Noah

"It is time, Noah."

"I have raised you for all these years, spent so much of my wealth, all for this moment."

"Go to the other world, find for me the 'Lumen Histoire' with its endless magic."

"Then we will..."

A man about fifty years old, wearing a crown and a heavy black cloak, with a thick head of snow-white hair, passionately painted his grand vision for the boy with a clean-cut face lounging on the sofa.

Yet as the sole audience, the boy only yawned in boredom, sprawled on the couch, one hand holding snacks and the other a magazine of beauties, letting his old father's ambitious words go in one ear and out the other, treating them like a passing breeze.

After King Faust finished his impassioned speech, the Second Prince Noah finally spoke, unhurried and calm, "Dad, do you really believe that Edolas guy named Ivan Dreyar?"

"This endless magic thing sounds too far-fetched. If you ask me, just give up. Our world's magic is drying up—what's wrong with letting everything return to the ordinary?"

Noah's lackluster attitude infuriated Faust. His expression firm as he stared at his son, his voice booming in a way that belied his age, "Why should I settle for the ordinary? I will force Edolas to defy its fate! I will beat heaven by half a move!"

Noah shrugged and said nothing more.

This world was called "Edolas." Within the land existed a transcendent energy—magic.

It was a wondrous power that could enchant various magical tools, granting them incredible "magic." Those who used such tools were known as Mages.

Countless years passed, and as time wore on, the magic of the land gradually waned, now on the verge of total depletion.

The "Age of the End of Magic" had already descended upon the world of Edolas.

But Faust, the king of a radical human nation, refused to abandon this transcendent power. To that end, he launched a bold plan.

Plunder the magic of another world!

The kingdom possessed a super-dimensional spell called "Anima," capable of temporarily linking to Edolas's parallel world—the "Earth-land" realm, where even the air was thick with magical particles. Its magic density was dozens of times greater than Edolas's.

"Anima" could convert the magic of Earth-land into Magic Crystals and transfer them back to Edolas.

However, because Earth-land was so rich in magic, humans there were born with magic within their bodies. Most Mages in that world could cast spells without needing magical tools. As a result, Anima had a chance of pulling Earth-land people over to Edolas as if they were magic itself.

Eighteen years ago, when Faust activated Anima for the second time, one unlucky Earth-land native was transported over.

His name was Ivan Dreyar, a Mage skilled in illusion magic.

Upon discovering that the world he'd arrived in had a lower power level than his own, Ivan's ambition swelled wildly, and he attempted to usurp Faust's rule.

But with Edolas's magic running dry, Ivan couldn't replenish his power. Eventually, his magic exhausted, he was captured alive.

Faust originally intended to execute Ivan, but the spineless man immediately dropped to his knees, begged for mercy, and offered a plan to bring endless magic to this world.

According to Ivan, in Earth-land, there was a Magic Guild called "Fairy Tail." Though it was a light guild, it had a dark side—the possession of the endless magic known as "Lumen Histoire."

Faust believed Ivan's words.

As a similar parallel world, Edolas also had a Magic Guild named "Fairy Tail."

They were righteous and helpful but caused too much trouble, so Faust had long since driven them out of the capital, assigning them to assist with border city construction. Eighteen years later, Noah heard they were now on good terms with the Second Kingdom Army Commander stationed at the frontier, "Erza Knightwalker."

Though he trusted Ivan's words, the man who so easily sold out his former faction's secrets rubbed King Faust the wrong way.

So Ivan never got the honored treatment he'd hoped for. Instead, he was rewarded with a prison cell, where he'd been locked up for eighteen years.

Over those eighteen years, for reasons unknown, whenever Faust was in a bad mood, he'd go to the dungeon and beat Ivan black and blue to relieve his stress.

After learning of the "endless magic" in the parallel world, Faust tried using Anima to lock onto the other world's Fairy Tail.

But every attempt failed.

The reason was that the guild housed a being of immense magical power, far exceeding Anima's capacity limit.

So Faust had a flash of inspiration: since he couldn't take it by force, why not send a spy to that guild to steal the "Lumen Histoire"?

Those in the kingdom loyal to Faust lacked the ability, and those with ability, Faust didn't fully trust to entrust with such a task. So he began a "creation" plan.

Using his own genes and those of his late wife, along with extremely precious pure magic, Faust successfully cultivated an artificial baby with innate magic through an artificial womb. That child was named "Noah."

To ensure Noah's eternal loyalty, Faust decided to bind him with familial affection. Thus, the iron-hearted king threw himself into playing the role of a good father.

But what Faust hadn't expected was that, after a few years together, compared to the young and innocent Noah, he was the one who got swayed by family ties first.

What was meant to be an act became real. Faust poured all the love he owed his eldest son onto Noah.

