Raizel estimated that the Fairy Tail Guild Mark on Precht's body was most likely still intact.
Because of that, the protective barriers of Tenrou Island probably wouldn't reject him.
Precht could likely enter the sacred ground effortlessly without paying any price, strolling through the magical defenses as easily as walking through a public market.
"Gramsp, this news might be incredibly hard for you to accept, but you have to believe me," Raizel said gently.
"The Guild Master of Grimoire Heart goes by the terrifying alias 'Hades,' but his real name... is Precht."
"Precht...? How is that possible? How? How...?" Makarov's pupils contracted sharply, and he stumbled backward, clutching his chest and endlessly muttering under his breath.
Faced with Erza and the others' rapid-fire questions, Makarov seemed completely deaf to them, lost in a sudden, suffocating void of disbelief.
"Who exactly is Precht? Why does the Master have that expression?" Erza asked, frowning deeply.
This was the very first time she had ever seen the unshakable Makarov look so completely distraught and broken.
"Precht was the second Guild Master of Fairy Tail," Gildarts provided the heavy answer.
Although Precht had stepped down and left long before Gildarts had ever joined the guild, his legendary reputation remained.
Makarov often boasted while drinking with Gildarts about the great, heroic deeds he and Precht had accomplished in their youth.
Thus, Gildarts was very familiar with the stories of this second Guild Master whom he had never met, and who was widely presumed to be long dead.
However, Gildarts had never expected Precht to actually still be alive, let alone to have become the ruthless Guild Master of Grimoire Heart.
Yet, Gildarts didn't think for a second that Raizel was joking or that the intelligence was wrong.
Having known Raizel for so many years, he knew that while the boy might make minor mistakes on trivial matters, Raizel was never wrong about something this important.
"The second Guild Master!!! That means..." Erza widened her eyes, completely unable to process the betrayal.
"That's right... It was the second Guild Master who personally passed the title and the guild down to me..." Makarov sighed heavily, suddenly looking as if he had aged several decades in a mere few seconds.
Makarov truly didn't want to believe it.
He had always believed that Precht's wise influence was the indispensable foundation that brought Fairy Tail to its current glory.
Precht had patiently taught him how to lead the guild. Of course, in terms of guild leadership and expanding their ranks, Makarov might have eventually surpassed his teacher in some aspects, but it was ultimately Precht who had shaped him.
It was also Precht who, despite facing heavy opposition at the time, firmly handed the guild over to him before leaving on his solitary journey.
To Makarov, Precht was no different from a beloved father and mentor, very much like how Gildarts was to Natsu now.
"Wait! If that is the case, how old must Precht be by now?" Ur raised a logical objection.
"Even you are over eighty years old, Master! Is Precht really still alive?"
Makarov nodded weakly. "He is alive. I have always believed deep down that he was still out there. There is something none of you know—one of the other original founders of Fairy Tail is actually still alive to this very day as well: Warrod Sequen, one of the current Four Gods of Ishgar!"
"Nani?!!" Except for Raizel, all the members stared at Makarov with utterly stunned expressions.
"I had absolutely no idea about this..." Gildarts muttered, momentarily speechless.
"It is true, but he hasn't been involved with the Magic Council or any guild affairs for a very long time," Raizel added. "These past few decades, he has been entirely dedicated to nature conservation and desert control. Thanks to his unique Green Magic, there have been some actual miraculous results."
"You knew about him?" Makarov's eyes widened in surprise, as he had never explicitly mentioned Warrod to Raizel before.
"Yes. The First Master mentioned his name to me once in passing, and I made the historical connection," Raizel nodded.
"I see," Makarov sighed, rubbing his face. "Please, continue..."
"You mean to say that our Second Guild Master established a brand-new guild outside, and it grew to become a Dark Guild? One of the three ultimate leaders of the Balam Alliance?" Ur found this twisted news incredibly hard to swallow.
