Lucy frowned with worry. "Going to the Royal Palace at a time like this… won't it be dangerous?"
Rhodes laughed lightly. "I'm not Natsu. The Royal Palace shouldn't be dangerous to me."
Mira tapped him on the arm. "Be serious. Someone really might want to harm you. Didn't assassins break in last night?"
"I'll be careful," Rhodes replied calmly.
"We need to be present when the Eclipse Gate opens. It's best to inform the King beforehand, so there won't be unnecessary conflict if we suddenly appear."
To reassure Mira, Rhodes suggested that Warren, Bisca, and Alzack find a vantage point outside the Royal Palace to observe events from afar.
Meanwhile, the others followed their previously assigned small-team arrangements, dispersing throughout the Royal Capital to stand guard and watch for any abnormalities.
Most civilians had already been evacuated from the capital due to the Grand Magic Games and had yet to return.
Under such circumstances, if someone had made preparations in advance, any irregular activity would be far easier to detect.
Before entering the palace, and even after passing inside, Rhodes continuously used Void Vision to scan his surroundings, ensuring there were no ambushes within his field of perception.
He had no intention of letting overconfidence put him in danger.
"Please enter."
The guards escorted Rhodes to the entrance of the inner hall, then stopped. From there, Yukino led him onward to the conference room.
They were acquaintances and should have exchanged a few words, but neither spoke.
Yukino hadn't been able to persuade Princess Hisui, and Rhodes didn't know what he could say either.
Feeling that she stood on the Princess's side, Yukino carried a faint sense of guilt, unable to repay the kindness Rhodes and Mira had shown her in the past, and so she remained silent.
They arrived at the conference room without a word.
Through quiet observation, Rhodes had already confirmed that four people were seated inside: the King, Princess Hisui, the Knight Commander, and the Minister of State.
Additionally, the rooms adjacent to the conference chamber were occupied, one by thirty fully armed soldiers, the other by five Magicians with unusual magical signatures.
The arrangement immediately brought to mind scenes often described in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where assassins lay in wait behind screens, poised to strike at a signal.
However, Rhodes sensed that the situation here was different.
The atmosphere wasn't tense. The doors to both side chambers were open, and there was no attempt to conceal the presence of guards or Magicians.
It appeared to be nothing more than standard security for the protection of the King and Princess.
Compared to his previous visit, the precautions were noticeably more elaborate, clear evidence that the royal family had grown more wary of him.
"Your Majesty. Your Royal Highness." Rhodes offered a simple, respectful greeting.
"Mr. Rhodes, I apologize for the sudden summons, and I thank you for coming," the King said politely.
"Allow me to introduce our Minister of State, Danton, and our Knight Commander, Arcadios."
Then, turning to the two officials, he added,
"This is Mr. Rhodes, the Sixth of the Ten Wizard Saints. I have been informed that his ranking may soon be adjusted upward."
The three exchanged formal greetings. Rhodes maintained proper courtesy throughout.
Danton studied Rhodes with a scrutinizing gaze, while Arcadios's expression carried a trace of vigilance, but neither showed open hostility.
"Please, be seated," the King said.
"I have gathered everyone today for a final discussion regarding the Eclipse Plan."
Princess Hisui and Arcadios remained composed. The Minister of State looked as though he wished to speak, hesitated, and ultimately chose to listen.
"The original purpose of the Eclipse Plan," the King continued,"was to eliminate Zeref and Acnologia, removing long-standing threats to the Kingdom of Fiore, and to the world itself."
"However, circumstances have changed. Due to unforeseen variables, the plan must be adjusted."
"At precisely midnight tonight, ten thousand dragons will attack the Royal Capital."
"I believe all of you are already aware of this," the King said, his gaze sweeping across the room.
Rhodes, Arcadios, and Princess Hisui nodded immediately. After a brief pause, Danton nodded as well.
The King went on, "A mysterious individual from the future has provided us with a proposed solution: to use the Eclipse Gate as a cannon, striking the Dragons directly and neutralizing the crisis."
"Though his claims cannot be fully verified, we currently lack any other means to oppose the Dragons."
"To prevent the destruction of the kingdom, we can only proceed with preparations according to his proposal, for now."
"Because the cannon requires time to charge," the King continued,"the gate must be opened immediately when tonight's Eclipse begins. Otherwise, we will miss the optimal window to confront the Dragons, and we may never have another chance to win."
He paused, then added gravely, "However, Mr. Rhodes has raised objections. He questions whether the Eclipse E-Cannon possesses sufficient power, and further proposes that the Dragons itself originates from four hundred years ago, connected directly to the gate."
"If that is true, then if the gate is not opened, the Dragons may not appear at all."
"We cannot afford the consequences of making the wrong decision," the King concluded.
"Therefore, we wish to discuss the safest possible course of action."
Danton immediately spoke up.
"I agree with Mr. Rhodes. Magic that interferes with history itself is far too dangerous. The Eclipse Gate must never be opened!"
Rhodes glanced at him in surprise.
So there were still rational people here.
Though Danton's reasoning, while sound in principle, wasn't fully aligned with the immediate crisis.
Arcadios spoke next, his tone firm and unyielding.
"I believe the gate must be opened. There is no alternative. Hesitation at a moment like this will only invite destruction."
"Not only that," he continued, "after dealing with the Dragons, while the Eclipse phenomenon is still active, we should immediately gather all available Magicians to replenish the gate's magic power and proceed with the plan to eliminate Zeref!"
An Eclipse phenomenon could last several hours.
In Arcadios's view, the Dragons should be dealt with during that window, and afterward, the original plan carried out without delay.
Missing this chance would mean waiting another seven years, a span filled with uncontrollable variables.
Moreover, due to the Grand Magic Games, nearly every capable Magician in the country was already gathered in the Royal Capital. With proper coordination, an immense amount of magic power could be assembled in a short time.
From his perspective, this was a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Danton immediately refuted him, stressing the catastrophic risks of rewriting history itself.
'A radical,' Rhodes thought. 'And one convinced that momentum justifies everything.'
"Enough," Princess Hisui said firmly, cutting off their exchange."We have debated this countless times over the past few days. Let us hear Mr. Rhodes's opinion."
Reluctantly, the two fell silent and turned their attention toward him.
Rhodes considered his words carefully before speaking.
"Questions of time paradoxes, moral responsibility, and the ethics of altering history," he said calmly, "have no doubt already been discussed at length."
"Revisiting them now will not change anyone's stance."
No one objected.
These arguments had been repeated endlessly, yet no one had ever convinced the others.
In desperate moments, someone would always declare, 'I will bear all the blame.'
But if disaster followed and no one survived, such words would be meaningless.
With the Dragons arrival imminent, philosophical debate had lost its practical value.
"So," Rhodes continued, "today, I will speak purely from a magical perspective."
..
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