Chapter 246

"Chairman!"

"Old man."

"Grandpa Chairman…"

The moment Makarov appeared, Natsu and the others felt as if they had found their anchor, their faces lighting up with relief.

Natsu, even more excited, stepped forward immediately—but halfway there, Makarov roared out.

"Step back, Natsu!"

"Do you intend to openly defy the Fapingyi Society?"

……

"But… why, Old Man?" Natsu said angrily: "Have you forgotten how Ace helped us before?"

"Yes, Chairman!" Gray also stepped forward: "If we don't act now, Ace will really be taken away by them."

"Shut up, Natsu, Gray—do you not trust the Chairman?"

At that moment, Erza spoke to Natsu and Gray from behind Makarov.

"The situation is still unclear—do you know what consequences a hasty move might trigger?"

"But!"

"Natsu!"

Just as Natsu was about to say more, he saw Makarov's face darken.

"And just now, I received word: Blackbeard Tichi has indeed become both a councilor and a Celestial King."

"How is that possible! How could that guy—don't the councilors know what he's done?" Lucy said in disbelief.

She couldn't believe a man who killed his own comrades for power could become a Celestial King, a Saintly Ten.

In response, Makarov could only fall silent.

"I just received word that the man called Blackbeard brought two corpses yesterday to demonstrate his sincerity to the councilors."

"Corpses?" Lucy and the others looked bewildered.

"After thorough investigation, the two corpses have been confirmed: one is the Vice Chairman of the Xinzangde Society, the other is Brian—the former head of the Kaifa Bureau, now leader of the Mojiangjun Society."

"According to Blackbeard, had the Xia Organization not intervened at the last moment, even the Chairman of the Xinzangde Society would already be dead in his hands."

"What!" Everyone's faces turned stunned upon hearing Makarov's words.

The Lamutong Alliance has always been the Fapingyi Society's number-one enemy, and the Mojiangjun Society, its most active faction, has long been a thorn in the Fapingyi Society's side.

Not only the Council, but every Zhengguigong Society also considers the Lamutong Alliance an enemy.

Now, Blackbeard has not only killed the Vice Chairman of the Xinzangde Society, but also eliminated the Fapingyi Society's longtime nemesis—the Mojiangjun Society—and nearly killed the Chairman of the Xinzangde Society.

Such strength is more than enough to qualify as a Celestial King.

"But… that still isn't enough to become a councilor," Lucy said bitterly.

"Indeed, these alone are insufficient," Erza said solemnly.

Though Blackbeard has earned great merit and possesses immense power, it still doesn't erase his identity as an outsider from another world.

Makarov shook his head.

"In fact, the councilors have been bitterly divided over this—but after that, Blackbeard threw out another bargaining chip, and it was precisely because of this that they finally agreed."

"That chip: after becoming a councilor, he will reveal to the Fapingyi Society the method of crossing between worlds during his succession ceremony."

"What!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone present wore expressions of shock.

In truth, the entire Magic World has been searching for a way to cross between worlds—but so far, they've found nothing.

The Fairies once considered asking Ace and Lanshan, but one vanished suddenly, the other came from a world of the dead.

Ace's sudden visit yesterday had made them consider asking him again, but after deciding to hold a banquet, they forgot about it entirely.

"But… are we just going to let this go?" Natsu clenched his fists, teeth gritted.

"Natsu, consider the Chairman's feelings—do you think he wants this?"

Erza stepped forward to soothe him.

"Do you know how severe the consequences would be if we act here?"

Hearing this, everyone's eyes quickly dimmed—including Makarov's.

Is Makarov truly heartless?

The answer is certainly no.

He has never forgotten Ace's kindness.

In Makarov's heart, gentle, kind Ace is no different from any other family member.

But,

If they strike at the councilors, they will be seen as outright defiance of the Fapingyi Society—and the consequences are beyond what he can bear.

If Makarov were alone, he could have fought like he did against Red Dog—charging forward bravely.

Because he knew that even if he died, his old comrades would still support his guild.

So it would not fall into ruin under his watch, the guild founded by the First Generation.

But this time, Makarov faces an unprecedented dilemma—he cannot act rashly; if he does, not only will he suffer, but he will drag down his other children as well.

Moreover, even if he acted, Makarov could not guarantee he would definitively defeat the opponent.

He has slain the Mojiangjun Society's Chairman 'Wu', defeated the Xinzangde Society's Chairman, and killed the Vice Chairman—those alone prove Blackbeard's power far exceeds his own.

And merely standing there, Makarov could already feel the pressure emanating from the man.

"So it seems you have no intention of acting. I truly overestimated you."

"Hehehehehehehe!"

Seeing that Makarov had no intention of making a move, Hu Zi glanced over with a flicker of disappointment before turning away with a smile, that wild laughter stabbing into everyone's hearts like so many sharp thorns.

……

"President, is this really the only way?"

Only after Hu Zi's figure had completely vanished from view did Natsu slowly speak.

His earlier form of address for Makarov had shifted from 'Old Man' to President.

Although Natsu was impulsive at times, he wasn't completely clueless, and he could understand the President's choice just now.

It's just…

He still wished Makarov would give the order and let him fight.

Hearing this, Makarov could only shake his head helplessly once more.

"I'm sorry, Natsu. I can't let the whole of Fairy Tail fall into trouble just for one person."

"All I can do is try my best to see if, through the Pingyi Society, I can rescue Ace."

"Don't worry. Although the charge of assaulting a councilor is serious, considering the forces behind Ace, the councilors of the Pingyi Society won't dare act rashly."

"Trust me, at most the council will make a show of detaining him for a few days, and he'll be released very soon."