Fairy Tail: All Magic Converges in One Body

"Floyd thinks so too."

Hope patted the two cats' heads, then took out the paper that Sting had asked for an autograph, quickly wrote a message on it, signed his name, folded it, and handed it to Sting.

"Take this letter. When you get to Fairy Tail, give it to Guild Master Makarov. He will make arrangements for you once he sees the letter."

Sting took the letter and suddenly realized something was off about Hope's words.

What does "a while" mean? Crocas is quite far from Magnolia...

Before he could figure it out, the azure magic ring transported them, along with the cat, to Magnolia by Hope.

As the 'Wings of Water' dissipated, Hope's smile gradually faded. He turned to look outside and asked, "Has anyone ever told you that a warrior like you shouldn't be hiding?"

Upon hearing this, a middle-aged man in full knight's armor awkwardly stepped forward. He was none other than Arcadios, the captain of the Cherry Blossom Knights and the bodyguard of Princess Emerald.

Chapter 373 Stirring up the enemy

Arcadios emerged from the shadows with an embarrassed smile on his face, but his eyes betrayed more caution than anything else.

“It’s been a long time, Lord Hope.” He placed his right fist on his chest in a standard knightly salute. “I never expected to meet you here again.”

Hope leaned against the doorframe, looked him up and down, and smiled slightly. "What do you mean it's been a long time? The last time we met was just over two months ago."

Arcadios chuckled. He was just being polite and didn't expect Hope to take it so seriously. He paused for a moment and said sincerely, "I must apologize to you first."

"apologize?"

"What happened in the square before, and what happened within my jurisdiction, is truly shameful."

Arcadios sighed, “The wicked members of the ‘Wind Spirit Labyrinth’ bullied three civilian children. If it weren’t for your intervention, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

Hope raised an eyebrow. "You came to me just to say this?"

Arcadios said solemnly, "On behalf of the Fiore royal family, I would like to express my gratitude to you. We have investigated the scarred man you taught a lesson to. He has the protection of a high-ranking official in the capital, which is why he has dared to act so arrogantly in the capital for so many years."

"The relevant officials have been taken down and will face the most severe legal trial."

"Those thugs have all been taken into custody."

"As for the 'Wind Spirit's Labyrinth'..."

Arcadio paused, a troubled look on his face. Hope finished the sentence for him, "'The Labyrinth of the Wind Spirits' hasn't been touched at all, right?"

Arcadios was silent for a moment, then sighed, "The Wind Spirits' Labyrinth is not a guild registered in the Kingdom of Ophire, nor is it under the jurisdiction of the Council, so at most we can only condemn the bad behavior of their members."

“I understand,” Hope waved his hand, his tone indifferent.

He truly understands.

This is, after all, a world where extraordinary powers exist, and the strength of the Mage Guild even surpasses that of the state apparatus on some levels.

Just like Arcadios, the great general of the Kingdom of Ophire and the ace unit of the Sakura Knights, he is actually just an ordinary person. If a powerful mage is determined to take him down, even a big shot like him could be in mortal danger.

Although the Kingdom of Fiore has a royal-affiliated magic force, it's not worth breaking ties with a large, deeply entrenched organization like the "Wind Spirit Labyrinth" for the sake of a few orphans.

Moreover, the network of interests behind that Treasure Hunter Guild is intricate and involves powerful figures from multiple countries; touching it would be like stirring up a hornet's nest.

However, while I understand, maintaining order is something that the officials of Ofilé should be doing, but they have turned a blind eye to it for various reasons.

Today, three orphans are being bullied; what about tomorrow? What about the day after?

Hope did not want to make any accusations.

Ultimately, there is no absolute fairness in the world, whether in an ordinary world or an extraordinary one; strength is the most important thing.

No longer dwelling on the topic, Hope changed the subject, "You, a general, have come to see me personally, surely not just to get involved with those thugs, right?"

Seeing that Hope was no longer dwelling on the heavy topic, Arcadios breathed a sigh of relief and took out a gold-embossed letter from his pocket. "Her Highness Princess Emerald heard that Your Majesty wishes to grace the capital with your presence and specially ordered me to deliver this invitation, wishing to invite you to the palace for a chat."

They're already in the capital, why do they need to send out invitations...?

Hope was speechless. He had witnessed firsthand how complicated the pretense of high-ranking figures could be. He joked, "Your Highness is too kind. I am just an ordinary mage. If you want to see me, just ask someone to tell me."

Arcadios's lips twitched.

An ordinary mage?

Ten Wizard Saints, the one who completed the century-old mission, the one who slayed the Five Divine Dragons...

Although the latter two achievements have not yet become widely known in Ishgar, the top leaders now all know that a formidable figure capable of slaying dragons has emerged from their own land.

Although dragons have existed for over 400 years, Ishgar's current understanding of their terrifying nature is no less than that of Giltina, the northern continent that has been plagued by the five divine dragons for over a hundred years.

Now, various countries are paying close attention to Hope and Fairy Tail behind him. Even if they can't befriend him, they absolutely cannot afford to offend him.

So if this guy is just an ordinary mage, then there's no one in this world who isn't extraordinary.

