Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
Mystogan's mind was in a state of utter confusion.
He was agonizing over how to explain to his companions that he looked exactly like Jellal when he suddenly heard Erza say he was Noah's older brother.
"I have a brother? Why don't I know about this?"
What in the world was going on?
Noah pressed down on the bewildered Mystogan, telling him to relax, and asked him and Erza to listen to a story.
Once upon a time, there was a King. Due to the depletion of Magic in his world, and to guide his country through this crisis, the King ruled with an iron fist. So cold-hearted was he that he even abandoned his own son.
Later, the King had a second son. As he watched his younger son grow, the King, who had been ruthless for half his life, finally experienced the beauty of familial affection. He became less extreme and abandoned many of his radical plans.
The King felt increasingly guilty about the elder son he had personally abandoned, but his elder son had already left his world through Magic.
Because of the Magic depletion, it was only a matter of time before the younger son would suffer from the fatal Magic Deficiency Disease.
To save his younger son, the King resolved to use the country's last remaining Magic. He used Spatial Magic to send his younger son to a world abundant in Magic, the same world where his elder son resided.
Before they parted, the King gave his country's Magic war weapon to his younger son and told him that if he ever met his older brother, he should convey his apologies.
"I won't say the last part."
"When we go back, let Father tell you himself, Mystogan—no, Jellal... Nii-san."
Listening to Noah's still-awkward address, Mystogan, who had calmed down, fell silent.
Erza, who had been eagerly waiting for some juicy gossip, never expected that Noah and Mystogan were actually travelers from a parallel world called Edolas.
No wonder Mystogan never showed his true face. It turned out he was Jellal's alternate-world counterpart, and he kept himself heavily cloaked to avoid unnecessary trouble.
This gossip... it was too good!
Erza enjoyed the show, but Mystogan's mood was far from pleasant.
Not to mention a brother suddenly appearing.
He had spent all these years constantly traversing the Ishgar continent to stop Anima from stealing Magic, and now he was being told that King Faust had abandoned this plan more than a decade ago?
What had all his actions amounted to these past years?
Body training?!
Thinking of his powerful physique, trained to the point where he could withstand Magic, Mystogan sighed to the sky. Forget it, what could he do? The King was his father, after all.
Once his emotions settled, Mystogan suddenly realized a problem. "Noah, people in Edolas have no Magic in their bodies and use magical tools to cast spells. But you not only possess Magic but are also very powerful. How is this possible?"
Erza, who had been silently enjoying the gossip, immediately understood why Noah's physical combat skills were so terrifying. Magic in the Edolas world referred to magical tools; besides that, the only other means of combat would be physical techniques.
Noah hadn't expected his older brother to expose the difference between humans in the Edolas world and Earth Land in front of Erza.
Since that was the case, Noah decided to just go with it and revealed his identity as an artificial human with Magic circuits.
Hearing that Noah was born in an artificial womb, created by King Faust using his own genes and those of his deceased Queen Mother, combined with pure Magic, Mystogan's heart became conflicted.
Noah was actually his full brother, sharing the same father and mother.
He had thought King Faust had taken a concubine, but he hadn't expected him to love only the Queen Mother and create a younger brother in this way.
Mystogan let out a long sigh, feeling much lighter.
Perhaps he had once resented his ruthless King Faust, but hearing Noah speak of King Faust's drastic change and his guilt toward him, the resentment in Mystogan's heart dissipated considerably.
Blood was thicker than water, after all. Mystogan wasn't sure whether to forgive, so he chose to let go.
Noah shared many interesting stories about the Edolas world.
Especially when he spoke of the Fairy Tail of Edolas, Erza's counterpart, and Makarov's counterpart, Erza was astonished.
In another world, Fairy Tail still existed and was just as prone to causing trouble.
The Erza of that world was a Grand Marshal with military power, wielding a Magic spear that could transform into nine different forms.
And Mystogan and Noah's father, King Faust of the human kingdom, was actually Makarov's counterpart! Erza truly couldn't imagine what her own bald Guild Master would look like with a full head of hair.
The novelty of the parallel world's stories suddenly energized the previously tired Erza, who pestered Noah to tell her more.
The three chatted late into the night before finally sleeping. The next day, naturally, they set sail at noon to meet Natsu, Simon, and the others at the designated location.
While Noah and his group were leisurely sailing, Magnolia welcomed a group of uninvited guests.
A Magic mobile castle swaggered into Magnolia, landing on the lake connected to the open space behind Fairy Tail.
The Phantom Lord banner fluttered in the wind on the mobile structure, and a figure slowly emerged from the Magic castle, floating in the sky.
Jose's gaze swept across Magnolia, a sneer slowly appearing at the corner of his mouth. After nearly a century, Magnolia would finally return to the hands of Phantom Lord (Blue Skull).
"Master Jose, may I ask the purpose of your sudden visit today?"
"If you are here as guests, your arrival is a bit too grand, and it wouldn't be good to alarm the residents."
The members of Fairy Tail who remained at the Guild came, drawn by the commotion. Leading them, naturally, was Mirajane, who served as hostess, housekeeper, and Mage.
"Hmph, Demon Mirajane, you've been quite well-behaved lately."
Jose saw the arrivals and snorted disdainfully, "I am here today to take over this city and, incidentally, sweep Fairy Tail into the trash heap."
Jose's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone from Fairy Tail.
They were not here with good intentions!
Realizing that Jose intended to strike while they were vulnerable, Mirajane stopped being polite with him. "Jose, if you violate the Magic Council's agreement and unilaterally start a Guild war, can you bear the consequences?!"
Jose's tone was playful and he said triumphantly, "You don't know yet, do you? Makarov should have completely demolished the Magic Council headquarters by now. You understand what a crime attacking the Magic Council is without me having to explain it."
"Nonsense! Why would the Guild Master attack the Magic Council?!"
Mirajane didn't believe Jose's words. Phantom Lord had always acted despicably, and this Guild had often secretly targeted Fairy Tail since its inception.
It wasn't until two years ago, when Makarov beat Jose during a routine Guild Master meeting, that he had behaved himself for a few years.
"Why?"
"Because the Magic Council, knowing full well that the Fairy Queen's team was in the Tower of Heaven, disregarded their lives and used Etherion to destroy the Tower of Heaven."
"Tell me, if you were Makarov, wouldn't you cause a huge ruckus?"