Astro and Laxus finally stepped inside the throne room.
The first thing Astro noticed was that two people were sitting on the throne — an old man and a young girl. Several guards stood along the walls, each carrying a respectable amount of magic power. Though from Astro's perspective, they were mostly low-level wizards. But Astro was sure that their bodies were trained to the point that in a real fight, they could at least hold off a strong wizard for a long time.
Astro took a slow breath as he thought about the balance of power in Ishgar.
The balance was maintained by three major factions here.
On one side were the light guilds, the strongest force overall in terms of raw power.
Next was the Magic Council, holding the most magical resources and specialists, especially their binding, restricting, and rune specialists.
And lastly, the nobles, who controlled wealth and political influence.
This balance was delicate, but after the last trade war, the method at least worked well enough to keep the continent from breaking into full conflict again. Skirmishes still happened here and there, but there had been no large-scale war.
Astro let his eyes drift through the throne room without moving his head. The wealth of the royal household was obvious from a single glance. Even the wall decorations looked like they cost more than Fairy Tail's entire guild hall. He finally focused back on the thorne.
On the throne sat a short old man — so short he was about the same height as Master Makarov.
Astro stared quietly.
Do all influential old men shrink with age in this world…? Is there some kind of curse?
Despite the whole array of inner thoughts, he kept a straight face outside and didn't let a hint of any of those slip.
Both he and Laxus kneeled as they came before the stairs that led to the throne.
"Your majesty."
"Your majesty."
King Toma E. Fiore leaned slightly forward, observing the two of them as if weighing their lives in his hands. Astro and Laxus remained silent, waiting for the expected permission.
After a long pause, the king chuckled.
"You may rise. You have my sincere gratitude, Fairy Tail, for accepting my request at such short notice kabo."
Astro and Laxus stood up. Astro was going to ask what he meant by kab,o but he pushed that question aside.
"No, your majesty. It is our pleasure that you chose us out of all the guilds in Fiore. We will make sure we do not break your expectations."
"Well," King Toma said, "my daughter seemed to have taken a special interest in meeting you. And I was also curious after hearing about your deeds in Joya."
Astro's eyes drifted briefly to the young girl next to the king.
The princess.
Green hair. Green eyes. She looked around twelve, yet somehow already taller than her own father. But what Astro paid most attention to was the familiar shade of green in her hair. Green hair itself is rare, but that shade of green hair…He had seen someone similar not long ago…
Astro paused before answering carefully.
"We didn't do much. A wizard was trying to involve himself with matters concerning their royal family, so as another wizard, I had to stop him before he went too far. As for his punishment, the new King of Joya and the Magic Council will handle it."
King Toma raised an eyebrow. This kid is pretty eloquent. But before he could ask anything else, the girl beside him hopped off the throne and ran right down the stairs.
"Hisui, wait—" The king reached out in a worried voice, but she had already stopped in front of Astro.
She looked up at him with sparkling, starstruck eyes.
"Are you really Astro Blackmist?"
Astro blinked twice, then calmly kneeled in front of her.
"I am. It is an honor to meet you, Princess Hisui."
Princess Hisui continued staring at him, practically glowing. After a few seconds of silence, Astro cleared his throat.
"Um… can I help you, Princess?"
Hisui leaned forward, studying Astro's face intently.
"Are you strong enough to defeat a Wizard Saint at such a young age? You don't really seem to be much older than me."
Astro let out a helpless chuckle.
"I am already an adult, princess. Also, there is a huge difference between a Wizard Saint and a Wizard Saint candidate, Princess. The news was… heavily exaggerated about those matters. But even if someone on that level shows up, I can promise that we can protect you and your majesty before help arrives."
The princess crossed her arms, tilting her head.
"Really? But my uncle was the one who told me the news. He said the newspaper barely mentioned how much you actually did there."
Astro blinked.
Uncle? The king has a brother?...No…Wait… the hair…
"By uncle," Astro asked slowly, "Do you mean the new King Sylvain of Joya?"
"Yes. You have my gratitude for lending him a hand."
