A New Life in Fairy Tail

Natsu and Gajeel were currently sitting on opposite sides of the guildhall, both sporting massive black eyes, bloody noses, and bruised cheeks. They were glaring daggers at each other, neither willing to admit defeat.

Noah completely ignored the two idiots and walked directly to the bar.

”How are the airship modification suggestions coming along?” Noah asked Laxus. He had noticed several members casually dropping off slips of paper throughout the morning.

”We’ve got quite a few already,” Laxus replied, reaching under the counter and handing Noah a thick stack of papers.

Noah flipped through them. Many of the suggestions were perfectly reasonable and practical: expanded kitchens, better bathrooms, dedicated training rooms, and specialized storage holds.

However, there were also plenty of completely ridiculous ideas. Cana had formally requested an Olympic-sized swimming pool filled entirely with high-end booze. Happy had submitted a detailed schematic for a room dedicated entirely to hanging and drying different varieties of raw fish.

Skimming through the chaos, Noah handed the stack back to Laxus. ”Let me know when the majority of the guild has submitted their ideas. I’ll take the whole pile back to the island and review them carefully.”

”Will do,” Laxus nodded, taking the papers back. ”So, how did the test run go for those two?”

”Perfectly. Just like you, neither of them felt the slightest bit of motion sickness on the hovering slab,” Noah smiled.

”Well, obviously. They didn’t have to suffer through the calibration phase like I did,” Laxus grumbled, his eyes narrowing slightly as he glared at Noah.

”Hahaha! Hey, don’t worry. As promised, I’ll prioritize building your personal, portable unit before I start on the airship,” Noah quickly reassured him.

”See that you do. Now, go do whatever it is you do on that island. We’ve got the desk covered,” Laxus waved him off. He knew Noah was incredibly busy reverse-engineering Grimoire Heart’s tech, so he didn’t want to hold him up.

”Actually, I need to speak with Grandpa and the First Master,” Noah shook his head, looking over at Makarov, who was sitting on the counter nursing a mug of ale.

”You need me? What is it?” Makarov asked, setting his mug down.

”It’s regarding the Second Master, Precht, and something I discovered aboard his airship,” Noah stated quietly.

Makarov’s expression instantly turned serious. ”Follow me.”

He hopped off the counter and walked toward the stairs. Noah followed. Along the way, they found Mavis happily chatting with a group of the younger girls. Hearing that Noah had discovered something regarding Precht, Mavis politely excused herself and drifted after them.

The two men and the ghost entered a secluded, soundproofed room on the second floor. The moment the door clicked shut, Noah casually waved his hand, erecting a high-density, multi-layered silence barrier around the room.

Seeing the intense security measures, Makarov and Mavis’s expressions grew incredibly grave.

”What exactly did you find?” Makarov asked.

”Quite a bit,” Noah nodded. He waved his hand again, and a massive stack of aged, heavily annotated research documents materialized on the table.

He pointed at the yellowing parchment. ”These are a series of personal magical research logs I recovered from Precht’s private quarters on the airship. However, the timeline and the subject matter are highly anomalous.”

”The timeline and subject matter?” Makarov repeated, his brow furrowing. Beside him, Mavis’s spectral form tensed slightly, a look of profound realization flashing across her eyes.

”We are currently in the year X785. The earliest entries in these logs date back roughly 88 years,” Noah explained.

”I meticulously analyzed the magical theorems and biological equations detailed in these early logs. Ultimately, the entire research project boils down to a single, hyper-fixated objective: How to resurrect a human being whose heart retains only the faintest, almost imperceptible trace of magic power.

”If my history is correct, 88 years ago, Precht was still the acting Guild Master of Fairy Tail. Why would the Guild Master be obsessively researching resurrection magic? Who was he trying to bring back?”

Noah paused, looking directly at Makarov and Mavis before continuing.

”Furthermore, these specific resurrection logs abruptly end roughly 50 years ago. There is no final entry declaring the project a success or a failure. However, based on my analysis of the final equations, I strongly suspect he succeeded—or at the very least, achieved a massive, unprecedented breakthrough that he deliberately chose not to record.”

Makarov and Mavis exchanged a long, incredibly heavy look. Neither of them spoke.

”There’s more,” Noah continued. ”The reason Precht named his dark guild ’Grimoire Heart’ is because the guild’s mobile headquarters literally contains a massive, biomechanical heart.”

Noah pulled out several high-resolution photographs he had taken and spread them across the table. The photos depicted the massive, grotesque, pulsating fleshy engine suspended in the airship’s core.

