A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

"I feel like Felicity will be a wonderful wife in the future..."

"He's a man, isn't he..."

Compared to Laxus, Natsu and Wendy were in much worse shape. They had been feeling dizzy for several days on the ship, a condition that would be unbearable for anyone. As a result, they were walking unsteadily and swaying from side to side.

'FT2 Team' disembarked yesterday with the Imperial Army and is currently en route to Vistarion, with an estimated journey of four days.

The group did not attempt to escape secretly upon disembarking as originally planned, because Brandish said he would introduce them to Augustus and help them try to stop the war.

They originally came to provide support because they were worried about Makarov and the others. They were unfamiliar with the area, and now that they had a way to see the leader of the Twelve Shields, they were happy to hitch a ride—except for the Dragon Slayers, because they were really hitchhiking and only stopped to rest at mealtimes.

After four or five days on a ship, and then another four or five days by car, which Dragon Slayer mage could withstand this level of pressure?!

Fortunately, Laxus had the Thors to take care of him—although he stubbornly refused, he still had to obey once he got in the car; Natsu and Wendy had Happy and Carla, as well as Erza and Gray to take care of them.

As for Lucy? She's been getting along really well with Brandish lately, and their friendship is growing stronger.

However, everyone agreed that this was 'close friendship diplomacy,' and that getting Lucy closer to the other party might be helpful for their future actions.

Anyway, her staying wouldn't alleviate Natsu's symptoms much.

Although Brandish seems a little arrogant and occasionally teases Lucy, Lucy, being the kind person she is, never holds it against him and instead shows him endless kindness and consideration.

This made Brandish extremely embarrassed.

Timalia gritted her teeth at the sight.

Since the two sides had already 'reconciled', the magic-sealing handcuffs on the Fairy Tail group were naturally removed when they disembarked. And after spending the last two days together, Brandish and Timaria even seemed to be subtly assimilated by the atmosphere of Fairy Tail.

It must be said that its infectiousness is truly extraordinary.

"Randy, make me bigger later! I really want to experience what it's like to become a giant!!"

Natsu rushed to Brandish, grabbed her hands tightly, and looked at her with expectant eyes that seemed to sparkle like stars.

This action immediately drew Timalia's ire: "How dare you call me Randy?! Let go of my hands!!"

"Let me continue!!"

Happy flew over with Natsu. "See? Compared to humans, cats are definitely cuter, right? Besides, you've already tried it on me, so I have more experience!"

(Lucy: Not cute at all! It's actually terrifying!!)

"That's so unfair, Happy! You've already had your turn once, now it's my turn!!"

"Are you two children...?"

"Please!!" ×2

"I refuse! It's too much trouble..."

"Eh?!?!?!"

……

Time flies, and five days have passed in the blink of an eye.

In Vistarion, on the western outskirts, a five-story European-style villa sits within an estate covering several hundred square meters.

From the outside, the villa is decorated in a simple and elegant style. The mysterious magic that flows in the air subtly reveals a sense of returning to nature, and it is clear at a glance that the people who live here are extraordinary.

Indeed, it was quite extraordinary, because the one living here was August, the head of the Twelve Shields of the Empire.

At dawn, the manor was filled with the melodious chirping of early birds.

The girl with long, light golden hair got up early, washed up, and then climbed to the top of the largest tree in the manor. Facing the sunrise, she greeted the dawn of the new day with her clear and gentle singing voice, like a free spirit born of heaven and earth.

After a long while, the song ended, and the girl stretched her body, which had long since stopped developing, and let out a soft groan.

"Hmm...it's another beautiful day!"

Sunshine, white clouds, birdsong, morning dew hanging on leaves, the fragrance of flowers carried on the wind...

Everything here feels so real, completely different from when I was a ghost.

Having spent decades on Sirius Island, Mavis never imagined that one day she could enjoy the morning sun so comfortably in human form.

"By the way, I think I've gotten a little tanned recently..."

"Could it be that this body has been in the basement for too long without exposure to sunlight, which is why the changes are so obvious?"

As Mebius wondered what was going on, an old voice rang out from under the tree.

"Mother, it's almost time for breakfast."

Chapter 507 Mavis and August's Daily Life

The aged voice, aged face, wavy white hair, and thick beard all indicated that the person was quite old.

The leader of the Twelve Shields, the Empire's 'Magic King', the August Calamity...

This elderly man is August, Mavis, and Jerf's child.

Auguste is definitely not young; in fact, he is a year younger than Makarov, but he looks much more energetic than Makarov.

Makarov started managing the guild 50 years ago, and now his hairstyle consists of only a few clumps of white hair on the sides, and he has shrunk to the size of a child; while Auguste has been assisting in the management of the empire for 80 years, and now his hair is still thick and his figure is still upright.

This is probably due to the vast difference in their magical powers.

Of course, it's also possible that Fairy Tail, a guild of about a hundred people, is more difficult to manage than an empire like Alvarez, which has hundreds of millions of people.

After all, Makarov had to do everything himself, dealing with the council above and teaching the unruly brats below; while Auguste had many people at his disposal.

It's really hard to say who has had a harder time.

But at least for now, August definitely doesn't feel tired.

While Makarov and Imperial Minister Yakiel were playing cards and outwitting each other, August was enjoying the most pleasant time of his life with his mother.

