Two Jellal Fernandes

Magnolia Port.

Noah, who had originally planned to grab some discounted fries with Cheese, noticed a luxuriously decorated ship docked at the pier, drawing a crowd of onlookers. Naturally, Noah joined in to watch the commotion.

The first to disembark were two dark green, humanoid toads in white robes. They held staffs twice their own height and took their positions on either side of the gangplank.

One of the toads spoke in human tongue.

"We are envoys of the Magic Council. An esteemed councilor is traveling, so please keep the noise down."

"The Magic Council?!"

"A councilor!"

"Why would someone that important come to a small place like ours?"

"Whoa! Talking toads!"

"..."

Far from quieting the crowd, the words only sparked more chatter, leaving the toad envoy looking a bit embarrassed.

In other cities, flashing their identity had always made ordinary folks bow and scrape in respect. But here in Magnolia, that tactic had zero effect—they were just being treated as a spectacle.

This was no ordinary crowd.

They needed to be taught the authority of the Magic Council!

One toad tapped its staff on the ground, and a wave of pressure began to radiate outward.

Though it was a harmless magic with no attack power, using it on a crowd in broad daylight—were the Magic Council's toads really this arrogant?

Just as Noah handed the chip bag to Cheese and prepared to teach that toad a quiet lesson, a gentle voice stopped the toad envoy from releasing the spell.

"Please, stop."

The two toad envoys' faces changed instantly. They turned and bowed their heads respectfully. "Our apologies, my lord. These unruly folk are far too bold..."

"Toad envoys, the Magic Council exists to maintain order, not to oppress the people."

The tone remained gentle, but it sent chills down the toads' spines, cold sweat dripping as they hurriedly nodded in agreement.

A figure slowly emerged from the cabin—a young man.

He wore the council's standard white robes. Beneath his deep blue hair was a handsome face that could charm countless maidens, and the mark on his right cheek only added to his mysterious aura.

"It's... it's Jellal Fernandes!"

"He's so handsome!"

"No wonder he's the top contender for 'Boyfriend Material' alongside Loke!"

"Councilor, is it true you're having an affair with your female subordinate?"

"Lord Jellal, how many girlfriends do you actually have?"

"..."

Listening to all sorts of rumors that even shocked him, Jellal Fernandes struggled to keep his composure.

As the youngest councilor in the Magic Council's history, Jellal Fernandes was remarkably famous.

Not only did he possess the strength of a Saint-level mage, but his looks alone had captivated countless young women. Wherever he went, fans swarmed.

But what Jellal hadn't expected was that the people of Magnolia barely cared about his appearance. Instead, they showed extraordinary enthusiasm for baseless gossip about him.

Noah crunched on his chips, watching the young councilor's barely concealed bewilderment. He could only say—this was what a city with Fairy Tail was like. When you've seen plenty of handsome men and beautiful women, all that's left is a love for juicy gossip.

Jellal quickly composed himself and, with the toad envoys clearing the way, entered the city.

But as he passed through the crowd on either side, Jellal noticed a white-haired youth among the onlookers who bore a slight resemblance to himself.

There were plenty of lookalikes in the world. Jellal was only mildly surprised and didn't pay it much attention—after all, he had no family left.

After buying more snacks at a discount store, Noah strolled along, petting his cat, and trailed behind Jellal. He was curious about this man, who seemed connected to dark forces, and wondered what had brought him to Magnolia.

He found out soon enough.

Because Jellal entered a building—Fairy Tail.

Was he here to visit Makarov? After all, their guild master was a veteran figure in the magic world.

Noah felt a bit bored and decided to check on the man he'd rescued.

But when he reached the inn, a figure in a black cloak caught his attention. His "Malice Perception" ability told him this cloaked person meant harm.

The malice wasn't directed at him, so Noah didn't act immediately. Instead, he pretended to be heading the same way and followed behind the cloaked figure.

In front of room 404, the cloaked figure stopped and glanced back at Noah. Noah kept up the act of being a guest, holding Cheese as he walked past, until he disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Room 404 was exactly where Noah had arranged for the undercover man to stay. Only those involved in the Silent Town mission and Makarov knew about it.

Noah smirked and whispered something into Cheese's ear. The little cat immediately spread its wings and flew off.

Inside room 404, thanks to the Winter Snow Grass treatment, the man's condition had improved significantly. He could even get out of bed and move around.

Staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, recalling the events of the past two days, the man named Anko felt deep gratitude toward the group that had saved him. But he also regretted not having told his saviors his name.

Just then, the door to the hotel room stirred.

Was it the inn servant bringing food?

No, they would have knocked first.

As an intelligence operative bold enough to infiltrate a dark guild, Anko's seasoned instincts immediately put him on alert. He silently crept behind the door, ready to subdue whoever entered.

With a creak, the door slowly swung open, and a figure stepped inside. Wrapped in a black robe, Anko couldn't make out his face from behind the door, but he could sense ill intent.

His injured body didn't hinder Anko's movements. Gathering what little magic power he had recovered, a magic bullet took shape in his hand. Yet the spell he poured all his strength into was extinguished with a casual wave of the black-robed man's hand.

But in that instant, the flash of the magic bullet illuminated the man's face—a blue-haired youth with a mark on his right cheek.

"It's you!"

Anko instantly recognized the newcomer.

There was only one person across the entire Ishgar continent with such distinctive features: the powerful mage who had recently taken the seat of the Tenth Councilor on the Magic Council.

Jellal Fernandes!

Unlike the warm smile in the propaganda newspapers, this "Jellal Fernandes" gave Anko only a sense of coldness and deep contempt.

Pouring out every ounce of his magic power, Anko knew he was no match for a mage on the verge of becoming one of the Saint Ten. A benefactor who had once saved him said their guild was nearby—all he had to do was light the signal.

"Struggling in vain."

The blue-haired youth sneered disdainfully. Heavy magic coalesced into a faint glimmer of starlight, instantly crushing the already injured Anko, whose unhealed wounds burst open.

The vast gap drove the man to despair. Life was just outside the inn, but he could do nothing.

"Damn rat. Wouldn't it have been better to just die quietly? Instead, you make trouble for me."

Looking down at the struggling Anko, the blue-haired youth expressionlessly channeled magic, forming a common fire spell in his hand.

Killing to silence a witness—naturally, he wouldn't use his signature magic.

A pity he couldn't see his family again; a shame he couldn't expose the villain; a regret he had failed his superior's trust...

In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Anko's mind, and his mood was unexpectedly calm. His demeanor surprised and puzzled the blue-haired youth.

"You're not afraid of death?"

"Everyone dies. I've lived bravely enough—it's not me who should be afraid."

The blue-haired youth fell silent. The courage to face death... he felt he might have once had it. For a moment, he almost didn't want to kill this man who could ruin his plans.

But that was just a fleeting thought. He had already harmed so many; one more wouldn't matter.

"Farewell..."

"Hey, you're taking forever to kill someone. Watching you is making me impatient—want me to help?"

A lazy voice cut in abruptly. The interrupted blue-haired youth turned his head.

At some point, a white-haired youth was leaning against the doorframe.

As the light caught the black-robed man's face, Noah couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

He looked exactly like Jellal Fernandes.

If the blue-haired youth who had gone to the guild earlier was "Jellal Fernandes," then who was this man in the black robe?