"I won't say anything inspiring," Shane's tone was calm and direct. "We did it. We left that tower. That's enough."
His gaze turned to the towering, black monolith behind them that had imprisoned them for years, his eyes turning cold.
"But before we leave, there is one last thing to do." He raised his hand, pointing at the Tower of Heaven. "That place is full of memories of pain, slavery, and sin. We don't need such a 'past' to remember.
"Let's burn it down with our own hands! Burn away all this damned 'past'! Let this fire mark the beginning of our new lives!"
The crowd was silent for a moment, then erupted in massive resonance!
"Burn it!"
"He's right! Burn it clean!"
"Never let a place like this exist again!"
Excited people jumped off the ships one after another, rushing toward the timber and debris piled around the base of the tower, originally meant for construction. They used everything they could find...
Torches, kindling, even lighting their own ragged prisoner clothes and throwing them in.
Sparks spread rapidly. Soon, the lower part of the black tower was licked by orange-red tongues of flame. Thick smoke billowed up, illuminating everyone's excited yet relieved faces.
Shane also jumped off the ship. Like the others, he picked up a burning stick and threw it forcefully at the tower.
Then, he walked over to Sho, who had been frowning, and spoke in a low voice: "About Jellal..."
He briefly explained Jellal's plan, including his awakening of magic and his decision to voluntarily go undercover.
After listening, the worry and confusion on Sho's face gradually turned into a complex expression. He clenched his fists, fell silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up, his eyes firm. "I understand. Then, I'm staying too."
Next to him, Wally scratched his head, looked at Sho, then at Shane, and suddenly said, "If Jellal and Sho are both staying, then I'll tag along too."
Shane looked at them. Jellal, Sho, and Wally had been together long before he arrived, and their bond was deep.
When he revealed the plan, he had already mentally prepared himself for the possibility that these two would return to the Tower of Heaven.
He didn't try to dissuade them, simply nodding. "Okay. Remember, protect yourselves, and trust Jellal."
Then, he paused and added, "Pass a message to him for me: 'I'll help look for information on Zeref on the outside.'"
He hated the Tower of Heaven too, but compared to the organization behind it, Shane hated the source of it all even more—the dead Dark Wizard, Zeref.
He couldn't dump everything on the blue-haired kid. After all, Jellal counted as, well, a best friend... the kind certified by the Book of Heroic Spirits.
Thinking of this, a trace of helplessness rose in Shane's heart.
Am I really that easy to figure out?
After communicating with Jellal in the tower, one-third of the "Initiation" trial conditions were completed just like that. Jellal was confirmed as a close friend with mutual recognition...
Sho nodded solemnly. "Understood."
After experiencing so much, this chestnut-head had become much more mature than when Shane first met him.
Erza, Simon, Millianna, and Grandpa Rob also walked over. After learning the situation, although worried, they all expressed their understanding and support.
The fire burned brighter and brighter, reddening half the sky.
People surrounded the burning tower, shouting with a mixture of tears and cheers. This was a farewell to the past, a carnival of flames.
A long time later, when the tower groaned under the strain and the fire could no longer be extinguished, everyone returned to the big ships one after another at Shane's signal.
He said goodbye to Sho and Wally at the shore, instructing them to wait until the fire died down before looking for Jellal.
Raise the sails, set sail.
According to the charts on the ship, their current location was near the waters of Caelum. The ship adjusted its course and headed toward the nearest coastline.
During the voyage, the group gathered on the deck, discussing the future.
Simon spoke first, his tone without any hesitation: "I'm going back to my hometown to find my sister."
Grandpa Rob stood aside, hands on the railing, the wrinkles on his face appearing exceptionally deep in the sunlight. "Me? I'll travel a bit, then find a quiet, nice place to live in seclusion and retire."
These were things agreed upon long ago, so they weren't surprising. What surprised Shane was Millianna's decision.
"I... I want to follow Grandpa Rob!" Millianna said softly but firmly. She unconsciously pinched the corner of her shirt, her eyes a bit timid, but she looked at the old man with dependence.
Shane looked at her, his heart moved slightly. He didn't expect her to rely on Grandpa Rob so much.
But thinking about it carefully, it wasn't surprising.
As the youngest child in the tower, Millianna had always been taken care of by Grandpa Rob. The old man must have often shared his saved food with her. It was natural for such a bond to exist between them.
But on second thought, this couldn't be called a one-sided dependence of the girl on the old man.
Shane felt that Millianna's choice to follow wasn't so much that she couldn't bear to leave the old man, but rather that she didn't want him to travel alone and lonely.
What a good kid.
He couldn't help but smile, reaching out to ruffle Millianna's hair vigorously until it was a mess. The girl immediately puffed out her cheeks, her expression changing from obedient to huffy.
At this moment, Shane's gaze fell on Erza, who had been silent on the side. She was facing the sea breeze, letting her red hair fly. Shane couldn't help asking curiously:
"Erza, you were captured with Simon, right? From the same place? Aren't you going back with him to take a look?"
Erza shook her head. Her eyes were a bit lost, but mostly searching. "No. I... want to travel and, as you said, try to find my surname."
She paused, then asked back, "Shane, what about you? What do you plan to do?"
Shane was also a bit lost for a moment. He scratched his head. "Me? To be honest, I haven't thought it through yet. Probably just walk around and see the world first..."
At this moment, Grandpa Rob's eyes lit up, and he interjected, "Since you haven't decided, Shane my boy, why not go to 'Fairy Tail' and take a look?
"That's the guild I used to be in. The guild library contains a lot of magical knowledge. Although Master Makarov is unreliable, if I ask him, he'll definitely let you study for free."
"Fairy Tail... Guild?" Shane's eyes lit up.
Even though he already possessed the Book of Heroic Spirits, he was still full of curiosity about magic. The library of a legitimate Mage Guild held enormous attraction for him.
It just so happened that he remembered the guild emblem on Grandpa Rob's back. The pattern on it was very familiar to him, so he could investigate it while he was at it.
"Sounds like a good choice. Alright, then I've decided. I'll travel and visit that Fairy Tail guild to broaden my horizons."
"I'll go too." Erza suddenly spoke up, her voice clear. Seeing everyone looking at her, she explained, "Finding a surname requires power. I think studying magic there and becoming stronger is a very good choice."
Her logic was direct and pragmatic.
Shane smiled. "No problem. Let's travel together then."
Although they had only been together for a few days, Shane had a very good impression of this strong girl. He didn't object to having a traveling companion.