Noah scratched the back of his head with his right hand and said a little awkwardly,
"Haha, of course I came to visit Grandpa Yajima!
But after recording all of the Council's public archives, I actually wanted to go further, to study other information and maybe learn some new spells.
When I asked around, though, I found out the applications and approvals take several days to process. That's why I came to see if Grandpa Yajima might have a way to help speed it up."
Yajima gave him a knowing smile.
"I thought as much. You're always trying to stir up trouble.
But the process exists for a reason. We need time to review an applicant's qualifications. I can help you move things along, but even so it will take at least two or three days. Be patient."
Hearing this, Noah's spirits lifted. He knew Yajima always had a way. Waiting two or three days was far better than dragging on for months, especially since the information he intended to apply for wasn't minor. It was only natural that it required time for approval.
"Grandpa Yajima, could you also give me some advice on what kind of information and magic I should request?"
"First, tell me what you originally planned to apply for and your reasons. Once I know that, I can give you some proper guidance."
So Noah explained his plan and his reasoning. As a member of the Council, Yajima naturally knew far more than most, and after listening to Noah's considerations he helped revise the application, even adding additional material of his own. He also recommended several types of magic Noah could pursue, which Noah gladly accepted.
Once their discussion was finished, Yajima personally submitted Noah's application.
The moment the staff saw that Councillor Yajima himself had come to deliver it, they processed the request at once.
Even so, three full days passed before Noah received permission to access the information and magic he wanted.
After spending time quickly absorbing the new records and studying the spells, Noah once again went to see Yajima.
This time it wasn't about another application. Noah knew it would be difficult to request more information again so soon. Even with Yajima's help, there were some things that still required time for approval. He had already submitted several applications, and all that remained was to wait for the review process to conclude.
Instead, he came now to ask about the current situation of the victims rescued from the Tower of Paradise, as well as those connected to the old Magic Development Bureau from four years earlier.
It had been thanks to Noah's efforts, together with Laxus, that the Zeref cult within the Tower of Paradise was destroyed. Later, alongside Ur, they had also dismantled the former Magic Development Bureau.
From both places, Noah and the Council had freed a great many captives, and now Noah wanted to know how they were faring.
When he asked, Yajima gave a heavy sigh. He explained that within a single year, two devastating incidents of enormous scale had been exposed one after another, sending shockwaves through the entire society.
What made it worse was that one of those scandals involved an institution directly tied to the Council, while interrogations revealed that many Councillors themselves had ties to the other. The Council's reputation suffered a tremendous blow.
Because of these events, countless officials within the Council were dismissed or investigated, and many were detained or convicted. Nearly every department experienced upheaval, and three Council members resigned outright. In truth, a large portion of the Council's membership had been replaced.
As for the victims of the two incidents, they became the focus of public attention. The Council, shaken by such turmoil, had no choice but to treat them with utmost seriousness.
Rescue efforts were dispatched across the land to return them safely to their homes or help them rebuild from the ground up.
The Council, fearful of another disaster, committed itself entirely to their recovery.
Yajima himself had participated in this work and kept track of their situation. Now, most of the victims had recovered well, and their homes had been largely restored.
Noah felt his heart ease at the news. He knew that after two events of such scale in a single year, the Council would never dare neglect the victims again. Entrusting them to the Council had been the right choice.
Even afterward, Noah still kept watch in private, checking in from time to time on the progress of their resettlement, and every time he found that things were moving smoothly.
Now that Noah had received more details from Yajima, he felt a wave of relief.
However, Yajima also told him that the former director of the Magic Development Bureau, Brain, had still not been captured. Even more troubling, the number of victims rescued from the Bureau did not add up. Several children remained unaccounted for, and it was highly likely that Brain had taken them.
Yajima urged Noah to keep an eye out for Brain's whereabouts. Brain was extremely dangerous. As the former director of the Bureau, he had created hundreds of new spells and possessed vast magical knowledge. Most Council members would not be able to stand against him.
Noah nodded in agreement. He wanted to find this man himself, not only to stop him, but also to help Ultear claim her revenge.
As for the news about the Tower of Paradise, Yajima explained that all seven Towers had been completely destroyed under the watch of witnesses from across the continent. All records connected to the Towers had since been sealed, classified as top-secret material that could only be unsealed with the approval of a majority of Council members.
Fortunately, Noah had secretly made his own copies. Otherwise, they would have been left in the dark.
Noah also confided in Yajima that he suspected there might be another Tower of Paradise, one still undiscovered. Yajima replied that the Council had already scoured the seas for a long time without finding anything. Furthermore, none of the Zeref cultists interrogated had mentioned an eighth tower.
Even so, Yajima promised to keep a close watch on any related information and would notify Noah immediately if anything unusual came to light.
With his other requested documents still tied up in the approval process and nothing more to be done for now, Noah bid Yajima farewell and returned to the Blue Pegasus base.
He intended to study the guild's library collection. The moment he stepped into the guild hall, he spotted President Bob behind the counter.
As soon as Bob saw him, he waved cheerfully.
"Noah-chan, you're back already? It hasn't even been a month since you left, and you've already mastered ancient script so quickly?"
"Well, I actually finished studying the ancient writings in just two days. It was mostly the process of recording and organizing documents that took up more time."
Bob's round face lit up with amazement.
"So fast? Makarov-chan really did find a promising boy! So then, have you seen Hibiki?"
"Yes. He's still busy entering the data from his applications into the ancient records, so he's still with the Council."
"Oh, that must be the batch of information he requested before beginning his studies of the script. I thought it was about time."
"President Bob, I came this time to read through your collection. Would it be alright if I copied them into my ancient records as well?"
"Of course! If I can let you read them, I can certainly let you record them. Come, I'll take you there."
With that, President Bob stepped out from behind the counter and led Noah toward Blue Pegasus' library.
....
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