Chapter 376 - 376: Sparring With the Third Seat
Except for Wolfheim, who still harbored a bitter edge of resentment, the rest of the newly formed council had no objections to the arrangement. Soon, the elite mages made their way to the massive courtyard situated directly behind the newly reconstructed Magic Council headquarters.
The expansive stone square was a breathtaking sight, filled to the brim with people standing in neat, tightly packed, and perfectly disciplined rows. These were the Rune Knights and the surviving administrative staff—dedicated members of the Magic Council gathered to witness the dawn of a new era. The morning sun gleamed off their polished armor, casting long shadows across the pristine courtyard.
A heavy, palpable hush fell over the crowd the moment Ren and the others made their grand appearance on the elevated balcony. The atmosphere instantly shifted, growing solemn and deeply reverent. After all, these weren't mere politicians; these were the Ten Wizard Saints, universally recognized as the absolute strongest individuals on the continent of Ishgar.
The reverence in the air was intoxicating, reminiscent of the sheer spectacle of the Grand Magic Games. Back then, when Jura Neekis—a prominent member of the Ten Wizard Saints—had merely stepped into the arena, the audience had erupted into deafening, enthusiastic cheers. It was a clear testament to the mythical status the Wizard Saints held in the hearts and minds of ordinary mages and civilians alike.
Now, a whole assembly of those living legends was standing right in front of them, tasked with guiding the magical world out of its darkest period. A stout, green-skinned Frog-man messenger stood at the podium above, holding a magical microphone lacrima. He cleared his throat and delivered a lengthy, impassioned speech about rebuilding, unity, and the indomitable spirit of Ishgar's magical community.
"And now..." the Frog-man announced, his voice booming across the silent square. "We invite the new Council Members to take the stage and share a few words! First, we welcome Lord Makarov Dreyar!"
Makarov blinked, genuinely taken aback. He hadn't expected to be the very first one called to the podium, and a sudden wave of nervous sweat beaded on his forehead. For decades, his primary relationship with the Magic Council had consisted of him standing before them in handcuffs, profusely apologizing for the collateral damage his brats had caused.
Taking a deep breath, the elderly Guild Master stepped up to the microphone, adjusting his collar awkwardly. "Hello, everyone! I am Makarov Dreyar, and, um... it is a great honor to be appointed as a Magic Council Member."
He paused, his eyes scanning the endless sea of armored knights and flashing camera lacrimas. "That is to say... I hope to work together with all of you to maintain the peace and order of the magical world across the continent of Ishgar! Thank you, that is all!"
Makarov finished his brief statement and scurried back to the safety of the lineup, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. Usually, he couldn't even speak smoothly when facing a single persistent reporter from the Sorcerer Magazine for a standard interview. Now, facing hundreds of seasoned journalists and the entire military branch of the Council, stringing together that many coherent sentences was a monumental victory in his book.
Clap, clap, clap!!
The moment Makarov stepped back, a thunderous wave of applause rang out from the courtyard below, echoing off the high stone walls of the Council building. The crowd's respect for the veteran Fairy Tail Master was undeniable.
"Next, we invite..." the Frog-man continued, reading off his gilded parchment.
Several newly appointed Magic Council Members took the stage one by one. As each legend spoke, their dignified images were broadcast in high definition onto massive, floating magical screens suspended above the square. Down below, dozens of reporters were frantically snapping photos, the blinding flashes of their camera lacrimas turning the courtyard into a strobe-lit spectacle.
After all, the status of a Magic Council Member was incredibly prestigious, and a complete change in leadership was naturally a historic event. What made this particular inauguration unprecedented was the fact that the entire governing body was now composed exclusively of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Usually, these god-like mages were elusive hermits, and many citizens had never even seen their faces outside of grainy textbook photographs. This was the first time in history that so many of Ishgar's strongest had appeared together in an official capacity. This profound gathering alone was more than enough to dominate the front-page headlines of every major newspaper in the kingdom for months to come.
"Finally, we invite our new Council Chairman, Lord Ren, to take the stage and speak!" the Frog-man announced, his voice reaching a fever pitch.
