After awarding the Medal of Honor to Fairy Tail, Crawford didn't pause for a moment. He rapped his gavel and immediately moved to the next agenda: commending Sabertooth for their outstanding performance in the crusade battle.
Although they had been passively drawn into the fight, as a guild that had only recently been reorganized, Sabertooth had managed to ensure the safety of their town while also capturing Bluenote, the vice-master of Grimoire Heart, and Meredy, one of the Seven Kin. That achievement was worthy of recognition.
As for Gray's team and the father-daughter duo who had come to the rescue, Crawford, not wanting to give Fairy Tail too much exposure, only briefly mentioned them without going into detail.
The issue concerning Grimoire Heart thus concluded.
Next came the second half of this special meeting—an intelligence discussion regarding Tartaros.
With two of the three major pillars of the Balam Alliance—Oración Seis and Grimoire Heart—now destroyed, their Remaining forces posing little threat, the Council's attention naturally turned to the most mysterious of the three: Tartaros.
Whether for the purpose of solidifying their own power and authority, or, as Crawford claimed, to "purge the darkness and restore peace to the magical world," the remaining Tartaros had to be dealt with.
There were also other dark guilds outside the Balam Alliance, such as Raven Tail.
This was the moment of their greatest vulnerability. If they could be eliminated all at once, everyone could rest easily!
Unfortunately, the guild masters present knew absolutely nothing about Tartaros. They discussed it for ages without contributing a single piece of information.
The only useful intelligence came from Ultear, who voluntarily offered it.
Namely, that all members of Tartaros were demons, and that their headquarters could move at high speed through the air.
Throughout the entire process, Chase remained silent.
It wasn't that he was intentionally withholding information. Aside from the fact that it would require a lot of trouble explaining, more importantly, the Council and the guilds present were simply too limited in their capabilities.
If they actually confronted Tartaros, these weaklings would be nothing but cannon fodder. There was no other outcome!
Furthermore, he currently didn't know Tartaros's exact location.
Perhaps after the S-Class Mage Trial ended, he would have to find a way to force Tartaros to reveal itself. After all, this dangerous, ideologically driven guild did pose a certain threat to Fairy Tail.
Leaving aside the other demons for the moment, at the very least, Mard Geer, the Demon King, should be a good card-dropping target.
"Meeting adjourned!"
It wasn't until sunset that the boring, fruitless meeting finally ended.
After exchanging some symbolic pleasantries with acquaintances, the masters gradually left, returning to their own guilds with many thoughts.
Whether it was the unimaginable strength of Fairy Tail, the rise of the up-and-coming Sabertooth, or the undercurrents of the dark forces, the various pieces of news they had learned today would certainly take them a while to digest.
After saying goodbye to Bob, Ichiya, and the others, Chase, Makarov, and Ur were led by two Council guides to Ultear's office.
Though they were ostensibly guides, the two men stood like statues by the door, making no move to leave.
Until the suspicions surrounding Ultear were cleared, the Council would apparently not allow her out of their sight. For a long time to come, she would be under a form of house arrest, unable to leave headquarters freely.
Makarov had guessed at Ultear's current situation. But this was, after all, an internal Council matter. Considering the potential negative consequences, he couldn't come forward directly to support her.
He could only take his stance by making a special trip here with Chase.
Despite his controversial reputation and methods, the old man's sense of justice and responsibility as an elder of the magical world was undeniable.
Even the Council members, who usually disliked Fairy Tail, couldn't find a reason to refute that!
Moreover, Makarov held another rather important identity: one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
The Council's ability to stand firm and manage so many mage guilds did not rely on their well-equipped elite troops.
Aside from weapons of mass destruction like Etherion and Face, which could only be used under certain conditions, the Ten Wizard Saints, who had transcended the realm of ordinary humans, also played a crucial role.
So, Makarov's attitude could, to some extent, alleviate the difficulty of Ultear's return to the Council.
Giving young people who had seen the error of their ways a chance to walk the path of light was a principle he had always upheld.
"Ultear-chan! Mommy's missed you so much~"
As a mother, Ur didn't overthink things. The moment she entered the room, she immediately lunged, pulling Ultear into a tight hug, cheek to cheek.
Having learned from Gray about Ultear's predicament, she had been very worried. Even after confirming her safety,
she could barely contain her longing.
She had held back throughout the entire meeting.
Now that she had a moment of privacy, her suppressed emotions for so long finally exploded.
Watching this scene, Chase was struck by a strange sense of familiarity.
That was right. It was exactly like when Gildarts saw Cana. Even the tone of voice was the same!
No wonder Mira ships Gildarts and Ur. When it comes to terminal daughter-obsession, those two are practically soulmates!
"I'm sorry, Mom..."
Feeling the warmth of the embrace, Ultear seemed at a loss. Her beautiful eyes dimmed, twinkling with complex emotions.
She desperately wanted to confess and atone for her sins of the past years. But with the Council guides still watching by the door, the words stuck in her throat.
As reluctant as she was, she still mustered all her strength to raise her hand, trying to push Ur away.
Someone like her didn't deserve a "mother's warmth."
"I know, Ultear. I know everything," Ur said, holding Ultear even tighter. She leaned forward slightly, pressing her forehead against her daughter's, and whispered, "Even so... I still love you."
These simple, unadorned words carried an endless well of love. They instantly shattered the fragile wall of false strength Ultear had barely managed to build.
Tears uncontrollably spilled from her eyes, streaming down her fair, flawless cheeks, blurring her vision.
"Ahem."
Sensing the situation was about to spiral out of control, Makarov quickly gave a light cough. "Ultear, would you mind brewing us a cup of tea? We came all this way, you know."
He wasn't trying to deliberately interrupt this touching mother-daughter moment. It was just that the Council guides were still watching from behind!
"Ah? Oh, I'm sorry. Please forgive my rudeness." Reminded, Ultear was the first to snap back to reality. She forcibly suppressed her emotions, regaining some of her usual composure. "Right this way, Mr. Makarov, Mr. Chase."
She released herself from Ur's embrace and walked toward the tea table opposite her desk.
Water boiled, tea fragrant. The four took their seats and began to chat, their topics mostly revolving around Grimoire Heart and the special meeting.
During the conversation, Chase deliberately mentioned that Chairman Crawford seemed like a very good person. Ultear naturally understood his true meaning and made a mental note.
***
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