Makarov and Mavis stared at the photographs, their eyes widening in horror and grim understanding.

”I’ve been heavily analyzing the ’Devil’s Heart’ using the operational data I found on the ship. The technology is undeniably brilliant. However, during my research, I noticed something incredibly unsettling,” Noah stated, pulling out another stack of analytical data and placing it beside the photos.

”The Devil’s Heart feels like a copy. It feels like a crude, artificial imitation of something vastly superior.

”When I read through Precht’s research logs, the progression of his ideas didn’t feel organic. It didn’t read like a scientist stumbling through trial and error to discover a new truth. Instead, it read exactly like someone who had already seen the final, perfect ’answer’ to a problem, and was desperately trying to reverse-engineer the steps required to replicate it.

”If he hadn’t physically witnessed the ’correct answer’ firsthand, the sudden, hyper-specific leaps in logic in his research simply make no sense. It wasn’t a sudden burst of inspiration. Every time he hit a critical roadblock, his next theoretical step perfectly aligned with replicating the final product. The only logical conclusion is that he was trying to artificially recreate something he had already seen.”

Makarov picked up the analytical data, his hands trembling slightly as he read through Noah’s meticulous breakdowns. Mavis floated over his shoulder, her eyes scanning the pages. As they read, their expressions grew darker and more solemn.

”I haven’t found any historical records or documents in the guild’s library corresponding to that specific time period. So, I came to ask you two: what exactly was Precht trying to resurrect 88 years ago? And what is the ’correct answer’ he was trying to replicate?” Noah asked directly.

He already knew the answer, of course. His knowledge of the original timeline combined with the physical evidence made it blindingly obvious. But he needed Makarov or Mavis to officially disclose the truth.

Sigh...

Having read through the entirety of Noah’s findings, Makarov let out a long, exhausted sigh that seemed to age him ten years.

”This involves the absolute highest, most heavily guarded secret of Fairy Tail. A secret known only to the Guild Masters,” Makarov stated heavily. He turned to Mavis. ”First Master, I need to discuss this with you.”

”Take your time. I’ll leave the documents here; I have digital backups. You two discuss it. I’m heading back to the island to continue my research,” Noah nodded respectfully. He dismissed his silence barrier and teleported away, leaving the two Masters to their heavy conversation.

Back on Tenrou Island, Noah had his hands full. Between analyzing Precht’s archives, digesting the highly classified texts from the Magic Council, and reverse-engineering the Devil’s Heart, he had enough research material to keep him busy for months.

Once he had fully processed all this new knowledge and integrated it into his own magical repertoire, his next major objective was the Alvarez Empire on the Western Continent.

There were several lingering issues and potential threats over there that needed to be resolved. However, since the Western Continent had completely severed all diplomatic and travel ties with Ishgar, infiltrating the Empire required absolute, overwhelming combat strength.

His battle against Acnologia had confirmed his current power level was elite, but he wanted to be absolutely certain before crossing the ocean. With his strength currently skyrocketing, he estimated he would be ready to make the trip shortly after concluding his current research projects.

Alongside his intense academic studies, Noah never neglected his physical training. He constantly maintained his Gravity Magic, increasing the pressure exponentially until it marginally hindered his daily movements, forcing his body to constantly adapt and grow stronger. The starlight purification had massively increased his physical baseline, allowing him to push the gravity multiplier far higher than before.

For the next few days, Noah maintained a rigorous schedule: research and train on Tenrou Island during the day, teleport home for dinner and sleep at night.

One morning, he received a telepathic message from Laxus. The modification suggestions had all been collected, and Makarov urgently requested his presence.

Noah immediately teleported into the guildhall.

”Got the suggestions?” Noah asked, walking up to the bar.

”Yeah. Everyone submitted their ideas. Here’s the finalized pile,” Laxus handed over a thick stack of papers.

Noah flipped through them quickly. It seemed every single member had contributed at least one idea.

”Perfect. I’ll take these back to the island, sort through them, and figure out what’s structurally possible. We’ll hold a final design meeting before I start the renovations,” Noah said, tucking the papers into his pocket.

”Just don’t forget about the portable motion-sickness device,” Laxus reminded him pointedly.

”I haven’t forgotten,” Noah chuckled.

”Noah, come with me,” Makarov called out, hopping off the counter.

Noah waved goodbye to Laxus and followed Makarov back upstairs to the soundproofed room. Mavis was already inside, waiting for them.

