dmims Chapter 142 Chess, everyone in the council owes you a favor!
Chapter 142 Chess, everyone in the council owes you a favor!
Chapter 142 Chess, everyone in the council owes you a favor!
cough cough.
A cough drew everyone's attention.
Gerald, who was lying on the ground, woke up and stared at the sky with resentment in his eyes.
The amusement park project was just one step away from success, and he simply couldn't accept his defeat.
"No! This can't end like this! Wait, wait for Lord Zeref! I will definitely resurrect you and bring the free Great Magic World to the world!"
Even though he saw no chance, Gerald still dragged his badly injured body and crawled slowly toward the sea.
"Jeral—" Erza sighed softly.
Perhaps it's because of the long time that has passed, or perhaps it's due to the influence of Chase.
Seeing the man she once admired now in such a destitute state, for some reason, she didn't feel much emotion; her feelings weren't as intense or complicated as she had expected.
All that remains is regret and heartache.
According to Ultear, she only used Zeref's existence to deliberately amplify the evil thoughts in Jellal's heart, and did not directly modify Jellal's memories.
In other words, everything that happened at the Tower of Paradise was actually caused by Gerald based on his own will, and cannot be simply excused by the word "being controlled".
Everything was over, and Erza was unwilling to figure out whose responsibility it was.
Exhausted, she just wanted to get back to Lucy's house in Magnolia as soon as possible, take a nice bath, get some sleep, and then start a new day of guild life!
"Um, Miss Ultear, is there no way to restore him to his original state?" the kind-hearted Lucy asked tentatively.
Urudia withdrew her sorrowful gaze, her eyes dimming as she shook her head: "I've been trying all this time, but his obsession is already deeply ingrained, and it will take a long time to change it."
"Furthermore, I can't be sure if he will still be him by then."
"Unless we can make him lose all his current memories and then use new experiences to awaken the kind nature within him—"
After nearly half a month of persuasion, this was the only solution that Urutia could think of.
"I see, why didn't you say so sooner? It's such a simple thing!"
Natsu clenched his fists, looking eager to try, and laughed, "Let me smash his head with my Fire Fist!"
Lucy: "Are you the devil?!"
"A feverish mind needs an ice pack." Gray's palm radiated a chill.
Lucy: "You're even more unreliable than Natsu!"
"Oh my! How about we treat him to our prized, top-quality, unprocessed seafood? He'll definitely feel better after that!"
"Are you serious?!" Lucy really didn't know how to retort.
These guys look like the ones who really want Gerald dead!
"I'm telling you guys, it's one thing to treat Lucy like this normally, but don't meddle in things like this."
In the end, Chase stepped forward, flipping the card between his fingers, "Let's leave the professional stuff to the professionals."
The card is flipped over, revealing the magic card "Brainwashing"!
Although I was a little shocked that Ultear had found the amnesia route from the original work, such things were just too mysterious.
It's not like they're going to replicate the original storyline, push Jellal into the sea, and then have the Oración Seis come to retrieve him, is it?
Since Gerald was brainwashed by Ultear, let's just get him brainwashed back in a simple and brutal way!
"What, what are you going to do?!"
Gerald, struggling to escape, noticed Chase walking slowly towards him, his crazed eyes filled with terror.
He was now completely powerless to resist.
Chess didn't bother arguing with him and immediately activated the card's effect.
A pair of terrifying demonic hands emerged from the lit magic circle, piercing through Gerald's skin and flesh, and reaching straight for his brain.
"Aaaaaaah!!!"
A piercing pain struck, and Gerald let out a heart-wrenching howl.
Unlike brainwashing ordinary people like Jiude, brainwashing the Ten Great Mages is extremely difficult, and a slight mistake can lead to a backlash.
In addition, Gerald's rebellious spirit was too strong, so Chase couldn't care less about giving him a better experience.
Erza and Lucy and the other girls turned their faces away, unable to bear to look.
Nazsimone and the others looked quite solemn.
Everyone trusted Chase a lot, knowing that he wouldn't mess things up when it came to serious matters.
The pitiful cries echoed across the island, lasting for nearly a minute before gradually subsiding.
Gerald fainted again.
"H-how is it?" Urutia asked hurriedly.
Chess raised his hand to wipe the dense beads of sweat from his forehead: "It should be almost done, but after he wakes up and regains his magic, he'll need some time to be guided. I'll leave this troublesome matter to you."
Gerald is just too strong. Unless the brainwashing is kept in a constant state, it's hard to achieve the same incisive effect as Judl.
Not to mention that his situation is different from Jiude's!
