Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

Chapter 391: If Negotiations Fail, We Can Slowly Negotiate

Western Continent, Alvarez Empire, Royal Palace…

A meeting conducted by the higher-ups of the Alvarez Empire was being held.

Majestic magic power, as deep as an abyss and vast as the sea, filled the meeting room. Although there were not many higher-ups inside the Alvarez Empire royal palaceʼs meeting room, every one of them was powerful to the point of being nearly inhuman…

These powerful higher-ups, who stood at the peak of authority in the Alvarez Empire, each possessed the strength and battle record to single-handedly defeat a country! And these powerful Mages who stood at the peak of countless Mages, whose strength was terrifying to the point of being nearly inhuman, and who were called monsters by countless Mages on the western continent, were affectionately called the Spriggan 12 by the people of the Alvarez Empire!

The meaning was that they were the guardian shields of Spriggan, the emperor of the Alvarez Empire on the western continent. As long as these shields surrounded Spriggan, namely the Black Mage Zeref, then Zeref and the great Alvarez Empire would absolutely never be defeated…

As for this meeting, which gathered the shields and was held inside the meeting room, its contents were extremely simple. Namely: whether or not they should launch an attack against the continent of Ishgar across the sea before the great emperor Zeref of the Alvarez Empire returned to the country, and before they had received a clear order issued by Zeref…

This meeting had already been held for three days and three nights, but still had not produced a result. That was only because the Mages called the Holy Shields guarding Zeref by the people of the Alvarez Empire were not united like an iron plate either. Between the seemingly harmonious shields, there were enormous contradictions, and right now, these contradictions had been infinitely magnified within the meeting.

”August, I will say this once more. I believe now is the best time to attack the continent of Ishgar! If we miss this opportunity, who knows when the next one will come…”

”I do not know what intentions you have in repeatedly obstructing our attack against the continent of Ishgar?”

”Even now, I cannot determine whether your heart is still with the empire…”

ʼOf course, I do not care what you are thinking, nor where your heart actually is!ʼ

”Right now, I only want to ask you one question! Do you not want to take down the continent of Ishgar before Father returns to the empire and present His Majesty with the most perfect gift?”

Inside the meeting room, a young man with short platinum-blond hair and an incomparably delicate face wore a white robe, a cross tattooed on his forehead. His whole body radiated holy brilliance. He looked like an ascetic monk without desires in cultivation, and also like an enlightened saint. He sat upright on his seat like this and questioned the great master of magic power seated opposite him.

As the young man asked, seven-colored radiance immediately released around him. His aura surged, and light radiated in all directions…

”You are still too young! The continent of Ishgar is absolutely not as weak as you imagine. Larcade, treat this as advice from me, August. I hope you can remember, no matter how powerful your strength is, never underestimate your opponent! Perhaps your opponent is hiding their strength. Perhaps everything your eyes see is not the truth…”

”Moreover, this is no small matter. Attacking the continent of Ishgar, something as major as attacking an entire continent, why would we not notify His Majesty? Since His Majesty has not issued us an order to attack the continent of Ishgar, then I believe the best gift we can currently give His Majesty is to firmly defend the western continent and continue increasing our strength…”

August sat opposite the platinum-blond-haired young man. His expression was calm, not wavering in the slightest because of the young manʼs words.

”Tch…”

Augustʼs words caused Larcadeʼs expression to change. Although he looked much younger than August, in reality, his age was far greater than Augustʼs. Now that August lectured him like a junior, he immediately felt somewhat embarrassed…

As for the Mages called the Spriggan 12 besides August and Larcade, they still remained silent. They expressed no opinions, neither refuting Larcade nor standing with August! These Spriggan 12 seemed to neither intend to offend Larcade nor dare offend August. They seemed to treat todayʼs meeting as if it had nothing to do with them, hanging high above it, sitting quietly in their seats, calmly drinking tea and quietly watching the plays before them.

However, these peopleʼs seeming neutrality did not make August feel at ease. He sat in his seat, his eyes stained with gloom. No one knew what August was thinking in his heart at this moment…

”In other words, August, you oppose my proposal?”

After the meeting room fell into a brief silence, the young man named Larcade finally spoke.

Larcade slightly narrowed those eyes of his that emitted the light of wisdom, as if they could see through everything in the world, and continued questioning August with his low voice.

”I am not opposing your proposal. To put it gently, I merely believe your proposal does not match His Majestyʼs intentions. I fear your proposal will ultimately conflict with His Majestyʼs arrangements, so I specially reminded you.”

