Chapter 21: The Foggy Mukuro and the Fairy Queen (1)
"Magic Council"
An administrative organization that upholds order among wizards in the magical world, ensuring discipline and judging dark wizards who commit crimes.
It is one of the great powers connected to all nations on the continent of Ishgar and is also responsible for handling problems caused by magic guilds recognized by the Council.
In the Council chamber, nine council members were gathered, reading the newspaper with dissatisfied expressions and voicing their complaints.
"Those Fairy Tail idiots have caused trouble again!"
"This time they nearly destroyed half of the harbor! How is this even acceptable?!"
"At this rate, an entire city might vanish one day!"
"Don't say such unlucky things… or it might actually happen."
"We've already reported to the government that it was part of an operation to arrest the criminal Bora…"
"Honestly… I kind of like those fools."
Among the aged elders of the Council, two young genius mages—Jellal (as Siegrain) and Ultear—smiled as they read the same newspaper, clearly amused, unlike the others.
"Keep your mouth shut!"
Councilor Org snapped, silencing Siegrain, but some of the other councilors began to agree with him.
"They are indeed reckless, but it's also true that Fairy Tail has many capable wizards."
"Which is exactly the problem."
"They're a double-edged sword. Things were at least manageable when Ciel Illusion, Makarov's heir, was still alive."
"That's true… With him around, Fairy Tail handled missions competently and reliably. Sure, there were occasional incidents, but they completed more than double—no, triple—the number of Council requests."
"If only that young talent had lived…"
"Let's refrain from speaking of those who are no longer with us."
Yajima's calm voice brought the discussion about Ciel to a close.
But their words weren't wrong.
Ciel Illusion.
Back when he was with Fairy Tail, the guild caused a bit of trouble—but they also accomplished great feats and steadily reduced the number of problems.
Yet the elders knew all too well: the dead do not return.
And so, they could only express their sorrow that Fairy Tail no longer had a successor of his caliber in this world.
"Haaah… Let's just leave them alone."
"Siegrain, you—!"
Org exploded again at Siegrain's remark.
But Siegrain merely watched the councilors with an amused smile, speaking in a relaxed tone:
"Still… without fools like them, this world would be boring, wouldn't it~?"
Though irritated, Org and Michello could only grumble in silence.
They had already reported to the kingdom that Fairy Tail's destruction was a necessary measure in capturing the criminal Bora.
In the end, the council's meeting that day concluded with the decision to send a formal document to Fairy Tail.
...
Yajima's personal office, located in the Council archives.
Yajima let out a long sigh as he sank into a plush sofa.
As he entered, a man wearing a pure white mask and matching white uniform—plain and without markings—confirmed his arrival, then silently poured tea and placed the cup on Yajima's desk.
"Much obliged… Just what I needed, I was parched."
Yajima took the cup of tea the masked man handed him and downed it in one go.
After setting the empty cup back on the table, he looked at the man and spoke.
"Ah~! As always, your tea is exquisite. The temperature is just right, the aroma is gentle, and the flavor's perfectly balanced—not bitter at all. Truly first-rate. When I retire someday, would you consider working as a server at my restaurant?"
The masked man chuckled in amusement at Yajima's comment and replied:
"Kufufufu… I'm afraid I have somewhere I must return to."
"...You still don't plan to tell Makarov? Or at least… your family?"
The masked man sat down across from Yajima, raising a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence.
"I do feel sorry for the Master and the kids… but it's still not time for me to return."
As he spoke, his hand began to turn translucent, and a soft lavender mist slowly began to seep from his body.
Yajima looked at him with a sorrowful expression and shook his head.
"Well… I suppose if you went back now, it'd only bring them sadness."
"Master Yajima, the reason I revealed myself to you is because I needed to operate as Fairy Tail's Fog—while also keeping my survival a secret."
"The Fog, huh… Something that makes the nonexistent seem real, and hides the real as if it were never there. Concealing your form while upholding the justice of the guild from behind the scenes… I suppose your current state is just like the fog itself. Always on the verge of disappearing, yet never truly gone. Not physically here, yet undeniably present."
"Thank you for what you did at Hargeon Harbor."
"Well, I'm close friends with Makarov, and I owe you quite a few favors myself… This much is the least I could do."
The man stood from the sofa upon hearing Yajima's reply and began walking toward the terrace.
Yajima didn't stop him.
Still, curious about where the man was headed, he casually asked:
"So… where are you off to this time?"
"I have some personal business to attend to."
"Personal business?"
"Yes. I heard about the Flute that Brings Death."
"...That really is personal, huh. Well, be careful out there. Don't push yourself too hard, alright? You're still my aide, Mukuro."
"Understood. I'll be back."
Mukuro's body dissolved into mist and vanished.
As the mist faded, a pure white owl flapped its wings and flew off from the terrace into the open sky.
Yajima watched the owl soaring high and then poured himself another cup of tea from the teapot, taking a small sip.
"Good grief… Even if I wanted to retire, I couldn't with tea this good… Maybe I'll hang on just a bit longer~"
...
Magnolia, located in the southern region of the Kingdom of Fiore.
The wizard guild representing Magnolia, Fairy Tail, was as loud and lively as ever.
"Hmm…"
On the first floor of Fairy Tail's guild hall, Lucy stood in front of the request board, browsing the job flyers to find one that suited her.
"'Find the Magic Bracelet'... 'Lift the Curse on the Wand'... 'Astrology Love Fortune'?! 'Demon Extermination'?!"
