Chapter 1010: [1010] : Confessions

...

Shin watched the old Guild Master carefully, trying to gauge his thoughts.

"Since you have already figured out that much, I suppose I owe you a proper explanation," Shin said calmly. "If you know about parallel universes, then you must also understand the concept of time travel."

Makarov’s jaw dropped. "Are you... are you saying...?"

Shin nodded. "Exactly. We are not just from a distant land—we are from a distant era. We are people from the deep past."

"To be completely accurate," Shin clarified, "I am a transmigrator who crossed into their world—a world that existed exactly eight hundred years in the past."

Makarov gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. "Eight hundred years... So that girl who looks exactly like Lucy..."

"She is Lucy’s direct ancestor," Shin confirmed. "As for why they share the exact same name, even I am not entirely sure. Fate works in mysterious ways."

Makarov let out a long, shaky breath. He was finally starting to understand the sheer scale of the entity sitting across from him. This wasn’t just a powerful mage—this was a man who had defied the boundaries of space and time.

"I won’t pry any further into your past," Makarov said, his voice laced with newfound reverence. "You have already proven your strength. I truly believe you have the power to resurrect the First Master."

"I am glad we understand each other," Shin replied. "Once I bring her back, I expect you to share everything you know about her history."

However, Shin knew there was still one incredibly dangerous piece of lore he needed to address. The First Master’s existence was deeply intertwined with the darkest secrets of Earth Land.

"Before we proceed, there is something we need to discuss," Shin said, his eyes darkening. "How much do you know about Zeref?"

Makarov’s pupils violently contracted. Pure terror flashed across the old man’s face.

"What... what are you talking about??" Makarov hissed, instinctively lowering his voice. "Why are you bringing up the Black Wizard??"

Shin mentally kicked himself. He had momentarily forgotten that Makarov didn’t know the full, tragic history between Mavis and Zeref.

"Since I already brought him up, I might as well give you the truth," Shin said quietly. "Zeref is a man cursed by a god. He possesses absolute immortality and terrifying magical power."

"Because he cannot die, he spent centuries researching the darkest forms of magic in a desperate attempt to create something capable of killing him. But he has failed every single time."

Shin leaned closer. "He created a book known as the Tome of Zeref, specifically the demons of Tartaros, hoping one of them could end his life. And the most powerful demon he ever created... is Natsu."

Makarov lunged across the table and clamped his hand over Shin’s mouth, his eyes wide with absolute panic.

"Do not say another word!" Makarov whispered fiercely. "I don’t want to hear it! If anyone else finds out about this, we are all doomed! And Natsu... it would completely destroy him."

Makarov slowly pulled his hand away, his chest heaving. "We will discuss this in absolute secrecy later. If the rest of the guild hears this, it will cause a catastrophe."

Shin nodded in understanding. "My apologies. I was too careless. I suppose you are wondering how a man from the past knows all these modern secrets."

Shin offered a faint smile. "Let’s just say that in my original world, the entire history of your universe is nothing more than a recorded story."

Makarov, having already had his worldview shattered three times in the last ten minutes, simply absorbed the information without a word.

"We definitely need to keep this quiet," Makarov sighed, standing up from the table. "Come with me. I will take you to where the First Master rests."

Shin nodded and stood up to follow him.

Suddenly, Alice and Little Lucy materialized out of the crowd, blocking Shin’s path.

"Where exactly do you think you are going?" Alice demanded, crossing her arms. "I am going with you. If you don’t tell me what is going on, you aren’t leaving this spot."

Shin stared at them in absolute disbelief.

’You two literally abandoned me to go drink and party, leaving me to handle the high-stakes negotiations,’ Shin thought, intensely annoyed. ’And now that I have finally established a life-or-death bond with the Guild Master, you suddenly want to tag along? Unbelievable.’

"Master Makarov and I have some highly classified guild business to attend to," Shin said firmly. "We are officially members of Fairy Tail now. The people in this room are your new family. If you need anything, just ask them. It is that simple."

Makarov watched the exchange with a soft smile. He understood the dynamic perfectly. In his eyes, Shin was a weary, ancient powerhouse who had likely taken in these two young girls out of sheer loneliness. It was a feeling Makarov knew intimately. Without the loud, chaotic energy of his guild members, Makarov wouldn’t know what to do with himself.

"Little Lucy, Alice, this is your home now," Makarov said gently. "You aren’t alone anymore."

But Little Lucy still didn’t fully grasp the concept of guild camaraderie. Alice, however, understood the emotional weight of the situation perfectly.

Alice turned to Little Lucy, her expression softening. "Lucy, Shin has important business to take care of right now. We shouldn’t interfere."

"We both know there are some things we simply don’t need to be involved in," Alice continued, her voice carrying a hint of deliberate distance. "I know it sounds harsh, but we cannot pretend to understand what is truly going on inside Shin’s head. If we rely on him too heavily and constantly intrude on his space, he will eventually resent us."

Alice spoke clearly, making absolutely no effort to hide her words from Shin or the surrounding crowd.

Little Lucy’s face flushed bright red. "I understand, Big Sister... I really do. It is just..."

Alice gently wrapped her arms around the younger girl. "It is going to be okay. You have an entire guild looking out for you now. You aren’t just relying on Shin anymore."

Shin stood there, completely baffled by the sudden emotional shift. Every single person in the vicinity was now glaring at him with a mix of judgment and pity.

Shin mentally groaned. ’What did I even do wrong this time??’

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