Feels like there's a good show coming

Mana flow could be smoother...

There's still plenty of room for improvement in material strength...

The core Dragon Slayer crystal should use a combination of multiple attributes...

In just an instant, Daphne had already listed a long string of improvements for the Dragoon in her mind.

As a member of Silent Town, Daphne naturally knew Concealment magic, and her skill in it was extremely high—otherwise, how could she have used means to keep the entire town unable to lift the Concealment state?

With such exquisite Concealment magic, even as her partner was being crushed and routed all the way, Daphne had no thought of fleeing.

She just stood dully beneath the shattered Dragoon, listening to the sparks sputtering from the faulty artificial dragon, staring silently at her years of hard work.

For Daphne, the moment the Dragoon was easily defeated by Natsu, her dream shattered along with it, and she couldn't help but doubt her younger self.

That blurry memory of a huge black figure soaring through the sky—was it really a dragon?

If it was real, would it be easily defeated by a Dragon Slayer like the Dragoon was? If it was fake, then what meaning did all her years of research have?

For a moment, Daphne fell into a daze, muttering to herself.

"Does this world... really still have dragons?"

"There must be!"

It was an answer full of absolute confidence, firm and decisive. The unwavering tone made Daphne look up involuntarily.

The cherry-haired youth stood atop the wreckage of the artificial dragon, his eyes brimming with confidence. He touched the white scarf around his neck. "This world definitely has dragons. Igneel and I will meet again someday!"

So that's it. He had seen a dragon too.

Daphne slowly lowered her head, a bitter smile forced onto her lips. She voluntarily lifted the restriction she had placed on the townspeople, allowing those forced into invisibility by her to finally return to normal life.

After doing all this, Daphne sat down on the spot, ready to accept the punishment she deserved.

Before the townspeople could crowd around, Noah walked over to the glasses-wearing girl whose dream had been shattered. From a note exchanged with a town resident earlier, he had learned the reason for Daphne's obsession.

A being suspected to be a black dragon.

Coincidentally, 400 years ago, when Noah's ancestor—the then-king of Edolas—used the magic "Anima" to observe the world of Earth-land, he discovered a terrifying black dragon, which led to the creation of the "Dragoon" imitating its power.

Legend said that dragons had strong life force; long-lived ones could live eight or nine hundred years, even a thousand.

Could the black dragon Daphne saw as a child be the same terrifying black dragon that Noah's ancestor observed 400 years ago?

Suppressing his doubts, Noah looked at the glasses-wearing girl who had already surrendered. "Can you give me your artificial life technology?"

Without any pretense, Noah was that straightforward, because Daphne's spirit was now broken, and she had lost all interest in magical technology research.

Daphne pulled a thick notebook from her pocket. All her years of research data were recorded in it, naturally including the "artificial life" technology Noah had asked for.

This technology was still in its embryonic stage. Due to a lack of specific energy sources, Daphne had planned to continue advancing it on the Dragoon only after capturing a fire-attribute Dragon Slayer.

Now that the Dragoon was destroyed, Daphne didn't want her hard work to be sealed away in silence. Since someone was interested in her research, she generously gave the notebook to Noah.

"Thanks."

Although Noah could have taken it by force, since she was so straightforward, he naturally had to offer a verbal thanks.

Gray used his magic to shape a pair of ice handcuffs and put them on Daphne. He glanced at the gradually gathering townspeople and pointed at the docile Daphne.

"Noah, what do we do with her?"

According to the Magic Council's regulations, colluding with the Dark Magic Cult was a serious crime, at least twenty years.

And what Daphne had done to Silent Town was enough to land her in the Kingdom of Fiore's prison for ten or twenty years.

But Noah left the decision of how to deal with her to the local residents. Whether to send her to the Magic Council or the Kingdom of Fiore was entirely up to them.

"There's someone here! He's badly hurt!"

Lucy's voice came. A humanoid cow carrying a double-bladed great axe, under Lucy's direction, carefully dug a blood-soaked man out of the rubble.

Natsu and Gray immediately stepped forward to help, working alongside Lucy's golden Celestial Spirit, "Taurus," to rescue the man.

As Noah approached, he saw the man's body covered in horrific wounds from torture instruments, and he also detected traces of many different attributes of mana erosion lingering on him.

Noah recalled the information from the residents—those Dark Magic members disguised as missionaries had indeed brought such a person.

At the time, it was unclear whether he was friend or foe, but now it was obvious. The man, cruelly tortured like this, was not a member of the Dark Magic Cult. The thick scabs of blood on him proved he was a victim.

Yet, despite his severe injuries, the man still retained a sliver of consciousness, forcing himself not to pass out. What tenacious willpower.

Pushing aside Lucy's bandages, the man grabbed Natsu's collar, his eyes wide, using the last bit of strength he had. "Tell... tell Laharl... the higher-ups... have their people..."

After struggling to finish his words, the man finally couldn't hold on and fell unconscious.

Having witnessed Natsu punch through a building-sized artificial dragon with one fist, and openly oppose the Dark Magic Cult, such a righteous and powerful mage was worth trusting.

So the man placed his hope in Natsu, entrusting him with important information.

But unfortunately, Natsu didn't understand a single word.

Not just Natsu—Gray, Lucy, and even Happy were completely baffled.

Who was Laharl? Which higher-ups? And who were "their people"?

And most importantly, who the hell are you?!

Natsu hated nothing more than cryptic people who wouldn't speak plainly, but seeing the man's injuries, he still held back from shaking him awake.

Though his companions didn't know, Noah understood exactly who the man was referring to.

It seemed Laharl's title as Captain of the Rune Knights' Action Division wasn't famous enough. He was the head of a violent law enforcement department, yet even his own guildmates didn't recognize him.

But that was fine. Even the lofty councilors—Natsu and Gray didn't know their names either.

When he heard the name Laharl, Noah deduced the man's identity: a member of the Action Division sent to gather intelligence on the dark forces.

How interesting.

A figure from the underworld had infiltrated the upper echelons of the Magic Council, becoming one of the ten most powerful people in the magical world.

One chairman, nine councilors...

Nine old fossils who had clung to power for ages, and one powerful young man. Which of them was it?

Noah's lips curled slightly. So hard to guess. The youngest councilor in the Council's history, Mister "Jellal Fernandes."

If Laharl ever found out his own superior was compromised, what would he do?

It felt like a show was about to begin.

But for now, the priority was to keep this man from dying. After all, this was still just speculation.

Noah looked at the snow cat Cheese perched on his shoulder, then grabbed the hamster perched on its head.