"I know it is extremely difficult to accept, but it is the truth," Raizel said grimly. "I am not exactly sure how or when he fell so deeply into darkness, but according to what Jellal told me, Precht has been searching everywhere for a way to break Zeref's seal."
"And the intelligence I have now suggests that the entire Grimoire Heart guild, and their massive flying airship, is currently heading straight toward Tenrou Island."
...
Meanwhile, high above the ocean waters near Hargeon Port, the Grimoire Heart airship sailed ominously through the thick clouds.
"Reporting to the Guild Master! We should reach the airspace of Tenrou Island in approximately two hours."
At regular intervals, dark mages would respectfully approach the throne to report their navigational progress to Guild Master Hades.
Hades sat imposing and silent on his elevated throne, his lone visible eye looking down upon his followers.
"Everyone, our final destination is near! When we successfully land on Tenrou Island, our primary target will be locating Zeref!"
"Only by breaking Zeref's seal and reviving him can the Ultimate Magic World truly begin!" Hades roared, painting a grand, twisted vision for his followers.
He delivered his dark, brainwashing speech with absolute conviction—though the tragic irony was that he himself had fully swallowed this very same brainwashing madness years ago.
On either side of the staircase below his throne stood his elite, vanguard members: four on the left, three on the right.
The fearsome Seven Kin of Purgatory.
These were the unparalleled geniuses Precht had personally discovered and raised during his decades of dark travel—individuals perfectly suited to mastering ancient Lost Magic.
Through brutal survival of the fittest, countless bloody battles, and rigorous, cruel selection, they were the absolute greatest among geniuses.
'Accept my gift, Makarov,' Hades thought to himself, a cold sneer forming beneath his mustache.
As the former Second Master of Fairy Tail, Precht naturally knew that this specific time of year was reserved for Fairy Tail's sacred S-Class Mage Exam.
Whether the exams had already concluded or not didn't concern him in the slightest.
After all these years walking in the abyss, his heart had grown entirely cold and detached to his former family.
...
Back at the beach camp on Tenrou Island—
After finishing his heavy explanation, Raizel looked at the gathered examiners.
"That is roughly the situation we are facing. So, what should we do now? Does anyone have any strategic suggestions?"
"Should we immediately suspend the examination?" Cana voiced her opinion nervously.
"If Grimoire Heart attacks, it will be incredibly hard to ensure everyone's safety if the candidates are too spread out across the island. Of course, we still need to stay and fight Grimoire Heart—after all, their goal indirectly threatens Tenrou Island and the world."
"I agree with Cana-san," Wendy said, timidly raising her hand.
"Whether we officially suspend the examination or not is secondary right now," Erza stated. "The most important thing is to urgently inform the other members currently taking the exam about Grimoire Heart's impending attack."
"That is simple enough. You all continue discussing our battle strategy here—I will go ahead and inform them telepathically so they can stay on high alert," Raizel volunteered.
After speaking, Raizel closed his eyes and used his Archive Magic to rapidly compile the terrifying intelligence, directly transmitting the urgent warning into the minds of every Fairy Tail member scattered across the island.
He particularly emphasized that if anyone encountered a dark-haired young man emitting a deathly aura—Zeref—they absolutely shouldn't engage him in combat.
Instead, they were ordered to maintain a safe distance and contact Raizel immediately.
"Finished. They will all know the situation soon enough," Raizel said, opening his eyes.
"I believe the exam can actually proceed, but the core content needs to be radically modified," Laxus suddenly voiced his bold opinion, crossing his massive arms.
"I strongly disagree! This is far too dangerous for them!" Ur argued, vehemently shaking her head.
She completely understood exactly what Laxus was thinking and before he could even elaborate on his battle-hungry idea, she shut it down.
Rationally, Ur knew Laxus had a point about using this as a true test of survival; but emotionally, Ur fiercely opposed putting her students and children in the crosshairs of a deadly Dark Guild.
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator