Anna was still puzzled, but seeing the seriousness in Noah's eyes, she finally nodded.
"Then I will gather the information when the time comes. Until then, I won't mention my partner to anyone."
"That's good. I don't want you to spend all your effort only to have it ruined by unexpected trouble.
By the way, let's exchange contact information. This is the communication crystal I'm using now. With it, you can reach me anytime. If you encounter a problem, you can contact me and I'll help however I can."
Noah pulled a crystal from his pocket and handed it to Anna. She accepted it and tucked it carefully away.
Once he had finished everything he wanted to say, Noah lifted the spell that had sealed their private conversation. Layla and King Thomas did not ask what had been said between them.
Anna turned to Layla with a gentle smile.
"I have matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. I hope you and your family will live happily."
"Thank you…"
Layla, Noah, and King Thomas accompanied Anna out of the palace. Along the way, Layla asked softly:
"Anna, what will you do next?"
"Everything must follow its proper order. My first priority is to find the children.
Before I reveal everything, I must trouble you to keep this between us."
"I understand. Until then, everything must remain a secret."
Layla nodded in agreement. Anna then turned her gaze toward King Thomas.
"Your Majesty, can you destroy that gate?"
"Well… very well."
Anna gave a small wave to Noah and the others before turning and walking away.
They remained at the palace entrance, watching her figure until she disappeared in the distance, then finally returned inside.
As soon as they stepped into the living room, Princess Emerald rushed up to King Thomas, eyes wide and shining.
"Father, I saw five meteors streaking across the sky!"
King Thomas immediately understood what this meant, but still crouched down to ask his daughter kindly:
"Then will my Jadeite tell Father what just happened? Father wants to know too."
Princess Emerald eagerly began describing what she had seen. The guards nearby also added their own observations, making the little princess even more animated.
When Jude noticed Layla and Noah returning, he hurried to ask:
"How was it? Has everything been resolved?"
"Yes. It's finally over. The Heartfilia family's long-standing mission has been fulfilled. Lucy no longer has to carry that burden."
Layla answered with relief written all over her face. Jude, hearing this, smiled warmly.
The good news made all the hardships of the past two years worthwhile. He gently pulled Layla into his arms. Layla rested her head on his shoulder, allowing herself to finally relax, enjoying the quiet moment that belonged only to the two of them.
Seeing King Thomas with his daughter and Layla with her husband, Noah did not step forward to disturb them. Instead, he teleported instantly, retrieving the nearby magic crystals that had been used to store data backups.
After collecting more than a dozen crystals, he returned to the palace. Finding that the others were still happily talking with their families, he quietly chose a corner seat and began inspecting the recovered equipment and data.
Upon closer examination, he realized that while many of the devices looked intact on the outside, their inner workings had been damaged.
Perhaps it was the overwhelming surge of magic when the gate had opened or perhaps the deafening roar of the dragons.
Fortunately, much of the data had been preserved, and all that remained was to return and organize it.
Noah had only just begun processing the information when a messenger from King Thomas arrived, inviting him to a banquet. Only the royal family and the Heartfilia family would be in attendance.
After tidying up his things, Noah went to the living hall. During the banquet, everyone tacitly avoided the topic of the gate. Instead, King Thomas steered the conversation toward cooperation with Jude.
Over the past year, Jude's pharmaceutical company had flourished thanks to Noah's extraordinary prescriptions. The medicines were highly effective, reasonably priced, and quickly gained a strong reputation not only in Fiore but also in neighboring kingdoms.
Now the royal family wished to enter into partnership with Jude. Naturally, Jude was delighted. As long as the initiative remained in his own hands, cooperation with the royal family was an opportunity with far more benefits than drawbacks.
"I wonder, who is the genius behind your company's medicines? Could you introduce me?"
King Thomas had been chatting casually with Jude, but at last he asked the question directly. Seeing Jude hesitate, the king quickly explained:
"I only wish to ask this expert to examine the health of myself and Princess Emerald. Since his medicine works so well, his medical skills must be extraordinary."
Jude was momentarily at a loss for words. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he caught Noah giving him the faintest shake of the head. Immediately, Jude understood how to reply.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. The one who provided me the prescription wore a mask. I never learned who he was. We only agreed on distribution and profit-sharing.
I released the medicine to the market only after thorough testing proved it flawless. Since the results speak for themselves, I've never sought him out again. It would only risk souring our relationship and jeopardizing future cooperation."
Hearing this, King Thomas sighed regretfully, but did not press further. He turned the discussion back to other matters of business.
Noah, for his part, had no desire to examine the king or the princess, not even for something as simple as a routine checkup.
Because the medicine had become so popular, the mysterious provider of the prescriptions was now known far and wide. Thankfully, from the very beginning, Noah had made Jude promise to conceal his identity. Jude had protected that secret faithfully.
King Thomas was a decent king, perhaps even a good one, but Noah knew better than to trust the intentions of others. If word of his identity spread, what might those with ambition try to do?
A king's world was surrounded by whirlpools of politics and intrigue. Noah had no interest in being dragged into that. He was already busy enough with his own affairs and didn't need needless trouble. Jude would earn the money Noah only needed to focus on his path.
As the banquet continued, Noah ate quietly at his place. Princess Emerald laughed and chatted with Lucy, while Layla occasionally joined their conversation. The three of them one grown woman and two lively girls chattered happily without pause.
Business discussions carried on at one side of the table, while laughter filled the other, and Noah simply lowered his head, a quiet eater in the middle of it all.
When the meal was finished, Lucy exchanged communication crystals with Princess Emerald, and the two promised to stay in touch.
King Thomas graciously arranged for everyone to stay the night in the palace guest rooms. The next morning, Noah and the Heartfilia family departed from the capital.
Upon returning to the Heartfilia estate, Noah returned the Zodiac Keys to their rightful owners. Jude, in gratitude, presented each of them with a sum of money as thanks.
Grame, Soludio, and Spite, knowing that Lucy had begun her journey as a mage, wanted to give their keys back to Layla.
Layla refused them several times, but in the end she could not dissuade them and accepted. However, Soludio explained that he would hold onto his key a little longer, as he intended to study a new kind of magic to replace Celestial Spirit Magic. That training would take time before he could fully return it.