Astro froze for a moment.
…Ah. That makes way more sense. I should have looked up the royal relations before coming here. But because he is from the other side of the continent and started studying about Fiore very recently, there are now a lot of weird gaps in his knowledge.
Hisui did not know that Astro's mind wandered off elsewhere, even when he was talking to a princess; she continued with a spark in her eyes.
"He is the best uncle ever. He used to bring me gifts and play with me a lot. But after my mother passed away, he stopped coming here."
Her tone grew sadder as she spoke the last part.
Astro blinked.
'The late queen must have died because of a fault of the king.'
Astro took a glance at the king, who was looking at them from the throne….
'Or that's what Sylvain thinks, at least. Sylvain did say he wanted to destroy the royal family of Fiore.'
"Well… I'm sure it's because he had many things to take care of…You know he is also a…" Astro said, but mid-sentence—
His eyes flashed purple.
In that instant, ten figures blurred into motion, rushing toward them from every direction except the front. They were so fast that the naked eye could barely track them.
But for Astro, it still appeared like they were moving in slow motion. Ten massive arms of purple wind erupted behind Astro, each one connected to him like extensions of his own limbs. They curved and spread out instantly in each direction.
One attacker after another was caught and slammed to the floor before they could even come near. But one man managed to cut through a wind arm with his blade, dashing toward Astro even faster than before.
Astro slowly turned his head toward him.
The attacker was expecting some kind of shock. Or fear. Or at least some surprise.
What he saw instead were glowing purple eyes that held absolutely no emotion. If anything, Astro looked bored.
The attacker felt a cold shiver run down his spine. His whole body screamed to run away just by looking at those eyes.
But before he could retreat, a yellow streak of lightning flashed across his vision — and suddenly he felt a presence behind him.
"What?"
But before Laxus could attack, a purple arm grabbed the man from the front and tossed him like a rag doll. He hit the ground, only for another wind arm to pin him down by the waist.
"Did I really lose in speed? Is this the power of a guild wizard?" the man thought quietly as he was pinned down face down on the floor.
All around the room, every attacker found themselves restrained. Some tried to struggle, but it seemed pointless.
The princess was safely wrapped in another purple arm, like she was being hugged by a giant soft pillow. Hisui blinked in awe, looking up at Astro.
Astro looked at the king tiredly.
"Well, I doubt anyone would bother targeting a guest instead of the king, you know… I feel like you could have chosen a better method, your majesty."
The king blinked, seeing all of his men getting restrained so quickly, then laughed apologetically.
"My apologies.. We just wanted to confirm that you two are the right people for the job."
"You didn't have to do it while the princess was still here," Laxus muttered, a little annoyed. It was once a lifetime chance to punch a royal guard, but Astro didn't even let him.
Astro didn't know what Laxus was thinking inside. He simply nodded, letting all the wind arms dissolve. Hisui also gently landed on her feet, still staring at Astro like he was her new favorite hero.
However, Astro was no longer fooled by her looks.
"Well then. Did we pass?"
"Of course you passed kabo," the king said eagerly. He glanced at Hisui, and she nodded proudly as if she had personally approved the results.
Astro sighed internally.
"So," Astro said as he looked up to the king again, "may we hear the mission details now?"
So the princess is actually the one in charge here, hm?
A king who let his daughter sit beside him during official matters, listen to important decisions, and even speak out her thoughts… that was not just doting. That was preparing her to be the next monarch.
Which meant one thing.
Astro doubted the king would ever plan something that might endanger her. The ministers certainly would not dare. The royal officials valued their heads far too much.
So, the only person in this room who can approve something like this...
…was the princess herself.
The king clasped his hands, breaking Astro's inner thoughts.
"You two will serve as the Guardian Envoy for this year's summit. The summit brings together the royal families of each kingdom to discuss trade deals and future cooperation. The Magic Council of Ishgar will also attend to guard us. But your duty is to prioritize protecting us, the Fiore people in particular."
He paused dramatically before speaking again.