Instantly, everyone's gaze snapped toward Ren. The reporters' cameras went into overdrive, clicking and flashing relentlessly as they tried to capture the perfect shot. The crowd was practically buzzing with insatiable curiosity, all wondering how such a young man had managed to secure the undisputed First Seat of the Ten Wizard Saints.
However, the seasoned journalists in the front row had certainly done their homework beforehand. Ren's official magical record was nothing short of a magnificent, bloody tapestry of conquered evils. The list of his verified accomplishments read like an ancient myth.
He had single-handedly eliminated the Dark Guild Eisenwald, preventing several local guild masters from being assassinated by the cursed flute. He had brutally defeated the Phantom Lord Guild Master, Jose Porla, stripping him of his Ten Wizard Saint title. He had crushed the rogue Wizard Saint Jellal Fernandes.
Most terrifyingly, his resume boasted the absolute annihilation of the Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. Such achievements were simply unparalleled in modern history. The Balam Alliance had been the undisputed ruling triad of the criminal underworld, and Ren had personally overseen the systematic extermination of all three dark pillars.
With his hands casually tucked into his pockets, Ren stepped forward and approached the magical microphone. The courtyard fell so silent that one could hear a pin drop.
"Um, hello everyone," Ren began, his tone remarkably flat and entirely devoid of the expected political grandeur. "My name is Ren, and I am a Mage from Fairy Tail. To be perfectly honest, I didn't expect that one day I would become the Council Chairman of the Magic Council."
He lazily scratched the back of his head, looking out at the massive crowd with a profound sense of boredom. "I'm not really interested in political power or anything tedious like that. I just like simple work and a peaceful life. However, since I've somehow become the Chairman, I will naturally make a small contribution to the Ishgar magical world."
Ren shrugged, stepping back from the podium. "As for anything more than that, there isn't any. Thanks."
"..."
A heavy, suffocating silence slammed down over the entire square. Not a single soul dared to breathe. No one had expected the supreme leader of the magical world to deliver a speech comprising only a few apathetic sentences.
Logically, shouldn't a newly appointed official deliver a passionate, fiery monologue about their grand visions? Shouldn't he be roaring about driving out the shadows so that darkness could never again take root on the continent of Ishgar? Why did it feel like this terrifyingly powerful young man was completely unwilling to even be there?
The Magic Council Chairman was undeniably the person with the highest political and magical status on the continent. Yet, Ren treated the position like an annoying chore he had been forced to do on his day off.
The Frog-man messenger rushed back to the microphone, sweating profusely as he tried to salvage the awkward atmosphere. "Uh... th-thank you for the Council Chairman's deeply profound speech!"
Clap, clap!
A smattering of sparse, highly confused applause drifted up from the crowd below, sharply contrasting the roaring ovations the previous speakers had received.
Once the tedious public ceremony was finally over, Ren and the other Saints retreated to the heavily fortified privacy of the Council's central meeting room. The heavy oak doors sealed shut, cutting off the noise of the eager press outside.
"Chairman, in the face of today's incredibly chaotic magical world and our increasingly tense relationship with the militarized Alvarez Empire, do you have any actual, coherent countermeasures?"
Wolfheim glared across the circular table, addressing Ren directly. His tone was sharp and dripping with condescension, clearly trying to make trouble for the newly appointed leader. The diminutive, elderly mage simply didn't like the idea of a brat bossing him around, regardless of the boy's monstrous magical reserves.
Ren leaned back in his plush leather chair, resting his boots on the edge of the mahogany table. "No. Does Mr. Wolfheim have any brilliant ideas he'd like to share with the class?" he countered directly, his voice dripping with unmistakable sarcasm.
Wolfheim slammed his fist onto the table, his bushy eyebrows furrowing in outrage. "Naturally, we should immediately mobilize the entire Rune Knight order for a continent-wide suppression campaign! We must forcefully and quickly stabilize the peace of Ishgar, and then actively prepare to respond to the imminent threat of the Alvarez Empire!"
The elderly Saint sneered, crossing his arms over his chest. "To successfully repel foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the interior. That is basic tactical logic. Since you clearly lack the vision, I'll generously take those matters off your hands and handle them myself."
Ren raised an eyebrow, a cold, mocking smirk playing on his lips. "Oh? That's perfectly fine with me. Consider it approved. Have fun handling all of that paperwork, old man."
