Chapter 93
Marshall continued delivering his righteous speech with complete conviction.
"Although Anima has only abducted one innocent girl so far because of Mystogan’s interference, and hasn’t yet caused widespread damage, that doesn’t mean everyone in our world should be forced to live beneath this threat simply because you’re trying to contain it alone."
"We don’t even have the right to know what’s happening?"
"What happens if your strength proves insufficient one day and Anima activates successfully, causing irreversible losses?"
"Will a casual ’I did everything I could’ somehow compensate the innocent people of this world for everything they suffer?"
"Mystogan, I believe your intentions are probably good, but that doesn’t change the fact that your world is invading ours."
"This is war."
"You can’t treat it like a private family dispute and insist on solving everything behind closed doors."
"So I refuse your request."
"..."
Mystogan was left speechless.
He had no way to refute Marshall because everything the boy said was true.
If Mystogan hadn’t spent years concealing every trace of Anima, the Magic Council might have discovered Edolas long ago.
War between the two worlds might already have begun.
He had even prepared himself for that eventuality.
Over the years, Mystogan had secretly continued developing X-Balls, medicine that would allow people from Earth Land to use magic normally within Edolas.
If the situation ever became truly hopeless, he intended to join Earth Land’s side and overthrow his father himself.
But if war actually broke out, Edolas had no possibility of victory.
Earth Land possessed far too many powerful Mages, while the people of Edolas were naturally incapable of storing magic power inside their bodies.
The difference was simply too great.
Edolas might gain an initial advantage because of the unusual conditions within their world, but if even Mystogan could develop a medicine that allowed Earth Land Mages to cast spells there, then others would inevitably accomplish the same thing.
Edolas would lose in the end.
Faced with such a hopeless future, what was he supposed to do?
Mystogan’s thoughts fell into turmoil.
Laxus had already returned to sitting in the corner and listening to music.
He found the entire issue rather dull.
A nation capable of doing nothing except stealing from another world wasn’t worth his attention.
Makarov, meanwhile, was silently nodding in approval.
As expected of the guild’s only properly educated magical scholar!
Marshall’s speech was beautifully delivered, rational, compelling, and morally sound.
Such awareness. Such perspective!
Even Makarov couldn’t have said it better—
[Master! Hurry up and say something supportive!]
[You play the good cop, and I’ll play the bad cop. First, we earn Mystogan’s complete trust. Then we convince him to help us deal with Edolas.]
[I guarantee the guild will make an absolute fortune from this!]
"???"
Makarov’s pupils contracted.
So the rotten brat had been plotting something this entire time?!
[Marshall, what exactly are you planning? Wouldn’t it be better simply to follow the argument you just made?]
[The Magic Council genuinely has reason to know about this.]
[And there’s no need to manipulate Mystogan. He’s one of our guildmates.]
[Forget the Council!]
[Did you lose every bit of cunning you had when you planted a spy inside it?]
[How can we entrust something involving this much profit to those useless parasites?]
[If they learn about Edolas, war will become practically inevitable!]
[That’s an entire world’s worth of resources. Do you honestly believe no one would be tempted?]
[P-Parasites may be going a little far...]
[Speaking of the Council, Marshall, you returned before I had the chance to tell you.]
[They sent an invitation to you as the academy’s top graduate. If you agree to join, they claim you could become a Councilor within a year...]
[I’m not joining! Reject it for me!]
[What future could I possibly have working beside those parasites?]
[It’s a bloated organization that can’t even properly manage the power already in its hands. Anyone else is welcome to join.]
[Master, stop worrying about the Council and help me finish this performance!]
[Wait, wait. Marshall, why are we doing all this in the first place?]
[If you also believe informing the Council would be dangerous, then we can simply help Mystogan.]
[We’re members of the same guild. We shouldn’t deceive one another.]
[Deceive him? This is a benevolent lie!]
[What we need Mystogan to do amounts to betraying his own world.]
[Even if justice is technically on our side, forcing him to agree under pressure would only make it harder for him to accept emotionally.]
[I’m doing this for his own good!]
[Pressure? Betraying his world? Marshall, what exactly are you planning to make him do?]
[Fairy Tail does not blackmail its own members! Don’t stray down a dangerous path!]
[Old man, why do you ask so many questions?!]
[Just answer this: once we finish, the guild could earn more money than it normally makes in a hundred years.]
[Are you helping or not?]
[What?! Is that really true?]
[Just follow my lead and you won’t regret it!]
Makarov’s expression shifted repeatedly.
In the end, he chose to trust Marshall.
The brat was usually reliable when it truly mattered.
Besides...
Enough money to support the guild for a hundred years!