"And this year, there will also be a showcase match. Each kingdom will present its strongest three wizards in some kind of tests. The winner receives special trade benefits and privileges from the Iceberg Kingdom, the host of this year's summit. Of course, if you manage to win, we will give you extra rewards as well."
Laxus grinned immediately.
"That sounds exciting. Strongest from each kingdom, hmm?"
But Astro did not share that enthusiasm.
"It seems fairly important. But with all due respect, why did you choose us then? Phantom Lord is considered the strongest guild right now, not only in Fiore but also in the whole Ishgar continent. Would you not be more reassured with them?"
Laxus shot Astro a side glare.
This time, Astro didn't have to even look to know what Laxus was thinking.
'Why do you always say things that annoy me… even when you are right…'
Something like that.
Defense Minister Darton, who was beside the king's throne, stepped forward angrily.
"You—! How dare you question…"
"Minister Darton."
But Princess Hisui, who went back to the throne, raised her hand, silencing him.
She fixed her gaze back on Astro, waiting for his explanation.
Astro continued calmly, looking at the princess who suddenly had a mature look on her face.
"Let me guess. If Phantom Lord loses, Fiore will lose more prestige, since people will think your strongest guild was just a propaganda. But if we lose, people can argue that Phantom Lord could have done better. Your reputation stays intact either way. So you don't have anything to lose…but for us..."
Hisui smiled, resting her cheek on her hand.
"You are correct. And if you lose, your guild's reputation will fall straight into the gutter. For a guild that depends on job requests, that could be very devastating. So… do you still want to accept the mission?"
Astro looked at Laxus.
Laxus shrugged. He was fine either way.
'Well, the master who always wants the wizard to follow their heart would be disappointed if I backed away because of the guild. And…"
Meanwhile, back in Magnolia—
Master Makarov sat on the guild table with hollow eyes.
"I am sorry, first master. I have failed you, second master. As the third master, I couldn't keep the guild intact. I have sent a group that can destroy an entire kingdom on a dangerous mission. A whole kingdom. Astro, Laxus, and Mystogan… please, someone bring them back."
"Hey Mira, are we sure that Master is going to be okay?" Erza asked Mira who was recording something behind the counter.
Mira looked at Master, who was muttering the same thing over and over since Astro and others left. She sighed and crossed her arms.
"Master, get a grip. You have to believe in them a little bit."
Master mechanically turned his head to look behind at Mira for a moment before turning his head mechanically to the front again. "Fairy Tail is doomed…Fairy Tail is doomed. I have failed as a third master." Master Makarov still kept muttering.
"Come on, Master… Those three are our most reliable member, You are overthinking it. It will be fine." Erza said with a helpless smile. She was not wrong, although Laxus was a bit overbearing; everyone in the guild respected him because he never made mistakes in a mission. And Astro and Mystogan were still quite new in the guild; they never got a complaint from anyone.
Back in the throne room—
Astro smiled.
"We accept. But on one condition. If we win, I want Fiore nobles to promote Fairy Tail to the general public."
The king blinked.
"What do you mean by promotion?"
"Basically, praise us publicly. But not too much that would make it look like an advertisement."
"You could just ask us to name you the no.1 guild in Fiore, no? kabo," the king asked, genuinely confused.
Before Astro could answer, Hisui spoke again, studying Astro intently.
"He does not want any official title to be given to Fairy Tail, Father. Because a title given by the royal family would attract jealous critics who would cause problems for Fairy Tail. On the other hand, public praise would create curiosity. More curiosity means more job requests, which gives your guild more chances to prove itself."
Astro smiled, admitting it, "Well, that's the gist of it, yes…"
"You are quite smart, Astro Blackmist. Honestly, it is a shame you are becoming a wizard. Have you ever considered—"
Astro cut her off before she could finish the sentence, shrugging.
"Sorry, Princess. I like where I am now. I wouldn't exchange it for any amount of power or money." Astro cut her off concisely. He was never the type to talk vaguely about this type of stuff, so he went straight to the point.
Hisui paused.
She clearly did not understand why someone like Astro would choose to work under a chaotic guild like Fairy Tail instead of being in a position with power and influence.