As Lucy scanned the remaining requests on the quest board, she lowered her head in disappointment—there was nothing she could realistically take on.
The easy and decently-paying jobs had already been snapped up early in the morning by other guild members. As someone with relatively low combat ability, there wasn't much left for her.
"Huh... there really are a lot of request types. Still, there's nothing I can handle on my own..."
"If you find one you like, let me know. Master's not around right now."
Mirajane, who was working behind the counter, called out to Lucy, who had been talking to herself while staring at the board.
At her mention of the missing Master, Lucy turned her head toward the counter.
Indeed, the usual sight of Makarov, drinking at his favorite seat, was nowhere to be seen. Lucy tilted her head in curiosity.
"Oh? You're right, he's not here."
"Master had to attend a regular council meeting, so he'll be away for a while."
"A regular council meeting?"
"It's a gathering of regional guild masters for regular reports. It's different from the Magic Council… Hmm, it's a little hard to explain. Liddas, can I borrow your Lightpen?"
Sitting quietly at the bar and sketching was a large man named Reedus. He handed over the Lightpen, a tool that allowed users to draw and write in the air.
With it, Mirajane drew a simple diagram in the air to explain the wizard world to Lucy.
"At the top of the magic hierarchy is the Magic Council—ten people who also work closely with the government. They maintain order in the magical world and have the authority to judge criminal wizards. Below them are guild masters. They relay decisions from the Council, help maintain communication between regional guilds, and keep everything running smoothly… It's a tough job, really."
"I didn't know guilds were all interconnected like that."
"Cooperation between guilds is really important. If you mess that up... well, you'll find out."
"Huh…?"
As Lucy tilted her head, unsure of Mirajane's cryptic smile, a loud screeching voice suddenly rang in her ear—causing her to scream.
"Dark guys are comin'!!!"
"KYAAAA!!"
Startled, Lucy turned to find Natsu behind her, laughing heartily at her reaction.
"Wahahaha!! 'Kyaa~' she says! What, scared?"
"Ugh! Don't scare people like that!"
"Scaredy-cat Lucy~ Or should I say 'Scared-sy'!"
"Don't make up weird nicknames!"
As Natsu and Lucy bantered playfully, Mirajane saw that a waitress had come in to take over her spot at the counter. She went into the back room, put on her coat, and finished her explanation to Lucy as she got ready to leave.
"Still, Natsu's not wrong. The 'dark ones' really do exist."
"Dark ones…?"
"Yeah. Guilds not affiliated with the alliance are called Dark Guilds. They ignore laws and are extremely dangerous."
"Are you heading out again today, Mira?"
"Mhm. Just for a bit. If anything happens, talk to Shani—the waitress."
With that, Mirajane took a bouquet of mistflowers and left the guild.
Watching her go, Lucy turned to Natsu and asked,
"It's been almost a month since I joined the guild, and I've noticed… Mira always leaves around this time of day."
Natsu replied quietly.
"...At this time, she always visits Kardia Cathedral."
Natsu answered Lucy's question in a voice slightly heavier than usual.
Seeing his serious expression, Lucy began to worry that she'd asked something she shouldn't have. But then Gray, who had been watching them, came over and sat down beside them, offering Lucy some reassurance.
"Natsu, don't look so scary. Lucy's still new—there's a lot she doesn't know yet."
"No, it's okay… Maybe I was the one who brought up something I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."
As Lucy apologized to the now-calm Natsu, he relaxed his expression and responded in his usual tone.
"It's fine. You're part of the family now, Lucy. There are some things you ought to know."
"Like what...?"
"You remember how Mira said she always heads to the Cardia Cathedral around this time? She goes there to see someone—someone who's become her last anchor, her only place of peace."
"Heeeh~, who is it? Maybe a boyfriend? Don't tell me Mira's boyfriend is a priest working at the cathedral?"
"No… Not inside the cathedral. It's the graveyard behind it."
As the meaning of Gray's words sank in, Lucy's face dimmed slightly.
...
Behind the Cardia Cathedral, at the heart of Magnolia.
Wearing a black coat, Mirajane stood before a pair of gravestones and gently laid down a bouquet of flowers.
On the first gravestone were the words:
"Ciel Illusion – Resting Here. X757–X781"
Beside it was another:
"Lisana Strauss – Resting Here. X767–X782"
"Ciel, Lisana. I'm here again today."
With a soft, sorrowful smile, she spoke as though carrying on a conversation with them.
"Master's away at the regular guild meeting, so I've been handling all the requests in his place. Can you believe it? I used to be the one out on jobs, fighting instead of doing errands… but now, just like you hoped, Ciel, I've become a proper lady."
Though she spoke freely, no one replied.
Only the silent presence of the gravestones remained before her.
And yet, Mirajane kept talking to them, smiling as if the two were right there with her.
Coming to this place each day to share stories from her daily life was her way of holding on to her sanity—after losing the ones she loved.
"If Ciel saw me now, he'd probably fall for me at first sight. Aah~ what if he proposes to me first? But what would I do if Lisana got jealous~?"
After chatting softly to herself for a while, she took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped down the gravestones of both Ciel and Lisana.
"Ciel, Lisana. That's it for today, but I'll be back tomorrow. I'll bring more stories with me."
With the visit complete, the girl turned away from the grave with a smile—no longer sorrowful, but bright once more—as she walked out of the cemetery.
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