”Of course, to put it more seriously, I believe attacking the continent of Ishgar right now is absolutely not His Majestyʼs intention. It is only your personal wish. And I oppose every proposal that may conflict with His Majestyʼs intentions…”

August sat opposite Larcade, his expression still calm. He was like an ancient well, not creating any ripples because of Larcadeʼs words.

”You say my proposal does not match His Majestyʼs intentions? Ridiculous!”

”August, surely you are not unaware of the meaning of the surname Dragneel, are you? When His Majesty is not in the empire, I, who possess the surname Dragneel, am the master of this empire. May I ask, do you have objections regarding this point?!”

Larcade sat opposite August. At this moment, his expression was filled with murderous aura, completely different from his holy temperament and image.

”Hehe, naturally, I know the meaning of the sacred surname Dragneel. But the sacredness of Dragneel has nothing to do with you, Larcade! Your claim that you are the master of this empire when His Majesty is absent is even more laughable, enough to make people laugh their teeth off! Larcade, you should know clearly in your heart that you are nothing more than a lucky, extremely false ʼDragneelʼ bestowed this sacred surname by His Majesty…”

After hearing Larcadeʼs words, August laughed. He smiled at Larcade like this, directly facing Larcade with that mocking smile of his, speaking in an incomparably cold voice.

”August!!”

The instant Augustʼs voice fell, Larcadeʼs expression instantly twisted.

Especially when Larcade heard the phrase false ʼDragneelʼ from Augustʼs mouth, Larcadeʼs expression twisted directly to the extreme. What Larcade could least bear hearing was someone saying he was ʼfalseʼ…

”What? Are you angry?”

August still looked calm as he watched the furious Larcade.

If Larcade was angry, then it meant everything he said was correct…

”August, are you trying to rebel?”

Larcadeʼs eyes flickered with rage. He did not continue wasting words on whether he was a false ʼDragneelʼ or not. Instead, while glaring angrily at August, he placed a huge accusation upon August. Since August had made him unable to step down first, then he also had no need to continue yielding to August. Wasnʼt it just mutually hurting each other? Who was afraid of whom?!

”From the moment we proposed attacking the continent of Ishgar, August, you have constantly been pushing things away and obstructing us. Now you are still evading and finding excuses…”

”Besides that, some days ago, Crawford Seam, the former chairman of the Magic Council of Ishgar, came to the western continent to seek cooperation with us, did he not? I heard that the former chairman came carrying intelligence sufficient to help us defeat the continent of Ishgar! And as for where that former chairman is now, whether he is alive or dead, I have no interest. I simply want to ask, before that former chairman disappeared, did he meet with you, August?”

”Then now, August, answer me. Where is the intelligence Crawford Seam brought, that intelligence sufficient to help our Alvarez Empire of the western continent defeat the continent of Ishgar?!”

Larcade read out one by one the evidence he had organized that suggested August might rebel and betray Zeref. While telling everyone in the meeting room, he continued questioning August.

”Crawford Seam was a liar, merely a petty man who wanted to borrow the knife of our Alvarez Empire to kill people. I have already dealt with him…”

Augustʼs expression remained calm. He directly told Larcade plainly that Crawford Seam had indeed come, that he had indeed met him, and that he had killed him. So what?!

”August!!”

However, Augustʼs carelessness and the way he did not put Larcade in his eyes completely enraged Larcade. At this moment, Larcadeʼs expression was irritable as he glared furiously at August and roared Augustʼs name.

”I am here…”

August looked at Larcadeʼs angry appearance and wanted to laugh somewhat, but considering that this was the meeting room, he did not laugh aloud.

”August, could it be that you have betrayed His Majesty, betrayed this country, and become a dog of the continent of Ishgar? Do not think I do not know that recently, you have often gone alone to the continent of Ishgar. Who knows what exactly you are doing?!”

Larcade seemed to have been completely enraged by Augustʼs words. He directly laid his cards on the table with August and questioned whether August had betrayed the empire.

”Uh…”

As Larcadeʼs voice fell, every Spriggan 12 inside the entire meeting room besides August changed expression.

”Larcade, you cannot say that!”

Neinhartʼs expression was panicked. Although he was a member of Larcadeʼs faction, and also one of the main war faction among the Spriggan 12, one of the Mages who had long been planning to attack the continent of Ishgar, and also held deep complaints toward August, who had always obstructed them and refused to let them attack, even so, when he heard Larcade say that August was a traitor, his expression panicked…

In this empire, aside from His Majesty Zeref, anyone could betray the empire, only August could not! Even if August truly betrayed the empire, they could only pretend to be confused while understanding clearly. They absolutely could not fall out with August. Once they truly fell out with August, or pierced through this layer of window paper, then for the current empire, where Zeref had left, it would absolutely become an enormous disaster.

