Although Gildarts and Ur were powerful and well-known, most of their commissions took them abroad. The missions they accepted were dangerous and remote, so their feats were seldom heard of back in Fiore.
Laxus, while an S-Class wizard, had only risen to that rank two years ago. His name was still spreading, but his fame had not yet fully caught up to his strength.
As for Noah, though his reputation had once spread far and wide because of his prodigious age, in recent years he had drastically cut down on commissions. On the rare occasions he did accept them, he often worked abroad. Naturally, people's memory of him had begun to fade, and his renown had declined.
The rest of Fairy Tail's younger generation was still in the process of growing. To outside eyes, this gave Jose Porla the illusion that Fairy Tail was not as strong as it appeared.
Though the guild boasted Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, and even a young man rumored to be able to reach that same title, Jose had convinced himself it was all smoke. The boy's feats, he thought, were likely exaggerated.
That was why Jose refrained from making a move. With his recent promotion to Wizard Saint, his confidence swelled. He believed that in only a few more years, his strength would surpass Makarov's, and then he would crush Fairy Tail without worry.
Makarov, meanwhile, was content with the fragile peace. So long as Phantom Lord did not threaten Fairy Tail's members directly, minor frictions could be tolerated. A full-blown war between guilds would only disrupt the order of the magical world, something Makarov wished to avoid.
Now that Noah had successfully embedded protective shields and emergency teleportation into the guild's emblems, Makarov felt far more assured of his children's safety. He had tested the system himself and was satisfied.
Every guild member save for Gildarts, his daughter, and Ur, who were still away on missions had their emblems upgraded one after another. Officially, Noah described it as an enhancement to the communication function, which was true in part.
He had indeed improved the emblem's communications: reducing its magic drain, expanding its range, and strengthening its clarity. Most importantly, he encrypted the signal to prevent any possibility of eavesdropping.
But the shield and teleportation functions were kept secret. After careful discussion, Noah and Makarov decided only S-Class wizards would be told.
S-Class mages were far more likely to encounter life-threatening danger and had the experience to judge when to use such functions. The rest of the guild… not so much. Many were still reckless, and Noah feared they might take unnecessary risks if they knew of the safety net waiting for them.
Better to let the functions remain hidden, only revealing themselves when a member truly stood at death's door. A lesson learned that way would not be forgotten.
Months passed quietly. With Jose keeping his head low, the year's end approached.
It was then Noah learned that Bob of Blue Pegasus had been waiting for him. Makarov explained that Bob had contacted the guild months earlier to arrange Noah's study of a newly developed branch of magic known as the Ancient Documents.
But Noah had been buried in his work upgrading the emblems, even relying on his thought bodies to help, so Makarov had responded in his stead, postponing the arrangement.
Now that Noah was free, he could finally go.
After saying goodbye to Makarov, Noah returned home to gather gifts bottles of medicinal wine and other remedies he had prepared. With them in hand, he set out for Blue Pegasus's guildhall.
There, he was greeted warmly by Bob himself. Noah quickly apologized for the delay and offered the gifts he had brought.
Bob, already informed by Makarov, waved off his apology with a laugh.
"It's fine, Makarov-chan already told me you were busy in your laboratory. No need to worry about it."
His eyes lit up when he saw the bottles. "Oh my, is that medicinal wine? I've used your wine before it's wonderful. Just what I need! If that's what you've brought, I'll gladly accept it."
Beaming, Bob accepted the gifts and, in his usual flamboyant way, pulled Noah close, rubbing his cheek affectionately against the boy's face before finally letting go.
At that time, Hibiki Lates was already at Blue Pegasus's research assignment. After a brief introduction and confirmation of Noah's identity, Noah set off for the Council with the letter of recommendation Bob had provided.
At the Council headquarters, Noah presented the documentation. After a thorough inspection and verification of his credentials, the officials finally guided him to the restricted area where the study of Ancient Document Magic what they called Archive was conducted.
The chamber was vast. On one side stood rows of towering cabinets, each filled with countless labeled compartments. Noah glanced over them and quickly realized they stored and indexed all manner of magical records.
On the other side stretched a large study hall. Tables and chairs filled the space, and many mages sat quietly, thumbing through thick documents. The room was hushed, save for the faint rustle of turning pages.
The two halves of the chamber were divided by a transparent barrier, with a single authentication door granting passage between them.
At one of the nearer tables, Noah spotted a familiar face. Bob had shown him a photograph before Hibiki Lates, the young Blue Pegasus mage who was also studying Archive Magic.
Hibiki, like Noah, was only fourteen. His spiky, golden-brown hair framed sharp black eyes with long lashes. Even at his age, he already had a presence that drew glances from the women seated nearby. Many sneaked looks at him as he leafed through a thick dossier.
The staff brought Noah to sit at the adjacent table. After a moment, they returned with a neatly bound stack of documents, which they set down in front of him.
"This is the material you requested," the attendant whispered. "Please do not remove it from this hall. When you finish, return it directly to staff."
"Thank you."
Noah gave a polite nod. The staff returned it with a brief smile before departing.
By then, Hibiki had already noticed him. Bob had told him to expect another Fairy Tail mage to come learn Archive. Hibiki inclined his head in greeting.
Noah naturally returned the nod. Years of training, combined with the adjustments he had made to his own body, had left him strikingly handsome. In terms of presence, he was easily Hibiki's equal perhaps surpassing him in certain ways.
The women who had been watching Hibiki now cast their gazes toward Noah, their curiosity sharpened. But for Noah, such attention had long since become normal.
His focus was entirely on the stack of documents before him. This was what he had come for the knowledge of Ancient Document Magic, the foundation of Archive.
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