Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
"Six years ago? That'd be X777, wouldn't it?" Because of their earlier conversation, Noah and Makarov were both pretty sensitive to that number right now. But when they heard Mystogan describe her as just a timid, cute little girl, they both breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
A pure and lovely little girl—that didn't sound like she'd be mixed up with Dragon Slayer Magic or "time travel."
After relaxing, Noah belatedly realized he suddenly had a new younger sister and looked incredulously at his older brother:
"A guy dressed so gloomily it practically screams 'I'm not normal'—and that kid wasn't scared? She even accepted you as her older brother?!"
"My dear older brother, you didn't do anything shady to that little girl with Hypnosis Magic, did you?"
Noah's startled tone had a pretty sarcastic edge to it.
Makarov noticed Mystogan's fist clenching until the veins bulged, and couldn't help but think how different two flowers from the same stem could be. Despite being biological brothers, their personalities were like night and day.
One was calm and steady.
The other... was probably a very energetic salted fish.
Suppressing the urge to punch his younger brother, Mystogan still explained patiently: "I wasn't always like this... Back then, I didn't know that 'doppelgängers' existed in this world, so I wasn't disguised yet."
After learning the full story, Noah sat down properly. "So, big bro, for six whole years you never thought about bringing that kid over? You think our Fairy Tail isn't safe enough or something?"
"You brat, still trying to stir up trouble?"
Makarov glared at Noah, then turned back to Mystogan. "Go visit your sister, Mystogan."
"That... actually, the situation's a bit complicated," Mystogan said, looking a little awkward.
Turns out, six years ago Mystogan had entrusted his sister to an old man living alone in the mountains.
But when Mystogan finally settled down and went back for his sister, he discovered that a Mage Guild with quite a few members had popped up in the secluded forest on that mountain.
And the solitary old man Mystogan had originally left her with was now the Guild Master of that Guild.
Strangely enough, the members of that Mage Guild were all super weak—only slightly stronger than regular people—yet they all doted on Mystogan's sister.
Mystogan observed for a long time, decided his foster sister wouldn't be in any danger, and then left. After all, he was constantly on the move, sleeping rough and eating worse—it wasn't exactly suitable for a little girl to tag along.
As for that mysteriously appearing Mage Guild, it was called "Cait Shelter."
"Wait—you said Cait Shelter?!"
Makarov's expression turned surprised. He knew that Guild.
Nobody knew where "Cait Shelter" came from—only that six years ago, this Guild was suddenly announced by the Magic Council as one of the Legal Guilds.
Back then, the most common thing people said was: the mysterious "Cait Shelter."
And it wasn't just talk.
Because for six whole years—forget the Guild Master—not even a single member of "Cait Shelter" had shown up anywhere in the Magic World.
Even the Magic Council seemed to have forgotten "Cait Shelter" existed and never mentioned that Guild again.
However, Makarov knew that an organization like the Magic Council would never neglect a Legal Guild like that. He suspected the Magic Council was deliberately hiding information about "Cait Shelter."
Mystogan must've also picked up on how special "Cait Shelter" was—that's why he came to him, worried it might cause trouble. Otherwise, he could've just gone to see his foster sister on his own, Makarov thought.
"Hmph, so what if it causes trouble? Makarov doesn't give a damn about dozens of complaint letters a day. Mystogan, go ahead—I can handle whatever trouble comes up."
"Noah, how are your plans for the Oración Seis coming along? If you're not in a hurry, go with your older brother."
Thousands of branches rubbed against each other in the wind, and waves of leaves surged into a bottomless sea of green. Sunlight, filtered through dense foliage, scattered into fragmented golden rays on the carpet woven from grass and moss.
However, this beautiful sea of trees had a pretty nasty name—the "Corroding Light Forest."
Decay and new sprouts ebbed and flowed like tides. Death here was just another form of breathing.
A giant purple snake with wings glided slowly, its body like a flowing river. Its purple scales shimmered with a cold luster in the dappled sunlight, each one like a meticulously polished metal plate—tight and hard.
On the giant snake, a red-haired man in a white coat gently stroked the snake's scales, while his other hand held a dark blue-haired man.
Upon hearing the man's words, the large purple snake named "Cubellios" immediately slowed down. Its huge snake head twisted to affectionately nuzzle the red-haired man's face.
Suddenly, an out-of-place engine roar appeared in the forest.
A racing motorcycle pulled up beside the giant snake. The rider, with a rooster-comb hairstyle and wearing a racing suit, greeted the man and snake like old friends: "Yo! Erik, and Cubellios, welcome back. Must've been rough retrieving him from the bottom of the ocean."
Cobra frowned. "Sawyer, how many times have I told you—don't call me Erik in private."
"Ha, like I'm any fonder of the name 'Sawyer.'" There was a hint of something complicated in the rooster-comb man's smile.
The topic both of them disliked suddenly made the atmosphere heavy.
Fortunately, a pair of intelligent snake eyes rolled, and Cubellios flicked its tongue, licking the blue-haired youth Cobra was holding.
Sawyer took off his goggles and looked gratefully at the giant snake, then curiously observed the person his companion had brought back. "He's still alive! As expected of someone who infiltrated the Magic Council to become a Magic Councilor and almost earned the title of Ten Wizard Saints. What insane vitality."
"His strength's already comparable to the Ten Wizard Saints. Among us, probably only Midnight's a match for him." Cobra had complete confidence in his perpetually sleepy companion.
"Still, he's so injured he won't last more than a few days," Sawyer said with some regret—all three present shared a similar tragic past.
Cobra, however, said indifferently: "Brain found a really powerful healing Mage, and she's just a naive little girl. Kids this age aren't just easy to trick—they're easy to control, too."
"Ha... enslaving children. Looks like our Oración Seis is going down the same old path as the Tower of Heaven. I really didn't want it to come to this."
Facing Cobra's words, Sawyer could only respond with silence. They'd all been enslaved children once... but now, they were just like Jellal.
There was no turning back.