Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
August's voice was low and firm, each word like a heavy stone hitting Makarov's heart.
The old man's body stiffened, and a hint of panic at having a secret exposed flashed in his eyes, but considering August's terrifying strength, it wasn't too surprising that he could detect the hidden secret beneath the guild.
"As expected, I couldn't hide it from you, August."
Makarov took a deep breath, calming the turmoil in his heart, his gaze filled with a mix of relief and complex emotions. "Yes, the First's remains... are indeed here."
Mavis was dormant beneath the guild!
Noah narrowed his eyes slightly, somewhat anticipating what was about to happen.
After receiving an affirmative answer, August remained silent, but his eyes trembled slightly. He rose from his seat and slowly crouched down, gently placing his palm on the floor, as if he could feel the sleeping aura beneath the cold stone bricks.
"Mother..."
A low murmur, a voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
Yet, it was a child's longing for his mother, day and night.
Makarov watched this scene, his heart a mix of emotions, and he let out a deep sigh: "This was originally Fairy Tail's highest secret, known only to the Guild Master, but August... you are more qualified than anyone to know this secret."
As he finished speaking, Makarov felt a fiery gaze fall upon him, not from August, but from Noah, whose curiosity had been piqued.
He forgot this kid was still here.
Makarov rubbed his brows helplessly. Noah already knew that Mavis rested beneath the guild, and with his terrifying power, which was far superior to August's, it was impossible to keep it from him.
"Stop staring at me, you brat."
"If you want to know, then come with me and August."
Noah chuckled. "Oh, that's too kind. That's a secret only the Guild Master can know, and I'm not Mavis's son."
"What if, after I learn the guild's highest secret, you, old man, force me to become Guild Master?"
Oh, you rascal!
This brat is taking advantage and still acting coy!
Makarov gave Noah a look of disdain. He couldn't imagine what state the guild would be in if this slacker, who constantly talked about giving up, took charge of Fairy Tail.
Pretending not to hear Noah, Makarov turned his head to the group ganging up on Gildarts. "Hey! Gildarts, are you dead? If not, come here, I have something important to tell you."
No sooner had he spoken than Gildarts, who was being suppressed by a pile of people, suddenly unleashed a powerful surge of magic.
Although Gildarts was trying his best to control his power, the burst of magic instantly sent the "human Jenga" pressing down on him flying easily.
In an instant, everyone was sent sprawling across the guild hall.
This was a demonstration of a chasm-like difference in Magic Power; if he got serious, Gildarts could easily defeat most of his guildmates in an instant.
Seeing Gildarts follow, Makarov didn't explain anything to him. He led him, Noah, and August through the guild hall. The four of them went straight to the lake behind the guild.
Makarov gently pressed into the air, and an exquisitely precise magic rune suddenly appeared before him. The magic that followed, along with the rune, enveloped the four of them.
"It's a barrier spell."
August recognized the true nature of the magic rune. "It isolates magic fluctuations and also has extreme self-concealment. The person who set up this magic must have put a lot of thought into it."
Makarov nodded. "This is a magic meticulously set by my teacher, Second Guild Master Precht, to protect the First's remains and the guild's secrets."
As the magic rune unfolded, the scene before the four of them changed. In the blink of an eye, they arrived outside the door of a dry underground location.
Makarov pressed an inconspicuous brick, and with a low mechanical sound, the underground door slowly opened. A deep passage extended downward, and a faint magical aura permeated the air.
As they descended the steps, Noah could sense that the guild hall was twenty meters above their heads, and he could faintly hear Natsu and Gray fighting.
The barrier magic set by the Second Guild Master was quite perfect, but unfortunately, it couldn't block the Magnetic Field Power. Even without intentionally activating it, Noah could clearly perceive his surroundings.
Finally, the steps came to an end, and the four of them arrived in a stone chamber.
In the center of the stone chamber, a sparkling crystal rested quietly on a stone platform, surrounded by soft magical light.
Through the crystal, Noah could clearly see the sleeping blonde loli within. He had seen the blonde loli in a group photo of the original four members in the office, so he immediately recognized her identity.
Mavis Vermillion.
The First Guild Master of Fairy Tail, who died young, now slept with a face as if she were in a sweet dream.
Only, this dream would never end.
"Fir... Fir... First Guild Master!!"
Gildarts, who had been wondering what Makarov wanted to tell him, felt his understanding of the guild completely overturned upon seeing Mavis's remains.
In Gildarts' perception, the crystal containing Mavis emitted a terrifying Magic Power that made his heart tremble.
This Magic Power was endless, as if it had no limit.
And the core source of this Magic Power was Mavis, who lay here in eternal slumber.
Don't let Gildarts' constant drunken stupor fool you; he was very clear-headed when it came to major issues.
From the information he had gathered along the way, Gildarts almost concluded that Second Guild Master Precht had desecrated the First's remains, turning her into a tool for producing magic.
Such an act was no different from that of a Dark Guild.
Unlike Gildarts' anger, August stopped before the crystal, gazing at Mavis with her eyes closed. Deep affection and sorrow appeared in his eyes.
Reaching out, August gently touched the surface of the crystal coffin, as if he could touch his mother's face that way.
"Mother... I finally see you..."
Noah and Makarov stood aside, silently watching this scene, filled with emotion.
There is a tragedy in the world called, "The child wishes to care for their parents, but they are no longer there."
From the day he was born, August learned from Precht's soliloquies that Mavis had died. His innate extraordinary intelligence allowed him, even as a newborn, to experience the sorrow of losing his mother.
A bleak and lonely life began that day.
Watching August slowly lean his body against the crystal, Noah quietly asked Makarov: "Old man, what exactly did your teacher do to the First?"
"Why can I see life pulsating from Mavis's remains?"