Chatting and playing, exchanging magic, tasting the fruits of this year's autumn harvest from the manor, cooking various dishes of Ishgaran and Aragitasian flavors and then tasting them together, playing chess, cards, fishing, taking walks...

It felt like I was going to experience all the activities I hadn't had in decades.

Whether it's Mavis, who looks like a child despite being a mother, or August, who looks like an old man despite being a son, both experienced unprecedented family affection during these two weeks.

Mavis is an orphan. Although Fairy Tail claims that "guildmates are all family," they are not actually related by blood. Although August is by Zeref's side, Zeref is unaware of his son's existence and treats him as merely a pawn of the emperor, without much affection. Moreover, August only returns to the empire once in a long while, so the two don't actually see each other very often.

For this reason, it was the first time for them to truly feel the presence of their loved ones and to make their loved ones feel their presence.

Mavis loved to bask in the morning sun in the trees, and Auguste enjoyed preparing breakfast for her.

He took off his magic robe and put down his magic wand, wearing only a simple cloth robe. He concealed his terrifyingly vast magical power, appearing kind and gentle like an ordinary old man who had retired to the countryside.

"Mother, let's go have breakfast!"

Okay~

After more than ten days, Mebius had gotten used to being called down for breakfast by her son at this time.

Actually, she doesn't really like eating breakfast, nor is she used to it, but since her son made it especially for her, it was a sign of his filial piety, and as a mother, she had to accept it.

Whoosh!

With a soft thud, Mavis leaped down from the tree, her nimble movements resembling those of a mischievous forest sprite. Around her neck hung a crystal pendant, a special item Kira had crafted to prevent the 'Ankhseram's' curse from spreading.

Ever since Kira used 'Annihilation' to eliminate Zeref's 'Death Hunt' on Tenrou Island, he had a vague feeling that he could perhaps isolate this evil curse in the same way. So he started working on the project after he returned, but there was no progress at the time.

It wasn't until later, after obtaining the 'Book of Wisdom' and gaining a deeper understanding of magic, that the project made a breakthrough.

The crystal pendant around Mavis's neck is the result of this project, using the opposite substance and magic to eliminate the negative effects of the 'Ankhseram Curse'.

It doesn't grant the wearer immunity to curses, but rather absorbs and neutralizes all curses emanating from the wearer, eliminating the death field caused by their cherishing of life.

Of course, neutralizing this unknown energy comes at a cost; once the absorption limit is reached, the crystal will shatter and must be replaced.

Although this method only addresses the symptoms and not the root cause, it is sufficient.

Bare, small, and plump, delicate feet tread on the soft grass. They seem to remain white and clean from beginning to end, untouched by the mud or dust in the air, possessing the same secret to cleansing the soul as their owner.

Mavis's height is less than August's waist. After all, she was only twelve or thirteen years old when she was cursed by Ankhseram for using the "Fairy Law".

So when the two stand together, they don't look like mother and son, but rather like grandmother and grandson.

In fact, the way the two interacted during this period did resemble that of a grandfather and grandson.

The reason for this is that Auguste had over 80 years of real life experience, while Mavis, although an adult when she died, had a body that remained that of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. Due to the influence of physiological hormones, she maintained the mindset of a young girl.

Looking at the girl standing in front of him, her face still flushed, Auguste's eyes revealed a rare tenderness. He reached out and took the leaf that had fallen on Mavis's head, and said, "Let's go."

"Ok!"

Mavis happily agreed.

As a mother and a smart person, she easily saw Auguste's unease and felt a faint sense of apology.

Then... she took the initiative to extend her small, delicate hand and hold August's hand.

August was stunned. He felt a deep warmth from the palm of the hand, the kind of maternal love he had longed for but never received for many years.

Mavis was also taken aback. August's hand was completely different from hers and from Zeref's hand in her memory. It was large, rough, and powerful, with calluses from years of holding a magic wand, but it was also warm.

"Ojaster, what are we having for breakfast?"

"I've prepared milk, sandwiches, eggs..."

"So much?! But it's okay if I eat a little more, I won't get fat anyway..."

The two figures, one old and one young, slowly walked towards the villa.

August's estate was very large, and his villa was also very large, but he lived alone and didn't even have a servant. It wasn't that he couldn't afford to employ them, but that he didn't like them. Otherwise, he could have created several servants like Eileen did.

The two arrived at the dining table and found that Precito, who had also gotten up early, had already finished breakfast and was sitting there drinking tea and reading the newspaper.

Over the past six months, Precito has developed such healthy lifestyle habits, and he hasn't restrained himself at all, even in other people's homes.

Of course, he made his own breakfast.

Although Precito apologized deeply to Auguste after explaining why he had come, Auguste did not resent Precito for abandoning her. Instead, she was grateful to him for bringing her into this world and even more grateful that he allowed her to meet and live with Mavis as mother and son.

The mother and son did not mind the presence of Precito in their peaceful life, but they usually pretended not to see him. It wasn't that they were targeting him, but now they only had their mother and son in their eyes and hearts, and they simply didn't have time to entertain Precito, an outsider.

Precito himself was not someone who needed to be entertained. Although he was very old, he was still young in body and had not yet reached the point where he could not walk.

These days, besides keeping a close eye on the news from the Alvarez Empire and Vistarion, he spends his time reading in Auguste's library.