819"It's nice to see you, Elden-dono, Jellal-dono."
"Jura." I greeted as I shook hands with the Wizard Saint. "Thank you for voicing your support earlier during the meeting."
"I only did what I think is right. I agree that as mages of the light, we have a duty to protect Fiore from dark mages. Tartaros needs to be gone if we are to fully eradicate the Balam Alliance." Jura replied as the three of us walked out of the meeting room between the Magic Council and the various representatives of the light guilds of Fiore. The meeting that lasted for hours had only just ended. I can now see why Master Makarov used to complain about these Council meetings all the time.
"That will be a job for Crime Sorciere." Jellal nodded. "The members of Crime Sorciere had dealings with them and knew a little of Tartaros' strength. We are the best suited individuals to take them down. It is what Crime Sorciere is created for."
Our conversation was put on hold when an employee from the Magic Council walked up to us and greeted us with a bow.
"Jura-sama, Elden-sama, Jellal-san. Chairman Doma and Elder Org wish to see Elden-sama."
"Not again." I cannot help but groan upon hearing that statement, which provoked a laugh out of Jura and Jellal.
"Just accept the offer, Elden-dono. The Wizard Saints will be happy to have a mage of your calibre and character around."
"It's going to be a damn pain to be a Wizard Saint. I'm not that noble." I grumbled, to which Jellal just slapped me on my back with a shit-eating grin on his face. Traitor.
"Think of it as allowing Mirel to have some bragging rights. How many girls can claim that their daddy is one of the Ten Wizard Saints?"
"If only Gramps didn't resign from his position as a Wizard Saint I would not need to even consider being one." I sighed as I accepted the summon. Not like I have any other choice in the matter anyway, one does not simply dismiss a personal summon made by Gran Doma.
"Bye Jura, see you around."
"I hope to see the Wizard Saint emblem on you the next time we meet, Elden-dono." Jura told me before walking off.
"I'll be waiting at the cafeteria. Try not to take too long." Jellal called out before walking away, leaving me with the messenger.
Now, time to see what Gran Doma and Org really want.
"I suppose your mind hasn't changed the last time we met."
"I really don't want to take up the responsibility of a Wizard Saint." I replied truthfully from where I am seated opposite Gran Doma and Org in Gran Doma's office, sipping on some tea as we have our conversation. Being the Ace of my guild is my dream and I have achieved it, but being a Wizard Saint is not something I want even if it is an honour to wear that emblem around my neck.
"I figured as much." Gran Doma said as he leaned forward in his seat. "In that case, how about we reach an agreement?"
"About what?" I asked, feeling my eyebrows raise at the question. "And come to think about it, why are you guys so insistent on having me as a Wizard Saint? Get Gildarts or something, he's more than capable. Also, I am pretty sure you guys hate Fairy Tail."
"You think we had never considered him as a possible candidate?" Org snorted at the thought. "You know how Gildarts is. He's never around and when he is, he's causing trouble somewhere. And yes, we do dislike the trouble your guild brings about, but we also have to admit that just Fairy Tail's name alone is a big enough deterrent to keep dark guilds at bay. Just ensure that your members keep the collateral damage down to a minimum and we won't have a problem with your guild."
"I'll try." I sighed, knowing my guild's tendencies and destructive capabilities.
"That aside, Org and I may be strict and by the book, but we are not blind to your guild's efforts in helping to maintain the peace across Fiore, especially after the Tenrou incident." Gran Doma continued the discussion in a no nonsense fashion that is typical of him. "Setting up Crime Sorciere, stopping Etherion, taking down Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart, these are all achievements worthy of praise even if as members of the Magic Council, we do not approve of some of the ways that Fairy Tail went about doing so. Not only that, you were personally involved in these incidents and had played a pivotal role to stop the darkness from further encroaching on our lands. The skills and prowess as a mage that you had displayed in these battles is enough for us to consider you as a candidate for the position of a Wizard Saint. More importantly, you have shown us that you have the mindset worthy of one with how actively you are encouraging your Guild Master and ally guilds to do something about the dark guild problem ever since you became the guild's Ace. It is an issue that not many guild mage would want to get involved in but yet here you are, actively doing something to stop it."
"It's only the right thing to do. As mages, we are the lucky 10% of the population that are born with the ability to harness a power not many can use. We should use it to do some good and help out whenever we can, that is what I was taught when I first became a member of Fairy Tail." I said, remembering how I first met Makarov and the circumstances that I was in when he first saved me so many years ago.
