Jose, already gravely injured, could no longer withstand the intense mental torture. Overwhelmed by pain and humiliation, he finally passed out.
After confirming he had obtained all necessary information, Wes Elwin turned to leave.
At that moment, the bespectacled captain struggled to lift himself up, using his wand as support. Barely standing, he grit his teeth and said, "The Council will never let you get away with this."
Wes didn't even look back. He simply left him with a single sentence before disappearing from sight.
"That's your problem, not mine."
—
A few days later, Wes appeared in another city.
Following the address extracted from Jose Porla's memory, he arrived at a historic, long-standing bank.
After a series of security checks and correctly entering the password, a bank clerk respectfully guided him to a small, hidden vault.
"This is Mr. Ace's private vault."
After a brief explanation, the clerk politely withdrew, leaving Wes alone.
Ace—that was the alias Jose Porla had used to conceal his identity.
Being a cunning old fox, Jose understood well the importance of having multiple fallback plans. This vault was one such backup.
However, fate is unpredictable—everything he prepared had now fallen neatly into Wes's hands.
The moment he opened the safe, dazzling light reflected in his eyes.
Piles of gold, silver, and jewels formed miniature mountains—but these were not the main reason for Wes's visit.
What truly excited him were the rare magical materials and various precious potions.
As one of the Ten Wizard Saints and master of the Phantom Lord Guild, Jose's taste was exceedingly refined. Anything he deemed worth collecting was undoubtedly the finest of its kind.
Wes was extremely satisfied with his haul. After packing everything carefully into a large case, he left the bank with complete composure.
In an excellent mood, he strolled down the bustling streets, savoring the ease that followed such a generous harvest.
But the calm didn't last long. He felt a pair of eyes watching him from the shadows.
Who could it be? Wes wondered silently. On the surface, he remained relaxed, casually leading the pursuer toward a quieter, less populated area.
Just as he was about to confirm their intentions, the pursuer appeared on her own.
"We meet again, Mr. Wes."
The newcomer was Ultear, a member of the Magic Council. This time, she stood before Wes in her true form.
"So it's you. What do you want with me?"
Someone like Ultear would never approach him without reason.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm Ultear of the Magic Council. You caused quite a disturbance back in Magnolia."
Twisting a strand of her hair around her finger, she asked, "You don't seem surprised by my real identity."
"Get to the point."
Ultear shrugged and continued, "Alright, alright. You really gave the Magic Council a massive headache. In his report to the Council, Makarov stated that you possess power on par with his."
"That gave those old geezers quite a scare—a mysterious wizard at the level of the Ten Wizard Saints." Ultear added with a grin. "And your methods look very much like those of the dark guilds. I'd say your wanted posters will be all over the continent by tomorrow."
"So what?" Wes Elwin asked calmly, unfazed.
"I can help you," Ultear said, her voice laced with temptation. "All you have to do is pay a tiny price."
Wes merely shook his head, unwilling to listen any further, and walked past her.
"Hey! Stop! Do you not understand how serious this is?" Ultear's voice held a rare hint of urgency.
Wes paused and turned to look at her. "I understand perfectly. But I've got no interest in getting involved with your Council. If you want to negotiate, you should at least show some sincerity."
Ultear finally revealed her real objective. "Someone wants to meet you."
Wes frowned slightly, clearly unimpressed by such an opening.
Seeing his expression, Ultear hurriedly added, "If you want Arc of Time, then come with me."
She turned and began walking away.
Wes stopped to think for a moment before following her.
The two passed through the bustling streets and eventually arrived at a hotel.
Ultear pushed open the door and entered, with Wes right behind her.
They crossed the lobby, took the elevator up to the top floor, and stepped into an exquisitely decorated luxury suite.
The room was quiet, dimly lit by a single lamp casting a warm glow across the wall.
As the door closed behind him, Wes's eyes adjusted to the lighting—and only then did he clearly see the old man sitting in the shadows.
The elder sat in a wide-backed chair, wearing a long robe. A black eyepatch covered his right eye, and his long beard nearly brushed the floor.
Even in such lighting, Wes recognized him instantly: the former second master of Fairy Tail, now the leader of Grimoire Heart—Hades.
He had not only changed his name, but his entire personality.
From a gentle, respected elder…
To a dark arts–obsessed sorcerer.
The moment Wes entered, Hades's lone visible eye flashed with scrutiny.
"Young man."
"Makarov has gotten weaker. He couldn't even deal with someone your age."
"It's not that he's weak," Wes said casually. "I'm simply strong."
It was the truth—though it sounded arrogant.
"Hahaha!" Hades burst out laughing. "It's been a long time since I've met such an interesting youngster."
"But talking big is something anyone can do." His single eye gleamed sharply—then a powerful surge of magical pressure burst forth.
Under his precise control, only the two of them in the room felt it.
Wes didn't bother releasing his own magic. Instead, he calmly walked over, sat across from Hades, poured two cups of tea, and gently pushed one toward him.
"When people get old, they shouldn't let their tempers flare so easily. I know someone about your age—his temper is far better than yours." Wes remained unfazed, showing no concern for Hades's intimidating aura.
Hades accepted the teacup and took a small sip. He didn't speak immediately, but his magic output intensified again.
This time, even Ultear struggled under the pressure. Crackling noises formed as objects in the room began developing hairline fractures.
Wes tasted the tea in his hand and commented calmly, "The flavor's a bit off."
"Hahahaha! Interesting."
Hades laughed heartily and withdrew the oppressive magic saturating the room.
"I heard from Ultear that you're quite interested in Arc of Time?"
Wes nodded lightly.
°°°
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