Chapter 280

Chapter 280: Chapter 280

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

Makarov was completely dumbfounded after hearing Marshall’s explanation.

What did he mean by saying he’d planted a mole inside Grimoire Heart, one of the most notorious Dark Guilds in existence?

What did he mean by saying Grimoire Heart’s master, Hades, was actually Precht, Fairy Tail’s Second Master?

And what did he mean by saying the Second Master intended to launch an all-out assault on Fairy Tail’s sacred ground and destroy the guild completely?

Had Makarov finally gotten so old that he hadn’t properly woken up today?

Everything coming out of Marshall’s mouth sounded ridiculous.

"I’m telling the truth, Master. Every word of it."

Marshall spoke with complete seriousness.

"Remember when I asked you for a picture of the Second Master? I’d already confirmed his identity back then. I originally thought the old man might have some deeper plan, so I didn’t say anything recklessly."

He sighed.

"I didn’t expect him to actually turn his attention against Fairy Tail."

At first, Marshall had genuinely assumed Precht and Makarov might have some secret arrangement: one operating openly while the other controlled the darker side of the magical world, allowing Fairy Tail’s Second and Third Masters to support each other from opposite directions.

Apparently, Marshall had vastly overestimated the situation.

Makarov clearly knew absolutely nothing about Precht’s activities.

And Precht clearly had no intention of sharing the magical world with his successor.

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait."

Makarov raised one hand.

"That’s far too much information at once. Give me a moment."

The old man clutched his chest and took several deep breaths.

He actually had to go swallow a few pills before returning and finally calming down.

"Marshall, I’ve always trusted you. You’re not the sort of child who jokes about something this serious."

His expression hardened.

"So tell me honestly. Are you certain your source is reliable?"

"Absolutely."

Marshall nodded.

"My inside source is basically the highest-ranking member of their guild beneath the Master himself—the leader of the Seven Kin of Purgatory."

"..."

Makarov opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

He desperately wanted to ask how Marshall had somehow turned one of the enemy guild’s core leaders into a spy, but this clearly wasn’t the time.

"Let me see the intelligence first."

He began reading.

"Seven Kin of Purgatory..."

His eyes stopped on the first profile.

"Zancrow. Primary Magic: Fire God Slayer Magic. Magic Power... twenty-eight thousand."

Makarov frowned.

"Marshall, what scale are these numbers using? Is this based on Ethernano?"

"No, it’s my own measurement system."

Marshall thought for a moment.

"Actually, this’ll be easier if I give you a detector. Then you’ll immediately have a reference point."

He reached into his personal storage space, pulled out a Magic Power detector, opened a small spatial tear, and tossed it directly onto the table in front of Makarov.

Marshall had only made a handful of these devices so far and hadn’t yet worked out a way to mass-produce them.

Makarov picked up the monocle-like instrument and hooked it over one ear.

The number that appeared made his eyebrows rise.

880,000.

"So my normal Magic Power is around eight hundred eighty thousand?"

He stroked his beard.

"Then I understand what twenty-something thousand represents. That would already qualify as a fairly S-Class Mage."

Makarov glanced back at Zancrow’s profile.

"Though that’s probably still lower than Natsu by now?"

"Pretty much."

Marshall nodded.

"Honestly, most of their people aren’t especially troublesome. Their Master and Vice Master are the only real problems."

Makarov continued reading.

"Meredy. One of the Seven Kin. Magic Power: twenty thousand. Uses the Lost Magic Maguilty Sense..."

He paused.

"Fourteen years old?"

Makarov looked toward Marshall through the projection.

"She’s the same age as you."

"She’s basically friendly."

Marshall waved dismissively.

"She’s Ultear’s little sister, so she can be persuaded over to our side."

"..."

Makarov stared at him for a moment.

"Right."

He sighed.

"Marshall, you really do accomplish some ridiculous things without telling anyone."

In Makarov’s mind, another misunderstanding quietly formed.

He naturally assumed the three days Marshall had mysteriously disappeared had actually been spent acquiring this extraordinarily detailed intelligence.

’The child really was...’

Makarov shook his head and continued.

"Kain Hikaru. One of the Seven Kin. Magic Power: twenty-four thousand. Uses the Lost Magic Ushi no Koku Mairi."

"Zoldeo. Magic Power: thirty-three thousand. Lost Magic: Human Subordination."

"Rustyrose. Magic Power: forty-one thousand. Lost Magic: Arc of Embodiment."

"Azuma. Magic Power: eighty-six thousand. Lost Magic: Arc of the Great Tree."

"Ultear. Leader of the Seven Kin. Magic Power: seventy-one thousand. Lost Magic: Arc of Time..."

