That same day, Jude returned home by 'private jet'.
Several large crows pulled an 'aircraft' through the sky at remarkable speed with impressive stability.
As the first passenger of the Crow Express, Jude gave it a favorable review—aside from the nerve-wracking experience, there were no issues.
"Dad! What is that?!"
Lucy was overjoyed to see Jude return.
Naturally, the 'aircraft' pulled by giant crows caught her attention.
The little girl asked with wide-eyed curiosity.
"It's a Corvus Aircraft." Jude answered with a rather peculiar expression.
According to Marco, controlling these crows was an ability granted to him by the Corvus constellation.
Though Jude himself wasn't a Celestial Spirit Mage, his wife was an exceptionally skilled one.
Layla possessed no fewer than three Zodiac keys, so Jude was quite familiar with Celestial Spirits.
But here's the thing—he could now tell that Marco definitely wasn't using Celestial Spirit Magic.
At the very least, it was completely different from any Celestial Spirit Magic he knew.
No wonder Marco had refused to teach Lucy Celestial Spirit Magic before.
They were fundamentally different—of course he couldn't teach it.
"Corvus Aircraft?" Lucy's eyes widened as she stared curiously at the crows.
Were these crows all Celestial Spirits of the 'Corvus'?
"They don't really seem like it..."
Though young, Lucy understood Celestial Spirits far better than Jude.
She could tell these crows felt off—clearly very different from actual spirits.
"Lucy, this is for you."
Jude produced a book, interrupting Lucy's fascinated examination of the crows.
"What is it?" Lucy accepted the book in surprise.
Even before seeing it fully, she already guessed what it might be.
"The Great Detective Holmes! And it's signed by Marco-san!"
Upon receiving it, Lucy exclaimed joyfully.
Reading the inscription on the title page, she grew visibly excited.
"To Lucy—May you grow up happily and become whoever you wish to be! —Marco Dreyar."
Touched by the words, Lucy felt deeply moved.
Though they'd never met, she already idolized Marco.
Well... except his 'Celestial Spirit Magic' seemed a bit strange.
"Thank you, Dad!"
Clutching The Great Detective Holmes tightly, Lucy sincerely thanked Jude.
She hadn't expected her father to actually get Marco's signature for her—she'd assumed he'd forgotten entirely.
"Well... I happened to have business with him, so I asked for the signature." Jude stroked his beard, affecting nonchalance.
Around his daughter, he always maintained a stern, composed demeanor—serious and unflappable.
Perhaps as a father, he believed this was the proper way.
"Have you finished today's lessons?"
After a few words, Jude redirected the conversation to schoolwork.
He genuinely didn't know what else to discuss with his daughter.
"All done! The teacher said I did wonderfully." Lucy replied cheerfully.
This was the first time in ages her father had asked about her studies—he never used to inquire at all.
"Oh, that's good." Jude replied dryly and then fell silent.
The father and daughter walked back into the house together.
The "Crow Express" had landed right in front of their home, yet it still took them a while to reach the entrance—proof enough of just how vast their estate was.
Several surrounding hills and the bustling marketplace that resembled a small city all belonged to their family.
This was private territory, entirely self-sufficient, forming a closed ecosystem.
"Get some rest."
After uttering these words, Jude retreated to his room, almost as if fleeing in defeat.
This was the extent of what he could manage.
"..."
Watching her father hurry away, Lucy pursed her lips and hugged the book tightly to her chest.
Truthfully, it wasn't just Marco's autographed book that had excited her so much—it was the fact that her father had gone out of his way to get it for her.
That was the real reason for her joy.
Lucy had sensed a slight change in her father, yet it felt so subtle that it left her with an odd, unsettled feeling.
*******
Three days later, Marco and Jude Heartfilia set off together aboard the "Crow Express," departing from Magnolia and flying south toward the major city of Selviria.
Many southern nobles were also gathering there.
"Duke Savalu of the Jurenoru family is the main troublemaker. The Jurenoru house holds significant influence in the south. Expanding the railway there will inevitably encroach on their interests. Honestly, I don't think they're necessarily opposed to the railway itself—just that they don't control it."
Inside the "Crow Express," Jude shared the intelligence he had gathered, emphasizing one key figure: Duke Savalu of the Jurenoru family, a powerful southern noble.