Although that's what he was thinking, Arcadios remained very humble towards Hope.

The Ophire royal family has not given up on their plan to use the 'Eclipse Gate' to go back in time and eliminate the black dragon and the black mage. They even fantasize about recruiting Hope into the Eclipse Project.

Unfortunately, now both the Black Dragon and the Black Mage are friendly units to Hope.

“Her Highness said that if you would be so kind as to grace us with your presence, she would personally give you a tour of the Grand Magic Games,” Arcadios added. “After all, soon all the eyes of Ishgar will be on this place.”

Hope accepted the invitation. "We'll talk about Princess Emerald's invitation later. The main reason I came to the capital today is to visit a certain place."

"Where?"

"The arena for the Grand Magic Games."

Arcadios' pupils contracted slightly, but quickly returned to normal.

However, this subtle change in expression did not escape Hope's eyes.

Sure enough, there was something wrong with this large training ground.

After all, it's a building constructed on top of a dragon's tomb, so it's quite proper.

No one would do that; it's normal that something feels off.

Even without his mind-reading ability, Hope could tell that the "Grand Magic Games" must be related to the "Eclipse Project," a secret plan devised by the Ophire royal family.

Having finished clearing the grass, Hope didn't care whether the snake would startle him. Ignoring Arcadios, he transformed into a streak of light and left.

Although Arcadios wanted to stop him, he knew he couldn't, because Hope didn't give him or even the Kingdom of Ophire any face.

When he and Princess Emerald visited Magnolia last time in an attempt to win over Hope, he had already experienced Hope's attitude towards them firsthand.

Even a "Wind Spirit Maze" should be treated with caution, let alone a Ten Wizard Saint who can slay dragons. After all, not every Ten Wizard Saint is as accommodating as Makarov.

Arcadios thought for a moment and decided to return to the palace immediately to report the matter to the king and princess, while also harboring a sliver of hope.

The Grand Martial Arts Arena holds many secrets.

What if Hope doesn't find out?

Chapter 374 The Burial Ground of Dragons

"I see, I understand now."

Hope is currently standing inside a magnificent building.

This is Toms Hill, west of Crocus.

It wasn't so high that the mountaintop had been leveled; instead, there stood a huge arena made of gray-white boulders, with tiered stands around the circular arena, large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of spectators.

The ticket sales alone generate a considerable income.

It seems that the Kingdom of Fiore didn't forget to make money while carrying out the Eclipse Plan.

Every so often, a fully armed soldier patrolled the perimeter of the Grand Arena, while inside, there were civil engineers working overtime to finish some of the work.

Too lazy to cause trouble, Hope made herself invisible and swaggered into the Grand Magic Games arena.

Upon entering, Hope discovered a major problem.

The main material of this building is a special stone that can absorb magic energy dissipated in the air. If it is to prevent the effects of magical collisions during magic battles, then this is understandable.

After all, the safety of the audience must be ensured.

The problem is that this magic stone can not only absorb magic power, but also store it, making it a kind of natural power bank.

What is the Ophir royal family trying to achieve by doing this?

Of course, it's for the "Gate of Eclipse".

Dark magic capable of traversing time requires more than just the twelve Gold Celestial Spirit Keys as an activation condition; a massive amount of magical power is also the most basic and indispensable requirement.

Hope understood everything after only a moment's thought.

Although black magic is explicitly prohibited, it is secretly collected by high-ranking officials in various countries and even the Magic Council, because Zeref's black magic is truly captivating.

Take, for example, the "R System" that the Black Magic Cult wanted to recreate more than a decade ago. This black magic, which is said to be able to "resurrect" the dead, didn't anyone else want to find out about it?

In Ishgar, being an anti-dark mage is an unspoken political correctness.

At least on the surface, everyone has to put on an act.

That's why the Ophire royal family dared not expose the "Eclipse Gate," but the massive amount of magic required to activate this dark magic was simply beyond the reach of any single nation.

Thus, the competition to determine the strongest mage guild in Ishgar was held—the "Grand Magic Games".

The mages qualified to fight here must be formidable. Secretly collecting the magical energy released when their magic clashes is a safe and discreet way to avoid being discovered.

If it weren't for Hope's terrifying perception of magic, he might not have discovered the strangeness of this building.

The only drawback is that it takes a long time.

However, the annual Grand Magic Games, with its steady flow of magical energy, is enough to collect the necessary magical power. In addition, it generates revenue from ticket sales every year, and the influx of tourists makes the capital even more prosperous.

A two-pronged approach would be wonderful.

Even if the Eclipse Project is abandoned, it would still be a huge profit.

After figuring out the secrets behind the "Grand Magic Games," Hope couldn't help but complain, "Have the Ophire royal family lost their minds?"

The "Grand Magic Games," a grand magical event spanning the entire continent, not only generates immense profits but also significantly enhances the international standing of the Kingdom of Fiore.

They must have lost their minds to get involved in the mess between the Black Dragon and the Black Mage.

Do you even have the capability to do this?

Honest development is the only true path for a country; why bother with this ridiculous Eclipse Project?