Chapter 564: August the "Magic King"
This was the absolute best time to facilitate a reunion between August and Mavis.
Once their relationship was restored, a massive portion of the existential threat facing Ishgar would be neutralized, and Noah could freely enact the next phase of his plans.
However, making contact with a man of August's caliber required meticulous preparation.
Noah didn't arrogantly march straight into the Imperial Capital. Doing so would be incredibly reckless and would unnecessarily escalate the situation.
Instead, he spent two full days holed up in his abandoned cave, specifically prioritizing the study of the stealth and counter-surveillance magical theories he had discovered in Alvarez. Because he had already familiarized himself with the fundamental structure and logic of Western magic over the last month, assimilating these advanced stealth concepts was relatively easy.
He seamlessly integrated the Alvarez stealth theories with his own Ishgarian techniques, exponentially amplifying his concealment capabilities. After conducting a few rigorous tests to ensure his newly modified stealth wards were completely flawless, he rested for the night.
The next morning, Noah packed his supplies. He split off a Thought Projection and teleported it back to Ishgar, stationing it just outside the Fairy Tail guildhall so he could instantly return if needed.
Then, layering his new, practically impenetrable stealth wards over his body, he walked toward the outskirts of the Alvarez Imperial Capital.
He didn't teleport directly into the city. He stopped several miles away, joining the massive flow of civilian traffic on the main road, and walked toward the gates like a normal traveler.
Even from miles away, the sheer scale of the Imperial Capital was breathtaking. The massive, towering defensive walls stretched endlessly across the horizon. As he joined the throng of merchants and travelers entering the city, the sheer volume of noise and activity was deafening.
Mentally comparing the Imperial Capital to Crocus—the capital of Fiore—Noah realized Crocus paled in comparison in almost every metric.
The sheer geographical size and population density of the Alvarez capital were staggering, which made sense given the immense territory the Empire controlled. The security was also incredibly tight. As Noah passed through the massive gates, his hyper-attuned senses detected no less than five overlapping layers of magical scanning arrays designed to weed out spies and hostiles.
Without his newly upgraded stealth wards, it would have been impossible for anyone to slip through unnoticed.
The only area where Crocus won out was aesthetics. Crocus was famously known as the "Blooming Capital," its streets lined with beautiful gardens and vibrant flowers, creating a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere. The Alvarez capital, heavily influenced by its constant militaristic expansion, was much more utilitarian. The architecture was bold, massive, and structurally imposing, completely lacking delicate or purely decorative elements.
Noah wandered the city, playing the part of an awestruck tourist while his passive sensory magic meticulously mapped the capital's layout.
He quickly memorized the locations of the commercial districts, the military barracks, and the central administrative hubs. He also overheard a crucial piece of information from the locals: the Emperor was currently absent. Zeref was wandering the world again, leaving the Spriggan 12 to govern the Empire in his stead.
The citizens didn't seem bothered by the Emperor's absence; in fact, they spoke of it as if it were a completely normal occurrence. Despite his constant wandering, the people's love and reverence for Zeref was absolute. They viewed him as a divine figure who had gifted them a sprawling, incredibly powerful empire.
After finalizing his mental map of the city, Noah checked into a modest inn.
He didn't immediately execute his plan to contact August. First, he visited the capital's largest bookstore.
As a mage, expanding his intellectual database was always his highest priority. The capital naturally possessed the most comprehensive and advanced collection of magical literature in the entire Empire.
Moving methodically through the aisles, Noah spent three full days continuously digitizing the contents of the massive bookstore into his Archive, even purchasing a large stack of physical books to bring back for Fairy Tail's library.
Once his intellectual harvest was complete, Noah returned to his inn and began plotting his approach.
Based on his intelligence gathering, the Spriggan 12 either worked within the heavily fortified central palace or resided in the adjacent, ultra-secure elite residential district.
With his stealth capabilities, Noah could easily infiltrate either location. But doing so would be a massive strategic error.
He was here to negotiate a peaceful family reunion, not provoke a war. Infiltrating the Empire's most secure administrative or residential facilities would be seen as a direct, hostile provocation. If he materialized inside August's private quarters, the old man wouldn't sit down for a chat; he would immediately attack the intruder.
Therefore, sneaking in was off the table. Noah had to lure August out.
Thanks to his flawless stealth wards, Noah had spent days in the capital completely undetected. All he had to do was selectively peel back his concealment magic and allow his true magical signature to leak out into the city.
He needed to do this precisely. He wanted only August to notice him.
But given August's terrifyingly vast sensory capabilities, this wouldn't be an issue.
