Jehfrit returned to the guild and shared the information with everyone.
The members all looked toward Master Makarov, a storm of emotions brewing.
Thud!
Makarov slammed his fist on the counter and declared, "In one hour, the entire guild departs!"
"Alright!!!"
Everyone raised their fists in unison, cheering loudly.
The meeting point was set for an hour later at Magnolia Station. Jehfrit also needed to return home to prepare.
"Master, I'm going too!" Emily said with a serious expression.
"Alright," Jehfrit didn't refuse.
Though Emily's combat abilities weren't yet strong enough to make a significant impact, this would be a chance for her to hone her magical techniques and fighting skills.
Besides, leaving her behind while everyone else went wouldn't sit well with him.
"What about Miralit?" Ikuto asked.
[TN: the dog]
"I'll leave her with Sister Marcy at the church for a while," Jehfrit replied.
"I'll take her. I only need to pack a few clothes, but you'll need more time to prepare," Ikuto said, taking Milalet and leaving.
"Emily," Jehfrit ruffled Emily's hair and said, "You once said Deception Magic is a magic that brings happiness, but I've always dragged you into battles. This time, it might even involve killing."
Jehfrit's eyes carried a hint of guilt.
"No, Master, I understand," Emily said earnestly. "Happiness has never been achieved through retreat. The foundation of happiness is peace, and peace has never been granted through concessions!"
"I was mentally prepared when I began learning Deception Magic."
Emily caressed the blade Jehfrit had given her—Sakura Fall. For battle, she couldn't use the wooden training sword.
She declared firmly, "I'm ready to kill if necessary."
After saying this, she stared directly into Jehfrit's eyes without flinching.
This girl wasn't weak. Though she often acted spoiled, pretended to cry, or clung to others like a pampered child, she understood right from wrong.
Initially, her reason for learning magic was simply to bring happiness to people.
But after truly entering the world of mages, she realized that such an approach alone couldn't genuinely help anyone.
Gentleness was essential!
Strength was indispensable!
Jehfrit was her role model—cautious toward enemies yet gentle toward comrades.
Emily might not be ruthless to her foes, but she wouldn't act like a naive saint either!
She wouldn't torture enemies, but if they crossed her path in battle, she'd strike them down without hesitation!
The basic requirement for bringing happiness was peace!
And peace was never achieved through retreat or prayer!
Jehfrit smiled warmly. "I guess I haven't been as attentive to you as I should."
"Mm." Normally, Emily would have pouted and leaned on him at this moment, but now, with Mirajane captured, her mood was heavy, and she stood solemnly like a little adult.
"Are you done packing?" Jehfrit asked.
"Yes," Emily nodded.
"Let's go."
Jehfrit locked the door and walked with Emily to Magnolia Station.
By then, many members had already gathered.
The townsfolk watching were astonished. Was Fairy Tail mobilizing the entire guild?
Who were they planning to fight?
At this scale, who knew which city would suffer next!
As expected, there was no delay.
Within an hour, everyone had assembled.
After roll call by Makarov, the entire guild boarded the train.
Seeing the mages' serious expressions, even the usually friendly townsfolk refrained from disturbing them.
The full mobilization of Fairy Tail shook the entire kingdom.
After openly defeating Phantom Lord, annihilating the notorious Eight Knights in Aharnita Town, and leading the charge against Oración Seis, this guild had become widely recognized as the strongest.
They were the leaders in combating dark guilds.
Now,
the big brother had suddenly moved—Guild Master Makarov, leading the entire guild, everyone's faces stern, clearly preparing for a fight. This stirred everyone's hearts.
The light guilds were curious, eager to watch the drama unfold.
The dark guilds trembled in fear, worried they might be next, too scared to cause trouble.
Only the reporters bravely approached, interviewing Makarov and obtaining firsthand information.
"Fairy Tail is targeting the 'Roya' organization in the Kingdom of Reiken Cafelia, and they will not accept mediation from any person or organization!"
From ordinary citizens to court ministers, even the King of Reiken Cafelia was utterly baffled.
They knew of the Roya organization—wasn't it a charity group?
How had they provoked the mighty and uncivilised Fairy Tail?