She sighed, not bothering to think about it anymore.
"Well… if your mind ever changes, let us know."
"I will," Astro replied politely, but he knew even if things didn't work in Fairy Tail, he would just go to another round of travelling across the world.
He did not think such a day would ever come. Because Fairy Tail…
Astro did not continue his thoughts; instead, he straightened his back.
"One last question, Princess. Since the mission is so important… could you tell us which kingdoms are guaranteed to attend the summit? We would like to know who our opponents will be."
Hisui nodded.
"Well, all the rulers in western Ishgar will go there or at least send someone to represent. . But as for the kingdoms that would participate in the battle…"
In the Seven Kingdom, North of Fiore,
King Theron, a heavy, middle-aged man, sat reading a document inside a huge dining room. The room was grand, but the King's focus was on his plate. Well, there were only two people there to begin with anyway.
"What is the Iceberg Kingdom thinking? Why do they want a fight to decide the trade routes? I don't like it," Theron complained, his mouth full of food. Crumbs clung to his thick beard.
Behind him stood a very beautiful woman. Her dark, shiny hair was pulled back. She wore a shimmering, deep red silk dress that showed way too much of her shoulders and the top of her chest. As she massaged the King's shoulders from behind, her hands moved slowly in a practiced, pleasing way.
She stopped rubbing just for a moment to lean over his shoulder and look at the papers on the table.
"Are you not going to go, dear?" she asked in a soft, smooth voice, which held a hint of worry. Her fingers went right back to massaging him. "We share a border with them. It would help us a lot to be connected with the middle part of the continent through them. Don't you think so too?"
The King looked troubled. He put down his fork, making a loud sound on the plate. "But we don't have a strong wizard who can fight in a contest like this. We will just look foolish if we participate."
Ruby gave a low, sweet laugh. She leaned closer, pressing her warm, lovely chest against the back of his head again. The rich scent of her perfume filled his nose.
"Your Majesty, did you forget about my brothers? They would be perfect for this competition, no?"
"Oh, yes, them. You are right," Theron said, his worry suddenly gone. A wide, happy smile spread across his face. He leaned his head further back into her soft chest.
"In an individual battle, they would be just average, but if they are together, they can surely beat anyone there."
"Ruby, if they win this, then you can finally become my real Queen with their merit. No one will be able to question you anymore, not even my silly son."
"I don't need that, Your Majesty. As long as I am with you, those titles are worthless to me," Ruby said, her voice full of devotion. She put one arm around his chest, gently rubbing him. With her other hand, she picked up his fork, put a piece of meat on it, and fed it to him like a spoiled child.
The king chewed happily, his head still resting in her warm embrace.
Somewhere in the Kingdom of Bosco,
An old man sighed, looking boredly at the documents in his hand. This was King Somewhere in the Kingdom of Bosco, an old man sighed, looking boredly at the documents in his hand. This was King Brandon.
"The Iceberg Kingdom really knows how to play dirty," the King muttered. "They gave us so little time to prepare for something so important.""
One of his ministers, who was sitting in front of his desk, looked troubled as well. "What do we do, Your Majesty? If we back off now, everyone there would laugh at us. We have strong wizards, but compared to Fiore, we are helpless."
Another minister added, "If it were only a few months earlier, we could have had a chance, but now…"
The King sighed deeply again. He knew what the defense minister was talking about. At the beginning of the year, a wizard guild in Lunaris City was revealed to be a Dark Guild that controlled the whole city.
After a traveling wizard solved that problem, the King had to ask the Magic Council to check every guild in the kingdom to calm the citizens. Because of that investigation, many guilds now have their licenses taken away. The kingdom was still a political mess, recovering from that incident.
"We are out of options," King Brandon said, rubbing his temple hard. "I don't really like them, but they are our only chance."
"You don't mean...?" The ministers all looked deeply concerned hearing the king. They knew exactly who the King meant: a powerful trio who had created an independent guild with only three members in it: The Midas Foundry.