Once the door closed, Makarov immediately raised his hand and cast his own high-tier silence barrier around the room.

”We’ve discussed the findings you brought to us. But before we explain anything, I need to ask you one final time: are you absolutely certain you refuse to officially accept the title of the Fourth Guild Master right now?” Makarov asked, staring intently at Noah.

”As I said before, Grandpa, you should remain the official Master for a few more years. I’ll officially take the title later. Laxus, Erza, and I already handle the vast majority of the administrative work anyway, so you don’t have to stress yourself out. Given your newly rejuvenated health, you could easily remain the figurehead Master for another twenty or thirty years without breaking a sweat,” Noah smiled easily.

”Twenty or thirty years?! Are you trying to work me to death?!” Makarov roared, his mustache bristling in indignation.

”Actually, that’s not a bad idea. We do all the actual work, and you just act as the ’Lifetime Honorary Master.’ It’s a solid arrangement,” Noah stroked his chin thoughtfully.

”Absolutely not! I want to experience retirement! I fully intend to pass the title on while I’m still breathing!” Makarov snapped back.

”But what’s the difference between your current lifestyle and retirement? We handle the paperwork, the politics, and the logistics. You literally just sit on the bar, drink booze, and watch the kids brawl all day,” Noah pointed out logically.

”It is fundamentally different! Holding the title of Guild Master carries an immense psychological weight! Furthermore, passing the title on while I am still alive is the only true way to honor the legacy and continuity of the guild. If I just hold onto it until I drop dead, it ruins the tradition! I want to successfully pass the torch so I can proudly say I fulfilled my duty!” Makarov argued passionately.

”Alright, alright. I understand. Give me a few more years, and I promise I will officially accept the title of Guild Master,” Noah finally relented, raising his hands in surrender.

He didn’t want to accept the title right now purely because he wanted to participate in the upcoming Grand Magic Games as a combatant to completely crush the competition. If he were the Guild Master, the rules would likely prohibit him from entering the arena.

”Fine. We have a deal. A few more years, and the title is yours,” Makarov nodded, accepting the compromise.

”Understood,” Noah agreed.

”Now, back to the matter at hand. The secret you inadvertently stumbled upon is the absolute highest classification of guild intelligence. It is a secret strictly reserved for the Guild Master alone. Which makes this incredibly frustrating, because you refuse to take the damn title!” Makarov grumbled, glaring at Noah.

”Hahaha...” Noah just rubbed the back of his head, offering a sheepish grin.

”Thankfully, your refusal was expected. First Master and I discussed the situation thoroughly. Given that you have already independently deduced a significant portion of the secret through Precht’s research, and to prevent any catastrophic misunderstandings or accidents in the future, we have decided to officially disclose the truth to you early.

”However, you must swear absolute secrecy. This is the ultimate secret of Fairy Tail. You cannot breathe a word of this to anyone. Do you understand?” Makarov demanded, his expression turning deadly serious.

”I swear it. I won’t tell a soul,” Noah replied instantly, matching Makarov’s gravity.

”Very well. Then I shall reveal the ultimate secret of Fairy Tail,” Makarov took a deep breath, pausing for dramatic effect.

”Do you remember when we were expanding the guildhall’s underground foundation, and you reported finding a highly anomalous, heavily warded spatial pocket deep beneath the earth? I explicitly ordered you not to investigate it further.”

”I remember. You said it housed the guild’s absolute highest secret. I reinforced the external containment wards around the area and left it alone. Is that what we’re talking about?” Noah asked.

”Yes. That hidden chamber houses the ultimate secret of Fairy Tail... Lumen Histoire!” Makarov declared solemnly.

”Lumen Histoire?” Noah repeated, feigning ignorance.

”Yes. Lumen Histoire. It is the ultimate myth of light. It is the absolute ’Light’ of our guild,” Mavis spoke up, her spectral voice echoing softly in the quiet room.

”The myth of light? That sounds like the name of a spell. But to dedicate a massive, heavily fortified underground cavern just to store a spell? Is it some kind of apocalyptic strategic magic that requires a massive physical catalyst to activate?” Noah theorized aloud.

”Since we have decided to tell you the truth, it is best that you see it with your own eyes,” Makarov said, turning to the door.

”You know exactly where the warded area is. You also possess the sensory capabilities to locate the hidden entrance leading down to it. Lead the way, Noah. We will show you exactly what Lumen Histoire is.”

~~~

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