Chapter 555 - 555: I Never Imagined the First Master Was That Bold...

"So what you're saying is... Zeref might be isolating himself in some desolate wasteland, completely unaware that we successfully escaped the Celestial Spirit Realm? But it's been roughly half a year since we got back. Hasn't enough time passed for him to occasionally check in on the world and hear the news?"

Makarov quickly grasped Mavis's theory but couldn't help pointing out a glaring hole in the logic.

Half a year was a long time. It was entirely possible that Zeref had emerged from his self-imposed exile, overheard a rumor, and realized Fairy Tail was still alive.

"In my estimation, the probability of that happening is incredibly low," Mavis shook her head firmly.

"When you are inflicted with the Ankhseram Curse, you realize you are truly immortal. You stop aging, you cannot be killed, and you are forced to watch the world rot around you. When you have lived for hundreds of years, your perception of time fundamentally distorts. A decade feels like a week. A century feels like a year.

"When I was with him in the past, I noticed this distortion firsthand. This is a psychological deterioration unique to true immortals, and Zeref has been enduring it for over four hundred years," Mavis analyzed, drawing upon her own tragic experiences.

"You're saying... because his perception of time is so distorted, his 'temporary isolation' could last for decades before he even thinks about checking in on the world?" Makarov's eyes widened in understanding.

"Exactly. Because his sense of time is warped, and because he desperately wants to avoid accidentally killing people with his curse, he will find an isolated wasteland and simply sit there. We have been back from the Celestial Spirit Realm for less than a year. To Zeref, that is a blink of an eye. I am almost certain he hasn't interacted with a single human soul since Tenrou Island. He does not know we are alive," Mavis concluded confidently.

"But what if he returned to his empire in the West? Wouldn't his subordinates inform him of global events?" Makarov countered.

"That is a distinct possibility, but it doesn't change the fact that Noah's scouting mission is viable," Mavis smiled, shaking her head.

"Even if Zeref is sitting on his throne, you must remember Noah's sheer strength. Aside from Zeref and Acnologia, I have never seen a single human being even approach Noah's level of power.

"Furthermore, Noah doesn't just possess raw power; his mastery over complex magical theory is unparalleled. He has mastered countless forms of magic. To successfully detect and capture someone like Noah, an enemy wouldn't just need comparable power; they would need an equally profound mastery of magical surveillance and spatial tracking.

"Even if the Alvarez Empire is an amalgamation of hundreds of guilds, the number of mages possessing that specific combination of power and intellect is effectively zero. And even if they do have one or two mages like that, those elites would be stationed deep within heavily fortified capital cities, not maintaining a 24/7 localized radar across the entire continent.

"As long as Noah actively avoids major military hubs, remains cautious, and utilizes his advanced stealth enchantments, he can easily and safely scout their territory." Mavis looked at Makarov, completely confident in her grandson-in-law's abilities.

"When you break it down like that... you're right. A solo infiltration mission actually is much safer than a direct confrontation," Makarov admitted, slowly nodding as the logic settled in.

"Grandpa, you really don't need to worry. With my current capabilities and spatial magic, I can easily extract myself if things go wrong. I will return safely," Noah assured him, his voice steady and serious.

"If the First Master's tactical assessment is correct, then this really is the best window of opportunity to scout the enemy," Makarov sighed, yielding to their judgment. "However, have you discussed this with Ultear and the girls? You are not leaving unless they agree to it."

"I'm going to tell them tonight. They won't stop me from doing what needs to be done," Noah replied confidently.

"Just make sure you get their explicit approval," Makarov waved him off.

"I will," Noah nodded.

Once the welcome-back banquet finally began winding down, Noah pulled Ultear, Erza, Mirajane, and Sorano into a private, soundproofed room in the back of the guildhall.

"Alright, spit it out. You obviously want to discuss something serious, and you need our permission to do it," Ultear said the moment the door closed, crossing her arms and fixing him with a knowing stare.

Living with him for so long meant she could read his micro-expressions like an open book.

"Yeah! Whatever it is, just tell us already!" Sorano demanded, putting her hands on her hips. Mirajane and Erza watched him closely.

"I'm planning a solo infiltration mission to the Western Continent to scout the enemy," Noah stated directly.

"The Western Continent? Why do we need to scout them right now?" Mirajane frowned, tilting her head in confusion.

"Because of Zeref," Noah began.

For the next ten minutes, Noah systematically explained the situation. He revealed that Zeref and Mavis were former lovers, that Zeref had become a catastrophic threat, and that there was a massive probability Zeref had built a militarized superpower in the West. He explained that a scouting mission was critical for their future survival.

He deliberately omitted all details regarding Fairy Heart to protect Mavis, but he told them everything else they needed to know.

"Wait... the First Master and Zeref... were LOVERS?!" Sorano shrieked, her jaw dropping to the floor. The other three girls stared at Noah, completely utterly shell-shocked.

Dropping a bombshell of that magnitude completely derailed their train of thought.

"Does... does that mean... the child we've been searching for across the continent... is Zeref's child?!" Mirajane gasped, clapping both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.

"Yep. Didn't see that one coming, did you?" Noah smiled wryly.

"That's... wow..." Sorano muttered, her brain short-circuiting as she tried to process the information.

"Marriage... childbirth...!" Erza mumbled, her face rapidly turning the color of her hair as her mind spiraled into intensely romantic—and highly inappropriate—delusions regarding Mavis and the Dark Wizard.

"I hate to ruin the romance, Erza, but they were never married," Noah corrected her, thoroughly amused by her reaction.

"W-WHAT?! A CHILD OUT OF WEDLOCK?!" Erza shrieked, clutching her burning cheeks in sheer scandalized horror.