"Then why not do more? There's only so much you can do as Fairy Tail's Ace, but you would not face such restrictions as a Wizard Saint. People will take your words much more seriously. The Magic Council can use mages like you, powerful mages who genuinely have the best interests of the people in mind." Org persuaded and I shook my head.
"Like I said, I never wanted to be a Wizard Saint or to be saddled with the responsibilities of one. Wizard Saint or not, I will continue to do what I think is right. A title is simply a title, I have no need for those."
"But there are times that titles hold a certain amount of power, power that you will need to protect your guild. Makarov had resigned from his position as a Wizard Saint because of his age and ailing health, and you know very clearly what that means for your guild. If your guild ever steps out of line one more time, there is nothing to defend Fairy Tail from the Magic Council."
"Is this a threat?" I asked with a tone of warning, a little ticked off at how they worded their sentences.
"A reminder." Gran Doma corrected without a change in his facial expression. "If your guild is not such a public nuisance we need not resort to such a thing in the first place. It's not like Org and I are proud of doing something like this, but it is necessary. Which brings me back to the point that I was trying to talk about. Let's come to an agreement, Elden."
"I will hear you out, but that does not mean I will accept it straightaway." I reminded Gran Doma, who merely nodded. Strict and inflexible he may be, but he is a man of reason. Besides, there are times where Fairy Tail had indeed stepped out of line. If I put myself in his shoes I can see why he dislikes Fairy Tail so much. From his standpoint as the Chairman of the Magic Council, the feelings he has for my guild are not entirely unwarranted.
"With the dismissal of Ultear, Jellal, and Jose, and also Makarov's resignation, we currently do not have ten mages within the Ten Wizard Saints. If you do become a Wizard Saint and fill up the missing ranks, you will only need to fulfil just a fraction of the responsibilities that position entails."
"You need to elaborate."
"If you become a Wizard Saint, your only responsibility is to help the Council keep the dark guilds in line and eradicate them if need be. Anything else, you need not bother yourself with them although you are always more than welcomed to participate. The council meetings, you need not attend if you wish to as long as those meetings do not concern your fraction of the responsibilities that you are shouldered with. You said that you do not wish to take up the responsibilities of a Wizard Saint, so this is my proposition to you. Limited responsibility instead of full responsibility. Your only responsibility as a Wizard Saint will be to help the Council deal with and manage the dark guilds problem. That is it."
I rolled my eyes at Gran Doma's answer.
"You make it sound so easy. Keeping dark guilds in line and eradicating them is a problem that even the Magic Council had not managed to properly solve in centuries. What can a single person do even when an organisation as large as the Magic Council has failed? The benefits of having me join the Wizard Saints is clear as day for the Magic Council, but what's in it for me?"
"As long as your guild does not do anything drastic that we cannot ignore, Org and I are more willing to turn a blind eye towards some of your antics. In case you need a reminder, we still haven't forgotten how Fairy Tail sent Doranbolt to infiltrate the Council undercover. That was clearly out of line, but we turned a blind eye on account of Fairy Tail's contributions in taking out Grimoire Heart and also because we gave Makarov some face due to him being a Wizard Saint back then. But we are past that now. Right now, you just need to know that if you accept our proposition and be a Wizard Saint, anything that you need the Council's help in, we are also willing to help out as long as it doesn't go against the rules of the Magic Council. Of course, that is only if you take up our offer."
Org then spoke up, adding on to what Gran Doma just mentioned.
"We will also be upfront with you. The Balam Alliance needs to be dissolved if we want peace to return to Ishgar. If you do accept the offer, the first order of business we will have you do is to solve the Tartaros problem ASAP, because you are the most suitable candidate we have considering what you have done for Fiore in the past five years. Of course, Gran Doma and I will also give you our full support in this issue and we will mobilise other members of the Wizard Saints if need be. If we combine this with the firepower of Fairy Tail and her ally guilds, it should be enough to take down the Balam Alliance for good."
I closed my eyes and took some time to think, my index finger drumming on my thigh in an idle rhythm. It's true that I do not want to take up the responsibilities of a Wizard Saint, but it is also true that I personally do want to see the rampant dark guild problem in Fiore solved. It is true that Fairy Tail does need someone in high places among the Magic Council to better protect the guild from the Council's wrath should their shenanigans get out of hand. It is true that out of the many S Class mages in the guild right now, only Laxus and I have the qualifications and motivation to sit among the ranks of the Ten Wizard Saints. Jellal doesn't count because of his past and knowing Mystogan and Gildarts, there's no way either of them will ever want to take up that position. Mira is close, but still not at the level of a Wizard Saint, and she definitely has no interest in such a position even if she is. Erza will most likely qualify to be a Wizard Saint in the near future, but that future is not now. As for the newer S Class mages, they are strong, but definitely not yet strong enough to be a Wizard Saint.