In the Western Continent, August was known as the "Magic King." He was said to have mastered countless forms of ancient and modern magic, possessing a repertoire that rivaled, or perhaps even exceeded, Zeref's own. Aside from Zeref, August was the undisputed strongest man in the Empire.
The moment Noah leaked a sliver of his true power, August would instantly detect it. Noah was absolutely confident in the old man's abilities.
Noah packed his bags and checked out of the inn. He walked into a quiet, centrally located bookstore and picked up a novel, pretending to read.
Slowly, deliberately, Noah deactivated the first layer of his stealth wards.
He waited a few minutes, sensing no reaction from the city's general magical radar. He deactivated the second layer.
After another few minutes, he dropped the third layer. The magical dampeners suppressing his true power vanished. A subtle, yet incredibly profound ripple of his unique, overwhelmingly dense Ethernano slowly bled out into the surrounding atmosphere.
He didn't have to wait long.
A few moments later, a figure appeared at the entrance of the bookstore.
It was an elderly man, tall and imposing, with long white hair and a thick white beard that cascaded down his chest. He wore a simple white robe draped under a striking purple cape with jagged, diamond-shaped spikes lining the collar. In his right hand, he gripped a massive wooden staff that was nearly as tall as he was.
This was the man Noah had been waiting for. August, the "Magic King."
The moment August stepped into the shop, his eyes locked onto Noah. He ignored the other patrons and walked directly toward him.
Noah calmly slid the book back onto the shelf and turned to face the elderly mage.
Standing face-to-face with the Magic King, Noah could clearly feel the sheer, suffocating density of the man's magic. It was a profound, oceanic power that felt neither inherently holy nor inherently dark; it simply existed with absolute authority.
Evaluating the magical pressure, Noah realized August currently possessed a higher maximum mana capacity than he did. The gap wasn't completely insurmountable, but it was noticeable. Noah estimated that with a few more months of his hyper-gravity training, he would completely bridge the gap.
"You intentionally lured me here. I have never felt a magical signature of your caliber within the borders of this Empire. Who are you?" August asked, his voice calm, deep, and completely devoid of hostility.
While managing administrative affairs in the palace, August had suddenly detected an utterly foreign, overwhelmingly powerful magical signature manifesting directly in the center of the capital. The sheer quality and density of the magic easily rivaled—and potentially surpassed—several of his fellow Spriggan shields.
Such a monstrous presence appearing out of thin air had instantly alarmed him. He had dropped his paperwork and immediately teleported to the source.
When he arrived and saw the young man standing before him, his confusion deepened.
The young man was heavily layered in advanced perception-filtering magic, making him practically invisible to the average person. But what baffled August was the location of the discovery.
If an enemy of this caliber had breached the capital, August should have detected them the exact second they crossed the outer perimeter walls. But this young man had seemingly materialized directly in the city center.
Given the profound complexity of the stealth wards August could see woven around the young man, August quickly realized the truth: the intruder hadn't just arrived. He had been here for days, completely undetected, and had deliberately lowered his shields just a few moments ago to intentionally draw August out.
Given his centuries of experience, August could tell the young man wasn't using transformation magic to hide his age. He was genuinely young. Yet he possessed a level of power that defied logic.
"I must admit, your sensory capabilities are flawless. I figured you'd be the first to notice," Noah smiled respectfully. "I've been passively monitoring the massive, city-wide surveillance array blanketing the capital since I arrived. Maintaining a continuous, high-density sensory net of that scale requires an unfathomable amount of magic. You truly live up to your title, August."
"So, you did lure me out. To what end?" August asked, his expression remaining perfectly stoic.
If this young man was an enemy, he could have instantly unleashed a devastating attack from the center of the city while he was still undetected. Even if August intercepted the attack, the resulting clash between two mages of their caliber would instantly vaporize half the capital.
The fact that the young man hadn't attacked, and had instead politely waited for August to arrive, meant he wanted to talk. And for the sake of the capital's safety, August was willing to listen.
"This isn't the best place for a conversation," Noah said, glancing around the bookstore.
Even though they were both using subtle perception-filtering magic to avoid drawing the attention of the mundane customers, a public bookstore in the center of the capital wasn't the place to discuss state secrets or family drama.
"Agreed. You may lead the way," August nodded.
He was absolutely confident in his own overwhelming strength. Even if this young man was leading him into a trap, August had zero fear of being ambushed.
"Follow me," Noah said.
He walked out of the bookstore and immediately cast a subtle speed-enhancing enchantment on his legs, rapidly moving through the city streets toward the outer gates. August smoothly applied his own speed enchantment, effortlessly keeping pace directly behind him.
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