Erza smiled: "Honestly, it's easier to accept than I imagined."
Mira tilted her head, smiling: "This doesn't seem like you, Erza — you were so competitive when fighting me before."
Erza said: "Maybe it's because I had a premonition. After all, the opponents are those two, and to be honest, even if I lose to just one of them, I might not feel too bitter."
"Huh~~~ It's okay to lose to them, but losing to me would make you upset?" Mira pretended to be annoyed, "That's harsh, feels like you're underestimating me."
"No, that's not what I meant." Erza smiled, knowing well that Mira wasn't truly angry,
"Actually, if losing to comrades like today, with almost no resistance, I'd feel rather happy.
"Because the guild is stronger than I imagined, and I have two more goals to catch up to. Next time, I'll become stronger— maybe Natsu has always felt this way."
"As for you, Mira," Erza looked at her seriously, "I'm also looking forward to competing against you again, don't fall too far behind."
"I won't, even though I'm not training, I'm getting stronger every day. Because..." Mira placed her hand on her belly, showing a confident smile, "there are more people I need to protect now."
Erza suddenly blushed: "Is this... the power of motherly love?"
Carla patted the dazed Wendy: "Wendy, what's wrong?"
"N-Nothing." Wendy said in a very small voice, "Just for a moment, I wanted Sister Mira to hug me."
Carla asked: "Speaking of which, where's the main culprit? Doesn't he have healing magic too?"
Mira pointed upstairs: "A guest just arrived, there's something important to discuss."
...
Next to the guild's rooftop clock, President Precht leaned against a pillar, hiding in a spot unseen from the east, west, and south.
"I hear you guys have been dealing with that Black Magic Sect lately."
Rhode asked: "You heard about that? The Council doesn't seem to have publicized it."
Precht said: "After all, in a way, they are considered our successors."
This 'us' refers to Demon's Heart and Gate of the Underworld.
Because they all worship Zeref, striving to return to the Great Magic Era and so forth.
Calling them successors works too.
Rhode looked carefully at Precht's expression, finding that he wasn't at all embarrassed mentioning his dark past.
His skin is thicker than the third generation.
Precht, unaware of Rhode's criticisms, continued:
"Others are easily handled, but the one known as the Divine officer holds a dangerous magic, make sure to caution your people."
Rhode asked: "Dangerous magic? What exactly is it?"
Precht said: "Don't know, it's a Forbidden Magic related to life."
Rhode nodded, magic concerning life is always particularly perilous, creating another Zeref would be disastrous.
Precht saw his reaction and said: "Seems you didn't ask Ultear to help find me for this matter."
"No, it's not that."
"Won't be for another magic lesson, right?"
"Hmm..." Rhode thought for a moment, "If you have time, a magic lesson would be nice."
"..."
"Haha, just kidding, this time I mainly want your help to look at something."
Rhode directly used Earth Magic to construct walls to block views, then used Illusion Magic for a layer of disguise, only then did he bring out the Book of END.
"!" Before seeing the title, Precht already had widened eyes.
Because he instantly felt that familiar magic power from the book.
After seeing the title, Precht was both shocked and unsurprised: "It's actually this book... No wonder, no wonder it has such power..."
He remarked with some emotion: "If you'd shown me this book seven years ago, I'd have made you vice president."
"That wasn't necessary..." Rhode said, "Do you know much about this book?"
Precht shook his head: "If you ask about the meaning of this book, I can say a lot, but if it's about the content, I don't know."
Speaking so, Precht stared at the book, his eyes full of curiosity.
"There's no issue telling you, the content of this book is quite lengthy and dull, but the script it uses is quite unique, besides..."
Rhode talked about the peculiarities of the Book of END.
Precht occasionally pondered, sometimes expressed surprise, finally sighed: "Just like Zeref."
Rhode closely watched him, worried the old man would revert to being Zeref's die-hard fan.
"You mean, the little girl with cherry-colored hair is the legendary strongest demon?"
"Theoretically speaking, yes. But..." Rhode stopped.
Recently, he frequently pondered the matter of the so-called strongest demon, but it's hard to conclude.
Precht asked: "Finding out a friend isn't human, hard to accept?"
"Not really, if anything, Gray can be considered half a demon now, and we also have what's half a dragon..."
Rhode shook his head, continued saying, "Sigh, the guild is full of weirdos, having a few more demons is nothing."
Thinking about Fairy Tail's current state, Precht couldn't help but laugh.
Part of it was happiness, part was relief — thankfully, he's long no longer the president.
"So, you want to find me for that Super Living Body Connection Magic."
"Yes, is there a way to undo it?"
Precht said: "Ordinary methods certainly won't work, give me some time to research."
Rhode nodded: "Thank you, do you need to take the book?"
"No need, it's best if you don't casually bring it out." Precht advised, "The aura of Zeref on it is too intense, might attract something dangerous."
"Understood." Rhode nodded, putting the book away, "Also, there's something regarding the Western Continent, please lend your attention to it and Sin of the Witch... "
Precht listened seriously to Rhode's entire explanation, considering it involved Mebius.
Moreover, Fairy's Heart is his creation, ultimately this matter could be attributed to him starting it.
"I'll try my best to gather information over there, well then, see you next time."
"Won't you sit for a bit?" Rhode asked, "Always hurriedly leaving, what are you really busy with?"
Precht's expression turned complex: "I... am looking for a child."
Rhode was taken aback: "A child?"
Precht sighed: "It's a mistake from my youth."
"Oh~~" Rhode immediately thought of the situation with Kildas and Kana, asking, "What kind of child, need help?"
"Don't imagine wildly. It's..." Precht hesitated to speak, finally gently shaking his head, "It's already been over ninety years, that child might have... Anyway, what's pressing now is more important."
...
After sending off the somewhat melancholic second generation, Rhode went downstairs to find the third generation.
Makarov was sipping sake, watching the children do evening meditation training.
Rhode looked at everyone's state, nodding in satisfaction.
Then he, with some curiosity, asked Makarov:
"President, do you know President Precht might have an illegitimate child?"
"Pff..." Makarov spat out his drink, "What did you say?!"
Whoosh~~ whoosh~~ whoosh~~
A burst of magic whirlwinds exploded around the guild members, caused by meditation interruptions.
The guild instantly had winds stirring, tables and chairs were almost entirely overturned, many were hit.
But nobody cared about these trivial matters, focusing their eyes intently on Rhode and Makarov.
The second generation has an illegitimate child?