"What do you mean by this, Jude?"
When the southern nobles gathered together, they finally noticed something was off.
Jude showed no intention of organizing the hunting party, leaving them all standing there awkwardly.
"Count Delph, stay calm. Just wait for my arrangements."
Jude remained composed, signaling the questioning Count Delph not to rush.
"Jude! Know your place! Who do you think you are, putting on airs in front of us? What gives you the right?"
Jude's attitude infuriated Count Delph, who pointed at Jude's nose and berated him without holding back.
The surrounding nobles watched the scene with amusement, finding nothing inappropriate about Count Delph's behavior.
In fact, Count Delph had been chosen by them to voice their collective dissatisfaction—this attitude represented them all.
"In your eyes, I might indeed be nothing." Jude narrowed his eyes, his smile fading.
As expected, these nobles had no intention of treating him as an equal.
Accustomed to acting like local tyrants, they didn't take him seriously at all.
"Glad you realize that. So stop playing games. If your pathetic railway company wants to keep operating, cooperate with us properly."
Count Delph continued, leaving no room for courtesy—likely because they believed Jude didn't deserve it.
"Of course, I'm willing to cooperate with you. But our company's other major shareholder might not be so accommodating." Jude spoke slowly.
He had now confirmed that trying to break into the southern market on his own was impossible.
Moreover, the situation here was worse than he had imagined. If he had barged in alone, these southern tyrants would have devoured him without leaving a trace.
Unlike the central and northern regions, these southern nobles were far more unreasonable—and their methods were likely far more unscrupulous.
Without roots or strength, rushing in would be like a lamb walking into a wolf's den.
At this moment, Jude felt incredibly relieved. He was glad he had connected with Fairy Tail.
No matter how domineering these southern nobles were, could they possibly outmatch Fairy Tail?
To put it bluntly, if these nobles destroyed a city, the consequences they'd face would be far worse than what a Fairy Tail member would endure.
They might even lose their titles if things escalated too far—after all, the Kingdom of Fiore would have to step in.
No matter how independent these nobles acted, they were still part of the Kingdom of Fiore.
They would have to answer to the royal family.
Of course, this was Jude's perspective.
If Marco heard this, he'd surely exclaim, 'This is slander! He's slandering me!'.
Comparing Fairy Tail to these oppressive nobles was downright insulting!
No matter what, Fairy Tail would never bully ordinary people.
In fact, they often helped the poor—Marco himself usually waived fees for those in financial hardship.
Could these nobles do the same? Maybe, but it was highly unlikely.
"Another major shareholder? Who is it? Is that your backing?"
Count Delph noticed something amiss in Jude's attitude.
Although Jude kept saying "cooperation," it was clear he wasn't entirely compliant.
The source of Jude's confidence was undoubtedly this so-called "major shareholder."
"I told you, don't rush, Count Delph. He'll be here soon."
A smile reappeared on Jude's face.
Marco would soon make his entrance and give these southern nobles a proper shock.
"..."
Jude's demeanor made Count Delph uneasy.
The problem was Jude's calm and composed manner, as if he was certain the person arriving would truly be able to intimidate them.
Count Delph retreated and returned to Duke Savalu's side.
"What did he say?" Duke Savalu asked calmly, his expression unreadable.
"He's waiting for someone—a major shareholder who can supposedly 'put us in our place.'"
Count Delph answered with a grave expression.
"Hah!"
Duke Savalu scoffed, dismissing the notion outright.
He was curious to see who Jude could possibly bring to intimidate them.
Could it be someone from the royal family?
"Then we'll wait." Duke Savalu signaled Count Delph not to press further.
If Jude was so confident, they might as well wait for this "major shareholder."
"Caw!"
A hoarse cry echoed from the sky.
"He's here!" Jude looked up.
This was a specially arranged entrance.
While he could wait here for the nobles, he couldn't have Marco waiting alongside him.
So, Marco had his own grand entrance planned—one that would also serve to awe these nobles.
The ravens' raspy cries filled the air, reverberating across the sky.
A dark, thundercloud-like mass appeared in the distance, moving toward the mountaintop where the gathering was held.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
As the "thundercloud" drew closer, fierce winds howled, unsettling the nobles seated at the open-air banquet.
Around them, many mages stepped forward, each employing their own methods to shield against the gale.
"Caw!"
Amid the wind, the "thundercloud" descended, and the nobles finally saw what it was—a flock of ravens, unnaturally large ones.
The earlier gusts had been caused by the beating of their wings.
"Magical beasts!"
"Protect His Grace!"
At the sight of the ravens, the mages hired by the nobles grew tense.
These nearly hundred oversized ravens didn't look easy to handle—especially since none of them had encountered such creatures before.
"Jude! Is this who you were waiting for?! What are you trying to pull?!"
Count Delph shouted at Jude, his voice tinged with alarm.
None of them had expected Jude to be this bold—planning to wipe them all out in their very first meeting?!
This wasn't just boldness anymore.
What kind of lawless madman was he?!
Even if the royal family would be thrilled, they'd never let Jude walk free after slaughtering so many nobles!
"Don't misunderstand, everyone. These are merely our major shareholder's... pets." Jude remained utterly calm.
Having witnessed Marco's power firsthand, these ravens were nothing to him.
"Caw!"
The ravens screeched again.
Jude turned his gaze toward the wary mages.
"I suggest you all behave yourselves. It wouldn't be good to provoke these crows, especially since their master hasn't arrived yet. They're not easily restrained right now, and if they sense any threat..."
Jude's tone carried a hint of mischief as he watched the nobles and mages.
Just these crows had already made the aristocrats nervous.
How would they act when facing Marco?
Would they dare to be as arrogant as before? He almost hoped they would!
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