On the ship heading to Giltina.
In the exquisite lounge area, Hope took a sip of coffee and then looked at the middle-aged councilman opposite him with a scrutinizing gaze. He gave off an air of maturity and gravity that didn't seem like someone in their twenties at all.
Erza sat beside him, also remaining silent, quietly watching Hope act cool.
Truth be told, as long as he wasn't being annoying or acting crazy, he actually looked the part.
As expected of the man I've chosen.
Seeing that both of them were keeping quiet, Councilman Lano had no choice but to speak first, breaking the silence. "Mr. Hope, it might be rude of me to say this, but you and your companions seem a bit too young..."
Not just young; Hope was actually the oldest member of the group on this mission. None of the others were over twenty, let alone Wendy, who was only thirteen this year by traditional reckoning.
With the endorsement of the Ishgar Council, Lano didn't doubt Hope's strength, but it was only natural for him to have concerns about the others' capabilities.
"Don't worry, our Fairy Tail is not just for show." Hope was well aware of Lano's concerns and turned to introduce Erza.
"This Fairy Queen is one of the strongest female Mages in Ishgar today. You've already met the other one, 'Demon Mira'."
"Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy are all Dragon Slayer Mages. By the way, Erza and I also master Dragon Slayer Magic."
"And next, allow me to grandly introduce her to you: Lucy Heartfilia. She possesses ten gold celestial spirit keys and is the strongest Celestial Spirit Mage in the world today."
"..."
Watching Lano being hoodwinked by Hope's half-truths, Erza couldn't help but facepalm and look at her companions resting nearby. Poor Lucy had no idea she was being praised to the heavens by Hope.
Now that they were away from home, their identities weren't even theirs to define... But Lano was a Council member after all, and he certainly had experience. He quickly recovered from Hope's exaggerated introduction and said, "Mr. Hope, the enemies we need to face are dragons... and more than one."
Hearing Lano's subtle reminder, Hope couldn't resist making another joke. "No need to worry. My companions are actually just here to tour the Northern Continent; they might not necessarily encounter a dragon."
Lano:????
Is that even something a human would say?
Erza gave Hope a light kick, her eyes telling him that the prank had gone far enough. Hope sighed and looked at Lano's bewildered and confused expression.
"Relax, I've got everything under control."
"If those dragons know what's good for them, fine. But if they refuse to appreciate the kindness shown to them... honestly, I haven't tasted dragon meat yet."
The youth's nonchalant tone gave Lano a sense of his immense confidence. It was a posture that could only be displayed by someone with absolute certainty in their own power.
Lano took a deep breath and calmed his emotions. "I wonder how much you two know about our Giltina continent and about dragons?"
Hope looked at him as if he were an idiot.
If you want to tell a story, just tell it. Why the suspense?
Noticing Hope's gaze, Lano cleared his throat and began to describe the situation on the Giltina continent. "Actually, there were no dragons on the Giltina continent at first. It wasn't until over 400 years ago that some dragons arrived on this continent."
"After a period of mutual slaughter, they decided on a ceasefire to divide Giltina among themselves. Naturally, the native humans refused to agree, but unfortunately, the vast majority of us lacked the power to threaten dragons."
"The physical strength and speed of the dragon race are already terrifying, and on top of that, they can use all kinds of magic. They are simply not beings that ordinary Mages can resist."
"They destroyed and slaughtered at will, and almost no one could stand against them. It's only in the last 100 years that they've finally settled down a bit..."
Hope nodded. Against the dragon race, only Dragon Slayer Magic was truly effective. It was indeed unlikely for ordinary Mages to pose much of a threat to dragons.
Erza noticed Lano's wording and asked, "You said 'the vast majority'... Does that mean there is a small portion of Mages who can resist dragons?"
"Yes, our continent also has Dragon Slayer Mages."
Lano's expression became somewhat unnatural, as if he were recalling some unpleasant memories. He remained silent for a moment before continuing, "There is a guild called 'Diabolos.' All members of this guild are Dragon Slayer Mages, however..."
"They are Fifth-Generation Dragon Slayer Mages."
Hearing this, Hope's interest was instantly piqued.
Mages taught Dragon Slayer Magic personally by dragons are known as the First Generation, such as Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy.
Mages who use a dragon slayer crystal made from a dragon's heart, embedding it into their bodies to learn and master Dragon Slayer Magic, are called the Second Generation.
The Third Generation refers to Mages who were taught by dragons and also had a dragon slayer crystal implanted in their bodies.
As for the Fourth Generation Dragon Slayer Mages, Hope had only read about them in the 'Archive Magic.' They were man-made Dragon Slayer robots, essentially just tools.
As for the Fifth Generation... even for the current Hope, it was the first time he had heard the term. Even the 'Archive Magic' contained no records related to Fifth-Generation Dragon Slayer Mages.
Seeing Hope's expression change slightly, Lano finally felt a bit of satisfaction. "Fifth Generation Dragon Slayer Mages are also known as Dragon Eaters on our continent."
"Dragon Eaters?"
Erza's eyebrows shot up. "Could it be that they..."
Lano nodded solemnly. "Exactly. The Dragon Slayer Mages of Diabolos obtained their power by eating the flesh and blood of dragons. It's said that the Dragon Force obtained this way is purer and more powerful."
To think such people actually exist.
Indeed, consuming flesh and blood directly is the most straightforward way to transform power, but the disadvantage is that it's unsafe, and the mind might not be able to withstand the lingering will that might remain.
Earlier, Hope's talk about eating dragons was just talking big to show off, but he hadn't expected someone to actually do it. Truly commendable courage... he just wondered what dragon meat tasted like.
The Dragon Eater guild, "Diabolos." Given the chance, Hope wanted to see how much stronger these so-called Fifth-Generation Dragon Slayer Mages were compared to other Dragon Slayer Mages.
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