Even though Elefseria understood the reasoning, it was still a wound he could not simply step over when he had been the one to suffer it.
He lifted his tear-streaked face and spoke through a choked voice.
"For a hundred years, I have never been able to forget the friends who fell after we lost to the dragons! Even though I know that we humans were also at fault, I still cannot let go of what happened!"
The companions Elefseria had lost were like a massive stone pressing down on his heart, leaving him unable to breathe.
Whenever he slept, the memories of that day returned to haunt him, making it impossible to forget.
Selene and Mercphobia both rose from their seats.
"Selene..."
"Lord Water Dragon!"
The two lowered their heads slightly, clearly preparing to apologize.
Elefseria bowed his head as tears continued falling.
Then he cried out hysterically,
"Don't apologize! An apology will only make this old man look even more miserable!!!"
"Sorry."
Selene's expressionless apology was remarkably brief.
Mercphobia was clearly much more sincere.
He bowed deeply to Elefseria.
"I am sorry. I do not know whether I was responsible for the deaths of any of your friends, but I am still willing to apologize for it."
Elefseria's expression changed several times in rapid succession—first bewilderment, then conflict, and finally relief.
Raizel felt as though he had just watched an entire face-changing performance.
"Hahahaha—!"
Elefseria threw his head back and laughed, as if a burden had finally been lifted from him.
Selene looked at Raizel and Irene in confusion.
"Was my apology that amusing?"
"..."
Neither of them knew how to answer.
Mercphobia said nothing. He understood that Elefseria had finally begun to let go.
Elefseria stood and planted both hands on the table. Then he bent forward until his forehead rested against its surface.
"This old man must apologize as well. Humans took the lives of dragons without reason. Both sides committed wrongs."
"I am sorry."
Raizel also stood and tentatively suggested,
"How about... both sides shake hands?"
Selene refused without hesitation.
"No. That's far too sentimental!"
Mercphobia and Elefseria, however, clasped hands and exchanged smiles.
Everyone present finally let out a collective sigh of relief.
Natsu rubbed beneath his nose excitedly.
"So this means we've sealed two Dragon Gods, right?"
"That's great!"
Lucy and Wendy exchanged a high five, their voices carrying a hint of disbelief that it had actually worked.
A delighted smile Selene could not quite suppress appeared on her lips.
"From now on, we can speak amicably... Perhaps that is asking too much, but meaningful conversation is only possible when both sides begin by respecting one another."
Selene then raised the question once more.
"So you truly have no idea where Athena is?"
"I am not deceiving you. It was a weapon created by my late disciple, but it no longer exists in any world."
Selene remained certain.
"No. Athena still exists somewhere in this world."
"Even if that is true, I don't know where she is."
Selene also explained Athena to the others—humanity's negative legacy, a weapon allegedly capable of defeating the Dragon Gods.
Elefseria sighed.
"It is not that I refuse to tell you. After losing my heart, I also lost my memories of where Athena was buried."
Selene accepted his explanation.
"Regardless, I will continue searching for Athena. We still have the Gold Dragon God, Viernes, to deal with."
...
Outside the Magia Dragon guild hall—
Before everyone departed, Elefseria said, "Although Selene and Mercphobia's situations can be considered a form of 'sealing,' the Wood, Gold, and Fire Dragon Gods remain threats. You must continue the 100 Years Quest."
Selene had already explained that the Wood Dragon God treated humans as nourishment, while the Fire Dragon God was obsessed with battle.
Unfortunately, Elefseria did not know the current locations of the remaining three Dragon Gods either.
Selene raised an eyebrow at Raizel with a teasing expression.
"I don't know where Viernes or Ignia are, but I do know where Aldoron is. He is in Drasil, at the center of Guiltina."
"As for the rest... you'll understand when you arrive. That settles everything here. Irene and I will leave to search for Athena."
Raizel looked puzzled.
"What's with that expression? What are you trying to imply? Wouldn't it be easier to just say it directly?"
A mysterious smile curved Selene's lips.
"No. I'm looking forward to seeing your expression when you meet Aldoron."
Mercphobia said,
"Karameel and I will return to Ermina. If you require assistance with anything, you may contact me at any time."
Although Selene's expression and tone left Raizel curious, he did not press the matter. He nodded to Mercphobia.
"Understood. Have a safe journey! We'll head out and search for the Wood Dragon God first."
Elefseria stood nearby with his staff.
He first looked up at Selene and Mercphobia, then lowered his gaze again.
When he raised his head once more, a smile had appeared on his face.
"Farewell, Selene. Mercphobia."
"And thank you, Irene."
Irene's expression immediately became more solemn, and she gave him a slight nod.
"There is no need to thank me. This was Belserion's wish, and it is mine as well."
Selene smiled with a sense of relief.
"Farewell."
Mercphobia gave a soft laugh.
"Farewell. Should you ever feel inclined, you are welcome to visit Ermina."
...
After leaving Magia Dragon, Wendy, Lucy, and the others were clearly in excellent spirits.
When asked why, they explained, "It always felt as though we were hiding something from the Law Dragon. And we're also happy that Mercphobia, Selene, and Elefseria managed to reconcile."
Selene had long since become their friend.
Naturally, they were happy to see one of their friend's burdens finally resolved.
At first, Raizel had also thought the situation would be difficult to handle, mainly because he had not known whether Selene's personality would allow her to lower herself and apologize.
However, she had already proven in Elentear that she was not quite as prideful as she appeared, so the outcome did not surprise him that much.
There was no need to rush the 100 Years Quest.
The Five Dragon Gods had not appeared publicly for a very long time.
For Raizel's group, finding them was likely far more difficult than confronting them.
To experience more of Guiltina's customs and scenery while searching for the Wood Dragon God Aldoron, the group initially planned to take a train to Tekka.
However, to accommodate Natsu and Wendy's motion sickness—mainly Wendy's—they ultimately decided to travel aboard the Destiny.
It was their own airship, after all. They could stop whenever they wished to restock supplies or explore somewhere interesting.
Ultear used spatial Magic to place the airship on the plains, and everyone boarded the Destiny before setting off for Drasil.
They traveled at a relaxed pace, stopping several times along the way, until the airship finally landed on the outskirts of Drasil.
The city's prosperity far exceeded anything they had imagined.
Drasil was made up of five separate urban districts, and even a single one of them was large enough to rival Crocus.
Lucy gazed at the surrounding buildings and the endless crowds in amazement.
"Is this place even larger and more prosperous than Crocus?"
Erza placed her hands on her hips and suddenly found herself unsure which way to go.
"There are so many people..."
Drasil was extraordinarily lively, and it seemed to attract a huge number of tourists.
The crowds were so dense that Erza had eventually been forced to put the luggage she had been pulling into her spatial storage.
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