The trip across the big ocean was very uneventful. Because the Great Sage was taking care of his body, Akira stayed inside his room the whole time. The ship's crew did not bother him at all. They had strict orders to take good care of him. Except for bringing food from time to time, they left him alone. They all thought he was a young noble who had a close relationship with the Heartfilia family.
This made things very easy for Akira, who just wanted to rest.
On the morning of the fifth day, the flat voice of the Great Sage spoke inside his mind.
"Notice. Land has been found. The ship is slowing down near a Caracole Island. Returning control of the body to the host."
Akira opened his eyes, and the red glow faded away. He felt his body was completely fine, without any motion sickness, because the ship was already stopping in calm waters. He stood up, stretched his arms as he looked outside from the window.
The place they stopped is called the Caracole Island. This island is a neutral island that borders the Ishgar continent and the Western continent. One could say that this island is the checkpoint for each continent.
Thankfully, unlike in the future, where the Alvarez Empire monitors this whole island, the defences on this island are not that high. This might be because the Alvarez Empire hadn't declared war on the Ishgar continent yet.
Well, anyway, thankfully, Akira could finally enjoy this trip. Because after here, Akira would have to go towards Alakitasia by himself. Because the Western continent is actually on lockdown.
Well, lockdown is a harsh word, as special ships are allowed to enter Alakitasia. But common people can't go on these ships as they need an identification that is made by the Alvarez Empire. So basically, unless they have a passport that is created by the Alvarez Empire, they can only smuggle their way through.
Although getting a passport was not difficult for the Heartfilia family, Akira decided against it. He knew very well that the time when the Alvarez Empire would declare war on the Ishgar continent was just around the corner. Because of this, he did not want to be monitored by them as the youngest S-rank mage. Furthermore, Akira was completely sure he would be greeted by his dear mother if she ever found out he was here.
Right now, he really did not want to meet her. With her current mental health not being ideal and his own strength still not being enough, meeting her would be too dangerous. He would be completely doomed if she ever lost control and went on a rampage.
And then there was that old man too. Akira felt that he would honestly rather face his mother than meet him. Unlike Irene, that old man was far more dangerous. Akira wasn't sure if the old man could copy his abilities, but if that actually happened, everyone might as well just wait to die.
He especially did not want anyone else to have his unique skill. Someone like August was already crazy enough; adding a broken ability like that would raise his danger level to a terrifying height. If things ever went that far, Akira's only choice would be to barge into Fairy Tail, steal the corpse and soul of the first guild master, and unleash her right at August.
Knowing that old man's desperate longing for parental love, it might actually buy Akira enough time to run away in one piece.
….
After expressing his farewell to the ship crew, Akira moved around the island.
Caracole Island was bustling with people from both continents. Merchants were shouting, travelers were rushing around, and the markets were filled with strange items. Because the empire had not started the war yet, the atmosphere was quite relaxed. There were only a few ordinary guards patrolling the docks, which made it very easy for someone like Akira to blend into the crowd.
Coming to a dark alley that is by the coastside, Akira activated his illusion magic and his presence. Then two dragon wings appeared from his back, and with a powerful leap, he launched himself into the sky.
The heavy flap of his dragon wings sent a quiet burst of wind through the narrow alley, but thanks to his illusion magic and hidden presence, not a single sound or shadow escaped into the bustling streets of Caracole Island. To anyone looking up, the sky appeared completely empty.
Akira soared higher, leaving the harbor town far below until the crowded docks and merchant ships looked like tiny toys. The cold sea air whipped against his face, but he didn't mind the chill. Flying by himself like this was much faster than trying to haggle with shady smugglers or hiding in the cramped cargo hold of a merchant boat.
Looking out toward the open horizon, he could see the vast, dark outline of the Alakitasia mainland in the distance. The lockdown rules of the Alvarez Empire didn't mean anything to someone who could fly undetected right over their coastal defenses.
Just to make sure he is not detected by any magic or technological devices, Akira used Abyss runes to isolate his presence and mask himself as a very common bird that is seen in the Western Continent.
Flying across the ocean between the island and the mainland was very fast. Especially for Akira, his flying speed was no better than those flighter jets. Within a few hours, the dark shores of the Western Continent became clear. Large cliffs and big stone fortresses guarded the coast, but Akira flew right over them. The empire's guards looked out at the sea, completely ignoring the ordinary bird flying high above their heads.
He flew for another hour or two and finally slowed down after seeing a small town. He then flew around the town first and then dropped out of the sky into the shadow of the small alleyway. The moment his feet touched the stone ground, the Abyss runes stopped glowing. The bird illusion vanished instantly, and his dragon wings went back into his body.
He stood in the dark alley for a second, adjusting his dark clothes and pulling his hood over his face. He then began to observe his surroundings just to make sure no one was secretly following him or tracking him. After seeing there was no one, he stepped out of the alleyway.
Coming out of the alleyway, Akira quietly joined the street of the small town. The town looked quite peaceful, with people walking around, doing their daily shopping, and talking to each other. The architecture was a bit different from the Ishgar continent, but the general vibe was the same since war had not started yet.
But Akira still found a big difference between the two continents. In the Ishgar continent, the ordinary villagers view magic as some supernatural force, where some people don't even know about magic is often look at magical phenomena as curses.
But in the Western Continent, magic seemed to be generalized, making it a part of their daily life. Akira also noticed that most people of the Western Continent seemed to be taught combat techniques even if they didn't have magic power inside of them. It seemed the Alvarez Empire was using military training to turn its entire population into potential soldiers. From the young children playing in the streets to the shopkeepers tending their stalls, almost everyone moved with a sense of strict discipline. It was clear that this was a military nation at its core.
As expected of Zeref, even the nation he created on a whim is far stronger than any other nation.
******
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