Thank god Noah had activated the soundproofing wards, or Erza's scream would have alerted the entire guild.

"I... I never imagined the First Master was that bold..." Mirajane stuttered, her face heavily flushed.

All four girls were practically glowing red. The mental image of the petite, innocent-looking Mavis engaging in a torrid, illicit affair with the most terrifying dark wizard in history completely shattered their perception of her.

"I have absolutely no idea what kind of degenerate scenarios you girls are imagining right now, but I guarantee you are 100% wrong," Noah sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The situation is incredibly complex, tragic, and highly classified. But I promise you, the child's conception was closer to a twisted magical miracle than whatever romance novel you're picturing."

It took several minutes for the girls to finally calm down, their flushed cheeks slowly returning to their normal color as the shock of the gossip faded and the reality of the military threat settled back in.

"So... because Zeref likely controls an entire empire over there, you need to scout their military capabilities before they become a direct threat to us. How dangerous is this mission going to be?" Ultear asked, her expression turning deadly serious.

Usually, when Noah went out on missions, he just casually informed them he was leaving. But this time, he was actively seeking their approval. That meant he was heading into hostile territory controlled by a man capable of casually ending eras.

Given the scale of an entire empire, they likely possessed an unfathomable number of mages, top-tier elites, and devastating magical weaponry.

Add Zeref to the equation—a being whose true power was still largely unknown but undoubtedly eclipsed Noah's—and the danger level skyrocketed into the apocalyptic tier.

Furthermore, listening to Noah's explanation, Ultear could tell he was deliberately glossing over certain details. He was hiding something.

However, they implicitly trusted his judgment. If he was hiding something, it was for a valid operational reason, so they didn't press him. But knowing he was withholding information only increased their anxiety regarding his safety.

"You really don't need to worry. The risk of actual confrontation is incredibly low," Noah reassured them, immediately repeating Mavis's tactical analysis regarding Zeref's distorted perception of time and likely isolation.

He also internally acknowledged his own primary motivation: his raw power and magical control had skyrocketed over the last few months of relentless gravity training. He finally felt confident enough in his strength to guarantee a safe extraction from the West, regardless of what he encountered.

"If both you and the First Master came to the same tactical conclusion... then the probability of Zeref actually being there is likely very low," Ultear nodded slowly, trusting their combined intellect.

"When exactly are you planning to leave?" Mirajane asked softly, recognizing that they couldn't stop him from neutralizing a threat to their family.

"As soon as possible. Even if Zeref's sense of time is distorted, we can't afford to waste an opportunity like this. The sooner we gather intelligence, the better," Noah replied.

"I see..."

The girls' expressions instantly fell, a profound wave of sadness and worry washing over their faces.

They had just spent months traveling the continent together, and now he was immediately leaving for hostile territory, likely to be gone for an extended period. It was heartbreaking.

"Hey, I'm not leaving right this second," Noah laughed softly, seeing their expressions. "I need to restock my supplies, organize my research, and get a good night's sleep. I won't be leaving until tomorrow at the earliest."

"Oh, thank god," Ultear sighed in immense relief.

"Then we need to start preparing your supplies immediately," Mirajane declared, her eyes instantly shifting back to her reliable, older-sister mode.

"Exactly! We are going to pack your bags and ensure you have absolutely everything you could possibly need to survive over there!" Erza announced, her cheeks still slightly pink from her earlier delusions, but her voice completely resolute.

"Alright. Since you're all on board, I'll let Grandpa know you gave me the green light, and then we can start organizing the inventory. Just remember, everything we discussed in this room is strictly classified," Noah reminded them.

"We know. We won't say a word," Ultear promised, and the others nodded firmly.

Knowing they understood the gravity of the situation, Noah smiled.

The five of them left the soundproofed room and re-entered the chaotic banquet. They walked over to Makarov and Mavis to confirm the girls' approval.

While Noah was quietly updating Makarov, the four girls couldn't help but stare at Mavis. Their eyes were filled with an intense, chaotic mixture of profound awe, burning curiosity, and mild scandalization.

Mavis, feeling the intense, burning stares of four powerful mages boring into the side of her head, finally shifted uncomfortably and turned to face them.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Mavis asked, genuinely bewildered.

"We just... we never imagined that the child we were looking for was yours and Zeref's... especially since you weren't married..." Sorano whispered, unable to contain her shock.

Mavis's face instantly exploded in a brilliant, glowing blush. She realized exactly what they knew, and she knew exactly who had told them.

She turned and shot Noah an incredibly fierce, betrayed glare.

Noah felt the glare and slowly turned his head, offering her a completely innocent, helpless shrug. If he was going to infiltrate Zeref's empire, he couldn't exactly lie to his fiancées about the underlying motives. He had kept Fairy Heart a secret, which was the most important part!

"So... what was Zeref actually like back then?" Sorano leaned in, her eyes shining with intense, unstoppable gossip-fueled curiosity. Ultear, Mirajane, and Erza leaned in identically, desperate to hear the founding mother's tragic romance.

"Well... that is..." Mavis stuttered, completely unsure of how to navigate the conversation.

"We just want to know how you felt about him! What was your relationship actually like?" Sorano clarified, the others nodding vigorously.

They knew Mavis and Zeref had an incredibly complex, tragic history, and they knew Mavis wouldn't reveal the classified military secrets. But they didn't care about the secrets; they just wanted to hear about the romance!

"How I felt about him..."

Mavis paused, her blush slowly fading as a profound, melancholy nostalgia washed over her eyes. She fell silent, lost in memories that were over a century old.

~~~

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