Hearing this, Marshall immediately looked troubled.
He and the pirates were in cahoots—why would he have prepared the reward money in advance?
"Well... truth be told, my reward funds are all deposited with the Magic Council..."
"In that case, I can't hand this guy over to you just yet. You'll need to come with me."
Chase stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Cluny.
Whatever plot Marshall was plotting, once they got to the Magic Council and threw Cluny in for interrogation, everything would surface.
He trusted the Council's methods.
And this was precisely why Chase hadn't exposed Marshall on the spot—he didn't want to get dragged into this mess. He'd rather sit back and enjoy the show like a spectator.
Of course, the premise was Marshall cooperating obediently.
"You damn pirate! Give me back my wife and child!!"
Sure enough, after a brief pause, Marshall suddenly turned into a drama queen. He pulled a sharp dagger from his waist and stabbed directly at Cluny's heart.
Silencing the witness.
But Chase was prepared. No way he'd let that happen. He swung his fist.
BANG!
Marshall and his knife went flying, crashing heavily into the abandoned lighthouse's concrete wall with a thud.
"This feeling..."
Chase frowned doubtfully.
Based on intelligence from Cluny, Marshall should be a mage proficient in the Eighteen Demon Gods Magic—if not overwhelmingly strong, at least S-Class level.
So why did his fist connect with no expected feedback?
Watching Marshall kneel on the ground, his body flickering with white spots, Chase suddenly understood.
This wasn't his real body—it was something like a Thought Projection!
"Quite the arsenal of tricks, Mr. Marshall." Chase snorted.
Marshall pressed his hands against the floor, his scarred face staring intently at Chase. "When... did you figure it out?"
His opponent's punch had been unusually decisive. Normal mages wouldn't attack their client like that.
So he realized he'd probably been exposed.
Knowing the real Marshall wasn't here, Chase clapped his hands, plopped down on top of Cluny, and generously explained.
"When, you ask? Probably around the time you suggested I board that merchant ship."
"Aside from the client being the problem, I couldn't think of any other reason every mage who accepted this request 100% encountered pirates and vanished."
"But back then it was just guesswork. Until those idiot pirates accidentally let it slip—mentioned Fairy Tail."
After listening, murderous intent flashed in Marshall's eyes.
"Useless trash!"
After cursing, he looked up at Chase. "But you—you surprise me. Even Cluny's no match for you!"
"Heh. Fairy Tail mages really aren't so easy to deal with."
The stronger Chase was, the more resentful and regretful Marshall felt.
If only he'd captured this powerful mage, his plan would be complete!
"I've been so candid. Surely Mr. Marshall will answer questions for me?"
After a brief pause, Chase raised a finger. "For example, what's your purpose in all this? Where are the missing mages now?"
"And this 'new world ruled by gods'—what's that about?"
Hearing the final question, the murderous intent in Marshall's eyes intensified. He wished he could kill Cluny right now.
He was about to refuse answering. But then he reconsidered, and a sinister plan formed in his mind.
Once Cluny fell into the Magic Council's hands, he'd inevitably leak the entire plan—including where Marshall's real body was.
Rather than waiting for a guild alliance to descend upon him, why not lure this powerful Chase over and capture him to fill the final vacancy?
"Heh. Since you're sincerely asking, I'll—"
"Never mind. Can't be bothered with your rambling. Handing him over to the Council completes my request."
Chase saw right through this old bastard's scheme. He turned, grabbed Cluny, and headed for the lighthouse exit.
Now it was Marshall's turn to panic. He quickly spoke up.
"I'm a Demon Descendant! I've been capturing mages to extract their immense magical power—to awaken one of the Eighteen Demon Gods: Sky Drum!"
Demon Descendant?
No wonder Cluny could use the Eighteen Demon Gods Magic.
Sky Drum must be one of them. The original story had something called Bonds of War, if he remembered.
But what did that have to do with him?
Chase kept walking.
"The Demon Gods' emergence will bring devastating disaster to Fiore! As a member of a light guild, have you no sense of responsibility?!"
Sorry—that's the Royal Family and Magic Council's problem.
This man has no such enlightenment.
"If you've got the guts, come stop me! I'll be waiting on Demon Ruins Island to the north, Chase Lin Edgarhall!!"
Sorry, but right now all I want is my reward money so I can head back to the guild and drink a cup of Mira-chan's hand-brewed American coffee.
Wait...
Demon Ruins Island?!
Suddenly remembering something very bad, Chase's expression changed drastically.
The sun was setting, casting orange light across the sea.
Sea breezes blew, bringing gentleness and relaxation to the bustling island.
In a corner of the golden sandy beach, inside a temporary studio.
"Cool~! Miss Mirajane playing the demon, and Miss Dark Magician Girl playing the Hero—both are amazing!"
"This photobook set is perfect! It'll definitely cause a huge sensation in the next Weekly Sorcerer issue!"
The Weekly Sorcerer editor held freshly developed first draft photos, cheering excitedly.
This issue's theme was "Ancient Ruins Island: The Great Adventure of Demon and Hero."
All to promote the tourism island the Kingdom of Fiore had invested in!
Beside the shed, Mirajane and Dark Magician Girl, having finished filming, wore a cool attire and sat chatting under a sun umbrella.
"Hey Mira-nee, do creatures like Demon Gods really exist?"
After dealing with fanatics crowding around for autographs, Dark Magician Girl blinked her pretty eyes and looked at Mirajane.
"Well... I'm not entirely sure." Mirajane rested her cheek on her hand, tilted her head thoughtfully, and smiled. "Probably? Like the dragon you encountered, they're a type of ancient creature."
From the Weekly Sorcerer editor, They'd learned about this Demon Ruins Island beneath their feet.
Two years ago, it was just an untouched deserted island in Fiore's coastal waters.
After sea adventurers explored the island's dense jungle and unearthed ancient demon god skeletons hidden beneath the surface, Fiore's capitalists took notice.
With the introduction of infrastructure and the development of surrounding products, after over a year it gradually evolved into a tourist destination.
Its unique geographical environment and awe-inspiring demon ruins made it an instant hit with visitors upon opening.
That's why the Fiore Tourism Board commissioned Weekly Sorcerer to shoot a feature—to increase the ruins island's visibility.
And that explorer's name was still etched into the ruins entrance's story:
Marshall Whitedo!