"No need for that. This is what I should do. eliminating Dark Mages is everyone's responsibility."
Marco waved his hands repeatedly.
This girl was too sincere.
Marco was genuinely afraid she would say something like, 'This humble girl has no way to repay you but to offer herself in marriage' in the next second.
He wasn't that kind of person.
"In any case, thank you very much, Marco-san."
Kagura said no more because what she had just said came from the heart.
As long as the task didn't violate her values, she would do it even at the cost of her life.
"Marco, Erza! It's time to enter!"
As the three were talking, Bacchus ran over.
The Guild Masters had finished their brief discussion, and everyone had begun to enter the venue prepared by the "Magic Council" one after another.
"Okay, let's go in too."
Marco nodded and walked towards the venue, with Erza, Kagura, and Bacchus following behind him.
The headquarters of the "Magic Council" was quite magnificent.
With white masonry walls and grey-blue spires, the architectural style was square and uniform, looking like a very righteous place.
The area of the headquarters wasn't small either.
Among the buildings was a Grand Hall capable of accommodating many people, which was the location for this meeting.
"This is my first time here, and it's for such a big event!" Bacchus looked a bit excited.
Honestly, such a major event was something one could only encounter by chance. It hadn't been heard of for hundreds of years—absolutely a milestone-level event.
"I hope this is the biggest event this year." Marco added.
He genuinely hoped so.
The beginning of the year X784 was already this explosive; he didn't dare to imagine what would come later.
Was there any hope for this world?
If this world was done for, Marco would really have to consider the "Great Migration Plan."
Marco had truly thought about it.
If they really couldn't beat the final boss, they could avoid the confrontation for a while and hide in "Edolas," that world with almost no magic.
Even if the big boss went there, they would have to lay low.
After all, there was no magic power there, so magic couldn't be used.
The boss wouldn't turn out to be a physical combat expert, right?
"It's hard to imagine anything bigger than this, right?" Bacchus didn't understand and said somewhat doubtfully.
"Hard to say." Marco curled his lips.
In his view, the reorganization of the "Magic Council" wasn't really that big of a deal.
At least with this group of council members, they certainly couldn't pull off anything "big."
This batch of council members had always been "doves," mostly moderates.
They maintained the stability of the "Ishgar Continent" with their "dove style."
Now that most were old, it was time for some fresh blood anyway. There was nothing wrong with them stepping down.
Stepping into the Grand Hall, Marco led Erza to sit in the seats behind Makarov.
Bacchus and Kagura also went to find their respective "parents."
"This Grand Hall is quite impressive."
Looking around, Marco sighed with emotion.
The headquarters of the "Magic Council" certainly had style; it had a very solemn and dignified feel.
The entire Grand Hall was built of grey-white marble.
The walls were smooth, and the tone was cold. Soaring arched domes were supported by marble pillars carved with golden patterns.
In the center of the dome was a giant stained-glass window with magical runes interwoven on it.
Sunlight penetrated the glass, casting flowing spots of light on the ground.
The seating in the Grand Hall was tiered, semi-encircling the central speaking area and rising step by step in a fan shape.
Opposite the seating area, above the podium, was a semi-circular raised platform with ten seats arranged in an arc.
This was the Council Members' section.
Behind these ten seats, a map of the "Ishgar Continent" was carved.
"This place has been around for some years."
Makarov responded to Marco's comment from the front.
He pointed casually; fine cracks and worn edges could already be seen on those stone pillars and the marble.
"Just like this Magic Council." Goldmine added another sentence.
He was sitting in the seat next to Makarov, with Bacchus sitting behind him.
This drunkard didn't react much, just looking forward to the developments.
"..."
Marco pursed his lips.
He was just simply commenting on the grandeur of the "Magic Council."
These two old men in front had turned it into a metaphor, though there was nothing wrong with what they said.
Soon, amidst the whispers of the attendees, one Chairman and seven Council Members of the Magic Council entered and took their seats on the high platform opposite, looking down at the crowd in the venue.
Eight people sat in the ten chairs because Siegrain and Ultear would not be coming.
"Sitting so high up, can they even see the people below?"
Goldmine spoke again, expressing dissatisfaction with the council members sitting so high.
"So it's time to pull them down and have a look."
Makarov's tone was serious, his resolve firmer than ever. In the past, he didn't care because he trusted the system the "Magic Council" had maintained for so many years.
But now it seemed the "Magic Council" still needed external forces for supervision and checks and balances.
Marco grinned. He felt it was already remarkable that the "Magic Council" had lasted this long before having problems.
For such a massive organization to have issues only after so many years was very unscientific; rigidity and decay should be the norm.
"Ahem, since everyone has arrived, let's begin today's meeting."
After the council members took their seats, a host responsible for presiding over the meeting came to the central podium.
He spoke into the microphone, and the sound-transmitting Lacrima spread his voice throughout the venue.
In this empty, towering Grand Hall, all sounds formed slight echoes after reflecting off the marble, invisibly creating a sense of oppression and solemnity that made people afraid to speak easily.
This was invisible psychological pressure.
As the host spoke, the Grand Hall quieted down, and the echoing whispers finally subsided.
"Master Makarov, as the initiator of this meeting, would you like to speak first?"
The person in charge of hosting the meeting was an old man with a very "mage-like" image.
He wore a pointy denim wizard hat.
There was a distinct figure-eight wrinkle on his face crossing through his eyes.
His white beard was very long, and his hair was greying, but he looked very capable.
"This is Gran Doma, also a veteran of the Magic Council."
Marco recognized who this "host" was.
Before coming, he had roughly understood the personnel structure of the "Magic Council."
This person's seniority was no less than that of several council members.
"Wait a minute, Gran! Follow the procedure!"
Just as Gran Doma finished speaking, Crawford Seam, sitting at the head of the council seats, couldn't help but stop him.
The procedure they had prepared initially wasn't like this.
How could they let Makarov speak right off the bat?!
The other council members—Org, Michelo, Belno, Leiji, Yajima, and Yuri—sitting in sequence, were also somewhat surprised.
However, they didn't speak up, and no one voiced support for Crawford Seam.
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