”Mr. August, please do not take it seriously. Larcade was joking with you~”

Neinhart first stabilized Larcade, then turned and greeted August with a smiling face. That fawning posture faintly made people nauseous. But perhaps it was precisely because of Neinhartʼs fawning that, in the entire empire, he was the person living most comfortably among the main war faction…

”Rebellion?!”

August, who had originally been sitting upright inside the meeting room, suddenly laughed after hearing Larcadeʼs words.

August ignored Neinhart and the others, continuously laughing at Larcade like this, as if he had heard something funny.

”What are you laughing at?”

Larcadeʼs expression was cold, his face like ice, as he looked at August and questioned him.

”Yes, I am rebelling. Right now, I am going to kill all of you. What can you do?”

August looked at Larcade with incomparably cold eyes. While lightly nodding, he questioned everyone in the room.

”Uh…”

As Augustʼs voice fell, the entire meeting room quieted down. All the Spriggan 12 looked at August with extreme nervousness like frightened small animals, afraid that August would suddenly explode and kill people! Facing August, who emitted endless killing intent, these Mages called the Spriggan 12 were not much stronger than the ordinary imperial soldiers standing guard outside…

”Hehe, if I truly rebelled and betrayed His Majesty Zeref! Then you should already be dead now. Not only would you die, everyone supporting you would die…”

”If I truly rebelled, I would not hold this meeting with all of you! The moment you proposed the idea of attacking Ishgar, I should have killed you. If there was one, I would kill one. If there were two, I would kill both. In the entire Alvarez Empire, who could stop me? Relying on you, Larcade, or relying on Bloodman?”

Before the other Spriggan 12 could speak, August, whose face had originally been icy, continued speaking.

Augustʼs eyes carried a hint of killing intent as he glared at everyone present. Every person hit by Augustʼs gaze, including Larcade, felt a tremendous pressure.

Yes, August was angry. August, who had originally been steady and did not show joy or anger on his face, was truly angry.

”Ah? No, that, Senior August, I mean…”

Among the Mages called the Spriggan 12 sitting inside the meeting room, one of them, who had the title ʼGrim Reaperʼ and was known as a great demon possessing Curses far surpassing Tartaros, ʼGrim Reaperʼ Bloodman, froze directly after hearing Augustʼs words. He did not understand why August would vent anger onto him. Although he did indeed have some connection with Larcade, he had no intention of helping Larcade! He was merely a melon-eating demon. Even when choosing sides, he chose neutrality and was impartial toward Larcade and August…

”Boom!!”

However, before the innocent Bloodman could say more, accompanied by a roar, the shoulders of every Spriggan 12 inside the meeting room instantly sank. Terrifying pressure released from Augustʼs body toward everyone.

Perhaps others did not know exactly what their purpose in going to the continent of Ishgar this time was.

But August knew. The so-called attack on the continent of Ishgar, unifying the world, and so on were all nonsense meant for the citizens. The true purpose of the Spriggan 12 was to go to the continent of Ishgar, the Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia Town, find Fairy Tail Guild, capture Fairy Tail, find the body of Fairy Tail Guildʼs founder and First Guild Master Mavis sealed inside Magic Crystal in the basement of Fairy Tail Guild, and seize Mavisʼs heart…

In other words, the issue Larcade and the others had been discussing might only sound like a simple attack on the continent of Ishgar in other peopleʼs ears. However, when this issue reached Augustʼs ears, what he heard was that Larcade wanted to force August to nod in agreement, go to the continent of Ishgar to kill his mother, and even make August personally take out his motherʼs heart! It would be strange if August could agree to this kind of thing…

Therefore, August directly released his terrifying magic power. Waves of terrifying magic power visible to the naked eye released from Augustʼs body and covered the shoulders of everyone inside the meeting room. When August became enraged, only then did everyone in the meeting room understand what was called the master of great magic power, what was called Magic King August!

Before August erupted with magic power, no one could imagine that there was someone in this world who could distort the surrounding space without using any magic and relying only on the magic power inside his own body…

For a time, the highest meeting room inside the Alvarez Empire royal palace was enveloped beneath Augustʼs pressure!

