Chapter 161: Magnolia's Remodeling
Unfortunately, it was only after Noah truly began the work that he discovered he didn't have enough materials to implement his full plan. The Magic Council was able to deploy Etherion because it had the support of the entire continent. Fairy Tail was just a single wizard guild. Even with the large amount of funding Noah had acquired through his partnership with Jude, after setting up the other functions, he didn't have enough left to complete his grand vision. He could only leave the interfaces in place, to be slowly completed in the future.
Overall, these were the functions Noah added to the guild. He also prepared enough space to add any new ideas he might have later on.
Because they were installing these defensive measures, Noah and Makarov decided to expand and remodel the guild hall. The overall area was enlarged, and the building's exterior was redesigned to resemble a castle, using a large amount of tile and reducing the use of wood. At the same time, Noah reinforced the entire basic structure of the guild, so that when the members fought, they could at most destroy tables and chairs, but would find it difficult to damage the building itself.
A fence was built around the guild building, with a large gate emblazoned with "FAIRY TAIL." Inside the fence, leading up to the entrance, were numerous tables, benches, and beach umbrellas for shade. There was also a souvenir shop selling various daily goods, with a prominent display of custom T-shirts, mugs, and towels printed with the Fairy Tail logo. The shop was run by guild members, who received a salary, and the profits went towards the guild's operating costs. (Though Noah privately felt the shop's primary purpose was to pay for the damages the members caused on a daily basis.)
They also added an indoor swimming pool, large enough for most people to swim in comfortably, and converted the mostly unused basement into a game room with billiards, darts, and other forms of entertainment.
The second floor, which had previously only been accessible to S-Class members, was now open to everyone. However, Noah created a special room to house the S-Class request board and placed a protective formula on it, so that only registered S-Class members could enter. Natsu had already tried several times, only to be flattened against the invisible barrier, unable to get in. He had even tried to attack it, but was promptly knocked out and dragged away by Noah.
During the reconstruction, Noah discovered a secret room hidden deep beneath the guild, protected by a large number of defensive and concealment spells. He had a good idea of what it was, but he still went to ask Makarov.
This time, Makarov spoke to Noah with an unprecedentedly serious attitude. "That is our guild's greatest secret. Only the Guild Master can know about it and enter. It was because of this that Ivan was excommunicated from the guild. Do not investigate it any further."
"I understand, Gramps. Since it's so important, let's have our new shield cover that place as well, to prevent any accidents."
Makarov thought about it seriously and agreed. He had seen the defensive magic Noah had created; it was extremely powerful, on the level of a Grand Magic spell. Including the secret room within its protection was an excellent suggestion. After all, if the thing inside that room were to be accidentally leaked, it could change the entire world and start a war.
By the time the guild's new defenses were in place, a month had passed. Just then, Makarov brought new information: the mayor of Magnolia had agreed to let Fairy Tail help add defensive measures to the city.
The defense Noah wanted to set up was simple: a protective shield over the entire city. However, to cast a spell over such a large area, the magic power source was a huge problem. Thankfully, Noah's vast knowledge quickly provided a solution. He would set up a power collection system similar to Nirvana's, using lacrima to absorb magic from the earth and air, and then use that magic to power the defensive spell. The guild's own system used the same setup, but with the added bonus of absorbing the members' own dissipated magic. Noah named his new defensive grand magic "Stellar Aegis."
To protect such a large area, the full version of Stellar Aegis would consume too much magic. So, Noah trimmed its functions, leaving only three: energy absorption, attack redirection, and impact dispersal. This would greatly reduce the required magic power, and although it wasn't as comprehensive as the original version, its defense against energy attacks would be even better.
After discussing it with the mayor, he also agreed to the plan. With the plan confirmed, they began the installation. Noah, on behalf of Fairy Tail, provided half of the super-large lacrima needed, and the city provided the other half. After modifying the lacrima, Noah placed them in various locations around Magnolia, in positions that wouldn't interfere with the "Gildarts Shift" and would still allow the shield to be activated even when the city was transformed.
Noah stood in the center of the city and activated the weakened version of Stellar Aegis. A spherical shield that enveloped the entire city appeared, with a large Fairy Tail emblem in the sky at its center. Then, the shield slowly faded. Noah checked it and confirmed that the magic was running normally. It could be activated in two ways: manually by the mayor or the Fairy Tail Master, or automatically, as it was linked to Fairy Tail's detection system and would trigger when a high-powered attack was detected.
Noah then took Makarov, the mayor, and a crowd of guild members outside the city to test the new defenses. He raised his right hand, and a golden magic circle unfolded. A massive amount of magic gathered in front of it. At the same time, specks of light appeared in the atmosphere and also gathered into the circle; he was collecting ambient magic. The area was completely silent; there was none of the usual shocking display when he released his magic. This was because the power was being completely contained and compressed, forming a small ball of light. As time passed, the guild members felt a growing sense of terror from the small orb. Wendy, Yukino, and Meredy were so scared they hid behind Sorano and Erza.
Seeing that the power was sufficient, Noah unleashed it. "Starlight Breaker!"
A powerful cannon of light shot from his hand, flying towards the sky above Magnolia. The force of its launch sent a shockwave that blew everyone back several steps. They all watched, mesmerized, as the cannon flew. The moment it was fired, the city's shield rose up. The cannon struck the shield, and ripples spread out from the point of impact as the shield dispersed the attack.
Noah's attack lasted for a few seconds and then stopped. Everyone saw that the shield was completely undamaged.
Noah explained, "The attack I just fired had about three times the power of a standard Jupiter Cannon. An attack of that level or higher is usually only seen in a war. The current defensive strength should be more than sufficient. If I have any new ideas in the future, I'll discuss them with you, Mayor, and we can make improvements."
"Excellent, excellent! This is truly wonderful! Thank you, Noah, and thank you, Fairy Tail!" The mayor of Magnolia was extremely satisfied. A defense of this level could be effective even in a small-scale war. And if an attack stronger than that ever came, they still had Fairy Tail, didn't they? Fairy Tail was the city's best protection, even if they were a little noisy sometimes.
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