Chapter 672: Incident
Inside the royal palace of the Kingdom of Fiore, a green-haired young woman sat gracefully upon an ornate chair.
She was the princess of the realm, Hisui E. Fiore.
Before her, a silver-armored knight knelt on one knee and bowed his head respectfully. "Princess."
Princess Hisui gave a faint smile and inclined her head. "You’ve worked hard on your assignment, Arcadios. I’ve told you many times, there’s no need to be so formal."
"Yes," Arcadios replied, rising to his feet though his bearing remained just as respectful. "For the Kingdom of Fiore, no hardship is too great."
Hisui’s expression turned thoughtful. "How goes the investigation into that matter?"
Arcadios answered immediately. "The reports are true. Fairy Tail has sent the same commission to no fewer than ten guilds. They are conducting a widespread search for Celestial Spirit Mages, specifically, those in possession of the Twelve Zodiac Keys."
The princess’s brows furrowed slightly. "And for what purpose?"
"The stated reason is to consult about Celestial Spirit Magic. But the true reason is known only to those who accepted the request," Arcadios explained. "I’ve also heard that someone from their guild recently disappeared. It’s unclear whether the two events are connected."
"Furthermore," he continued, "I’ve discovered that Fairy Tail already has a Celestial Spirit Mage who once held several of the Zodiac Keys. Her name is Lucy Har..."
"Hartfilia," Princess Hisui finished for him. "The daughter of the Hartfilia family, Fiore’s greatest trading house six years ago."
"You know of her?" Arcadios asked.
"Of course. I once... no, never mind." Hisui shook her head gently. "In any case, continue to observe them discreetly. Do not use force."
Arcadios’s expression grew conflicted. "But Princess, the Twelve Keys are essential to the Eclipse Project. If Fairy Tail is suddenly searching for Celestial Spirit Mages who hold them, I believe... if it comes to it, we may have to resort to coercion."
Hisui changed the subject with a calm but firm tone. "Arcadios, how is the performance of your new ceremonial sword?"
"—"
Arcadios glanced down at the blade at his side before replying. "It is excellent in every respect."
The weapon was forged with the latest magical technology for the kingdom’s most distinguished knight. Its quality was unquestionable.
Hisui’s eyes softened. "And do you remember how such technologies came to us?"
"Of course. Six years ago..." Arcadios stopped, realization dawning as he understood her meaning.
Princess Hisui nodded. "Your sword, your armor, the army’s new standard weapons, the magic vehicles in the skies, even the changes in our people’s daily lives, all of these advances can be traced back to that guild. Fairy Tail made contributions that cannot be erased. For six years, we should have shown them greater respect. Yet all we gave them were two medals and a modest reward."
The royal family’s stance toward Fairy Tail had always mirrored the Council’s, acknowledging their strength, but wary of the trouble they brought.
And yet, Fairy Tail never strayed too far. They admitted their mistakes, accepted punishment, and moved on. Thus, the kingdom chose to overlook their recklessness.
Even during the Edolas invasion six years earlier, when Fairy Tail performed astonishing feats, the kingdom merely handed out medals, avoiding any true ceremony.
Part of this stemmed from a failure to grasp the importance of the knowledge and technology brought from another world. But even after all these years, the kingdom still had not offered Fairy Tail proper recompense.
At that time, Princess Hisui had still been very young. She remembered that someone had once proposed proper recognition for Fairy Tail, but the ministers were divided.
After long debate, the decision had been made: with Fairy Tail’s master and main members missing, the guild was considered all but defunct, and therefore no further compensation was necessary.
Some of the more radical ministers even argued that the remaining members had contributed little of worth, and that since the guild’s main force had vanished, the medals awarded should be reclaimed.
Fortunately, the King and most of the ministers still valued old loyalties and did not go to such extremes. Those two medals, though modest, spared Fairy Tail from far greater trouble.
Even now, although Fairy Tail’s current actions seemed suspicious, Princess Hisui had no wish to see anything unfortunate happen. The Eclipse Plan had not yet reached its final stage.
Arcadios bowed his head. "I understand."
Hisui asked softly, "Does Father know of this yet?"
"His Majesty is currently in conference with Lord Darton," Arcadios replied. "I will deliver my report afterward."
Hisui gave a small nod and said nothing more. She walked to the window and gazed out at the bustling capital below.
’Fairy Tail... perhaps, someday, I should see them with my own eyes.’
Meanwhile, within Fairy Tail, Yukino lowered her gaze as the three Celestial Spirits vanished. "Shall we meet here again tomorrow?"
Rhodes nodded. "Yes. You’ve done well today."
"It’s only a commission," Yukino answered calmly. "Then I’ll be on my way."
Lisanna tried to stop her. "No need to leave so soon, right? Why not stay a little? We could show you some hospitality."
But Yukino shook her head firmly. "No. I must find lodging. Thank you for your kindness."
Mira and Lisanna exchanged disappointed looks. They had hoped to spend more time with Yukino, but she remained politely distant.
"I’ll walk you out and point you toward a few inns," Rhodes offered, accompanying her to the door.
Along the way, he explained with casual detail which inn in Magnolia was the most expensive, which the cheapest, which had the best value, and even which was more suited for couples. He had looked into such things before, so giving directions was no trouble at all.
After escorting her a short distance and fulfilling his role as host, Rhodes bade her farewell and watched her walk away.
Just as he turned to head back, a sudden surge of magic flared a meter behind him.
He spun sharply on his heel. A suspicious figure wearing a mask stood there. Golden light flickered across Rhodes’s fingertips.
"Good reflexes. Is that Light Magic you learned from Makarov?" The masked figure’s voice was strange, yet carried an almost pleased tone.
"Who are you?" Rhodes demanded, even as his Void Crab’s detection magic spread silently outward. But to his surprise, it could not pierce the mask. The covering seemed fused with the stranger’s very face.
’A blocking-type spell... or perhaps a Thought Projection?’
"Hahaha...call me Alexi." The masked figure laughed, his voice echoing strangely. "No need to be so tense. This is only a Thought Projection. I have no intention of fighting you. I came to propose a deal."
Rhodes narrowed his eyes. "I’m not interested in making deals with people who hide behind masks. State your purpose directly."
Alexi chuckled with confidence. "It’s far too soon to refuse. Tell me, have you found your missing companions?"
Rhodes’s gaze sharpened. His aura flickered before he forced it under control. "What do you mean?"
Alexi snapped his fingers. The Thought Projection shimmered, and behind him appeared a massive object, a crystal, as tall as a person, glowing faintly with magic.
Rhodes stiffened. He knew this was one of the abilities of Thought Projections: to mirror what the caster perceived, including objects nearby.
Alexi’s voice lowered. "I believe you’ve seen it before... a weapon capable of turning people into magic crystals with a single strike."
"..."
Rhodes’s heart sank. His mind flashed back to Edolas, to the dreadful magic weapons that could crystallize living beings.
’No... it can’t be.’ He quickly rejected the thought. The fragment before him was too small. At most, it might account for Lucy alone, or perhaps Happy and Carla together. It wasn’t enough for the others.
After a moment of tense silence, Rhodes raised his voice, steady but cold. "What do you want?"