And judging from their attitude, Fairy Tail intended to completely destroy them. The last time Fairy Tail showed such sharpness was during their conflict with Phantom Lord.
Regardless of what Roya had done,
the King of Reiken Cafelia cursed loudly.
Damn!
Their small nation couldn't withstand the chaos powerful mages like these could cause.
Even Fiore Kingdom found this concerning—it could easily escalate into a diplomatic incident.
A powerful guild within their borders mobilizing en masse to attack an organization in another country.
If interpreted negatively, it could look like Fiore bullying a weaker nation.
Or worse—were they planning to go to war?
Yet Fiore itself was fairly laid-back, being a permanently neutral country.
In response,
the King of Fiore immediately contacted the Magic Council, urging them to intervene. He also personally reached out to Makarov.
But Makarov simply handed the communication crystal to Jehfrit.
Jehfrit, along with Laxus, Gildarts, and Erza, simultaneously stated, "Fairy Tail will ignore any outside interference this time!"
All parties involved were stunned.
This guild was already chaotic on a normal day, but now they were outright mad!
Later,
reporters uncovered some inside information: Mirajane had been captured by the Roya organization.
Upon hearing this, both the king's side and the Magic Council pressured the higher-ups of Reiken Cafelia to order the Roya organization to apologize and release the hostage to resolve the misunderstanding.
The King of Reiken Cafelia immediately summoned a representative from the Roya organization, but their response was equally rigid.
"We're looking forward to a battle with Fairy Tail."
Are you idiots?
Challenging Fairy Tail? You're just a charity organization—do you even have the strength?
But the King of Reiken Cafelia wasn't foolish. He soon realized this organization had deep roots in the country. If they dared provoke Fairy Tail, even if they couldn't win, they must have some backing.
After understanding this, he made a smart decision.
Thus, the next day's headline read—His Majesty the King of Reiken Cafelia, accompanied by his family, visits Fiore Kingdom. His Majesty the King of Fiore warmly welcomes him and invites him to tour the Royal Guard Parade.
In simple terms,
the King of Reiken Cafelia fled.
He didn't have powerful mages at his disposal, certainly none like those in Fairy Tail.
And since Roya was challenging Fairy Tail, they must have a scheme.
Why would he stay in the country? It would be dangerous!
He read novels too!
Generally, such organizations always had their eyes on the throne!
This exposure turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Let Fairy Tail crush them—even if a city gets destroyed, when he returns, at least he'll sleep soundly!
Before leaving, he ordered the court to continue operating as usual but to treat Fairy Tail as tourists.
Whatever they broke, they could tally up afterward and send the bill to the Magic Council. This guild frequently caused destruction, but their reputation wasn't bad because they always compensated afterward. Even if they couldn't pay this time, the Magic Council would surely cover it—after all, everyone had pride. Fiore Kingdom would contribute something too.
So, there was no need to panic or overreact—just ignore them.
"This king is really..."
The group stepping into the Kingdom of Reiken Cafelia felt mixed emotions as they read these headlines.
"Cowardly, yes, but clever," Jehfrit commented.
"Will that Roya organization dare to move against the king?" Emily asked curiously.
"It doesn't matter," Jehfrit replied. "It's none of our concern. No matter what their plan is, we're here to openly beat them."
Of course,
Jehfrit didn't say it aloud.
It was obvious the enemy had laid a trap—a carefully woven net, waiting for them to walk into.
But,
the gap in power could shatter any conspiracy or scheme!
After a long journey, everyone was exhausted. Before the battle, they needed proper rest.
So they checked into an inn.
Late at night,
Jehfrit stepped out of the inn.
"Jehfrit," Tiffany appeared at the end of the street, waving to him.
Jehfrit walked over. Her body was translucent—it was a Thought Projection.
"Those people just returned, planning to take Miss Mirajane deeper into their organization. I can't infiltrate further."
"Can't Mirajane resist?" Jehfrit asked.
"They're using a special cage—it's extremely sturdy, and her magic has been sealed. I wanted to save her, but my magic hasn't fully recovered. If I tried, I'd likely get myself captured too," Tiffany explained.
