"Now that the biggest issue in the south has been resolved, set aside other matters and focus on accelerating the construction of the southern railway network."
Marco emphasized this point to Jude with seriousness.
For him, establishing the southern railway network was now the top priority—everything else had to take a backseat.
After all, what could possibly be more important than the Gold Cloth?
"Don't worry, Marco. I'll ensure construction begins across all regions as soon as possible! We'll strive to complete the southern railway network at the earliest!" Jude responded promptly, his expression solemn.
Though he didn't fully grasp Marco's urgency, he was determined to expedite the process.
Jude now regarded Marco with even greater respect.
After all, Marco had effortlessly resolved his most pressing problem.
The might of Fairy Tail and the power of the Star Rose God—he had witnessed it firsthand.
He had indeed chosen the right ally!
With Duke Savalu's downfall, the southern nobles scattered like monkeys fleeing a toppled tree.
The few remaining minor nobles who had followed the Duke wouldn't dare cause any further trouble.
Jude knew that Marco's intervention was no longer necessary.
From here on, he could negotiate his way through—no noble would dare refuse him now.
Every one of them would treat him as an honored guest!
Those local snake-like nobles who had once looked down on him would now have no choice but to cooperate obediently.
"Hiss—"
Just the thought of it sent a thrill of satisfaction through Jude.
Was this what it felt like to have powerful backing?
Fueled by this realization, Jude worked overnight to revise numerous route plans.
Previously, to avoid conflicts with noble-owned properties, some routes had been designed less efficiently.
Now, he reverted them to their optimal paths.
By the original agreement, the railway's profits would be shared with these local nobles.
Shouldn't they, in turn, make some sacrifices?
Otherwise, why should they receive any benefits at all?
In places like Balerona and Selviria, where routes had already been completed, the planning had been highly efficient.
The nobles there had cooperated fully—providing labor, resources, and land, all without charge.
Given their wholehearted efforts, sharing a portion of the profits with them was only fair.
Jude would have felt guilty withholding it entirely, considering how much they had contributed.
For the southern railway network, Fairy Tail had essentially invested through "force," while the Heartfilia Konzern provided technical expertise.
The southern nobles, subdued, had no choice but to contribute land and labor as their stake.
Marco and Jude operated on principle—allocating a share of the profits ensured fairness.
Though it was just one percent of the local station revenues, over time, sustained operations would eventually allow them to recoup their investments, wouldn't it?
Far better than ending up like Duke Savalu, arrested and disgraced.
Let's be honest—how many nobles had truly clean hands?
How many had never engaged the services of the Dark Guild?
Who wouldn't fear a visit from the Magic Council?
Of course, few had played as recklessly as Duke Savalu.
Moreover, not every noble's territory harbored a Dark Guild.
During this period, at the invitation of the Magic Council, guilds like "Fairy Tail," "Blue Pegasus," "Lamia Scale," and others launched extensive operations across the southern regions to purge Dark Guilds, inadvertently exposing numerous nobles in the process.
This sent shockwaves through the southern nobility, leaving them all desperate to prove their loyalty and secure their safety.
However, after several careless Dark Guilds were successively eliminated, the crackdown had to be halted.
Once the remaining Dark Guilds caught wind of the operation, they quickly went underground, making further efforts to track them down time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Among the major guilds, only Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale were based in the southern regions.
Guilds like Blue Pegasus, located in the north, couldn't afford to keep most of their forces deployed in the south indefinitely.
Thus, the "Southern Dark Guild Crackdown" was never meant to last long.
The guilds had merely participated as a formality, sweeping up the more reckless and visible Dark Guilds before withdrawing—essentially doing the Magic Council a favor.
The Magic Council's personnel could stay longer, but as just a branch office, their forces were spread thin across the entire Fiore Kingdom.
They wouldn't concentrate their strength in the south indefinitely, eventually leaving behind only a few outposts.
This "crackdown period" would soon pass, allowing the nobles to breathe a collective sigh of relief.
"By the way, Marco, the royal family mentioned they'd like to express their gratitude to you. When would you be free to visit the capital?"
Jude suddenly recalled this as he looked at Marco, who, despite his youth, had already made a name for himself across the Ishgar continent.
The royal family had approached him earlier, expressing their desire to meet Marco.
After all, Marco hadn't just resolved Jude's troubles—he'd also done the royal family a great favor.
The royals, who had essentially won by default, gained significant benefits, finally managing to extend their influence into the previously impenetrable southern territories.
"The royal family..."
Marco pondered for a moment, though he wasn't particularly interested.
As a mage, he had little connection to the royal family.
The Fiore monarchy and government held little presence in the daily lives of mages like him.
After all, even if something went wrong or a crime was committed, it was the Magic Council that dealt with them.
The Fiore royal family and government had no direct jurisdiction over mages—even if they wanted to intervene, they lacked the means.
Though the Fiore Kingdom and the royal family maintained knight orders that included many mages, if the kingdom were treated as a Magic Guild, its strength wouldn't even rank among the notable ones.
Under these circumstances, they naturally couldn't command or oversee the various Magic Guilds, nor would the Magic Council allow them to seize authority.
Their role was simply to manage secular affairs.
"There's no harm in paying them a visit. You've done them a great service this time—I'm sure they've prepared quite a few gifts to show their appreciation."
Seeing Marco's reluctance to engage with the royals, Jude chimed in.
He believed maintaining good relations with the monarchy could yield benefits, especially since the royal family had taken over Duke Savalu's territory—cooperation between them was inevitable.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Marco nodded.
Initially, he had simply found it troublesome, and since the royal family had always strongly supported railway development, he didn't think they would obstruct the construction of the southern railway network.
That's why he felt there was no need for a meeting—he didn't want to complicate matters.
But since they insisted on inviting him, Marco saw no reason to back down.
Taking the time to go and see what kind of people the Fiore royal family were could be an interesting experience.
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