...
Mavis was a very intelligent woman. She realized very quickly that the man standing before her was an entirely unpredictable entity.
Directly questioning Shin about his true motives would yield absolutely nothing. If he wanted to keep a secret, he would keep it. Therefore, the only way to figure out where Fairy Tail stood in his grand scheme was to approach the subject from an angle.
Mavis didn't want her guild dragged into a war, but Shin had clearly said he wanted to help her and Zeref. That alone made her think he wasn't truly evil. Besides, he had just brought her back to life with ease.
"I will ask you once more," Mavis said carefully, testing the waters. "Do you truly consider yourself a member of Fairy Tail?"
"I have already told you, I am a member of Fairy Tail. You can relax," Shin replied evenly. "And even if you doubt me, my two younger sisters are members as well. You are all my subjects now. I have already made my decision."
"The country I establish will be named the Kingdom of Fairy Tail," Shin declared, crossing his arms. "Master Makarov, I expect you to make the necessary arrangements. I am perfectly fine with settling for the role of Vice-Guild Master, but as a King, my word is absolute."
"Now, First Master," Shin said, shifting his focus back to Mavis. "You obviously want to know where Zeref is. But are you familiar with the continent across the sea? The Alvarez Empire?"
Makarov immediately frowned. "I know of the Alvarez Empire. It is a massive militaristic nation in Alakitasia. However, our country has very little contact with them. I honestly have no idea what their true strength looks like."
"Since you are both in the dark, let me educate you," Shin smirked.
"The Emperor of the Alvarez Empire... is Zeref himself."
Mavis gasped, her eyes going wide.
"And under his direct command are the Spriggan 12," Shin continued smoothly. "They are twelve mages of absolute, monstrous power. To put it into perspective... the weakest member of the Spriggan 12 is equivalent in strength to the number one Wizard Saint in Ishgar."
Makarov and Mavis were completely paralyzed by the revelation. Zeref wasn't just wandering the world alone—he was the ruler of a massive, hostile empire! And his personal guard consisted of twelve mages who rivaled Ishgar's absolute strongest?
"That... that is an incomprehensible level of military might," Makarov stammered, sweating profusely. "Shin, are you absolutely certain Zeref is there?"
"I am entirely certain," Shin nodded. "Zeref's ultimate goal is to invade this continent and annihilate Ishgar. That is exactly why I decided to establish a Kingdom capable of resisting him. We are going to have a lot of fun tearing his empire down."
Shin glanced at Mavis, his eyes glinting. "But before we get to the war, let me tell you a bit more about the Spriggan 12. Because, First Master... one of them is your son."
Mavis violently flinched. Her spectral body actually trembled.
She knew she had borne a child before her 'death,' but she had always assumed the infant had perished.
"My... my son?" Mavis whispered, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. "He is alive?? Did... did Zeref save him?"
Even though she was shocked, Mavis felt a deep, undeniable joy. Her child had survived and grown up safely.
"Thank you... thank you so much for telling me," Mavis sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "Is he okay? What is his name? Does his father know who he really is??"
"I know I have no right to demand answers," Mavis pleaded, looking up at Shin with desperate eyes. "But please... tell me everything."
Shin saw how emotional she was, but he knew sharing too much now would put his plans at risk.
He knew exactly who August, the Magic King, was. He knew August had mastered nearly every magic in existence. He knew August had spent his entire life desperately seeking his father's love and recognition, enduring endless suffering just to be acknowledged by Zeref.
But Zeref had absolutely no idea that August was his own flesh and blood. If Zeref knew, he never would have treated the boy so coldly.
Alternatively, Shin theorized that Zeref might have suspected the truth, but simply refused to believe it because of the tragic circumstances surrounding Mavis's 'death'.
But Shin didn't care about the emotional nuances. He had a game to play.
"Your son is powerful, First Master," Shin said slowly. "I don't know if Zeref knows the truth or not. Your son is known as the Magic King. He can instantly copy and master any magic he sees. Honestly, even with Zeref's immortality, he would struggle to defeat your son in a fair fight."
"But despite his overwhelming power, he is fragile inside," Shin continued, his tone turning clinical. "He grew up without your protection. His father has absolutely no idea who he is. I don't know how else to explain the tragedy of his life to you."
Shin said simply. "He has spent his entire life working himself to the bone, performing miracles just to earn a single word of praise from his father. But Zeref has never truly acknowledged him."
Mavis let out a heart-wrenching sob. The thought of her child suffering alone, desperately seeking a father's love, shattered her.
"I need to see him," Mavis cried, stepping forward. "I have to find him right now! I need to let him know he has a mother who loves him! I need to tell him I hold him in my heart!"
Shin's expression instantly hardened into a cold, unyielding mask.
"I told you this information so you would remain loyal to my plan, First Master," Shin said, his voice dropping an octave. "You will all be reunited eventually. But you are going to play my game first. When the time comes, I will ensure your family is whole again."
"But if you go running off to find the Magic King now, you will completely ruin my script. Do you honestly think I will allow that?"
"The answer is no."
Makarov quickly intervened, placing a comforting hand on Mavis's shoulder. "First Master, please try to endure this for now. Shin has promised to help us. I truly believe he will keep his word."
"But... but my child..." Mavis sobbed, her heart breaking.
Shin pinched the bridge of his nose, utterly exhausted by the emotional outburst. "Fine. I will let you see him from afar. But you are absolutely forbidden from acknowledging him or revealing your identity. Can you agree to that?"
"That is my absolute bottom line," Shin warned. "If you jeopardize my plans, I will lose all interest in playing this game."
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