Noah hadn't inherited his mother's deep blue hair but his father's white locks, bearing a resemblance to the brother he'd never met.

With excellent genes and the best resources, though Noah had only just come of age, he was already Edolas's strongest human warrior, mastering exquisite martial arts and combat skills, and handling all kinds of magical tools with ease.

Though Faust was satisfied with his son's growth, one issue always gnawed at him.

The grown Noah was formidable, sure, but his attitude was far too laid-back. Aside from his fixed training hours, he spent most of his time lazing around the palace.

Watching his son giggle over a magazine of beauties, practically wearing the word "slacker" on his face, Faust fumed. How had he spoiled his own son this badly!!

He knocked the snacks out of Noah's hand, stomped them to pieces in front of him, then snatched the magazine—tearing it? No, he hadn't looked at it yet.

"You brat, eating my food, drinking my drink, using my stuff."

"I ask you to do one thing, and it's either too windy or too rainy! You've dragged it out until you're an adult—are you playing games with me?!!"

"I'll ask you one last time: are you going to 'Earth-land' or not?!"

Faust put on a sour face and delivered his final ultimatum to Noah.

But Noah was still lying limp on the sofa, having experienced this scene too many times over the past two years. As long as he played dead and gave up, his old father would be left helpless.

"You brat!"

After cursing out loud, Faust's angry expression quickly vanished, replaced by a sly, scheming smile.

"Boy, when you came back from training today, did you notice anything missing from your palace?"

Hearing Faust's strange tone, Noah could no longer keep playing dead. Knowing his old father well, he was definitely about to take some forceful measures against him.

Scanning the familiar palace, Noah immediately spotted the problem—all his magical tools and weapons were gone!

Before Noah could figure out what his old father was up to, the palace shook violently. A dense beam of pale golden light smashed down through the roof, locking onto Noah with precision.

The powerful flow of magic within the light made Noah float upward. He recognized the spell he had heard of but never seen with his own eyes.

The super-dimensional space magic "Anima," which hadn't been activated in eighteen years...

No, it was the reverse-activated "Anima"!

Dad was trying to forcibly teleport me to Edolas?!

Though he saw through Faust's plan, Noah, bound by the innate magic in his body, found himself unable to break free from "Anima's" lock.

"Stop struggling. After eighteen full years of charging, the magic power of 'Anima' now is something you can't shake off."

Faust strolled leisurely to Noah's side. Aside from Noah, no one from Earth-land had magic in their bodies, so unless they stepped into the beam willingly, "Anima" wouldn't lock onto them.

"Noah, this is the last lesson your father king will teach you."

"People's hearts are treacherous. Even the closest person might stab you in the back without warning."

Noah's face showed no surprise or resentment at the betrayal, only a helpless reluctance. "Even at a time like this, you still want to play the villain and fool me. Can't you just speak your true feelings, Dad?"

Faust paused briefly, then gave a bitter smile. "So you noticed after all..."

"Of course. Is there anyone who knows my own body better than me?"

Noah spread his palm. He was an artificial human, the only person in Edolas whose body could contain magic.

This very difference had brought Noah great danger in this world.

The depletion of earth's magic was merely a transition from the extraordinary to the ordinary for the people of this world, but for Noah, it was a fatal change.

Because he was born with magic, if the magic here disappeared, there was a high chance Noah would contract "Magic Deficiency Syndrome." No matter how strong his physical body was, he would decline toward death at an unbelievable speed.

Noah understood this well.

Faust understood it too. He didn't dare gamble on that tiny probability. He no longer cared about infinite magic; he only wanted his child to be safe.

In the brief silence between father and son, Noah was already being drawn out of the palace by "Anima's" beam. They had at most a minute left for farewell.

"Noah!"

Faust suddenly shouted his son's name loudly, pulling an object the size of a palm from his chest and tossing it into the teleportation beam.

Noah caught the magical tool flowing upward against the magic current. This delicate little figurine of a mechanical dragon was actually Edolas's strongest weapon—the "Dragoon"!

Noah hadn't expected his old father to entrust him with the nation's treasure.

Watching his son rise higher and higher, Faust seized the last chance to speak to Noah. "If you see your elder brother Jellal in Earth-land, please convey a message from your father king."

"Your father king... I'm sorry to him."

Noah smiled lightly. Seeing the softness in his old father's heart at the moment of parting didn't seem so bad.

But he couldn't let his old father have his way.

"Dad, I won't pass on your words."

"When I come back with big brother and a way to save the magic, you can tell him yourself!"

"Dad, take care of yourself too! Wait for us to return!"

The pale golden light grew dazzling, a brilliant flash that vanished in an instant, disappearing along with Noah.

Faust stared blankly at the sky returning to its blue-white hue, as if he had aged several years in an instant.

You take care too...

Noah.