The Midas Foundry's goal was to investigate corruption across the kingdom. They were formed right after the Abel incident and caused many headaches for the Council and the nobles alike because they were being so aggressive in their investigations. If they were given a public stage like this competition, it would surely upset many influential nobles in the kingdom.
But it seemed to be the only option if Bosco wanted any chance of winning.
Inside a dark room in the Kingdom of Stella,
A blonde young man sat on a throne. He looked boredly at a newspaper even after hearing a footstep in front of him.
"King Animus, did you make a decision about the summit?"
The blonde King finally looked up at the young woman in front of him. Her light brown hair was pulled back neatly. "Sonya," he said, before again going back to reading the paper.
"I don't care about those trade deals, but this seems to be the best way to meet other monarchs," he explained. "They are probably still worried about Stella after the rebellion we led and my recent rise to the throne. There won't be a better chance to show Ishgar that Stella is stable."
"Then, how about you let me participate in the competition? I can show them that the kingdom is in good hands." Sonya said with a firm voice.
"No, Sonya." King Animus looked at her, cutting her off instantly. "I don't want any danger to fall to you. I don't trust those other monarchs."
Looking at her flinching from his tone, he softened his tone a little. "But you will still go there with me. Just make sure to stay by my side all the time."
"Sure." Sonya was not surprised; King Animus was always very protective of her. "Then are you going to let the Three Stars fight?"
"Yes," King Animus said with a bored voice. "I want them to be the elite force of this kingdom. This will be the perfect stage to show them off."
"Got it. I will let them know." Sonya bowed and then quickly walked out.
King Animus watched her leave, then went back to his newspaper.
"I didn't really want to go and put you in danger, Sonya, but I am curious," he muttered to the empty room as he looked out the window from the shadows. "The Dragon Cry, I need more information about it, and this would be a great opportunity for it."
In the Kingdom of Isvan,
A young silver-haired man in his twenties sat on a low stool beside a huge indoor pool that served as a bathtub. He was practically naked, only a white towel wrapped low around his waist.
Three beautiful, identical-looking young women, each with short, brightly colored hair—blue, red, and green—attended to him. Each wore a towel that barely covered their body, clinging wetly to their skin. The two women on either side of him washed his body, their fingers trailing enticingly over his shoulders and chest. The blue-haired girl behind him was gently washing his dark hair.
The door to the large, steamy bathroom burst open, suddenly. A startled middle-aged man, in a knight's armor, charged in.
"Your Highness!" the man cried, then instantly saw the three young women in their wet, thin towels. Aubrey staggered backward, stumbling over his own feet, and fell to the ground on his back. A stream of blood also instantly gushed from his nose.
"I told you to knock before you enter, Aubrey. When will you learn?" Avon said in a deadpan voice, not even bothering to look at him.
The blue-haired girl behind him giggled. She gracefully stood up, letting her towel barely hold its place, and crouched down beside the fallen knight. She poked his face gently. "It can't be helped, I have been telling you that your righteous knight is secretly a pervert, Your Highness."
"What, really? Sir Aubrey, it's not that we hate you," the green-haired girl said, crouching down on the other side of him. Her towel was even looser, slipping slightly to reveal the curve of her hip.
"Yeah, we only belong to Prince Avon. But because you help our dear prince so much, we can at least introduce you to some women," the red-haired girl added, mimicking the pose.
The knight instinctively glanced up, looking between their legs, only to see they were wearing small bikini bottoms beneath the towels.
"Haha! He actually tried to look!"
"What a pervert!"
"What a pervert!" All three girls burst into laughters, The knight's face reddened even more from embarrassment.
The young Prince sighed and slid completely into the warm water. "Stop teasing him.. Why are you here this time, Aubrey?"Although the prince asked the question, it did not seem like he was interested.
Aubrey finally came to his senses, scrambling to sit up and pinching his nose. "Oh, yes, Your Highness. The King is planning to let you represent the kingdom at the summit."
"And he told me so late because he knows I will rush it, make a mess, and embarrass the kingdom. Then he can put his favorite child on the throne," the Prince said calmly, as if discussing the weather.
