"I'm pleased to report that we have completed the quest."
Raizel took out a recording lacrima and pushed it to the center of the table.
The image showed Erza defeating Kurnugi, with Kurnugi covered in blood as he admitted defeat.
After that came the performance segment.
Raizel had Kurnugi say a short piece about how he would never attack the Council again, nor would he attack the humans of Guiltina.
That was enough.
Dragons were proud creatures. Once they said something aloud, they would not break their word.
"As expected, leaving it to you was the right choice!"
Karulum's face lit up with joy, and the councilor sitting beside him smiled so widely his face almost looked like a blooming chrysanthemum.
Fairy Tail also had the strength to defeat a giant dragon.
Erza had even done it one-on-one.
Raizel had not made a move at all.
Of course, that was from Guiltina's Magic Council's point of view.
The truth was that Erza had already exhausted her Magic Power by then.
She had only maintained her Requip through sheer willpower, and that could not be seen through the magical recording device.
That draw slash was simply that kind of technique.
It poured all of her Magic Power into one strike.
Better to shatter like jade than remain whole like clay.
Although inviting Raizel and the others over also required them to pay a reward, just look at them.
Look at Raizel.
Look at Ultear and Mira.
Look at the Mages from Ishgar.
They were humble and polite!
With this, Guiltina's Magic Council would no longer have to rely solely on Georg Reizen, a man who could not be communicated with, was arrogant and untamed, and looked down on everyone.
When facing Georg Reizen, they wanted to get angry, but they could not beat him.
They were bearing pressure they should not have had to bear at their age.
Every single time, they had to pay a massive price, and even after a dragon was killed, the Council could not gain any benefits.
The dragon meat would be distributed by Georg Reizen among his subordinates, while the Dragon Slayer Lacrima would be sold to various continents, going to the highest bidder.
On top of that, the Council still had to pay him an enormous reward.
For Georg Reizen, killing a dragon achieved three things at once.
He displayed his own strength.
He strengthened his guild.
And he made a fortune by selling Dragon Slayer Lacrima while also collecting the Council's reward.
The man had truly figured it all out.
The Council had honestly had enough, which was why they had attempted to contact Ishgar's Magic Council.
Originally, they had not held much hope.
After all, the opponent was a dragon.
Who would have thought that the Magic Council on Ishgar's side would not seem especially concerned about dragons?
So they had dispatched their fastest magical assault boat, traveling light, barely resting day or night as they rushed straight toward Ishgar.
In truth, that was because the one who had taken the communication was Jellal.
And this guy had spoken without even the slightest change in expression or heartbeat.
On top of that, he had personally witnessed the battle of five dragons plus Raizel against the Black Dragon.
The destructive power of the Fire Dragon King Igneel and the Black Dragon Acnologia could change the terrain with every move.
Compared to those two, other dragons had to step back a little.
Because of that, the impression Jellal gave Guiltina's Magic Council was basically:
"What do I think of giant dragons? Like targets already marked for execution."
Jellal had only just been about to say that they needed to discuss it first, but the other side had already hung up.
After Ultear accepted the check worth twenty-four million Jewel from Karulum, the quest was considered perfectly completed.
This check was valid at banks across all three continents.
Once they returned to Ishgar, they could exchange it there.
...
On one night during their journey toward the guild Magia Dragon—
A spatial passage appeared in front of the temporary tents Raizel's group had set up.
The sky looked somewhat strange.
Dark clouds had originally covered the moon, but as the spatial passage appeared, the clouds gradually scattered.
Erza, Mira, and Kagura immediately went on guard.
Kurnugi vaguely felt that this Magic Power was very familiar.
"It's a dragon!"
After smelling the familiar scent, Wendy frowned tightly.
Under the bright moonlight, the spatial passage grew larger and larger. The Magic Power contained within it was enough to make everyone secretly click their tongues.
Raizel also felt that this Magic Power was very familiar.
After all, they had been peeping at each other for a month now.
And among the Five Dragon Gods, there was only one who could use spatial Magic and freely travel across continents and worlds—the Moon Dragon God Selene.
A long, fair leg wearing a wooden sandal stepped out of the spatial passage first.
Then a beautiful, voluptuous woman slowly walked out.
She had long, pale golden hair, a hood with a crescent moon accessory, loose clothing, broad and generous curves, and wooden sandals on her feet.
The Moon Dragon God—Selene.
After arriving before everyone, Selene swept her gaze over them.
Even when she looked at Kurnugi, she merely glanced at him once and paid him no further attention.
Feeling the hostility from Ultear, Erza, and the others, Selene frowned slightly.
But then she remembered what Raizel had once said to Kurnugi.
Hostility did not mean one had to fight. It was entirely possible to turn hostility into peace.
If she wanted to become the strongest human, then she had to properly learn the ways humans behaved.
Since Ultear and the others had not made a move yet, she would endure for a while.
Her attention was focused mainly on Raizel.
This young man possessed Magic Power far beyond what someone his age should have.
Among everyone here, the only one who could threaten her was Raizel.
Raizel did not know what Selene was planning.
And Selene did not know how she should begin speaking.
So the whole group simply stared at one another in silence.
'How did they greet people again? Hello?'
Selene stood there, somewhat lost in thought, recalling how Raizel and the others had communicated with ordinary people.
"I wonder if you are the Moon Dragon God, Selene...?"
Raizel hesitated for a long time, unsure whether he should call her "Lady," "Madam," or something else.
"The Moon Dragon God? Isn't that Kurnugi's..."
The moment Raizel finished speaking, Ultear and the others all turned their gazes toward Kurnugi.
It was worth mentioning that Kurnugi was much calmer than them.
With an unchanging expression and a voice as still as ancient water, Kurnugi said, "That's right. She is my mother."
"Why are you so calm about this?!" Lucy could not stop herself from shouting.
Selene did not mind Kurnugi's tone either.
As far as she was concerned, as long as Kurnugi was not dead, that was enough.
He could live however he wanted.
Selene remembered that when Raizel, Ultear, and the others addressed one another, they did not use honorific titles like "Lady" or "Your Excellency."
She nodded slightly.
"That is correct. There is no need to use an honorific, you may call me Selene since your strength is sufficient."
Among dragons, age was not important.
Strength was supreme.
As long as one was strong enough, one could even call the Fire Dragon King Igneel a brother.
And if one was stronger than the Fire Dragon King, then even if one was much younger than him, one could absolutely call him little brother.
After hearing Selene's answer, Ultear and the others all withdrew their Magic Power and weapons.
They understood now.
Selene had not come here to fight.
Nor had she come for some kind of "bringing home the runaway child" drama.
The reason Selene had appeared was mainly because of Raizel's group's destination—Magia Dragon.
She felt it was necessary to show herself first.
Otherwise, Raizel and the others might easily be misled by the Law Dragon Elefseria and label her as an evil dragon.
Through observing Fairy Tail's group during this period, Selene had come to understand one thing.
Whiteout Mages, other Dragon Slayer weapons, and things like that were useless.
The ones who could truly help her fulfill her wish were Raizel, Erza, and the others.