"In accordance with Fairy Tail's age-old traditions, I hereby formally announce the list of participants for the S-class mage promotion exam
"In accordance with Fairy Tail's age-old traditions, I hereby formally announce the list of participants for the S-class mage promotion exam.
This year's examination venue will be Tenrou Island, our guild's sacred ground. Over the past year, I have carefully observed the hearts and souls of each and every one of you. A total of nine individuals have been selected to participate this year…
Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, Elfman Strauss, Cana Alberona, Freed Justine, Levy McGarden, Mest Gryder, and Drake Dragneel."
Makarov proclaimed the names of this year's examinees, eliciting a murmur of discussion from the assembled guild members.
Ultimately, Makarov had decided to proceed with the S-class exam as originally planned.
According to Makarov, Fairy Tail and Grimoire Heart were destined for a showdown sooner or later.
The inherent conflict between a formal guild and a dark guild, coupled with the nature of Brain's identity, ensured that the two organizations could never coexist peacefully.
Given that a war was inevitable, Makarov reasoned that Tenrou Island would be the most advantageous battlefield for Fairy Tail.
As for Zeref, Makarov considered him to be a lesser concern. Since Zeref's goals were not directly antagonistic to Fairy Tail, he need not be regarded as an outright enemy.
Of course, no one would be foolish enough to deliberately test the limits of the Black Wizard's power… Makarov quietly resolved to keep a close watch on Natsu, ensuring that he didn't engage in any reckless behavior!
Drake stroked his chin, noting that this year's list of participants mirrored the original storyline, with the addition of himself.
Natsu, Gray, and the others were obvious choices; they would have been promoted to S-class status long ago in any other guild.
However, Makarov found their personalities to be a constant source of frustration, and the exam itself was notoriously difficult, resulting in their repeated failure to achieve promotion.
Then there were individuals like Levy, whose exceptional abilities in a specific area earned her a spot in the exam.
Levy's Solid Script magic, while capable of offensive maneuvers, was not particularly potent in direct combat. However, Levy was the only member of the guild capable of engaging in meaningful discussions with Drake on the subject of magical theory.
From that perspective, Levy was more than qualified to become an S-class mage.
Finally, there was Mest, a man who claimed to be a disciple of Mystogan.
Drake glanced at the short-haired man, observing his interactions with the guild members who were offering their congratulations, and a flicker of curiosity crossed his face.
Mest's magic was undeniably peculiar, capable of convincing everyone that he was a long-standing member of their close-knit community. It was a power ideally suited for espionage.
Perhaps sensing Drake's gaze, Mest turned and offered Drake a friendly smile.
Drake responded with a nod, then turned his attention back to Makarov, who was still addressing the assembled guild members.
Makarov continued, "The exam will commence in one week. Please use this time to prepare yourselves.
As several of you are participating in the exam for the first time, I will reiterate the rules. The selected nine individuals will have one week to choose a partner from among the other members of Fairy Tail.
There are two restrictions regarding your choice of partner: first, you must select a member of Fairy Tail; and second, you may not select an S-class mage as your partner.
The specific details of the exam will be revealed upon your arrival at Tenrou Island. The selected nine individuals and their partners will convene at Hargeon Port in one week. Meeting adjourned!"
The crowd dispersed, engaging in animated discussions. Drake turned and began walking towards his home.
In order to mitigate any unforeseen complications, Drake had been diligently crafting magical tools.
Utilizing the pre-prepared enhancement serum, Drake upgraded his ability scores. [Mystery] successfully advanced to the next level, resulting in a notable improvement in the quality and speed of Drake's magical tool creation.
However, with only one week remaining, he needed to accelerate his efforts in order to prepare the necessary magical tools for everyone.
Drake's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and he turned to address the figure behind him. "You've been following me for quite some time now. How long do you intend to continue?"
Mest emerged from behind a tree, his face wreathed in a friendly smile. "Impressive, Drake, to be detected so quickly by someone who has defeated a member of the Ten Wizard Saints!"
Drake fixed his gaze upon Mest. "Don't tell me you've been following me to gather information about your opponents in the upcoming exam."
Mest's smile vanished, replaced by a look of intense seriousness. "You haven't been affected by my magic, have you?"
Although phrased as a question, Mest had already ascertained the answer. And Mest's inquiry stemmed from the true nature of his identity.
As previously mentioned, Mest's magic was a form of memory manipulation.
As he had demonstrated today, he could seamlessly integrate himself into any organization by implanting false memories of camaraderie into the minds of its members. His magic was ideally suited for espionage.
It was precisely this aptitude that had led the Magic Council to dispatch him to Fairy Tail as a spy.
As fate would have it, Makarov harbored similar intentions.
In addition to being an informant for the Magic Council, Mest was secretly an operative dispatched by Makarov to gather intelligence from within the Council.
In order to fully immerse himself in his role as a double agent, Mest had taken the drastic step of sealing away his memories of being a member of Fairy Tail.
At this point in time, he genuinely believed himself to be a member of the Council's intelligence division, tasked with gathering information about Fairy Tail.
Therefore, upon realizing that Drake might have been immune to his memory manipulation, he was understandably alarmed.
If Drake's memories remained unaltered, his mission had been a complete failure.
Drake had, in fact, remained unaffected by Mest's memory manipulation. Drake was exceptionally cautious when it came to matters of memory, and both his memories from his previous life and the secret of his ability to travel to other worlds were secrets that he would never allow anyone to access.
Therefore, he had invested considerable effort in safeguarding his memories, erecting three layers of mental shielding and employing five distinct protective spells. Drake was confident that no one could forcibly extract his memories.
The false memories that Mest had attempted to implant in Drake's mind had been effectively blocked by the protective spells. However, even if Mest had succeeded in altering his memories, Drake would have quickly detected the inconsistencies.
Memory was a person's most precious possession, and Drake abhorred the idea of anyone tampering with his memories.
Had Mest not been a member of Fairy Tail, Drake would have already resorted to physical violence.
Mest's magic was not without its flaws. He could not possibly fabricate a memory that was as seamless and devoid of inconsistencies as a genuine experience. False memories would always contain contradictions.
For example, he had implanted the false memory that he was a long-standing member of Fairy Tail, and that he had even participated in the previous S-class exam.
However, that memory was fabricated, and no one could recall who his partner had been during that exam.
Drake stated, "I do not care who you are or what your true intentions may be. Since the Guild Master has no objections to your participation in the S-class exam, I will not interfere. As long as you refrain from harming the guild, I will not take any action against you."
With these words, Drake turned to leave.
"One more thing," Drake added, pausing in his departure. "Allow me to offer you a word of advice. This S-class exam will not be as safe as you might imagine. Whatever your goals may be, it would be best if you did not involve yourself."
Drake's words were deliberately chosen. He was confident that when Mest reported this information to the Council, they would take action.
While he did not expect them to assist in confronting Acnologia, perhaps they could help with the lesser members of Grimoire Heart.
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