After hearing Allen's answer, Makarov fell into thought. After a moment, he looked at Allen and said seriously, "All right. I won't notify the Council for now. Wait until you confirm Brian's stance. But regarding your trip to the Northern Continent, I think you should reconsider it. Or you could contact your grandmother during the day and ask for her opinion. Of course, if you insist on going, take a few people with you. You can't handle something like this alone. We're all family in Fairy Tail. All right, that's enough for now. I need to keep thinking about what to do next."
After Makarov ended the call, Allen turned to Laxus, who had been excited beyond words, and asked, "Laxus, are you afraid of going to the Northern Continent?"
Laxus waved his fists and shouted excitedly, "Are you kidding? I'm Laxus! If I don't take part in something like this, that'll be the regret of my life!"
Allen smiled and patted Laxus on the arm before returning to the room. He said to Caitlin, "Let me ask you another question. About a year ago, did the Serpent's Lair attack a mage from a guild called Foxes of the Forest?"
Caitlin had a vague impression of the name Foxes of the Forest. "I think I've heard that name before. Some people in the guild mentioned it. Ah! Right, it was Seo Ramsey's group. When they came back that day, they bragged endlessly that an A-Class mage from the Light Guild was nothing special and completely helpless. Seo's group is on the Northern Continent now, but I don't know exactly where. I only know that our guild has a base in Isban, on the Northern Continent. I don't know anything else."
After saying all that, Caitlin asked Allen, "Hey! I answered so many questions. Can you remove the seal on my magic source?"
Allen ignored Caitlin and merely tossed out a reply: "It'll be removed naturally after some time. For now, just stay here obediently."
After confirming that the five of them could not break free, Allen took Laxus back to the inn.
In the room, Allen also contacted Yahar. He reported the information he had just obtained about the Dark Magic Group and the Serpent's Lair operating on the Northern Continent, and told him to come quickly and take custody of the five prisoners at Rainbow Port. Otherwise, they might find a way to escape.
After receiving the news, Yahar hurried to Rainbow Port with people that very night. He even wanted Allen to stay behind and watch the five prisoners, but Allen answered directly, "I have my own things to take care of. I don't have time to watch your prisoners here."
After saying that, Allen ended the call. At dawn, he left the inn with Laxus and prepared to head for Crocas, where the Magic Development Bureau was located.
Allen vaguely remembered that not long after Ultear was born, the immense amount of magic inside her caused her to fall ill because her body was still undeveloped and unable to control it. Since she knew Brian, Ur had sent Ultear to the Magic Development Bureau in hopes that they could help her control that immense power. Although he did not know Ultear's birth date, he would find out whether she was at the Magic Development Bureau by going there. Even if she was not, exposing Brian ahead of time would still be worthwhile.
With that in mind, Allen and Laxus traveled from Rainbow Port to Crocas, several thousand kilometers away. Allen was not very lucky this time and failed to find a ride along the way. The two hurried onward, and only after half a month did they finally see the outline of Crocas.
The two entered Crocas without trouble. Makarov had already told Allen where the Magic Development Bureau was, so all Allen had to do now was wait until late at night and sneak inside.
In the evening, Allen and Laxus ate at a restaurant not far from the Magic Development Bureau. Allen's expression suddenly turned serious because he saw his target—Brian—hurriedly leave the Magic Development Bureau by carriage. It seemed that Yahar had already received the intelligence about the Dark Magic Group's activities on the Northern Continent.
After confirming that Brian had gone far away, Allen and Laxus did not rush. Instead, they quietly waited for nightfall.
Night soon descended. Allen and Laxus had already cast individual invisibility Magic Circles on themselves. If there was a mage skilled at perception inside the Magic Development Bureau, the circles might be detected, but they were enough to let the two enter the bureau safely.
"Big brother, where are we going first?"
After successfully entering the Magic Development Bureau, Laxus looked somewhat lost.
Allen, who had obtained a map of the bureau, did not pause at all. He walked on while saying, "First, the archives. Then the research room. We'll see where they keep the magic they developed, and then check whether they have what I want to see."
Laxus blinked and nodded as if he understood. Although he still could not completely comprehend Allen's words, his years of following Allen had taught him that as long as he closely followed his big brother's lead, he would not go wrong.