As the Prince spoke, the three girls also tossed their towels completely aside. They slipped into the water on either side of the Prince, holding him close. The red-haired girl snuggled right in front of him, resting her back on his chest.
"Your Highness," Aubrey started, trying to find words to defend the King.
The Prince hugged the red-haired girl tightly. "I am not mad, Aubrey. Just disappointed. Again." He managed a sad, brief smile. The girls on both sides hugged him tighter, sensing his bad mood.
"It's okay, Your Highness. It is not too late. We can still..."
"Nobody is going to help the Prince who is hated by the King, Aubrey," the Prince reminded him softly.
"But…" Aubrey was about to argue.
"Well, nobody except you… Vera." The Prince took a deep breath of the red-haired girl's scented hair. She giggled.
Suddenly, her body and the bodies of the blue and green-haired girls glowed with white light. The green and blue-haired girls disappeared, merging into the red-haired girl. When the light vanished, there was only one woman left. She had short hair that was a distinct mix of red, green, and blue streaks.
"You want your girlfriend to fight alone against the strongest wizards of each kingdom? How heartless."
"You and Aubrey are the only ones I know who wouldn't betray me. So I can only count on you." The Prince said in a low but sincere voice.
Vera turned around in his arms, pouted dramatically, and sighed. "What bad luck. There are so many men, but nobody was able catch me. It just had to be you." She leaned in and kissed the Prince on the lips lightly.
"I am sorry, Vera, I love you. But I won't give up the throne. It was meant for me, and I won't let anyone snatch it from me." The prince said in a serious voice between the kisses.
"Hmph. You know I can't resist you when you are like this. Alright, I will help you, my damsel in distress."
"If you want anything…"
Vera's eyes sparkled with mischief as she locked eyes with the prince. "Hmm, how about you let me stay on top in bed tonight?"
"...You should really learn how to bargain. But…. deal."
"Yay!" Vera kissed Avon hard on his lips again, this time pushing her tongue inside for a deep, lingering kiss.
Aubrey looked at the couple moaning a few meters away from him, completely speechless. It seemed he had been forgotten by them…again.
In the Kingdom of Joya,
An emerald green-haired woman stepped out onto a large balcony. She found the man with long, jade green hair, looking out over the city in the distance.
"We are still rebuilding from the damage, Lisa," Sylvain said, his gaze sweeping over the city.
"But thankfully, I still managed to find three people who can participate in the event."
"I will do it. Let me participate too," Lisa said instantly, stepping forward.
Sylvain gently shook his head, looking back at her. "You are not going to be any use in a battle of strength, Lisa."
Lisa opened her mouth to argue, but Sylvain shut her up with a wave of his hand.
"I still want you to follow me, though. This summit this year seems kind of odd to me. If the situation becomes dire, your power could be very useful." Sylvain patted her head, a very familiar, kind gesture, before passing her and walking toward the door.
Lisa touched the spot where Sylvain's hand had rested. "What do you mean? Why would it be odd?"
Sylvain paused as he put his hand on the doorknob. "The Queen of the Sin Kingdom will participate in this year's summit. I just got the news."
Lisa's eyes widened. "What? Why? Their kingdom has always been closed off. They don't even have a diplomatic relationship with other kingdoms, and not to mention, they aren't even from West Ishgar."
"Yeah, I wonder," Sylvain muttered, looking back at her with a worried expression. "I don't really have a good feeling about this summit at all. The Queen of the Sin Kingdom, after all, is notorious for her mind magic. It is said that nobody in this century can compare with her in that regard. Even some Wizard Saints tremble just hearing her name."
"Then you don't have to go…" Lisa started. Her concern was clear in her tone.
"No, I am not that worried," Sylvain interrupted, giving Lisa a warm, reassuring smile before leaving the balcony. "After all, I will have you as backup."
A strong wind swept across the balcony, making Lisa's hair dance wildly around her face. A bright, small smile formed on her lips.
"I won't let you down! Your Majesty," she shouted happily.
"I thought I asked you to call me by my name, idiot.