Uluvheim spoke first: "What is there to say about this guild? The Seven Purgatory Dependents and the Oracion Seis are all dangerous individuals. What good can come from their gathering? If there's a chance, of course, we should capture them."
"I cannot fully agree with what Lord Uluvheim said." Jura, with his arms folded, spoke.
"Among the Oracion Seis, there are those who yearn for the light. In the past, they were just misguided children. After more than seven years in prison, they must have regained their senses and may not step into darkness again."
During the battle against the Oracion Seis, Jura had sympathized with Richard (Hot Eye), and surely the other children had their hardships too.
If it weren't for his position, he might have felt glad for Richard's escape—though he couldn't quite agree with the method of prison breaks and jailbreaks.
Uluvheim glared: "If they've truly regained their senses, they should capture Jellal and those two Seven Purgatory Dependents!"
"Prison breaks are indeed inappropriate, but expecting them to return voluntarily seems impossible..." Brellins was still not quite accustomed to this kind of discussion.
"I've heard they've always been dealing with the Dark Guild, so we shouldn't treat them as just any Dark Guild. Of course, we must remain vigilant towards them."
Hayberion had understood everyone's attitudes, and he turned to the endlessly eating and drinking Makarov: "What does Mr. Makarov think?"
"Hmm?" Makarov raised his head, quickly swallowed what was in his mouth, and replied, "Hmm... Rhode's right, I agree with his view."
"..." Rhode wanted to say that he hadn't spoken just now.
Hayberion also understood; this guy hadn't been listening... No, maybe Rhode had expressed his views in the guild before… We'll just assume that's the case.
"With that in mind, let's focus our efforts elsewhere for now; just keep an eye on Sin of the Witch," Hayberion chose to trust Rhode and Jura's judgment, "What we should be more concerned about now is the Star Spirit matter, and the rarely seen Gate of the Underworld."
As he spoke, he looked at Rhode.
Rhode understood his meaning and recounted: "Two months ago, I encountered a member of the Gate of the Underworld, probably a cadre. He claimed to have no name but was referred to as 'Calamity.'
"His strength is formidable, and his magic was quite unusual. Even after self-destruction, I nearly fell there. If we encounter members of the Gate of the Underworld again, we must be wary of this... Most important is that he's a Demon."
He rattled off his experiences but left out the part about how he cleared the 'toxic gas'—letting such crucial information regarding countering that toxin leak could make Mira a target for assassination.
Several people silently processed the information Rhode provided, only Makarov was shocked: "You encountered the Gate of the Underworld? And took down one of the Nine Ghosts Sect?"
Rhode was equally shocked: "You haven't read the intelligence we painstakingly gathered?"
"..." Makarov was awkwardly silent, then burst into laughter, "Hahaha... I've been too busy lately; I haven't had the time!"
Rhode: I believe it.
Jura said: "This is very important intel, but is there no information on the location of the Gate of the Underworld?"
"No, I wanted to try tracking their scent, but the self-destruction left nothing but debris, and the area was polluted with toxic gas, making it completely impossible."
"Regardless, compared to our previous near-complete ignorance, this is already a significant leap," Hayberion said,
"By common sense, Demons are difficult to coexist with humans, so we have reasons to speculate that the other eight members of the Nine Ghosts Sect might also be Demons.
"They might even further deduce that the entire Gate of the Underworld is composed entirely of Demons, and their intent is definitely not benevolent—Mr. Rhode witnessed a massacre, which, although targeted gangsters, showed their cruel nature."
Uluvheim crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair, speaking in a deep voice: "Speaking of Demons, I always think of that man called the Black Mage."
"Zeref..." As this name was mentioned, the atmosphere immediately turned heavy.
Makarov and Rhode knew more of the inside story, but were also reluctant to speak—Zeref's reputation was too foul.
So foul that once its location is confirmed, the Council can immediately deploy their most powerful weapon, the extent of Magical Elf Power.
This is under the current stricter regulation of Magical Elf Power.
Seven years ago, they would fire just at the mention of a possibility.
It's hard to mention, best to have the guild slowly gather intelligence, and decide once they have precise information and plans.
They chatted a bit about Zeref, then talked about the Star Spirit matter, and the conversation slowly shifted to the recent exceptional talents.
Makarov wanted to boast, yet the talent in their guild had always been overly 'dazzling,' and it couldn't be considered recent additions.
Instead, Jura brought up a little member from his guild, and Brellins praised a newcomer from his guild too.
Jura listened to Brellins and laughed: "I recall hearing Yuka mention your guild's Mr. Locke and Miss Yeluo'Er. They seemed to perform well at last year's Great Demon Fighting Martial Arts."
"Still not mature enough." Brellins modestly said, "Moreover, the big guilds like Snake Princess and Mermaid didn't take it seriously at all, did they?"
"You can't say that, Yuka and the others are still working very hard..." Jura smiled, "Speaking of which, will Fairy Tail participate this year?"
Makarov said: "Of course we will, our goal is 30 million... no, it's victory!"
Uluvheim said: "Wait a minute, four Ten Wizard Saints involved in a small festival, is it appropriate?"
"Presidents are not allowed to compete, so only I and Lord Rhode can be involved." Jura said helplessly,
"I'm personally not interested, but our president mandates participation once this year... What does Lord Rhode think?"
Rhode laughed: "To promote the guild, I must join in some excitement."
Jura laughed: "Then I look forward to competing with you."
Rhode chuckled: "I don't look forward to it; fighting you holds no benefit... Hmm... will you give me your position if I beat you?"
"No problem, rather wagering on rank would make me more expectant." Jura said sincerely, "Martial prowess is indeed an important standard for the Ten Wizard Saints, and holding a high position without sufficient strength brings shame."
"If you both are so serious, our guild might be in trouble." Brellins laughed, "Seems like I need to specifically study some tools to counter Earth Magic and Summoning Magic upon returning."
As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled out a pen and notebook and started scribbling:
"To counter Earth Element, should we try Wind Element? Speed Element? Or Space Element... Space Element is too challenging... Magic Power is also an issue..."
Hayberion silently poured himself a glass of milk; with everyone so enthusiastic, he too wanted to go and have a look.
Maybe he could even end up being a judge?