If I want to better protect the guild, I need connections and power. Gran Doma was right to say that sometimes there is power in having a title. The title of a Wizard Saint is one such example and it may be just what I need, just in case Fairy Tail needs my status as a Wizard Saint to pull them out of difficult situations and protect them from other legal or political bullshit.
Also, Gran Doma and Org are already making a very huge concession for me, to take up the title without needing to fulfil all of the responsibilities that such a position entails. I cannot just reject their goodwill without any good reason, such an action will only serve to drive a deeper wedge between Fairy Tail and the Magic Council and it is not something that I want to see happen. Our relationship is already shaky as it is.
To protect the guild as her Ace, that's what I had sworn when I took on the position. There are a lot of things that I have to protect the guild from, and certain things cannot be solved through brute strength alone.
Very often, the greatest threats are those that cannot be fought with magic.
I opened my eyes, my decision already made after weighing all the pros and cons.
"Fine. I will take you guys up on your offer. I will be a Wizard Saint."
"Daddy!"
Mirel flew into her daddy's arms the moment she spotted him returning to the guild together with her Uncle Jellal. It's starting to get a little late and she was starting to worry that daddy might not be able to return home tonight to read her bedtime stories, but he's back!
"I'm back, Mirel. Home sweet home. How are you?" Her daddy said with a smile as he easily carried her with an arm.
"Today is fun! Everybody taught me a little about their magic today!"
"Oh, El and Jel are back!"
"Welcome back! How's it going at the Magic Council?"
"You guys have the cheek to ask." Mirel giggled as her daddy growled out those words in annoyance. The guild is in big trouble~
The guild members had picked up the shift in mood instantaneously and were starting to point fingers at each other, selling each other out without hesitation.
"I don't know what it is but it definitely has to be Natsu's fault, right?! He just destroyed three blocks of residential districts!"
"Can you guys stop talking about that?! Luce is giving me a hard enough time for that as it is! The ice cube flashed himself in front of the princess and I don't see you guys giving him flak for it!"
"What flash?! It was an escort mission! It was so freaking hot out there during the mission especially with clothes on! I needed to take off my clothes to better use my magic to protect the princess! Which part of escort do you not understand, flame brain?! And nobody ever says anything when Cana charged her booze bills to the Council!"
"Dammit Gray! You don't have to expose me like that! What did I ever do to you?! And I'm not the worst! There's this time Droy-"
"- Jet did it too! And Gajeel-"
"- the hell? Even Yukino and Wendy caused-"
The bickering in the guild went back and forth until it erupted into another guild brawl. Mirel blinked. Even if daddy didn't know about all of that earlier when he just returned, he definitely does know now. The adults are not very smart, are they?
"Cut it out."
With a flick of his fingers, barriers manifested in the air before dropping down onto the guild members that were brawling at the first floor of the guild hall, pressing them down onto the floor flatter than pancakes and putting an end to the brawl immediately. Her daddy is strong like that. He is the Ace of the guild, Uncle Laxus' equal.
"Jel and I heard all about your antics in the Council meeting earlier, I do not need to hear about them again. It's because you guys just have to keep testing the Council's patience that I have no choice but to strike a deal with those old farts. Can you guys just cut me some slack? I don't even have time to read my books anymore thanks to you guys."
The entire guild looked at her daddy in concern. Strike a deal? With the Magic Council? A deal with the Magic Council is never good news. Even she knows that because that is what the adults told her all the time ever since she could walk.
"WHAT?! What did those senile old men do to you?!" Natsu screamed out in worry, only to be bonked on the head by Lucy for accidentally screaming into her ear. In response, her daddy only used his free hand to reach under his shirt and pulled out an unfamiliar looking emblem that he now wears around his neck like a necklace. Weird, since when did daddy wear a necklace?
The emblem is very shiny and pretty though. Will daddy give her one if she asks?
"Cos of you guys, I have no choice but to take up the position of a Wizard Saint to protect the guild from the Council's wrath. Seriously, screw you guys. You idiots just gave me so much more work to do for a lifetime."
A deafening silence befell the guild. Mirel watched as the faces of the members of the guild turned from shock, then to disbelief, and then to joy in slow motion.
"EL BECAME A WIZARD SAINT!"
