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Mystogan and Lily's reunion didn't last long.
But it was enough to surprise Noah. Lily was his older brother's savior.
Noah had practically grown up under Big Black Cat's watchful eye. The man and cat had a very close relationship, so close that Noah even knew the reason Lily hated the Exceed Kingdom, yet he had never heard him mention this past event.
It must have been because of that irresponsible old father back then.
To abandon his own son... Noah sighed inwardly. Now he somewhat understood why Mystogan chose to "let go" rather than "forgive."
After nearly a year apart, many changes had occurred in the kingdom. The panic caused by the impending depletion of Magic Power had been completely swept away.
Lily knew perfectly well that all of this stemmed from the Lacrima tower that had fallen from the sky, as well as the few crystal spheres that could automatically produce Magic Power, which had never been publicly revealed.
Now it seemed all of this was Noah's doing, so Lily was very curious about what Noah had experienced in Earth Land to become the powerful mage he was now.
At the same time, Lily also knew that there was a father who was eager to see his two sons.
"Your Highnesses, would you like to meet His Majesty first?"
Noah had returned this time to visit his old father, so Lily actually wanted to know Mystogan's attitude.
"Then let's go see him."
Seeing the man and cat looking at him, Mystogan's emotions didn't ripple in the slightest, his tone as if he were going to meet a stranger.
Although he had let go and found peace, the thought of seeing the "father" who had abandoned him again still brought a surge of anger to Mystogan's heart.
After all, he was human and should experience joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
Lily pulled Noah aside and whispered in their familiar, private tone. "I won't meddle in your father-son affairs, but if a conflict breaks out, Noah, you should at least step in a little. Don't just sit there and watch."
"What do you mean, Big Black Cat?"
Noah frowned, his face showing displeasure. "Do you think I, Noah, am the kind of person who would watch a conflict between his father and brother for entertainment?"
Lily gave Noah a scornful look. From what he knew of this kid, he was one hundred percent capable of such behavior.
"Don't worry. Even if my older brother wants to beat up Dad, it won't be my place to stop him."
Noah patted Big Black Cat's shoulder. "I'm heading to the palace. As for these restless guys who came with me, I'll trouble you to keep them occupied for a while."
Without giving Lily time to answer, Noah conjured a breeze, lifting Mystogan, Porlyusica, Makarov, Wendy, as well as Erza and Mira, and the group of seven flew toward the palace below the small floating island.
Watching the figures rapidly shrinking in the distance, Lily was somewhat confused as to why Noah would bring so many people to see the King. Makarov was understandable, but what about those four females—one elderly, one young, and two young women?
Also, that red-haired girl in a dress must be the parallel world counterpart of the Second Magic War Division Commander.
Speaking of which, people from two parallel worlds often have some differences. Perhaps Earth Land's "Erza" is a gentle woman, unlike this world's "Erza" who is a violent general...
As Lily thought this, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the tough-looking man who had previously been demanding that he become his cat.
Gajeel, with easy familiarity, grinned at Big Black Cat. "You're Lily, right? Come be my partner! Let's become Fairy Tail's strongest Dragon Slayer and cat duo!"
Insane.
This was Lily's first impression of Gajeel, but he didn't find it annoying.
Seeing Lily didn't respond, Gajeel took it as his consent, then turned and called out to Natsu, who for some reason was fighting with Gray again. "Fire Dragon! Let your blue cat and my Lily have a match!"
Natsu never refused a challenge, even if the opponent was his cat. He pushed Happy forward. "Alright! I'm all fired up! Go, Happy!"
Happy looked at Lily's tall body in a daze, then looked down at his own small belly. Me fight Lily? Are they serious?
Lily was also bewildered at this moment. Although he could take on ten like Happy with one hand, when had he agreed to become Gajeel's partner?
It feels like the guild "Fairy Tail" in the other world and the guild "Fairy Tail" in this world are cut from the same cloth...
Below the small floating island was the royal palace. In the palace square, the heavily guarded soldiers had been dismissed, and an old man in luxurious clothes wearing a crown nervously paced back and forth alone.
Upon receiving the news from Lily, King Faust was both happy and worried.
Happy that his beloved youngest son had returned safely.
Worried about how to face his eldest son, to whom he owed so much.
"Ah... If only I had known then what I know now..."
Faust sighed deeply, knowing that regret was useless, so he decided that when he saw his eldest son later, whether he was hit or scolded, even if he wanted to kill him, he would endure it.
Ultimately, it was all his own doing, and it was only right for his son to hate him.
Just as the King bowed his head in melancholic sorrow, a gentle breeze carried seven figures and silently landed behind him.
"Yo, old man!"
The figure that suddenly appeared from behind startled Faust.
When he saw the white-haired young man with a smile on his lips in front of him, Faust gave a helpless smile. "You're still as lively as ever. Aren't you worried you'll scare your old father to death?"
"Then wouldn't I just naturally inherit your throne, Dad?"
Noah shrugged indifferently, speaking as if it were obvious. "After all, I'm not even twenty yet. It's the age for enjoying life."
"But don't worry, Dad. If I become King, everything you've enjoyed and haven't enjoyed, I'll experience all of it for you."
What a filial son.
Both Faust and Mystogan, among others, looked at Noah speechlessly. If it weren't for the inappropriate setting and their identities, Erza probably would have already pinned Noah to the ground.
Faust naturally noticed the few people who had come with Noah. He turned around and met Mystogan's gaze.
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Although he had mentally prepared himself, it was only when he saw his eldest son, whom he hadn't seen in over a decade, that Faust realized his preparations were merely a way to numb the guilt in his heart.
He actually didn't know how to face him, because his past actions had deeply hurt his son, pushing their father-son relationship far away.
Mystogan looked at the old man opposite him, whose eyes were filled with guilt, and his heart was full of conflicting emotions.
In his memory, Faust was a majestic king, strong enough to easily fill out his royal robes.
But the old man before him—his gaunt body made his royal robes appear too loose, the upright posture from memory was now somewhat stooped, his bright eyes had grown cloudy, filled with guilt and regret...
Suddenly, Mystogan felt less angry at his father.
"Jellal, are you doing well over there?"
Finally, Faust, as the father, spoke first. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he became a little uneasy, looking at Mystogan with slight tension and a hint of pleading in his expression.
No matter what, please don't ignore me.
Mystogan looked at his father like this, and his heart couldn't help but ache, but he still replied, "I'm doing very well in Earth Land. I have friends, and people I care about."
"Is that so? That's good."
Faust lowered his head, took a deep breath, and spoke the guilt that had been bottled up in his heart for many years, which was also the original message he had asked Noah to convey to Mystogan.
"Jellal, I'm sorry."
"Mm."
Nodding gently, Mystogan uttered a single word, but it made everyone present understand that he had forgiven Faust for what he had done, even though this apology came more than a decade late.
Blood was thicker than water, after all.
Perhaps time had long become the bridge to their reconciliation.