Everyone was thrilled with Duke Everlue's downfall, clapping and cheering.
They loved seeing justice served for the wronged and villains brought to justice.
Lucy's original mission had been simple: she was hired to destroy the "autobiography" and erase the lifelong stain on the author's reputation.
The client themselves had never imagined they could topple Duke Everlue's dark and corrupt power.
In that sense, Lucy had far exceeded the mission's requirements.
"I hope this chapter becomes a real standout in my novel!"
The crowd's reaction greatly encouraged Lucy.
She immediately rushed back to write, eager to channel her excitement into completing the "Daybreak Chapter."
'Daybreak' was the title of the book she'd been sent to destroy, and she felt "Daybreak Chapter" sounded much better than "Duke Everlue Arc."
"That girl is truly passionate about her novel," Marco remarked with a smile.
It seemed Lucy was more determined to become a bestselling author than a powerful Mage.
"That's wonderful. It's a great hobby to have."
Mirajane warmly smile.
She had been captivated by Lucy's story—the girl truly had a gift for it.
"Indeed," she said. "Fairy Tail is brimming with talent. We've blossomed in the arts, with members skilled in writing, singing, calligraphy, and painting."
Marco nodded with a smile.
"It's great to see us flourishing in both martial and cultural pursuits. Strength alone isn't enough; we need to master the art of cultural promotion too."
"But... is it just me, or has everything suddenly become quiet lately?" Mirajane tilted her head.
For a year as "eventful" as X784, this recent period of calm felt almost unnatural.
"I'm just worried it's the calm before a massive storm," Marco said, his lips twitching.
He didn't believe this peace would last long.
The year X784 likely had many more events in store. They should cherish these moments of tranquility while they could.
....
As Marco had predicted, the peaceful days were soon shattered.
And just as he'd feared, the big one hit.
The news came from the Magic Council, and it immediately sent Marco into a rage.
"What do you mean Jellal was kidnapped?!"
Marco's mouth hung open as he stared at Makarov, whose expression was just as grim.
"It was the Oracion Seis," Makarov said, his face dark. "One of the three pillars of the Balam Alliance. So, the intelligence we received back then was correct. Brain, the leader of the Oracion Seis is connected to Jellal and the Tower of Paradise. He's finally made his move."
Makarov revealed the enemy's identity—one of the three great powers of the Dark Guilds.
'So, what was bound to happen has finally arrived.'
Hearing it was the Oracion Seis, Marco wasn't surprised.
Ever since learning about the connection between Jellal and Brain, he knew they would eventually have to face the Oracion Seis, and possibly even the other two pillars of the Balam Alliance.
"We warned them," Marco muttered, shaking his head. "What a bunch of useless fools."
Even knowing the enemy was the Oracion Seis didn't stop him from cursing the incompetence of the Magic Council.
After all, they had already provided the Magic Council with intelligence on the Oracion Seis.
They'd even suggested transferring Jellal to Magnolia, where Fairy Tail could guard him directly.
But the Magic Council had flatly refused.
They insisted they could handle it themselves, that they didn't need Fairy Tail's help—or Fairy Tail encroaching on their authority.
Since the Council was so adamant, Marco and Makarov hadn't pressed the issue.
They'd chosen to respect the decision and preserve the dignity of the newly reformed Council.
But as it turned out, dignity isn't something others can maintain for you, it's earned through your own strength.
Now that the Oracion Seis had kidnapped Jellal, the Magic Council's face was practically stinging from the slap.
'The Magic Council? Is this all they've got? They can't even watch over a single prisoner!'
"Forget it," Makarov sighed. "They only just reformed; blaming them now is pointless. Let's focus on solving the problem. We can't refuse the call to form an allied force to subjugate the Oracion Seis."
Makarov sighed.
At this point, there was no other choice. They would all have to work together to resolve this.
The main issue was that the incident had occurred within the Kingdom of Fiore, and the Oracion Seis were still lingering there. The Mage Guilds couldn't simply stand idly by and watch the Oracion Seis wreak havoc.
"I'll lead the team," Marco said with a nod, not saying anything more.
No matter how frustrated he was, the job had to be done.
He couldn't just watch the Oracion Seis roam freely through the Kingdom of Fiore.
Fairy Tail had captured Jellal. Fairy Tail had destroyed the Tower of Paradise. Now, by daring to rescue Jellal, the Oracion Seis were essentially declaring war on Fairy Tail!
They had to respond.
They had to strike back.
"Go," Makarov said. "The Oracion Seis may be one of the Three Great Dark Guilds, but they haven't been famous for long. An allied force of Fiore's Mage Guilds should have no trouble dealing with them."
Makarov was quite confident about this.
Although Oracion Seis had seized the initiative, daring to run wild in the Kingdom of Fiore... this member of the Balam Alliance's Three Great Dark Guilds was certainly audacious.
Did they really not take Fairy Tail seriously? To even dare to provoke them first!
Marco thought so too.
The Oracion Seis were truly underestimating them.
He couldn't fathom where they got such nerve.
...
Once news of the allied force spread, Fairy Tail erupted with excitement.
This was Oracion Seis, one of the Balam Alliance's Three Great Dark Guilds!
Who would want to miss out on something like this?!
The members who had missed the trip to Edolas were especially eager this time, signing up with overwhelming enthusiasm.
"This isn't a game, though."
Marco certainly wouldn't choose members randomly.
He couldn't just let anyone who wanted to go join.
While he felt confident they would defeat the Oracion Seis, that didn't mean the mission was without danger.
The main problem was that Marco still didn't know what the Oracion Seis were truly after.
They couldn't have come just to rescue Jellal, could they?
That was likely just a convenient side objective.
They must have their own primary goal for coming to the Kingdom of Fiore.