Chapter 176: Loke
"I'll be heading back then."
"Alright. Get some good rest."
After bidding farewell to Makarov, Noah returned home.
Erza and the girls weren't back yet. Noah's mind lingered on the recent events. Even though the Alvarez Empire had retreated, an attempted invasion of that scale was bound to have significant repercussions.
With that in mind, he made a special trip to the Heartfilia estate to see Jude.
As he had expected, the incident had disrupted exchanges of all kinds between the two continents. The flow of goods between Jude's company and Grammi's on the western continent had become much more complicated.
"Uncle Jude," Noah began, "you might want to prepare for the possibility of the connection between the continents being completely severed."
Jude looked surprised. "Is it really that serious? Didn't the Alvarez army withdraw?"
"It's a precaution," Noah explained. "Some of their highest-ranking officials, members of the Spriggan 12, are war fanatics. They were the ones who instigated this incident. There's no guarantee they won't try something similar again. And even if they don't, it would be easy for them to cut off all travel between the continents under the guise of preventing intelligence leaks or spy infiltration. It's better to be prepared."
"That's a fair point," Jude conceded, nodding. "You're right. I'll start making arrangements immediately."
It was always better to be safe than sorry. A real disruption would be a disaster for his business.
Seeing that Jude understood, Noah went to see Layla and Lucy. After checking on Lucy's studies for a bit, he headed back home.
He arrived to find Erza and the others chatting in his living room. Apparently, they had been worried since he'd been gone for so many days, so they had come over to wait for him after their training.
"What did the Master send you to do? Can you tell us?" Sorano, ever the most impatient, was the first to ask. The others all turned to look at him expectantly.
Noah thought for a moment. Makarov hadn't told him to keep it a secret. Besides, it was better for them to know and be mentally prepared.
"A few days ago," he began, "an army from the Alvarez Empire on the western continent appeared off our coast. They ended up retreating, though."
The news hit them like a physical blow. The atmosphere in the room grew tense, and the girls' expressions became deadly serious.
"Why would they suddenly send an army here?" Erza demanded, getting straight to the point.
"From what I gathered, it's because some members of their 'Spriggan 12'—a group of mages with the highest authority, second only to their Emperor—are obsessed with war and wanted to start one. The incident only ended because the Magic Council revealed our strategic weapons and their Emperor ordered them to stand down."
"I see," Ultear said with a sigh. "To think we came that close to war."
Erza, however, was fuming. "Starting a war just because they feel like it? How despicable!"
The others all nodded in agreement. Their own pasts and their understanding of conflict had given them all a deep-seated hatred for war. The idea that someone would unleash such devastation for their own amusement filled them with disgust.
"The situation should be stable for now," Noah continued. "The threat of the Council's strategic weapons should keep them at bay. But we still need to be ready. If a war does break out, we need the strength to protect ourselves and our guild."
He thought for another moment before adding, "You can tell Ur and Laxus about this. But don't mention it to the others. Knowing won't help them if they aren't strong enough. Just make sure you push everyone to train harder."
Erza and the others nodded their assent. Afterward, Noah joined them at the training grounds. The news had given them a new sense of urgency, and they threw themselves into their training with renewed passion.
Two weeks flew by. During that time, both Noah and Makarov kept a close watch on the situation, confirming that Alvarez had not sent any more troops. Only then did they finally relax.
One day, Noah left his house and headed to the guild hall for a change of pace. He took a seat at the counter, chatting with Makarov while observing the usual chaotic energy of the guild.
Suddenly, a figure with orange hair caught his eye. The man had his back to the counter and was trying to quietly slip out the main entrance. His stealthy movements stood in stark contrast to the loud, brawling members all around him, which is what drew Noah's attention. He looked familiar, like Noah had seen him somewhere before.
"Gramps, who's that?"
"Him? That's Loke. He's a new member, just joined a few days ago. A holder-type wizard."
Something felt off. Noah stood up. "I think I might know him. I'm going to go say hi."
"Go ahead."
As Noah started walking towards him, the man heard footsteps approaching from behind. He glanced back, and upon seeing Noah, his eyes widened. He quickly snapped his head forward and picked up his pace, breaking into a run.
Noah easily kept up, catching the man by the shoulder just a few steps outside the guild's doors. The moment his hand made contact, Noah knew something was wrong.
"You're—"
"Follow me," the man said, his voice strained. "I'll explain."
He started walking, and Noah released his shoulder, following close behind. They walked until they reached a secluded alleyway, where the man finally stopped and turned around.
He had short, spiky orange hair and wore a pair of blue-tinted glasses that did little to hide his handsome features.
"Aren't you Leo?" Noah asked, his suspicion confirmed. "The last I remember, you were contracted with Karen. Why have you joined Fairy Tail?"
The man, Leo, let out a deep, shuddering sigh. A storm of emotions—pain, regret, remorse—washed over his face. He looked like he was losing control, and tears began to stream down his cheeks.
"I never wanted to kill her!" he choked out. "I just wanted her to reconsider! I wanted her to understand that Celestial Spirits aren't just tools! We have our own will, our own hearts! I just wanted her to see that... This… something like this… I never wanted this to happen!"
His legs gave out, and Leo collapsed to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
Seeing his highly emotional state, and noticing that his cries were starting to attract onlookers, Noah placed a hand on his shoulder. He activated his teleportation magic, and in an instant, they were both standing in an empty field on the outskirts of town.
Noah waited patiently until Leo's sobs subsided and he had regained some of his composure.
"Tell me," Noah said gently. "What happened?"
~~~
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