Following the soldier, Calvin arrived at one of the palaces in Mercurius Castle, where he once again met Princess Jade. As he looked at her stunning beauty, Calvin felt an unexpected irritation.
He wanted to participate in the Grand Magic Games quietly, showcase Fairy Tail, and secure a championship. Yet, this spoiled princess, Jade, was recklessly planning the Eclipse Project, which would throw the world into chaos, leaving him to clean up the mess.
Calvin knew he'd have spanked her for her idiocy if she weren't royalty.
"Your Highness, now would be a good time to reconsider my words. Stop the Eclipse Project—it's the source of catastrophe," Calvin said without mincing words as he stared at Princess Jade.
Princess Jade locked eyes with Calvin as if trying to peer into his soul and uncover his true nature. But she saw nothing—only a deep, unfathomable abyss in his gaze.
At this point in his life, Calvin couldn't be easily read. Her efforts were in vain.
However, this only made her feel more uneasy.
"He's truly a cautious one..." Princess Jade thought to herself, though her internal thoughts remained hidden behind a composed expression. She spoke to Calvin calmly.
"If I don't agree with your words and proceed with the Eclipse Project, what will you do?" she asked.
Calvin was momentarily taken aback, then furrowed his brow deeply, fixing a cold stare on the princess.
"You still don't believe me? Were your words that night merely to placate me?" Calvin said quietly, but the weight of his words hung heavily in the air.
"Don't test my patience. I've already demonstrated my strength, as you asked. Or do you think my power isn't enough to take seriously? I can make it even more impressive for you.
"For example, by dealing with every soldier in this castle," Calvin said coldly, releasing a wave of overwhelming magic that filled the entire palace. The sensation of having one's life at another's mercy made even the strongest tremble in fear.
Princess Jade was no exception. Fear crept into her heart, and her body instinctively trembled.
But as royalty, she couldn't afford to show weakness in front of a commoner.
"How dare you! What do you think you're doing?" Princess Jade bit her lip, using the pain to shake off her fear briefly, and shouted furiously.
"I just want you to stop the Eclipse Project. As I've said before, the dragons are definitely coming through the Eclipse Gate. Don't be foolish! Otherwise, compared to the future of humanity, the Fiore royal family means nothing!" Calvin's voice was icy and indifferent, making it clear that he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate the royal family if she didn't cooperate.
Princess Jade turned pale with rage. She had never been threatened like this, especially with the entire royal family on the line.
"You're just a mere commoner! I am the princess! What I decide is none of your concern, and you have no right to object. All you need to do is obey!" she screamed through clenched teeth.
Calvin nodded slowly, his expression unreadable as he continued in the same icy tone.
"I may not have the right to oppose your decisions, but who gave you the authority to initiate the Eclipse Project? Just the existence of the Eclipse Gate is enough for the Council to punish Fiore severely. If you want to play with fire, go ahead, but don't drag me and everyone else down with you!" Calvin's voice grew more intense as his anger flared.
Princess Jade was on the verge of exploding. She mentally cursed Calvin for being such an infuriating jerk. He spoke as if she were destined to destroy the world, even though he was the true mastermind behind everything! All she wanted was to defeat Zeref and save the world. If the Council couldn't deal with Zeref, what choice did she have but to proceed with the Eclipse Project?
Princess Jade was convinced of Calvin's identity at that moment, just as Rogue had warned her. There was no need for further conversation.
With a wave of her hand, the floor beneath Calvin split open, revealing a bottomless pit below. Calvin quickly reacted, summoning black wings from his back and preparing to fly out.
But just as he took off, a dark mass emerged from the ceiling, like a shadow-given form.
"A shadow? Rogue?!" Calvin was shocked. The magic was so familiar, yet so different. But his thoughts were cut short as the shadow hurled itself toward him.
His black wings shielded him from the impact, but the force still knocked him down into the pit. The assailant followed him in, disappearing into the shadows without a trace.
Despite the fall, Calvin wasn't injured, thanks to his black-winged form, but his expression darkened.
It wasn't just the fall that unsettled him. He had clearly seen Rogue—Sabertooth's Rogue in the brief moment before impact. However, this Rogue wasn't the same as the one from the Games. This Rogue wielded Sting's White Dragon Slayer Magic.
"It can't be the Rogue from the arena... but magic doesn't lie. So, he's also from the future?" Calvin speculated. If this had happened before, he might have had no clue, but after meeting Future Lucy, the first thing that came to mind when seeing someone with the same magic and appearance was time travel.
"And he's gotten better at hiding. I can't even sense him in the shadows. This isn't something the current Rogue could do," Calvin thought, his unease growing.
While Calvin was deep in thought, a projection suddenly appeared, with Princess Jade as the main subject.
"This is the capital of death, Naraku Palace, the last place for criminals to find freedom. But no one has ever escaped," the princess said coldly.
"You will rot here, Calvin Macaro, the greatest criminal of all!" she declared.
Calvin was livid. He had thought this foolish princess still had some sense, but it was clear that she had been humiliated by his refusal to cooperate and was bent on executing him.
Even worse, the coordination with Rogue made it obvious that this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision but a premeditated plan contingent on his behavior.
Calvin chuckled bitterly. He realized he hadn't exactly been diplomatic earlier.
But now that things had escalated, there was no reason to hold back.
"My dear princess, if you've gone this far, it means you've decided to make me your enemy, right?" Calvin said coldly, glaring at the projection of Princess Jade, not caring whether she could hear him.
"Then you'd better take one last good look at this castle, because I promise, I'm going to tear it apart! You won't escape my wrath, you foolish princess!"