A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

Magic book!

The villa's library is vast, filled with magic books collected and written by August over the decades; it's no exaggeration to call it a treasure trove he's accumulated over the years.

It contains almost all magic from ancient times to the present. In terms of variety, it is far superior to even the secret chamber of the dean of the continent's premier magic academy, Demisor, which Kira once visited, and the ancient and long-standing Saber-Biting Tiger Grand Library in Gazania Town, Fiore Kingdom.

When Precito saw the library, he was also awestruck by its quantity and quality. For someone who had been immersed in the magic arts for decades, such a collection of magic books was nothing short of the greatest treasure in the world.

Mebius cheered and exclaimed, "He's truly my son!" and "I love it here!"

Before she met Yuri, Precht, and Volod, her greatest hobby while staying on Sirius Island was reading, and it was during that time that she acquired magical knowledge far beyond that of ordinary people.

Given Mavis's fondness for the library, from that day on, Mavis and Auguste spent at least two hours there every day as a way for mother and son to connect.

Bright and warm light shone through the clear glass window onto the two people who looked like grandparents and grandchildren, but were actually mother and son. Time passed slowly as the food dwindled and the shadows shifted.

After a long while, the two, having finished breakfast, joined Precito's group.

Drinking tea and reading the newspaper.

He looked completely enjoying himself!

Chapter 508 Mavis: My son, Mom needs you!

Astronomy: Frequent meteor showers have been observed near Vistarion recently!

Geography: The Desertification of Empires Continues to Worsen – Where Exactly Did They Go Wrong?

Food: Mysterious woman wins 'Big Eater' contest by eating 100 bowls of ramen; after seeing her figure, everyone exclaims, 'No wonder!'

Technology: Mechanical Dolls Repeatedly Cause Inappropriate Scenes on the Streets – Who Will Guarantee Our Privacy and Security?

Military: The War Princess's Expedition Overseas, the Empire Expands Once Again!

Entertainment: The novel "I Became the Thirteenth Shield of the Empire" is a bestseller, and the author turns out to be him!

……

"Are all the news headlines in your empire this strange?"

Precito put down the newspaper, took a sip of black tea, rubbed his eyes and brows, and said that he didn't know if the action was because he found the headline offensive or because his blood pressure had risen due to being misled by it.

“I think this is really interesting!!” Mavis’s eyes lit up. “Look, August! Isn’t this title very appealing?”

"Uh...yes!"

August hesitated for two seconds, silently wondering, "What's so appealing about this?" At the same time, he secretly decided, "From now on, let them take all the news like this."

In this world without television or mobile phones, newspapers bear a large share of the media propaganda task. Because the Alvarez Empire has a vast territory, covering almost 70% of the entire Arakitasia, even though the empire divides newspapers according to region and type, each newspaper still has a lot of news to report.

Precito, Merti, and Auguste are currently reading a comprehensive newspaper published by Vistarion, which contains major news from various channels near the capital.

Seeing Mebius still acting like a child in front of his son, Precito was speechless: "I just can't understand it, what's so appealing about this kind of news..."

"You're from the previous generation, of course you won't understand! These days, only headlines that grab attention sell well!"

Getting older... You're clearly from the same generation as me!

"Trying to grab attention? Hmm... I don't think it'll become popular!"

After shaking his head and expressing his opinion, Precito pointed to one of the news items: "Forget it, whether the newspaper is popular or not has nothing to do with us. I think what we should pay attention to is this!"

The two looked in the direction he was pointing, and Precito was clearly pointing to the "Military" section.

The specific details are as follows: Timaria, one of the Twelve Shields, led brave soldiers on an expedition to overseas islands, bringing more than 20 islands into the territory of the Alvarez Empire; more than a dozen other islands agreed to allow the Empire to station troops, which is equivalent to breaking down the gates of the Ishgar defenses.

"You really want to go to war with Ishgar?"

"This is part of 'Shield's' decision. His Majesty the Emperor has not yet made a final decision. Ultimately, we will listen to the Emperor."

August said calmly, "If his final decision is 'no,' then the war will end inconclusively, just like it did four years ago; if his final decision is 'yes,' then the war will be unavoidable."

Although both men present knew his identity, he still habitually called Zeref 'Your Majesty the Emperor' instead of 'Father,' even in front of his mother.

"Can't we avoid war?"

Taking advantage of her status, Mavis acted pitifully and coquettishly towards her son, her eyes reddening and a few crystal tears welling up in her eyes.

August: "..."

What should I do? I'm so panicked!!

This is my mother's first request to me, and as her son, I must grant it, right?!

But what if my father decides to go to war? Whom should I listen to?

For a moment, the 80-year-old man's forehead and palms began to sweat, and he was at a loss like an 8-year-old child.

