There was no doubt that Ultear was behind this incident—or rather, it was the will of Hades, the master of Grimoire Heart, and the former Second Guild Master of Fairy Tail.
Grimoire Heart's ultimate goal had always been the same: to awaken the legendary black mage Zeref and use his unmatched power to rule the world.
Hades believed in this idea wholeheartedly. He was convinced that, through Zeref's power, they could achieve their grand ambition.
For that purpose, they would stop at nothing—even attempting to revive the ancient demon Deliora as a test of their methods.
And that revival… was merely a small step in their far greater plan.
Leon, however, knew almost nothing of this.
He believed that he was the mastermind behind everything—that it was his intelligence and skill that had brought the plan to life.
He didn't realize that he was nothing more than a pawn, being manipulated by Hades and the others from the very beginning.
His innocence and ignorance made Wes Elwin, who was silently watching from the sidelines, feel a mix of amusement and pity.
Wes wasn't the type to meddle in others' affairs. As long as he could achieve his own objectives, the fates of others meant little to him.
So even though he knew the truth, he chose to remain silent.
Just then, Leon's two subordinates—Sherry and Yuka—walked over from a distance.
Sherry was still a young girl, her face filled with childish innocence.
Yuka, in contrast, was a composed young man with sharp, perceptive eyes.
When Sherry saw Wes standing nearby, she tilted her head and asked curiously, "Who's he?" Her voice was crisp and clear.
"Sherry, Yuka, this is Wes," Leon introduced briefly. "He's new around here. Show him around a bit."
Sherry frowned, clearly displeased with the order. "I just want to stay with you, Leon," she muttered, missing the subtle tone in Leon's words.
Yuka, however, was more experienced. He caught Leon's meaning immediately and nodded. "Leave it to me," he said calmly.
Over the next few days, Wes stayed quietly within the ruins, not venturing anywhere.
All his attention was fixed on the magic circle.
Every day, he spent hours studying the ancient runes and geometric patterns, trying to uncover their hidden structure and logic.
Yuka, meanwhile, was growing increasingly frustrated.
He had assumed Wes would wander around, giving him chances to observe and report on his movements—but Wes had done nothing of the sort.
Instead, he spent all his time poring over the magic array, completely absorbed.
Yuka could only stand off to the side, sighing as he watched Wes work tirelessly.
(What the hell is this guy even doing?) he thought bitterly.
"Hey, can one of you two take my place for a while? I'm seriously going to rot here if this keeps up," Yuka eventually complained, his voice echoing through the ruins.
But neither Sherry nor Toby seemed to care.
Sherry absentmindedly fed her giant mouse while muttering, "Just have Zalty take your spot when he gets back. Why's he taking so long buying supplies anyway? We're almost out of snacks."
Yuka grew even more irritated after hearing that.
He bared his sharp teeth, nearly shouting, "Can't you two help me out for once?!"
Sherry only shrugged and continued tending to her pet, while Toby was completely lost in his own world, paying no attention to Yuka's complaints.
As they bickered, a small boat silently docked at a hidden harbor.
A middle-aged man stepped off it—ordinary-looking, unremarkable. But in truth, this man was Ultear, disguised through transformation magic.
Stretching lazily, Ultear grumbled, "Seriously… the Tower of Heaven, the Council, Galuna Island—everything gets dumped on me. Is the Master trying to work me to death?"
She sighed again, muttering to herself, "I don't even know cloning magic; how am I supposed to do the work of two people alone? Luckily, the seal on Deliora is almost gone."
After a deep breath, she adjusted her expression, scanning the area to ensure no one had seen her arrival.
Then, fully immersing herself in her false identity as "Zalty," she straightened her back, altered her tone and gait, and began walking toward the ruins with complete composure.
"Good… everything's still going according to plan," she thought, feeling slightly more at ease.
Arriving at the center of the ruins, she instructed her subordinates to unload the supplies before heading deeper inside to inspect Deliora's condition.
After confirming that everything remained under control, she turned toward the direction of Sherry, Yuka, and Toby.
"Sherry, Yuka, Toby! Everything you asked me to buy is here."
Sherry hopped over happily. "Thank you so much, Saludi!"
Toby quickly joined in, grumbling, "Finally! This place is so boring—I already finished all my magazines."
Yuka, looking utterly fed up, said, "Sherry, keep an eye on this guy for me. I need some air." He stormed out of the ruins before Ultear could even reply.
"...What's with him?"
Ultear blinked, baffled by Yuka's sudden outburst. Before she could even process it, a familiar voice called out behind her.
"Hello there, Zalty."
Ultear froze. Her pupils shrank. "You?! What are you doing here?!"
Her fists clenched instinctively, magic energy rising—but she quickly suppressed it. There were too many people around. She couldn't afford to draw attention.
Toby, noticing the tension, tilted his head. "You two know each other?"
"We met once in Hargeon," Wes Elwin said with a polite yet mocking smile. "We had quite the… chaotic encounter."
Toby turned to Ultear in disbelief. "Zalty? Causing chaos? That doesn't sound right—Zalty isn't even much of a fighter."
"Is that so?" Wes raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with provocation. "Funny, I remember his ice—"
"Shut up!" Ultear snapped, panic flickering in her eyes. She couldn't let him say another word—especially anything that hinted at her true identity.
Sherry stopped what she was doing and looked over. "What are you two even talking about? Zalty, did you really fight him?"
Both Toby and Sherry were startled by Ultear's sudden burst of anger.
To them, "Zalty" had always been a calm, reliable middle-aged man—never someone who lost his temper.
"I mean…" Ultear quickly forced a smile, trying to smooth things over. "I'll handle this guy myself. I'll keep a close watch on him."
Toby and Sherry exchanged a look. Though they found Zalty's behavior strange, they still trusted him completely.
"Well, if you say so," Toby said, nodding. Sherry followed suit.
And just like that, the two gullible companions returned to their work, brushing off the tense exchange as if nothing had happened.
Ultear exhaled quietly, relief washing over her. She stepped closer to Wes, lowering her voice.
"You'd better keep your mouth shut," she whispered coldly. "Or I won't be so forgiving next time."
°°°
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