On the first day of the New Year, Zeref, Mavis, and their child, along with Irene, arrived in Magnolia. As soon as they returned to Albares, they announced that Fairy Tail would be a partner, and everyone across the two continents who heard the news was thrown into an uproar.
The citizens of Albares had no idea why their great emperor would befriend a tiny Mage Guild. Even some ministers had the same thoughts, but none of them dared voice them, because this was Zeref!
Once Zeref made a decision, no one could change it.
Actually, Zeref's first plan had been to bring Mavis before the public as his empress, but Mavis refused. She did not want to attract so much attention, and she still remembered what Makarov had told her about Precht. She also wanted to find Precht and ask him what he was really thinking.
After receiving the news from Albares, both the Council and the nations on Ishgar held meetings in unspoken agreement. Fairy Tail had already been troublesome enough after allying with Heartfilia. Now it had even begun cooperating with the overlord of the Western Continent. They needed to hold a meeting and discuss their future attitude toward Fairy Tail.
After Serena, the leader of Ishgar's West Heavenly Kings, known as the Heavenly God, received the news, he became interested in Fairy Tail. He had originally planned to choose a time to visit Albares on the Western Continent and see whether the country was truly as powerful as the legends claimed. He had not expected Fairy Tail to suddenly emerge.
Serena had heard the name Fairy Tail before, but he had thought that a mere Mage Guild was nothing worth mentioning. Thus, even though Fairy Tail's reputation had grown increasingly prominent across Ishgar, Serena had never