Magnolia Harbor.
Noah had planned to grab some discounted fries with Cheese, but when he spotted a luxurious ship docked at the pier, drawing a crowd of onlookers, he naturally joined them to see what was going on.
The first to disembark were two humanoid frogs dressed in white robes, their skin a deep green. Each held a staff twice as tall as himself, and they stood on either side of the gangplank.
One of the frogs spoke.
"We are envoys of the Magic Council. A council member is visiting, so please keep the noise down."
"The Magic Council?!"
"A council member!"
"What would someone that important be doing in a little place like ours?"
"Wow! The frogs can talk!"
"..."
Their words did nothing to quiet the crowd. If anything, they sparked even more chatter, leaving the frog envoys looking rather put out.
In other cities, simply revealing their identities was enough to make the ordinary people watching them show the utmost respect. But here in Magnolia, it had no effect at all. People were treating them like a spectacle.
This was no ordinary crowd.
They had to make them understand the Council's authority!
One of the frogs tapped his staff against the ground, and a wave of pressure began to spread.
It was just a harmless spell, but using it on a crowd in broad daylight? Could the Magic Council's frogs really be this arrogant?
Noah handed his bag of chips to Cheese, ready to secretly teach the frog a lesson, when a gentle voice stopped the envoy from casting the spell.
"Please, hold on."
The two frog envoys' expressions changed. They hurriedly turned and bowed their heads. "Sir, our deepest apologies. These unruly commoners are rather bold..."
"We of the Magic Council are here to maintain order, not to oppress the people."
The voice was still gentle, but it left the two frogs feeling as if they had fallen into an icy pit. Cold sweat broke out on them, and they hastily bowed their heads in agreement.
A figure slowly emerged from the ship's cabin. He was a young man.
He wore the Council's standard white uniform. Beneath his dark blue hair was a handsome face capable of winning over countless young women, and the mark on his right cheek only added to his air of mystery.
"I-it's Jellal Fernandes!"
"He really is so handsome!"
"No wonder he's the man everyone wants as a boyfriend, giving Loke a run for his money."
"Councilman, I heard you have an improper relationship with one of your female subordinates. Is that true?"
"Lord Jellal, how many girlfriends do you have?"
"..."
Listening to all these rumors, which even left him stunned, Jellal Fernandes could barely keep his composure.
As the youngest council member in the Magic Council's history, Jellal Fernandes was extraordinarily famous.
It wasn't just because he had the strength of a Ten Wizard Saint. His looks alone had captivated countless young women, and wherever he went, fans flocked to him.
But Jellal Fernandes hadn't expected that so few people in Magnolia would pay attention to his looks. Instead, they were unusually enthusiastic about the baseless gossip surrounding him.
Noah crunched away at his chips, watching the young councilman struggle to hide his bewilderment. That was what it was like in the city where Fairy Tail was based. People were used to seeing handsome men and beautiful women, so naturally, they were more interested in gossip.
Jellal Fernandes quickly composed himself and entered the city, escorted by the frog envoys.
As he passed through the crowd, however, he noticed a white-haired boy among the onlookers who looked somewhat like him.
There were plenty of people who looked alike in the world. Jellal Fernandes was only mildly surprised and didn't give it much thought. After all, he had no family left.
After buying some more snacks at a discount store, Noah ambled along behind Jellal Fernandes, stroking the cat in his arms. He was curious why this suspicious character, who seemed connected to the dark guilds, had come to Magnolia.
Noah soon found out.
Jellal Fernandes entered a building: Fairy Tail.
Was he here to visit Makarov? After all, their guild master was practically an evergreen in the world of magic.
Noah immediately lost interest and decided to check on the man they had rescued.
But when he arrived at the inn, a figure in a black robe caught his attention. His Malice Perception told him the stranger meant trouble.
The malice wasn't directed at Noah, so he didn't make a move right away. Instead, he pretended to be going the same way and followed the black-robed figure.
The stranger stopped outside Room 404 and glanced back at Noah. Noah continued pretending to be another guest, carrying Cheese as he walked past, until he disappeared around the stairwell.
Room 404 was where Noah had arranged for the undercover agent to stay. Only those who had taken part in the Silent Town job and Makarov knew about it.
Noah gave a knowing smile and whispered something into Cheese's ear. The little cat immediately took flight with Wing Magic.
Inside Room 404, thanks to the treatment with Winter Snow Grass, the man's condition had improved considerably. He could even get out of bed and move around.
Staring at the unfamiliar ceiling and thinking back over the past two days, the man named Anko felt deeply grateful to the people who had saved him. But when he realized he hadn't even told his rescuers his name, regret washed over him.
Just then, there was a sound at the inn room's door.
Was it an inn worker bringing him food?
No. They would knock first.
As an intelligence agent bold enough to infiltrate a dark guild, Anko had plenty of experience. He immediately grew alert and silently crept behind the door, ready to seize whoever entered.
With a creak, the door slowly opened, and a figure stepped inside. The person was wearing a black robe, so Anko couldn't make out his face from behind the door, but he could tell that the stranger meant no good.
Anko's injuries didn't stop him from moving. He gathered what little magic power he had recovered, and a magic projectile formed in his hand. But the black-robed stranger merely waved his hand, extinguishing the spell Anko had poured all his strength into.
Even so, for an instant the light from the magic projectile illuminated the stranger's face. He was a blue-haired young man, with a mark on his right cheek.
"It's you!"
Anko recognized the intruder at once.
There was only one person across the entire Ishgar Continent with those distinctive features: the powerful wizard who had recently taken over the Magic Council's tenth seat.
Jellal Fernandes!
Unlike the sunny smile in the promotional papers, this "Jellal Fernandes" seemed cold and utterly contemptuous.
Anko knew he was no match for a great wizard on the verge of becoming a Ten Wizard Saint, so he poured out all his remaining magic power. One of his rescuers had told him their guild was nearby. All he had to do was send up a signal.
"Struggling in vain."
The blue-haired young man sneered. His heavy magic power gathered into a faint glimmer of starlight, and in an instant he brought Anko, already wounded, to his knees. His unhealed injuries burst open.
The enormous gap in their strength filled Anko with despair. His lifeline was so close, just outside the inn, yet there was nothing he could do.
"Damn rat. Wouldn't it have been better to just die quietly? You had to make trouble for me."
Looking down at Anko as he struggled, the blue-haired young man expressionlessly gathered magic power in his hand, forming an ordinary fire spell.
He couldn't use his signature magic to silence a witness.
He regretted not getting to see his family again. He was sorry he hadn't exposed the villain. And he felt guilty for betraying his superior's trust...
Anko thought of so many things in that instant, yet his heart was unexpectedly calm. His expression left the blue-haired young man surprised and confused.
"Are you not afraid of death?"
"Everyone dies. I've lived a brave enough life. I shouldn't be the one who's afraid."
The blue-haired young man fell silent. He thought he might once have had the courage to face death so bravely... For a moment, he found himself reluctant to kill someone who might disrupt his plans.
But the thought lasted only an instant. He had already hurt so many people. One more wouldn't matter.
"Goodbye..."
"Hey, why are you taking so long to kill someone? You're making me impatient. Want me to help?"
A lazy voice interrupted him out of nowhere. The blue-haired young man turned his head toward the voice.
At some point, a white-haired boy had appeared, leaning against the doorframe.
When Noah got a clear look at the black-robed stranger, he raised an eyebrow.
He looked exactly like Jellal Fernandes.
If the blue-haired young man who had gone to the guild earlier was "Jellal Fernandes," then who was this black-robed man?
Before you continue