"Let's...let's discuss it with His Majesty the Emperor..."

Mavis immediately jumped up from her seat, moved closer to August, and cupped his aged face in her soft hands. After their eyes met, she said, with a mix of reproach and shyness, "You can actually call him 'Dad' in front of your mother..."

August felt as if something had grabbed his heart; his lips parted slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Precito: "..."

You're something else, Mavis!

I never knew you were such a good actor!!

In fact, Mavis's performance didn't involve much acting; instead, she incorporated a lot of her own genuine feelings into it.

Although she had formulated a plan for 'mother diplomacy' long ago, which included provoking and responding to various topics, when it came time to actually use it, she did not act or deceive as planned.

Ultimately, she didn't want to be too insincere with her child.

"but!"

Mavis's tone suddenly changed, and she said angrily, "How can someone who has lived with his child for decades and didn't even notice his existence be considered a qualified 'father'?"

(Not counted!!)

Precito cried out inwardly, but dared not show it, lest the atmosphere be disrupted.

"Now, when Mom asks you a question, but Mom and Dad disagree on their decisions, whose opinion should you listen to?"

“This…” August seemed a little hesitant.

Mavis's question is almost equivalent to "If Mom and Dad both fell into the water at the same time, which one would you save first?" It's extremely dangerous, and a wrong answer could lead to serious consequences.

(Of course you should listen to your mother!! What are you still hesitating for?! You brat!!)

Precito was internally raging, but his face remained impassive as he took a sip of red tea to calm himself.

"Even setting aside family status and such, when it comes to killing versus saving, destroying the world versus saving the world, a little thought should tell you which side you should choose to stand on, right?"

Mavis broke down in tears, saying, "As a mother, I simply cannot bear to see my child become an executioner who starts a war!"

Augustus was deeply shaken, his face paling, and he couldn't help but clench his fists: "But...but...Father needs me..."

(He changed his mind, which means he's wavering, and there's a chance!!)

Precito's eyes lit up, and his heart began to beat faster.

Before she could finish her sentence, Mavis suddenly lunged forward, opened her arms, and hugged August tightly, saying softly, "Mommy needs you too!"

My mother's embrace...it's so warm...

Augustus was completely captivated by Mavis's embrace.

Mavis had long, thin arms and a petite figure, but August felt as if she were the strongest person in the world, and that he couldn't break free even with all his strength.

"Because of the use of imperfect super magic, my body stopped developing a long time ago, so I never thought I could become a 'mother', and I didn't even realize you existed when I died."

"Do you know how shocked I was when I learned of your existence from Precito?"

“At that time, my brain seemed to stop thinking. My first reaction was disbelief, because I had no memory of you at all. Before seeing you, I couldn’t believe that I could become someone’s ‘mother’.”

"After I confirmed your existence, I felt a sense of lingering fear, because if either of us, Zeref or I, had known about your existence, you might not have been born into this world."

“I also feel guilty towards you. We are a failed pair of parents. We have not fulfilled our responsibilities and have caused you to lack the love from your parents that most people have from childhood to adulthood.”

"But Auguste, I should thank you even more!"

"You may not know this, but I was also an orphan when I was young. I created 'Fairy Tail' because I longed to have a family. The guildmates are indeed like family to each other, but you are different from them!"

"You are the only blood relative I have in this world!!"

August: "!!"

Chapter 509 The Visitor

You are the only blood relative I have in this world.

It was just a very short sentence, but at this moment it struck August's heart like a thunderbolt shattering the darkness, a meteorite piercing through the clouds, leaving him shaken to his core.

"Blood relatives...?"

Seeing his young mother, who was speaking with great emotion and tears streaming down her face, seemingly about to burst into tears at any moment, Auguste fell silent, wavered, and softened.

Precito breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on his face: 'It worked! Kira was right after all; Mavis was the only one who could pull it off!'

Just as the mother and son were enjoying their time together, and Precito was quietly watching the show, a group of familiar people arrived at the vast, almost secluded estate.

"It's huge!!"

"How spectacular!!"

"Is this the emperor's palace?"

Hearing Natsu, Erza, Happy, and the others' gasps of amazement, Abrams waved her fan, raised her snow-white neck, and let out a haughty sneer: "Please! What emperor would live in a manor like this? Just how ignorant are you all..."

The three men turned around and glared at each other: "What did you say?!"

Abba Greene didn't seem to mind: "But that's understandable. After all, you've all grown up in the guild, so it's normal that you haven't seen much of the world."

"What?! You talk like you're so knowledgeable..."

"Oh no!! Lucy's family home was much bigger than this manor!!"

"Exactly! Lucy, let's make fun of her!"