ten Wizard Saints!

They were ten wizards selected by the Council of Magi, the highest arbitration body in the magical world, and unanimously recognized as the continent's most outstanding and righteous wizards!

Every one of these ten wizards possessed unimaginable power. It was said that battles between the Ten Wizard Saints could split the heavens and shatter the earth, with the collision of magical power alone causing the ground to quake and mountains to tremble. They were true monster-class powerhouses!

The Ten Wizard Saints had rankings as well!

However, they were not ranked according to personal combat ability. Some of them did not even understand combat at all, yet they had reached the pinnacle of a particular field of magic, making them existences no one could ignore.

Makarov was one of the Ten Wizard Saints!

Phantom Lord's Guild Master was also one of the Ten Wizard Saints!

It was precisely because both guilds had Ten Wizard Saints, wizards who could be called the strongest, that Fairy Tail was considered a contender for the number one guild in the Kingdom of Fiore.

"Fairy Tail is getting weaker and weaker. It's practically becoming a cradle for weaklings!" Laxus said bitterly, turning his furious gaze toward Noah.

"And you, with all that tremendous magical power, still don't even dare to learn magic. Are you really willing to be a weakling?"

Seeing the faint trace of disappointment hidden within Laxus's furious eyes, Noah lowered his head. After a moment of silence, he raised his gaze to meet Laxus's again.

"I'll learn magic!"

Laxus suddenly reached out, seized Noah by the collar, and shouted in rage.

"Then hurry the hell up!"

"Laxus!" Erza could no longer ignore it. She reached out as well, grabbing the arm Laxus was using to clutch Noah's collar.

"Calm down! Let Noah go!"

Yet Laxus did not even glance at Erza. When he saw Noah's formerly sharp gaze slowly settle and return to calm after Laxus had directly laid hands on him, inexplicable anger rose within him.

"How long are you going to keep being such a coward? Are you really going to make me look down on you?!"

"What exactly are you so anxious about?" Noah ignored the fact that his body had nearly been yanked off the ground, speaking in an indifferent tone.

"Learning magic a little later shouldn't make any difference, should it?"

"But you're an eyesore like this!" Laxus roared.

"You bear the Dreyar name, yet you don't have the slightest fighting ability. Do you know how many people are laughing at you?"

"The Dreyar name?" Noah stared intently into Laxus's eyes.

"Does that name put a lot of pressure on you?"

Laxus's breathing caught.

"Clap, clap, clap, clap..."

Just then, a round of applause entered the ears of Noah, Erza, and Laxus.