Upon hearing this, Erza and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.
"But Mr. Chess, I—" Ultear looked troubled.
Gerald will definitely be imprisoned and punished later.
She was deeply sinful and had no right to remain in the council as a member of parliament. She wanted to return to the heart of the devil to rescue Melty and settle things with Chairman Hades.
"This is the limit of what I can do. You don't expect me to clean up your mess for you, do you?" Chase raised an eyebrow.
"You, you've misunderstood! I had absolutely no such thoughts!" Urudia hurriedly waved her hands.
"It's not impossible, but it will cost more." Chase's voice came almost simultaneously.
"Huh?" Ultear was dumbfounded.
After regaining her composure, she said with a dejected expression, "Having done something like this, I no longer deserve to remain in the Council of Councillors—"
She deliberately avoided the question of the heart of the demon of the Dark Guild.
It's not that we don't trust Chase and the others, it's just that Chairman Hades is too terrifying, having reached a level that humans could never possibly reach!
Ultear has not yet officially returned to the heart of the devil and is unaware of Hades' upcoming actions against Fairy Tail. She simply does not want her benefactors to have any connection with the extremely dangerous Guild Master Hades.
"That won't do. If you leave the council now, all our work will have been for nothing."
Chess said in an irrefutable tone, "Fairy Tail will be under your protection from now on!"
Because of his intervention, the Council of Judges was not destroyed and rebuilt as it was in the original story.
Judging from the subsequent developments in the original work, Speaker Crawford Himm was a fool who coveted money and power.
And their staunch supporter of Fairy Tail, old man Yajima, is probably about to retire.
Since the Magic Guild is under the jurisdiction of the Council of Magic, and there's no one in it, they don't even know when it will be disbanded.
In this situation, it would be quite good for Urtia to be the second supporter!
Of course, Ultear and Zikrein have been very close, and the council will definitely investigate them closely.
Chess had confidence in Ultear's abilities—after all, he had been lying low for so many years.
Such direct words left Urudia speechless.
"Don't you want to atone for your sins? Staying in the council will allow you to better combat evil!" Mira said with a smile, revealing Chase's true thoughts.
She knew Chase too well.
He wouldn't keep Ultear in the council for the guild's benefit, or more accurately, not entirely for the guild's benefit.
"Don't worry, we won't tell you about your relationship with Jellal." Erza, who also saw through the situation, walked over.
After she finished speaking, she looked up at Simon and the others, especially Hugh.
"I...I'll listen to Elsa—" Hugh turned his head away and said reluctantly.
The dark-skinned boy's blush said it all.
Simon, Wally, and Milliana had even less objection.
For them, being able to get rid of Jellal and reunite with Erza was the greatest fortune they could ever hope for!
"Hahaha! That sounds pretty good."
Natsu laughed heartily, "Utia, please take care of the complaints from now on!"
"Urudia is no excuse for you to do whatever you want! We still have to pay for the damage you've done!"
Lucy quickly added with a sarcastic remark, "And besides, before asking someone for a favor, at least pronounce their name correctly!"
"Feed Ultear. If you have any good requests in the future, remember to let us know first." Gray was even more direct.
"Grey, the clothes."
"Huh? When?!"
"Lord Gray looks so handsome even without clothes on! Juvia, come on over too!"
"Huh?! A perverted slut has emerged from the sea!!"
Seeing that the others had made the decision on their own, Urudia hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
All her words turned into a soft sigh. Feeling everyone's good intentions, she finally accepted the fact.
Having made up her mind, Ultear took out the crystal ball and began contacting the council.
The Tower of Paradise incident involves the Black Magic Cult and many innocent people, with extremely negative consequences. It's necessary to send someone over to investigate.
Various follow-up tasks.
On the other side of the crystal ball, the councilors who were still investigating the mysterious disappearances of the Three Crows and Zeke were shocked and broke out in a cold sweat after hearing Ultear's report.
They never imagined that Zekrein, also known as Gerald, would do something so dangerous right under their noses!
The R system is a forbidden thing that could have a huge impact on the entire magic world.
If Gerald were to actually do it, not only would their current status be destroyed, but the entire council's prestige might also be lost!
Therefore, upon receiving the news, the compulsory surveillance force led by Lahar was dispatched immediately.
Piloting the Council's most advanced magical warship, they quickly arrived at the small island where everyone was.
Everyone, including the guards and laborers released by Chase and Hugh, was brought back to the council for rigorous interrogation and investigation.
As the investigation deepened, the members of the council became increasingly horrified, experiencing a chill run down their spines.
