The fact that the Exceed hadn't sent anyone down to handle the situation made Marco's speculation more credible.
If these Exceed had even the slightest capability, they wouldn't sit idly by while the Edolas Kingdom was undergoing such events.
After all, nominally, the Edolas Kingdom also pledged allegiance to that "Queen" and "God."
"Let's charge up to Extalia!" Natsu shouted excitedly.
They had already boarded the Regios, a winged magical beast large enough to carry many people into the sky.
The Magic War Corps kept many of these Regios beasts, which served as their primary means of mobility during operations, allowing them to strike anywhere across the Edolas Kingdom.
"Let's go!"
Once mounted on the Regios, Marco gave the order.
The beast flapped its wings and took off, soaring toward Extalia floating high in the sky.
This nation of the Exceed hung above the Edolas Kingdom like a "divine realm."
"This floating island also relies on magical power to stay aloft. If Prince Jellal drains all of Edolas's magic, Extalia will plummet straight down."
On one of the Regios, Pantherlily explained with a complex expression.
Extalia was his home too, and facing its inevitable downfall pained him, though he didn't blame Prince Jellal for it.
The truth was, even if Prince Jellal didn't take such action, the floating island of Extalia probably wouldn't last much longer.
Over the years, Pantherlily had watched from the ground as Extalia gradually descended lower.
If things continued this way, the island's crash was merely a matter of time.
"This only makes it more evident. The situation is so critical, yet they've taken no action. Are they unwilling, or incapable?"
Marco chuckled, thinking these Exceed were rather pitiful, forced to watch destruction approach step by step.
"If that god can foresee the future, did she foresee this day?"
Mystogan spoke gravely.
An enemy who could predict the future posed a significant danger, as they could lay traps in advance and wait rested for their arrival.
This was also why they had set out so directly without extensive preparations.
No matter how much they prepared, the enemy could foresee it all, rendering their efforts futile.
It was better to charge straight in and let their true abilities decide the outcome.
"Sometimes, knowing the truth or the answer in advance isn't necessarily a good thing. It might even drive someone mad, especially when that truth or answer is something they're powerless to change."
While joking, Marco pondered the situations they might face.
First, these Exceed might truly be powerful, remaining inactive only because they genuinely didn't care about the Edolas Kingdom.
In that case, there was nothing to discuss—they'd have to fight head-on, where victory would crown the worthy and defeat relegate the unworthy, all decided by their capabilities.
Second, these "Exceeds" were truly as he had guessed—just a bunch of bluffing "paper tigers" who relied on playing the charlatan to maintain their current status.
Facing these fierce Mages, these little kittens could only obediently surrender.
Marco naturally hoped for the second outcome this time.
Although it would be the ultimate humiliation for the people of the "Edolas Kingdom," it would indeed save the "Expeditionary Force" a lot of trouble.
"Regios" soared into the sky and reached "Extalia," landing on the edge of the Floating Island.
The "Exceeds" made no response—no one came to stop them, and it was possible no one had even noticed their arrival.
"They look calm..."
Marco couldn't help but feel exasperated.
He didn't know whether to praise these "Exceeds" for their boldness or lament the misery of the "Edolas Kingdom" people, who had been ruled by these cats for so long.
If only someone had tried to take a gamble!
"Follow me. We'll head straight to the palace to see the Queen."
Panther lily led the way, guiding the "Expeditionary Force" directly to the palace.
Having a local guide was certainly convenient.
Along the way, they did encounter some "Exceeds," but upon seeing them—humans—the "Exceeds" kept their distance, not daring to approach, let alone block their path.
Their expressions even carried a hint of fear.
"These Exceeds are quite different from the rumors."
At this point, not just Marco, but everyone had realized that these "Exceeds" truly didn't seem to be like 'ferocious beasts.'
They were just ordinary cats, not much different from ordinary humans and their first reaction upon seeing them was to hide.
"Why do they harbor such hatred for humans?"
Mirajane frowned, puzzled, and asked Pantherlily.
The way the "Exceeds" looked at them was as if they were facing some monstrous threat, their eyes filled with hatred and fear, as though humans had done something terrible to them.
"Because humans did indeed persecute our race in the past. Our status was always low until the Queen, the Goddess, appeared."
Pantherlily explained the story of the "Exceeds," which could essentially be summed up as a tale of "the oppressed rising to power," though they had elevated their status a bit too high.
"Although they now hold a transcendent position as the divine race, most of the older generation of Exceeds still hold deep hostility and fear toward humans. Of course, the younger generation is inevitably influenced as well, but their feelings lean more toward hostility than fear, as they haven't experienced the days of persecution by humans."
Pantherlily described the current situation among the "Exceeds."
Hostility toward humans was practically the norm among the "Exceeds," which was why he had been exiled for saving Jellal—his actions were considered a grave offense.
"Then, after coming to Earth Land, won't they be hostile toward humans anymore?"
Laxus suddenly interjected, his gaze growing increasingly dangerous.
Could such intelligent magical beings, so hostile toward humans, really be allowed to go to "Earth Land" just like that?
"Good question. That's why we need to see what the situation with these Exceeds really is."
Marco nodded without refuting Laxus's words.
He was also worried about this - the attitude of these "Exceeds" toward humans was indeed a factor that required careful consideration.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The "Regios" flapped their wings and landed on the ground, coming to rest directly at the palace entrance.
This finally attracted quite a number of "Exceeds" - a group of armored ones.
"Who goes there?! Hu... humans?! What do you want?!"
"Quick! Inform Lord Nichiya! Lord Nadi!"
"These humans must be planning to attack the Queen!"
The uniformly dressed "Exceeds" chattered noisily among themselves.
Some went back to report while others stayed behind to block the "Expedition Force."
"Tell your Queen to come out!"
Natsu rushed forward, pointing at these "Exceeds" and began shouting provocations.
Although these cat's were Happy's kin, Natsu wouldn't hold back because of that.
Enemies were enemies - it didn't matter whether they were the same species or not.
They usually fought humans without hesitation, never holding back just because their opponents were human.