No, to be precise, the entire Alvarez Empire royal palace, and even the entire imperial capital, were enveloped by this terrifying magic power. When August was angered, the whole empire knew. This was the Magic King…

”Uh…”

For a time, the expressions of everyone inside the meeting room changed. Whether Larcade or Bloodman, all their faces turned ashen, and cold sweat continuously slid from their foreheads. Just as August had said to them, if August had truly betrayed Zeref, then they should already be dead right now…

Yes, August was this powerful. Even inside the organization called Spriggan 12 by the people of the Alvarez Empire, August was an incomparably unique existence. If the Spriggan 12 were invincible monsters in the eyes of ordinary Mages, then August was an invincible monster in the eyes of the other people inside the Spriggan 12, a monster among monsters…

”Calm down! Calm down! August, please calm down first…”

”Thatʼs right! Mr. August, if negotiations fail, we can slowly negotiate~ Do not be angry!”

”Mr. August, anger harms the body. Please drink some tea first, and then we can continue talking.”

After August turned hostile, all the Mages with the title of Spriggan 12 inside the entire meeting room panicked. They were all persuading the Magic King.

Although right now, the meeting room did not have a total of twelve seats like in the original work, but only eight seats.

Among them, God Serena was searching for crystals on the continent of Ishgar. Brandish was still young and still cultivating. Dimaria Yesta and Ajeel Ramlʼs situation was similar to Brandishʼs, so they were also not in the ranks of the Spriggan 12.

Besides the above people who were still young and whose strength had not reached the standard, Irene, who should originally have already ranked among the Spriggan 12, had been abducted by Evan from the start. As a result, in the entire organization of the Spriggan 12 right now, in terms of strength, not a single one was enough for August to fight. Even if they were tied together, they still would not be enough.

And among those who had already ranked among the Spriggan 12 now, including the main war faction Invel Yura and Neinhart, they all cowered at this moment and continuously persuaded August.

”Hmph!”

August coldly snorted. Some people were simply cheap. When you got angry, they cowered. When you cowered, they pushed further. They were simply green tea!

”I am too lazy to care about this matter anymore. If you want to fight, then go fight! I have advised what should be advised and said what should be said! If you do not believe me, then go try it! But please remember, all responsibilities that need to be borne for this war, this old man will no longer care about. You will bear them yourselves!”

”If you win, then naturally that is best. In the future, this old man will directly withdraw from the Alvarez Empire and return authority to all of you! From then on, the entire empire will belong to you young people. But if you lose, and His Majesty Zeref blames you, hehe…”

”I will say only this much. From now on, I will no longer obstruct you. I will no longer give you any opinions. The rights and wrongs, successes and failures next, you consider them yourselves! However, I hope you weigh things carefully. There is only one empire. If it is fought empty and fought gone, it will be gone forever…”

August looked coldly at everyone in the room and ultimately sighed. His eyes flickered with disappointment. The instant his voice fell, his figure disappeared from the office.

”No, Senior August, we did not mean that…”

As Augustʼs figure disappeared, the remaining seven imperial Spriggan 12, all six shields besides Larcade, immediately panicked. They continuously shouted toward the figure August had escaped into. Unfortunately, everything was already decided, and Augustʼs figure was no longer there.

”This…”

For a time, the expressions of the Spriggan 12 inside the meeting room all looked rather unpleasant. They were considering todayʼs gains and losses. They were considering whether their actions were a mistake.

”Everyone, do not panic! That old man August is merely bluffing! As long as we successfully take down the continent of Ishgar, not only can we receive His Majesty Zerefʼs praise! Everything you wish to obtain will also be bestowed upon you by His Majesty…”

”As for what August said about the continent of Ishgar being powerful, that is merely a joke! I absolutely do not believe that on that continent where magic has declined, there are Mages who can rival us! Everyone, please remember, there are no enemies before us…”

Larcade clasped his hands together. At this moment, he once again returned to his previous saintly image. The greed, anger, and ignorance that had originally troubled him had all vanished, as if the Larcade who spoke unpleasantly and continuously stimulated Augustʼs nerves earlier was merely an illusion.

”We understand…”

As Larcadeʼs voice fell, the other six Spriggan 12 looked at each other. Ultimately, they all helplessly sighed.

Right now, August had already been angered away by Larcade, and this seemed to all be within Larcadeʼs plan. At this moment, aside from helping Larcade attack the continent of Ishgar, there seemed to be no other choice placed before them.

”Hehe…”

At the same time, the anger on Augustʼs face, who seemed to have been angered away by Larcade, also vanished. Larcade was acting, but was he not also acting?

”Evan, the war has begun…”

August took out a remote communication crystal, the corners of his mouth rising.