"You arrogant brat, what exactly do you mean by that?!" Wolfheim roared, instantly enraged by Ren's dismissive, flippant attitude.
What did this kid mean by just 'leaving these matters' to him? Was this running a kingdom or managing a personal errand? Formulating a continental defense strategy was a matter of life and death for everyone in the Magic Council, not some chore to be brushed off.
"Me? I don't mean anything," Ren replied lazily, finally dropping his feet from the table and leaning forward. The playful smirk vanished from his face, replaced by a chilling, predatory gaze. "Old man Wolfheim, I know you're feeling rather resentful about a young person like me sitting in a seat above yours. But no matter how dissatisfied you are, you have to swallow your pride and face reality."
Ren's magical pressure flared for a fraction of a second, causing the air in the room to grow heavy and stagnant. "The Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. The three largest, most devastating Dark Guild alliances in Ishgar's history were systematically eliminated by me and my guild, Fairy Tail. Tell me, Mr. Third Seat... what exactly did you do to protect the continent during that time?"
"I..." Wolfheim choked on his words, his face flushing a deep, angry red. He was completely speechless.
Indeed, in terms of sheer, undeniable contribution to the safety of the world, this young man's track record was untouchable. While they, the elite Gods of Ishgar, were technically working to maintain the stability of the magical world from the shadows, none of their covert actions were as direct, bloody, or miraculously effective as Ren's.
"Actually, the official rankings of the Ten Wizard Saints are just an arbitrary list decided by the Magic Council," Ren continued, his voice calm but laced with a lethal edge. "If you, old man, truly feel that my virtue and power don't match my position at the top, I can give you a chance to prove it. Defeat me right here, right now, and you will be the First Seat of the Ten Wizard Saints from now on. You can even have my newly minted Chairman badge."
Ren stared directly into Wolfheim's glaring eyes, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
"Brat, you better remember those words," Wolfheim growled, his aura violently flaring to life.
The truth was, he desperately wanted to test Ren's actual weight in battle. That traitorous monster God Serena had been one thing, but why should this cocky, untested boy suddenly get to sit on top of their heads without proving himself to the old guard?
"Lord Chairman! Lord Wolfheim! This... this really isn't good..." Jura Neekis stammered, frantically waving his hands as he suddenly became incredibly anxious. The bald earth mage had fought alongside Ren and knew firsthand just how devastating the boy's power could be. Having the First and Third Seats tear each other apart on their first day in office was a political nightmare.
Makarov, however, simply stroked his white mustache and let out a hearty chuckle. "If it's just a friendly spar, there's nothing wrong with letting them blow off some steam."
The veteran Guild Master knew exactly what was happening. The Magic Council desperately needed a unified, unquestionable voice if they were to survive the coming war. If the Council Members didn't respect and follow the Chairman's absolute authority, disastrous conflicts and mutinies would inevitably arise in the future.
In that case, it was far better to have a brutal fight right now to establish the pecking order. That was exactly how things were handled back in the Fairy Tail Guild. In the end, pure, unadulterated combat was the truest language of communication between powerful Mages.
"Hmm... indeed. I must admit, I am also quite a bit curious about the Lord Chairman's actual combat strength."
The refined, elegant voice belonged to Hyberion, the Second Seat of the Ten Wizard Saints. He adjusted his glasses, watching the escalating tension with a sharp, analytical gaze. "Of course, I don't want to challenge him myself; I am purely curious. We are all Council Members now, and the Chairman's peak combat power directly relates to our subsequent military plans."
Hyberion didn't look down on Ren in the slightest. He simply, logically, wanted to know exactly how massive the gap was between their current First Seat and the traitorous former First Seat, God Serena. This data was crucial. It would allow the Council to conduct a comprehensive, realistic assessment of the true strength gap between the forces of Ishgar and the overwhelming might of the Alvarez Empire.
Warrod also became deeply interested in the sudden turn of events. The ancient, tree-like old man was a founding member of Fairy Tail, and he instantly recognized the classic, fiery guild dynamic playing out before him.
"Oh ho ho ho!" Warrod laughed warmly, a wide, nostalgic grin spreading across his bark-like face. "It seems this is going to be very interesting. I'm really looking forward to it."
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