"WOOHOO! WIZARD SAINT! OUR ACE IS NOW A WIZARD SAINT!"
"LET'S PARRRRRTY!"
"SOMEONE BRING OUT THE BOOZE AND THE FOOD!"
"THIS IS NOT SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE ABOUT DAMMIT! THINK ABOUT ALL THE NEW RESPONSIBILITIES I HAVE TO BEAR AND THE PAPERWORK I HAVE TO DO! HEY! ARE YOU GUYS EVEN LISTENING?!"
"EL IS A WIZARD SAINT~ EL IS A WIZARD SAINT~"
"Nope, daddy. None of them are listening to anything you say." Mirel shook her head as she patted her small hand on daddy's shoulder. There, there. If nobody is showing any sympathy to her daddy then she will, because she is daddy's good girl.
"Congrats, El."
Mirel turned around, spotting her mummy immediately. Since when did she reach their side without her knowing?
"This is such a pain." Her daddy groaned and Mirel and her mummy both laughed, knowing how her daddy prefers reading or sleeping than to do work, even if he is good at doing work.
"EL, FIGHT ME! IF I WIN THEN IT MEANS I CAN BE A WIZARD SAINT TOO!"
"IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY YOU FRICKIN MATCHSTICK! AND YOU CANNOT EVEN BEAT GILDARTS!"
"YOU WANNA HAVE A GO?! I'LL TAKE YOU ON AS WARM UP!"
"BRING IT!"
Wham!
"This party is to celebrate Elden's promotion to Wizard Saint. Spoil it, and I will spoil you. Understand?"
"Y-Y-Yes, E-Erza."
Go Aunt Erza! The strongest female mage in the guild! Queen of the Fairies!
"If anything Erza's the closest to becoming the next Wizard Saint."
"What about Gildarts?"
"I thought he wasn't interested? And the big man isn't around very often. Is he even in Fiore right now? Cana?"
"Who cares about that shitty pops?"
"You guys are forgetting Mystogan and Mira. And then there's Master Laxus."
"Speaking of which, where is he?"
"Up here trapped in a mountain of paperwork, no thanks to you guys."
The sound of that grumpy voice got everyone to look up and they spotted their guild master immediately, who was looking down at them from above with an equally grumpy expression.
"Hey Master Laxus! El just became a Wizard Saint!"
"I heard it the first time." Laxus snorted as he jumped over the railing and landed on the first floor without problems. He shot a grin at her daddy.
"Not bad, you sleepyhead. Just what I expect from my Ace."
"You need to catch up, Sparky. I think I might have just surpassed you." Her daddy returned fire with those words, sparking a reaction out of the guild immediately.
"WOOH! Is it Laxus vs El? That's a fight I wanna see!"
"FIIIGHT!"
"We need to run a bet now! NOW! I need to earn back all my booze money!"
"NO BETTING IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN! DO IT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS!"
"Oh man, I forgot all about that new rule."
"Fuck, me too."
"LANGUAGE! AND SWEAR JAR, NOW!"
"Fuck!"
"GAJEEL!"
Mirel tilted her head in confusion. Now that's a new word that she doesn't know anything about.
So, she turned back towards her daddy and tugged at his dark blue jacket to catch his attention.
"Yes, Mirel?"
"Daddy, what is fuck?"
The guild went silent once more, but the numerous glares sent towards Gajeel are definitely a lot more heated than usual for some reason she doesn't know why. Daddy is oddly silent and for reasons that eluded her, the scary demonic visage that her mummy rarely projects is now in full view. Not only that, the demonic visage is paired with her mummy's deadly sweet smile, and even if she is seeing this combo for the first time she is sure that it definitely is an utterly disastrous combo. Some of the guild members had already started to scatter upon seeing that the she-demon is starting to make herself known once more.
People always say that when mummy was young, the only people who could handle her in a guild brawl were the super strong adults like Gramps, Gildarts, her godparents and her daddy. She never had a chance to really see an angry mummy in action before because just a smile from her could shut anyone up and make them as obedient as a cute puppy, but maybe she could finally see her mummy in action now.
To be perfectly honest with herself, she really kinda wanna see her mummy beat everyone into a pulp in a guild brawl. They should make mummy even madder than she is now, then she can finally see her mummy in action!
Her mummy's rage is nothing to scoff at. The only thing Mirel is thankful about is that daddy's and mummy's rage is not directed at her but rather, at Uncle Gajeel, who was trying to make his escape unnoticed.
"GAJEEL!"
Yup, Uncle Gajeel is definitely in big trouble even if she doesn't know why.