When they entered the archives, the two were instantly stunned by the dazzling array of magic books and documents before them. Countless bookshelves stood in neat rows, packed with all kinds of magical manuals, as though a treasure house of knowledge had appeared before them.
However, unlike Laxus, who was bewildered by the sheer amount of magic, Allen remained calm. He leisurely raised his right hand and lightly pointed forward with his index finger while pointing the fingers of his left hand at his own head. A powerful surge of magic erupted from his right fingertip, extending forward like a nimble beam of light. Under Allen's control, it began scanning every magic book and scroll in the archives one by one.
At the same time, Allen's left hand began receiving the scanned magic. Unlike ordinary people, Allen did not carefully examine the spells page by page and line by line. Instead, relying on his astonishing memory and mental strength, he directly stored them in a specific area of his mind. That way, once he had free time later, he could slowly study and organize all the magic he had collected.
It turned out that after deciding to visit the Magic Development Bureau, Allen had specifically asked Makarov to consult Bob, the master of Blue Pegasus, about how to study ancient script magic. Thanks to Allen's powerful mental strength, he had successfully mastered this remarkable magic on the way to Crocas.
Even with Allen's abundant mental strength and magic power, scanning the archives still took an hour. After finishing the scan, Allen took a deep breath. Although he had not examined the magic in detail, the sheer quantity had still left him mentally fatigued.
Laxus approached worriedly. Allen rubbed his head and waved him off. "I'm fine. Let's go to the research room. There's no evidence here of Brian cooperating with the Dark Magic Group."
Allen and Laxus headed toward the research room. The corridor was so quiet that only their faint footsteps could be heard. When they reached the door, Allen stopped warily and signaled for Laxus to be careful.
The research room's door was tightly shut, and faint waves of magic power radiated from the surroundings. Allen cast a detection spell and discovered complicated perception arrays both inside and outside. He took a deep breath and focused on deciphering the arrays while Laxus stood nearby, looking around and keeping watch for him.
After considerable effort, the magic arrays in the research room were finally broken.
Allen pushed open the door. Inside were all kinds of strange instruments, glowing magic crystals, and several half-finished experiments. He searched everywhere for clues but found nothing valuable. Allen did not believe Brian had left behind no evidence at all, so he and Laxus carefully searched every corner of the research room.
Suddenly, Laxus seemed to sense something and waved to Allen. Allen hurried over and, sure enough, discovered that there was something hidden behind one of the research room's walls.
The two searched nearby for a switch. In the end, it was Laxus who pressed a decorative object beside the wall. The wall in front of them suddenly opened into a door.
The two exchanged excited looks. Allen entered without the slightest hesitation, and sure enough, after they went inside, they discovered an entirely different world hidden within.
However, in only a moment, the excitement vanished from Allen and Laxus's faces, replaced by boundless fury and shock. The scene before them was horrifying beyond words—more than a dozen children of varying ages lay unconscious in every corner of the room. Some lay helplessly on the cold floor, while others had been placed on experiment tables filled with an eerie aura. Even more heartbreaking was that every child's body was covered in wounds of all sizes and shapes, as though they had endured an exceptionally brutal torture.
Beside the experiment tables lay an old-looking notebook. When Allen casually opened it, line after line of shocking text entered his eyes. It contained detailed records of the various evil spells obtained from the Dark Magic Group, along with related experimental data.
At that moment, Allen's gaze was suddenly drawn to a figure. It was a young child who looked astonishingly similar to Ur. Without a doubt, this poor little one had to be Ultear. Even unconscious, traces of tears remained on her face.
Without the slightest hesitation, Allen quickly took out the Communication Crystal he carried with him and decisively contacted Makarov, who was far away in Magnolia.
In fact, Makarov had been anxiously waiting for news from Allen all along. When he saw the inhumane scenes before him through the Communication Crystal, the fury he could barely suppress was about to erupt. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, as though they were about to spit fire, and he growled furiously at Allen, "Find a way to treat these innocent children first. You must ensure their lives are safe! At the same time, protect the scene. Do not let a single clue or piece of evidence be damaged! I'm setting out now. No matter what, this time I'll make that deranged Brian pay the price he deserves and ensure he dies without a burial place!"
Before you continue