The Jurenoru family had long entrenched themselves in the south, their influence deeply rooted.
They could sway many matters, even rallying other nobles to resist the kingdom's policies—and the kingdom could do little about it.
After all, pushing them too far might risk outright rebellion.
"They don't want the railway built because it would reduce the kingdom's influence over them, right?"
Marco listened quietly, piecing together Duke Savalu's likely motives.
If the railway were completed, the southern regions would become more tightly connected to the kingdom, deepening royal authority there.
For the Kingdom of Fiore, this was undoubtedly beneficial.
But for the southern nobles who ruled like local emperors? Not so much.
Once the crown's power extended southward, they'd have to bow their heads—and their interests would inevitably suffer.
"That's certainly part of it. Otherwise, the railway would be convenient for them too. There'd be no reason to oppose it."
Jude nodded in agreement with Marco's assessment.
Building a nationwide railway network in the south would face numerous complex challenges, and the resistance would be anything but trivial.
"Don't worry. I'm sure they'll come around." Marco grinned, radiating confidence.
He was eager to see whose will was stronger—his fists or the stubborn heads of those southern nobles!
Soon, the "Crow Express" arrived at its destination: Selviria, the great southern city hailed as the 'Royal Capital of the South'.
On par with the capital of the Fiore Kingdom, Crocus, which is filled with a variety of flowers and thus known as the "City of a Hundred Blossoms," Selvaria also boasts the reputation of the "City of Roses," renowned for its abundant and diverse roses.
"Caw!"
The raven let out a hoarse cry as the "airplane" landed in the venue.
Jude had chosen a hunting ground located in the outskirts of Selvaria, atop a mountain, as the meeting site.
"A hunting conference?" Marco chuckled.
This certainly had the right atmosphere.
"No choice. We have to cater to the nobles' preferences," Jude replied with a helpless expression.
Although he had amassed a vast fortune, he wasn't one for extravagance or indulgence—at least not compared to these nobles.
That said, his own estate was still absurdly large.
But Jude truly had no eccentric hobbies.
His mind was always on his work, with no room for leisure pursuits. He rarely went hunting himself.
"Cater to their preferences? That's not the way. You're already at a disadvantage from the start." Marco shook his head.
He didn't believe Jude's pandering would be of any use.
Those nobles wouldn't concede any benefits just because of this.
"At least we need them to show up," Jude shrugged.
There was no helping it—his influence only went so far.
Getting them to come was already an achievement.
"Listen to my plan. Skip the hunting. Just arrange a dinner. Let everyone sit down and talk properly. If we reach an agreement, great. If not..." Marco grinned.
They'd already lured them here—now they could do as they pleased.
Having come this far, would these nobles really just turn back?
Even if they had the temper for it, once they were up the mountain, could they descend so easily?
"..."
Jude stared at Marco in shock, momentarily speechless.
He knew they couldn't keep compromising with these high nobles—it would never work.
But to tear off the facade at the very first meeting?
"Isn't this a bit rushed?"
Jude had considered himself part of the radical faction, but compared to Marco, his approach seemed almost conservative.
"Rushed? Not at all. We're just making our stance clear. This first meeting is about letting them understand our position. That way, they won't misjudge us. Otherwise, what if they really think we're pushovers?"
Marco's tone was anything but polite, despite the smile on his face. His eyes had narrowed to slits.
"Fewer misjudgments mean less bloodshed. Consider it accumulating good karma."
Baring his teeth, Marco's voice turned icy. He already knew these opposing nobles would likely move against Jude. His job was to protect Jude, seize their weaknesses, and uproot them entirely.
"So... we'll do it your way?" Jude hesitated, still finding Marco's methods too extreme.
But then again, Jude was, after all, a businessman.
His instincts leaned toward negotiation and compromise.
Jude had invited Marco over solely to secure an opportunity to negotiate with those high nobles, using Marco's presence to intimidate them and create a chance for equal negotiations.
"Just follow my lead." Marco nodded, demanding Jude obey his instructions.
After accepting the mission, Marco had no intention of playing games with these southern nobles.
Instead, he planned to strike hard from the very start—he wanted to see who dared stand in his way of obtaining the Gold Cloth?!
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