Makarov stopped.

"This is the girl you recruited as your inside source?"

"Yeah."

"Her Magic Power isn’t actually the highest among them. Why is she the leader?"

"She’s younger and has better potential."

Marshall shrugged.

"Besides, some of the other Lost Magics seem to have flaws or limitations, while hers is relatively complete. Even Dark Guilds care about future potential when deciding rank."

He gave Makarov a pointed look.

"Look at me. My Magic Power is lower than Laxus’s, but he still can’t beat me."

"..."

Makarov couldn’t really argue with that.

His own magical perception had always been extremely sharp.

If his normal reserves measured around 880,000, then Laxus should currently be somewhere around 200,000.

Marshall’s reserves were slightly lower—though not by much.

Looking at things from that perspective, the Seven Kin suddenly didn’t seem nearly as frightening.

Even the strongest one in terms of raw Magic Power couldn’t match Erza anymore.

Erza was already approaching 100,000, wasn’t she?

And eighty-something thousand...

Mira was probably somewhere around that level.

Makarov’s expression slowly became strange.

’Wait.’

’Doesn’t that mean... Fairy Tail is actually stronger?’

He continued reading.

"Bluenote Stinger?"

Recognition appeared in his eyes.

"So he became Grimoire Heart’s Vice Master."

Makarov’s expression grew more serious.

"I remember this man. He participated in the Capria War and once wiped out an entire military company by himself. He was already considered an extremely dangerous Mage back then."

He checked the next line.

"Magic Power: 530,000. Specializes in Gravity Magic."

Makarov sucked in a breath.

"That’s enough to give even this old man a proper fight."

Then he frowned.

"But... that’s about it."

His opinion of Grimoire Heart’s upper ranks had just dropped considerably.

"Looks like the Second Master’s officers aren’t all that impressive either."

By this point, Makarov had relaxed significantly.

Thankfully, Fairy Tail’s younger generation had made extraordinary progress over the past year.

Ever since Marshall helped many of them unlock their Second Origins, their Magic Power had increased dramatically.

A year ago, throwing the children against enemies like these might have been genuinely dangerous.

Now?

Makarov wasn’t particularly worried.

Then he opened the final page.

His relaxed expression disappeared.

A familiar yet strangely unfamiliar face stared back at him.

"Hades..."

Makarov’s voice became quieter.

"No."

"Precht Gaebolg."

"Fairy Tail’s Second Master."

For several seconds, Makarov simply stared at the image.

"No one knows him better than I do. He was the one who taught me Magic. Even now, I still remember his techniques clearly."

Then his gaze dropped to the number beneath the profile.

"Magic Power..."

His eyes narrowed.

"1.58 million."

Makarov fell silent.

"At his age, he can still maintain that kind of power..."

A complicated smile crossed his face.

"As expected of the Second Master."

For Makarov, the information carried more weight than simple numbers.

He couldn’t understand how the man who had once taught him Magic had become this person.

He couldn’t understand why Fairy Tail’s former Master had turned against the guild he once led.

But with this much evidence sitting directly in front of him, endlessly asking why wouldn’t change anything.

Precht had already made his choice.

And Fairy Tail would have to deal with it.

"This is troublesome."

Makarov rubbed his forehead.

"Should I ask Warrod-sama for help?"

He quickly reconsidered.

"Though Warrod isn’t really a combat specialist..."

Marshall naturally knew who he meant.

Warrod Sequen, another member of the Ten Wizard Saints and one of Fairy Tail’s original founders.

"Master, the Second Master has one extremely serious weakness."

Makarov immediately looked up.

"Oh?"

"He possesses an external magical organ."

Marshall brought up the airship diagram Ultear had sent him.

"It’s aboard Grimoire Heart’s airship. As long as we destroy that heart first, his strength should fall dramatically."

Makarov’s eyebrows rose.

"You really did obtain remarkably thorough intelligence."

He leaned forward and began seriously comparing both sides.

If Hades’s external heart could be destroyed... then perhaps this wasn’t nearly as hopeless as it had first appeared.

Makarov mentally counted Fairy Tail’s strongest fighters.

Himself.

Gildarts.

Laxus.

And Marshall.

A confident expression gradually returned to his face.

"If that’s the case, then between you, me, Gildarts, and Laxus, the four of us together should be more than capable of defeating the Second Master."

Marshall gave him an awkward smile.

"About that..."

Makarov’s eyes narrowed.

"I probably can’t participate in this fight."

Marshall scratched his cheek and laughed sheepishly.

"Ehehe... You guys will have to handle this one without me."

Makarov froze.

"NANIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII?!"