Because the members of Fairy Tail thwarted this conspiracy, they are truly loyal retainers.
So after cooperating with the most basic investigation, I was invited to the council's reception room.
The person in charge of receiving them was naturally the short-statured Mr. Yajima.
At the tea table, Yajima handed out the brewed black tea to everyone opposite him in turn.
Everyone thanked them, and even Natsu, who was usually clueless about etiquette, politely extended both hands to accept the teacup.
He had absolutely no liking for the council, but Mr. Yagima was an exception.
"You handled this matter beautifully, Chase."
Recalling the reactions of others at the internal meeting just now, Yajima couldn't help but smile slightly. "Everyone in the council owes you a favor."
"Mr. Yajima, you're joking. I was just lucky."
Chess chuckled and scratched his head. "I have indeed caused you a lot of trouble in the past."
It might happen again in the future.
When Yajima had a rare free time, he would occasionally go to Fairy Tail to catch up with Makarov and chat. He had met Makarov once or twice.
"This isn't something that can be done by luck alone," Yajima sighed deeply.
Jellal's ability to rank among the Ten Wizard Saints solely through his thought form speaks volumes about his strength.
Looking across the entire continent of Ishgar, there are very few people who can defeat him!
After his initial感慨 (sentimental reflection), Yajima abruptly changed the subject, becoming instantly agitated: "But there is indeed trouble. I'm retiring soon, so you'd better watch yourself!"
Chess responded with a sound of agreement, then shrank back without replying.
Even he had to suppress his usual arrogant and conceited nature when faced with this old man who genuinely cared for Fairy Tail.
"Ara ara." Mira laughed and covered her mouth.
"Haha, I never expected Chess to have this side to him." Lucy burst out laughing on the spot.
"And you! Newcomer Lucy, I've heard quite a few rumors about you lately!"
Lucy, whose name was called out, immediately stopped smiling. She straightened her back and apologized repeatedly, her voice filled with trepidation: "I'm so sorry! I'm really, really sorry!"
"Um, Mr. Yajima, I wonder how the council will deal with Simon and the others? And Gerald—" Erza couldn't help but ask.
On the way back, she invited Simon and the others to join Fairy Tail once this matter was over, but they declined.
Rather than holding Erza back, they, who had been imprisoned for eight long years, longed to see the outside world if given the chance.
Upon hearing this, Yajima's relaxed expression turned serious.
"Simon and the others, you mean the people who came back with you, right? With your testimonies, once the detailed investigation results are out and it's confirmed that they were also victims of the Tower of Paradise, they will be released if there are no problems."
"As for Gerald, there is no specific conclusion yet, but it will most likely be life imprisonment."
"I see—" Erza silently gazed at the teacup in her hand.
I felt happy for Simon and the others, but also sorry for Gerald.
"More importantly than that, there's something that's quite important to Fairy Tail, and it concerns Chess."
Yajima slightly opened his closed eyes and looked at Chess. "Just now, we unanimously approved the proposal to let you participate in this year's Ten Trials assessment."
After talking to Makarov last time, he kept this matter in mind, but he just hadn't found a suitable opportunity.
The Tower of Paradise incident provided the perfect opportunity. Alles not only proved his responsibility and ability to maintain stability in the magical world, but also indirectly saved the future of the council members and the reputation of the Magical Council.
Based on this, even the opposition to Fairy Tail had to compromise.
However, Yajma didn't mention one detail: if Chess is successfully elected, Makarov will have to retire early.
Just like Warlord Sink, one of the founders of Fairy Tail who has now retired, the same guild does not allow two Wizarding Ten Mages to exist.
Upon hearing this, the group immediately showed expressions of genuine excitement.
Natsu and Gray were so envious their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Chase, however, looked utterly incredulous: "What, the Ten Saints?!"
The title of the Ten Wizard Saints sounds impressive, but having this title means taking on greater responsibilities and obligations, and is no longer simply being a free and unrestrained guild member.
He didn't recall ever mentioning this to Makarov; it seemed like a completely thankless task!
"Perhaps we should just forget it, Mr. Yajima. I'm not qualified yet," Chase decisively refused.
"This issue was raised by Makarov; if you have any questions, go to him."
Yajima seemed to have guessed Chess's thoughts and added with a sinister look, "It concerns Fairy Tail's honor. If you participate in the assessment, you'll have to go all out."
Chess's lips twitched.
—As expected, Old Ma is such a liar!
No, I have to go back and get him to withdraw the proposal right away.
At the very least, we should make him change his name to Gildaz!