With the help of Torg, an active member of the Magic Council, the chances of finding a Dragon Lacrima had increased significantly.
On the continent of Ishgar, the Councilors held immense power and resources.
"Fairy Tail?!"
At that moment, Ide, who had been silent, suddenly latched onto a keyword.
Even though he hadn't watched the anime Fairy Tail in his previous life, he had definitely heard of it.
Yes, until this very moment, Ide finally realized exactly what kind of world he had transmigrated into!
"Yes."
"Our destination is the Wizard Guild, Fairy Tail."
Ur paused slightly, looking a bit troubled. "Come to think of it, I haven't told you much about Wizard Guilds, have I?"
"In this world, wizards generally fall into two categories: independent practitioners like us, and professional wizards who belong to various guilds."
Ur began to explain the concept to Ide.
"Professional wizards?"
Ide mulled over the term.
"Exactly."
"The main source of income for these professional wizards is completing jobs posted in their guilds, earning rewards from clients."
"As for Senior Makarov, whom we are looking for, he serves as the Guild Master of Fairy Tail, a famous guild in the Kingdom of Fiore."
Ur explained further.
"I get it."
"So a Wizard Guild is basically a staffing agency or a brokerage platform, right?"
Ide roughly understood the concept.
"Uhh."
"Well."
"How do I put this?"
"A guild isn't quite the same as a staffing agency."
"It's... closer. More like a family."
"Anyway, I can't explain it clearly right now. Once you enter a real guild, you'll understand."
Ur found herself unable to accurately describe the bond between wizards and their guilds.
Realizing her explanation was failing, she decided to drop it. They were heading to a famous guild anyway; he'd see for himself soon enough.
"Okay."
"Whatever you say."
Ide smiled and gently caressed Ur's cheek.
"Cough, cough."
Just as Ide and Ur were displaying their affection as if no one else existed, a cough interrupted them.
"Hm?"
Ide turned around to see Councilor Torg looking at them awkwardly, a helpless expression on his face.
"Councilor Torg, is there something else?"
Ide looked at the man who hadn't left yet, puzzled.
"Actually, just now, I received some information from my subordinates that might be useful to you."
Torg explained.
"Oh?"
"What kind of intel?"
Ide's eyes lit up.
"It's not about a Dragon Lacrima directly, but it is related."
"According to my subordinates, they received a report some time ago that villagers in the outskirts of Rosemary Village in the Kingdom of Fiore claimed to have sighted a Dragon."
"And as far as I know, Dragon Lacrimas are created using materials from Dragons."
Torg shared the intelligence he had just gathered.
"Someone saw a Dragon?"
"Okay, thank you so much! This is very useful."
Ide was thrilled. This information was a godsend.
"However, Mr. Ide."
"There is something I must remind you of."
Seeing Ide so moved by the intel, Torg felt compelled to caution him.
"I advise you not to put too much hope in this. The authenticity of this report is still unverified."
Torg's tone was serious. As a meticulous man who cared about details, unverified reports like this were usually just "rumors" to him.
"In fact, if I hadn't asked my subordinates about Dragon Lacrimas today, those brats wouldn't even have bothered reporting this to me."
"After all, Dragons have vanished from the stage of Ishgar for four hundred years."
"We often receive reports of Dragon sightings, but none have ever been true."
"People on this continent often mistake large flying magical beasts for Dragons."
"I'm telling you this only because you are already heading to Magnolia in the Kingdom of Fiore."
"Rosemary Village happens to be in Fiore as well, so I thought you might want to stop by and check it out on your way."
Torg explained the context.
"Even so, thank you for your help."
"We shouldn't delay. We'll be going now."
Having received the intel about the Dragon, Ide didn't hesitate. He took Ur's hand and immediately set off towards the west.
When it came to Ultear's safety, Ide couldn't afford to wait.
"Mr. Ide, Ms. Ur, I sincerely hope you find what you are looking for."
Councilor Torg watched their retreating figures and offered his heartfelt blessing.
"Councilor Torg, what should we do with Brain's body?"
A Council staff member approached Torg and asked.
"Bury it."
Torg looked at Brain's corpse with disgust.
Honestly, for a villain as heinous as Brain, Torg felt he should just leave the body to be eaten by wild dogs.
But Torg was too soft-hearted. He couldn't stand the thought of the dead not resting in peace, even if they were scum.
And so, the Bureau of Magical Development was completely dismantled by the combined efforts of Ide, Ur, and the Magic Council.
The children who had been kidnapped for experiments were helped by the Council to return to their parents.
---
Meanwhile.
Ide and Ur, carrying Ultear, continued their journey.
One week later.
Inside the Kingdom of Fiore.
"Hey, hey!"
"Isn't this continent a little too big?"
Ide looked at the map of Fiore he had bought from a merchant and sighed.
Before coming here, he had seen the map of Ishgar in the mayor's house. Fiore was just a tiny corner on that map. But now that he was here, he realized this "small country" was actually massive—comparable in size to Alabasta from One Piece, which itself was practically a continent.
It was ridiculously huge.
By Ide's estimation, the entire continent of Ishgar must be at least as big as the entire North Blue.