Zeke Rein left.
Noah also left.
Makarov and Doranbart were the only ones left in the office.
"Any news?"
Makarov asked Doranbart in a skilled tone, and the latter shook his head as expected.
"The Western Continent has a very strict information blockade. Even the most elite intelligence personnel in the action team will need at least five or six years to collect enough useful intelligence."
Hearing this answer, Makarov nodded slightly, without showing any disappointment. He looked at Doranbart and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Meister."
"No, President."
"If you really think I'm working too hard, let me go back to the guild."
"Doranbart" or "Mester" looked aggrieved and immediately complained to Makarov, "President, you don't know that Lahar's insight is too terrible."
"I even suspect that he has already realized that I am an undercover agent of Fairy Tail who has infiltrated the Council. I am under a lot of pressure."
"Recently I have been planning to use magic to seal the memory of my guild, otherwise I am really afraid that my identity will be exposed one day."
Nine years ago, in order to use the power of the Magic Council to investigate some intelligence in the Western Continent, Makarov sent Mest undercover into the Council.
With the magic of "teleportation" and "memory", Mest, who used the alias "Doranbart", became the deputy captain of the action team in less than five years, with power second only to the senator and the captain-in-chief Lahar.
Of course, in order to protect his identity from being exposed, with Makarov's permission, Mest made some minor modifications to the memories of his guildmates to hide his own existence.
But now nine years have passed, and Makarov still hasn't gotten the information he needs. But this can't be blamed on Meister, as his position does not allow him to mobilize more people to investigate the Western Continent.
As for getting promoted and gaining more power?
You have to know that the next highest rank is the councilor. Even Lahar has been the captain for seven or eight years without changing his position, not to mention the deputy captain, Mester.
"Three years later, another three years. Three years later, another three years…"
"It's been almost ten years, President. When will it end?"
Meister was filled with sadness, which made Makarov, who was listening to his complaints, feel guilty and he immediately wanted to increase his undercover funding.
As for ending Meister's undercover career, Makarov said it will definitely happen next year.
Meister had a resentful look in his eyes, but when he thought about getting both Makarov's funding and the high salary from the Council, he instantly felt much better.
After Meister left, the office became quiet.
Looking through the records of the interrogation of Gerard left by Noah, one of the names made Makarov clench his fists.
With trembling hands, he took out a photo album from the drawer. It was a record of some happy moments in Makarov's life.
The short old man flipped through the photo album and skillfully found a photo of six people. Makarov in the photo was still very young. Surrounded by his five teammates, he was smiling happily.
However, as his companions gradually quit and left the guild to pursue their own dreams, Makarov was left alone in the once happy team, but they still kept in touch with each other frequently.
Except for one person.
Stroking the old photo and looking at the companion he hadn't contacted for a long time, Makarov muttered to himself:
"Is this why Erza joined our guild?"
"I haven't heard from you for so many years. It turns out you've passed away first… Rob…"
"Tell them the news."
That night, a councillor, two magic guild presidents, and a hermit doctor all received a letter from Fairy Tail.
The sender's name was Makarov.
The content of the letter was just one sentence:
Seven years ago, Rob died in the undiscovered Paradise Tower in order to protect his children.
The moon is high in the sky, and the sky is full of stars.
The spring night was still a little chilly. The night breeze, mixed with the coolness, passed through the wide-open balcony and slightly lifted a few strands of the girl's long crimson hair.
The girl sat on the ground with her head buried in her chest, the moonlight stretched her lonely shadow very long.
The human figure is as lonely as the moon's shadow.
The battle with Jellal reminded Erza of the old man with a "Flying Fairy" tattooed on his back who saved her with his life when she was fighting against the enemy in the Tower of Paradise seven years ago.
"Grandpa Rob, I'm free."
"But Gerard…"
"He has himself to blame."
A sudden voice came from the balcony, interrupting the girl's monologue.
Looking at the white-haired boy, Erza said unhappily: "Why don't you go through the main entrance?"
Noah shrugged and pretended to be innocent. "That means I don't have a key. I won't open the lock violently like someone else."
Erza curled her lips. After being treated like this by Noah, her depressed mood immediately dissipated a lot.
It was the first time for Noah to enter Erza's dormitory. He looked at the girl's boudoir with curiosity. After being invaded by Erza so many times, he should learn from her, right?
Erza didn't mind Noah's rude behavior at all. She was just curious about why this dead otaku came to see her so late at night.
And Noah's answer was only four words.
Tower of Paradise.
Erza was startled, then lowered her head again, "Are you asking about my relationship with Jellal?"
"No, I already knew from him that you and Jellal rebelled against the guards of the Tower of Paradise."
Noah pulled a chair over and sat next to Erza, telling her that he had asked Volian to use telepathy magic to read Jellal's mind.
Once on New Year's Eve, Noah celebrated Erza's birthday. He clearly remembered how Erza was moved to tears, because only her left eye shed tears.
Although Noah was a little confused at the time, he didn't think anything of it until today, during the interrogation of Jellal, when Volian revealed Erza's past through mind reading.
Erza's right eye was tortured to the point of permanent necrosis seven years ago because she rebelled against the guards of the Tower of Paradise.
Her right eye now should be a magic prosthetic eye that she replaced after coming to Fairy Tail.
Looking at the silent girl, Noah suddenly felt a little distressed for her.
Even though she had suffered a lot in the past, the girl, with the encouragement of her companions, continued to lead the enslaved people to resist the guards of the Tower of Paradise.
After a painful battle, the girl succeeded, but one of the two people who encouraged her died to save her, and the other fell into endless darkness.
She must be feeling bad too…
Noah didn't know how to comfort her, but he understood that the Tower of Paradise was the girl's knot, and the person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it, so the boy spoke.
"Erza, did you know that Jellal is continuing to build that tower? It's almost finished now."
"Wha…what!"