When Marshall had previously claimed he wanted to earn "a little money," he had built an entire Naruto theme park.
That one project had permanently freed Fairy Tail from its financial deficit.
If Marshall was now talking about making a fortune, how much money could that possibly mean?
Even Makarov, who normally considered wealth a mere worldly possession, couldn’t help feeling tempted.
"Well, Marshall, perhaps that isn’t the only way to look at the matter."
Makarov stroked his beard.
"If too many people learned about Edolas, it might actually make the situation worse."
"There are many greedy people in this world. Once they discovered another world existed, Edolas might never know peace again."
Mystogan’s eyes brightened with emotion.
Thank goodness his Guild Master was a righteous and compassionate man!
"Hah? Master, even if we do nothing, do you think Edolas will remain hidden forever?"
Marshall glared at him as though disappointed by his naivety.
"The moment Anima succeeds on a large scale, everyone in Earth Land will learn that people from another world have been stealing our magic behind our backs."
"When that happens, Edolas will face the wrath of our entire world!"
"I won’t allow that to happen!"
Mystogan clenched his teeth.
"I will destroy every Anima and stop the king’s plan."
"I’m prepared to sacrifice anything necessary."
"Please believe me!"
"Tch. Those are pretty words."
Laxus, still listening to music with one leg crossed over the other, unknowingly offered Marshall perfect assistance.
"But would you still be willing if stopping the war meant betraying your own world?"
"I would!"
Mystogan answered without hesitation.
"I resolved long ago to sacrifice everything if that was what it took to prevent war!"
"Now, now. There’s no need to speak of sacrifice."
Makarov quickly stepped in.
"The situation hasn’t become completely hopeless yet."
"I’m certain we can find a solution that protects both worlds."
He turned toward Marshall.
"For now, why don’t we refrain from reporting this to the Council?"
"What do you think?"
"Master, mercy toward an enemy is cruelty toward your own people!"
Marshall first acted furious at Makarov’s softness.
Then, after being "persuaded" by the Guild Master, he finally sighed and reluctantly compromised.
"Fine."
"Since Master has chosen to trust you, I’ll trust his judgment."
"We’ll help you solve the Anima problem."
"But you must agree to stand completely on our side when dealing with the Edolas government."
"I agree."
"You must provide every piece of information you possess about Edolas, without payment and without falsifying anything."
"No problem."
"You must become an employee of the new company I’m creating."
Marshall raised a finger.
"You’ll serve as chief technician and help manufacture magical devices intended to prevent this war."
"I—"
Mystogan paused.
"Wait. What does that have to do with anything?"
"It’s a business transaction."
Marshall smiled innocently.
"I help you stop Anima, and you help me manufacture magical equipment that will prevent the war."
"That’s perfectly fair, isn’t it?"
"N-No, wait."
Mystogan stared at him.
"Did you say you can help me stop Anima?"
"Mm-hmm~"
Marshall nodded.
"Something that has been difficult and exhausting for you isn’t nearly as troublesome for me."
"Because I possess this magic—Super Archive."
He tapped the air several times.
A gigantic projection of the planet appeared above them.
Marshall pointed at the glowing globe.
"Super Archive can detect any location where unusual spatial activity resembling Anima appears."
"And my teleportation magic can send someone to almost any point on this planet."
"Whenever Anima begins forming, I can teleport you directly to the location."
"Then you simply destroy it as usual."
Mystogan stared at the globe in amazement.
"That’s... incredible."
He also knew Teleportation Magic and had traveled across countless regions over the years, leaving magical coordinates behind wherever he went.
Even so, he couldn’t teleport freely to absolutely any location.
He had never expected Fairy Tail to possess a Spatial Mage this accomplished.
Wait...
If Marshall’s Spatial Magic was that powerful, then he must have known from the beginning that helping Mystogan stop Anima would be easy.
So why had he made that harsh speech earlier?
Could it be—
’No.’
Mystogan immediately rejected the thought.
Stopping Anima had always been his responsibility. No one else was obligated to help him.
He should already be grateful that Marshall was willing to assist at all.
He absolutely couldn’t repay that kindness by suspecting him without evidence!
Mystogan nodded firmly.
"With your magic supporting me, I’m far more confident that I can complete my mission."
"I accept all your conditions!"
Marshall nodded with equal satisfaction.
A prince who was highly skilled in magical arrays and magical-item production was an exceptionally rare technical expert.
Better yet, he already knew how to pressure and guilt himself.
Where else could Marshall possibly find such an ideal employee?
The magical communication-terminal factory he planned to establish desperately needed talent like this!
’Work hard for me from now on, Prince of Another World!’
---------
Read 40 Chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator