In the Royal Palace of Fiore Kingdom, a green-haired girl was sitting on a luxurious chair.
She was the princess of this country, Jade E. Fiore.
A silver-armored knight knelt on one knee, respectfully saying, "Princess."
Princess Jade nodded and smiled, "You've worked hard, Arcadios, I've told you many times, no need for such formality."
"Yes," Arcadios stood up, still respectful, "For the Fiore Kingdom, any hardship is worth it."
Princess Jade asked, "How goes the investigation on that matter?"
"It's confirmed, Fairy Tail has been issuing the same commission to at least 10 Guilds. They are openly searching for a Star Spirit Mage, especially one who holds the Zodiac 12 keys."
The Princess slightly furrowed her brows and inquired, "What's the reason?"
"The outward reason is to consult about Celestial Spirit Magic, but the real reason is only known to those who accepted the task," Arcadios said. "I've heard someone recently went missing from their Guild... but it's unclear if the two matters are related."
"Additionally, I found out that Fairy Tail already had a Star Spirit Mage who possesses multiple Zodiac 12 keys, named Lucy Har..."
The Princess continued, "Heartfilia, right? The daughter of the Hartfilia family, Fiore's number one business conglomerate six years ago."
"You know her?"
"Of course, I once... no, it's nothing. In any case, continue to keep a low profile and don't resort to forceful methods."
Arcadios showed a troubled expression:
"But those 12 keys are essential for the 'Eclipse' plan. Fairy Tail suddenly looking for a Star Spirit Mage with the Zodiac 12 keys, could it be... I believe we should take mandatory measures if necessary."
The Princess shook her head: "Arcadios, how's your new sword's performance?"
"..." Arcadios glanced at the sword on his waist and replied, "In all aspects, it's excellent."
This was a saber crafted using the latest magic technology, used by the Kingdom's finest knight. Its performance goes without saying.
"Remember where these technologies came from?"
"Of course, it was six years ago..." Arcadios paused, already knowing why the Princess asked.
Sure enough, Princess Jade nodded: "Your sword, armor, the latest standard weapons for the army, the flying vehicles in the sky, the changes in people's lives in every aspect...
"All of this is inseparable from that Guild; they've made indelible contributions to the kingdom. Over these six years, we should have taken better care of them, but in reality, all we've given them were two medals and an insignificant bonus."
The Royal Family's attitude towards Fairy Tail was never exactly favorable, for reasons similar to the Council's—they caused too many problems.
It's just that because they never went too far, and they always admitted and paid for their mistakes, the Kingdom turned a blind eye.
So much so that during the 'Edolas Invasion' event six years ago, although they achieved remarkable feats, the Kingdom simply awarded them medals, leaving out all the ceremonious proceedings that should have taken place.
Partially due to a lack of recognition of the importance of knowledge and technology from the Otherworld, the Kingdom never compensated them over those six years.
At that time, Princess Jade was still young, and she vaguely remembered that someone had brought it up, but the ministers were divided in opinion.
After the debate, it was believed that since Fairy Tail's President and core members had already disappeared, the Guild was essentially defunct, making further compensation unnecessary.
Some more extreme opinions even suggested that the remaining members hadn't actually made any contributions and that with the core members gone, the medals should be reclaimed.
Fortunately, the King and most ministers were nostalgic enough not to take things to extremes; those two medals saved Fairy Tail from a lot of trouble.
Now, despite their actions appearing somewhat suspicious, Princess Jade was unwilling to see anything negative happen, especially since that plan hadn't reached the final stage yet.
Arcadios had no choice but to bow his head: "I understand."
Princess Jade further asked, "Does Father know about this?"
Abkadious replied, "His Majesty is currently in a meeting with Lord Danton; I will report it afterward."
Jade nodded and said nothing more.
She quietly walked to the window, gazing at the bustling scene outside.
Fairy Tail, perhaps there will be a chance to see for myself.
...
At that moment in Fairy Tail, Yukino watched several Star Spirits disappear and asked, "Shall we meet here again tomorrow?"
Rhode nodded, "Yes, well done."
"It's just a task, so I'll take my leave," Yukino said.
Lisana tried to persuade her, "Why not stay a bit longer? Let us treat you a little."
Yukino turned and left directly, "No, I have to find lodging, but thank you for the offer."
Mira and Lisana were slightly disappointed; they had hoped to chat with Yukino, but she seemed a bit aloof.
"I'll see you out and help introduce some hotels," Rhode offered as he escorted Yukino out, pointing her in the right direction.
He had done a bit of research on Magnolia's various hotels—most expensive, most budget-friendly, best value, those suitable for couples, etc.—guiding her was not an issue.
After walking a short distance and fulfilling his duty as a host, Rhode finally bid farewell to Yukino, watching as she left.
Just as he was about to head back, Rhode sensed a surge of magic appearing abruptly just a meter behind him.
He spun around sharply, seeing a suspicious masked figure, and his fingertips sparkled with golden light.
"Nice alertness. That Light Magic—did Makarov teach it?" a strange voice came from beneath the mask, sounding somewhat pleased.
"Who are you?" Rhode demanded, as the Investigation Skill from the Void Swift Crab silently spread, failing to reveal any real identity. The person's mask seemed to be as though it was part of their face.
Could it be Blocking Magic or a Thought Body?
"Hahaha... you can call me Aleksey," the masked figure laughed. "No need to be so tense; this is merely a Thought Body. I have no intention of attacking you, just wanting to propose a deal."
Rhode replied, "I'm not interested in making any deals with someone hiding in shadows. Just state your purpose."
"Haha, it's too soon to refuse," Aleksey said confidently. "Have you found your missing companions yet?"
Rhode's expression shifted, realizing something was amiss, he struggled to suppress his emotion and aura, "What do you mean?"
Aleksey snapped his fingers, and as the Thought Body morphed, Rhode saw a man-sized Magic Crystal materialize behind him.
This was also a use of Thought Body — projecting people and objects from the vicinity.
Aleksey continued, "I believe you've seen a weapon before that can turn people into Magic Crystals upon a hit."
"..." For a moment, Rhode thought of the worst possibility; he'd seen such a weapon in Edolas.
But he immediately dismissed that thought. Such a small piece couldn't possibly be the size of those people.
The one before him was at most Lucy's size, or Hapi and Carla combined.
After pondering it, he asked, "What do you want?"