Not long ago, during the battle with Ansa in Edolas, Jehfrit had nearly drained Tiffany's blood and magic.
Although she was slowly recovering, her current strength was far from her peak.
These people were strong. If they could capture Mirajane, even injured, Tiffany risking a fight could mean walking straight into a trap.
So, she could only follow covertly.
"You've been investigating this organization recently?" Jehfrit asked.
"Yes," Tiffany nodded. "Master told me this group studies demons extensively—they'll eventually cause trouble, and they're likely to target us too."
"So, you're demons," Jehfrit remarked.
"We're spirits, forest-born spirits!" Tiffany snapped, frustrated. "Have you ever seen a demon as beautiful as us?!"
"Miko..." Jehfrit said. "Mirajane looks pretty good in her demon form too."
"...," Tiffany clenched her fists, glaring. "If I weren't a Thought Projection, I'd punch you!"
"Alright, let's talk business," Jehfrit said. "Tell me everything you've investigated."
"Mm, Master also instructed me to assist you fully," Tiffany nodded.
Truthfully, Tiffany hadn't uncovered much.
The Roya organization rose to prominence twenty years ago. Its leader, Roya, was a self-made businessman now in his sixties. After achieving success, Roya began funding the poor, and this charitable organization gradually grew.
The Roya organization had a good reputation in the country.
But obviously, this wasn't their true face.
Studying demons?
Jehfrit recalled their past encounters.
On Galuna Island, they targeted Deliora.
During the Oración Seis incident, they seemed less interested in Nirvana and more focused on him.
"I see," Jehfrit nodded. "That old man survived Galuna Island incident and subsequently set his sights on me—or rather, Miko."
An organization studying demons would naturally be interested in demons.
And Miko represented the pinnacle of demons, the closest embodiment of truth among demon-kind.
As experts in this field, they'd undoubtedly recognize her value and covet her.
Mirajane being targeted made sense too.
After all, she was the Demon Queen, having absorbed many demons.
"I'll handle this personally," Jehfrit said.
Tiffany lacked the talent for infiltration and hadn't obtained much information. Jehfrit decided to take matters into his own hands.
"No!" Tiffany immediately protested. "Many of them use magnetic field magic. And to counter your Deception Magic, they'll surely devise ways to exploit its weaknesses."
"This organization is your natural enemy. You're better off defeating them together with your guild."
"I know."
Tiffany tugged at Jehfrit's sleeve, looking at him earnestly. Her tone was gentle yet filled with persuasion. "To protect your comrades, you always prefer to control the situation, keeping everything within manageable limits. That's your style, leveraging your Deception Magic effectively."
"But Jehfrit, this situation is different."
"You need to hold back."
"You're right," Jehfrit said.
Tiffany brightened, thinking she'd convinced him. But to her surprise, Jehfrit shook his head. "But I refuse."
"You stubborn fool!" Tiffany exclaimed angrily. "Are you letting anger cloud your judgment? This is clearly a disadvantageous situation for you!"
"No," Jehfrit replied. "I know they'll detect me, but I'm intentionally walking into their trap."
"Why?" Tiffany was puzzled.
"To ensure Mirajane's safety," Jehfrit said. "Their ultimate target is me. If we launch a direct guild-wide battle, they'll use Mirajane to threaten us, putting us at a disadvantage."
"I'll exchange myself for Mirajane."
"But!" Tiffany quickly interjected. "If they capture you, they'll use you to threaten your guild too!"
"I trust Miko," Jehfrit said. "And you should trust me."
If Mirajane were captured, she'd have little means to resist.
Miko wouldn't protect Mirajane—it wasn't about closeness but principle.
Miko was a demon, and contracts were sacred to demons!
So if Jehfrit exchanged himself for the hostage, he believed that no matter how dangerous the situation became, Miko would protect him.
Besides—
Magnetic fields could sense him.
But they couldn't nullify Deception Magic.
Even if deception failed, once the time came, he'd still execute them directly!
The enemy might not know Jehfrit's trump card. What if they got careless?
This was indeed a gamble.
But Jehfrit wouldn't lose his life—so why not take the risk?