A New Life in Fairy Tail

Chapter 318 318: Wizard Saint?

Yajima was among them, and he offered Noah a warm smile."Councilors, Noah has been brought in," Lahar announced to the room.

"Thank you for your hard work. You may step down," Councilor Belno said.

"Understood." Lahar glanced at Noah, who gave him a slight nod, before turning to leave and closing the door behind him.

"Please have a seat. We have some questions for you," Councilor Belno instructed.

"Alright," Noah replied, finding an empty chair and sitting down.

"How did you come to know about the eighth R-System?" Councilor Org asked immediately.

"Well, I previously helped the Council destroy seven Towers of Heaven. I know these towers were built by fanatics who captured many innocent people to use as slaves. Since they appeared before, it was naturally possible for more to exist. I didn't want to see a tragedy like that repeat itself, so I've been keeping an eye out for any related rumors. Recently, I uncovered some clues, so I brought my guildmates along to investigate. You all know the rest," Noah explained smoothly.

The councilors exchanged hushed murmurs. They indeed had the archives detailing Noah's past cooperation with the Council in eradicating the previous Towers of Heaven. Therefore, his explanation was entirely logical and sound.

Next, Councilor Michello leaned forward. "The final enemy was Jellal, also known as former Councilor Siegrain. According to your report, he managed to escape?"

"Yes. He is extremely strong. I couldn't manage to keep him there," Noah stated without a second of hesitation.

The councilors scrutinized Noah's expression but found no hint of deception. As for Jellal being strong, they were well aware of that fact; he had earned the title of Wizard Saint, after all. None of them doubted Noah's claim. Against an opponent of that caliber, the vast majority of mages wouldn't be able to stop him from fleeing.

The councilors proceeded to ask a barrage of questions regarding the Tower of Heaven. Noah answered everything he could truthfully. Aside from the specifics regarding Jellal and concealing his own true limits, there was nothing he needed to hide. For Jellal's situation, all he had to do was firmly insist that the opponent was too powerful to detain.

During the interrogation, Noah noticed something peculiar. The councilors, who normally treated him with cold indifference or outright annoyance, were displaying a remarkably better attitude today.

Usually, when he was summoned here, it was to deal with Fairy Tail's endless messes—handing in written apologies or paying massive fines for the guild's destructive antics. The councilors always greeted him with stern faces and unfriendly tones. Why the sudden change? Had something happened?

Noah couldn't quite figure it out and decided to ask Yajima about it later.

After going through all their questions, the councilors finally concluded the session.

"Thank you for your cooperation. You may leave now," Councilor Belno said.

"Understood." Noah stood up, nodded respectfully to the panel, and walked out the door.

He waited down the corridor for a while until the meeting room door opened again and the councilors filed out. Once the majority had walked far enough away, Noah approached Yajima, who was trailing at the back.

"Grandpa Yajima, why do I get the feeling their attitude toward me has improved drastically?"

"That isn't your imagination. Their attitude toward you has indeed changed quite a bit," Yajima replied with a knowing smile.

"Huh? Did something happen? I haven't done anything out of the ordinary recently."

Noah racked his brain. Yajima's smile widened. "Did you forget? You are all here because of the Tower of Heaven incident."

"You mean because we handed all the prisoners from the tower over to the Council?"

"That is certainly a major factor. You must understand, the Council suddenly fired Etherion, and worse, it completely failed to achieve its intended effect, instead becoming a massive boon to the enemy. Right now, the Council is facing immense pressure and scrutiny from nations all across the continent. By bringing all those captives and cultists directly to us, you've handed the Council a way to alleviate a lot of that pressure. Naturally, their opinion of you has skyrocketed."

"A major factor? Does that mean there are other reasons?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. After firing Etherion, the Council's surveillance systems remained locked on the target and captured quite a bit of footage," Yajima said, his smile beaming.

"So... they saw how the Etherion blast was ultimately handled?"

Yajima nodded seriously. "You enclosing the entire island in a barrier and channeling the Etherion explosion straight into the upper atmosphere—it was all recorded. Even though you didn't resist Etherion head-on, creating a barrier thick enough to encompass an island and redirecting a blast capable of wiping out a country clearly displayed your unfathomable strength.

"It was far more convincing than the reports of you defeating Jose, simply because they didn't witness the Jose fight with their own eyes. But this time, they watched the video. They saw the impossibly thick wall of light and the redirected devastation. They gained a direct, visceral understanding of your power. When you possess that kind of strength, their attitude toward you will naturally become much more respectful."

By the end of his explanation, a look of profound pride had settled on Yajima's face.

He was a former member of Fairy Tail himself. Although he had left the guild to serve on the Council, his heart still belonged to Fairy Tail. It was why he constantly defended them in daily matters, ensuring the guild avoided catastrophic punishments. Seeing such a monstrously powerful mage emerge from Fairy Tail brought him immense joy. Watching the other councilors gape in stunned disbelief at the video of Noah's actions had filled Yajima with a deep sense of happiness and pride, much like a parent watching their child succeed and earn the awe of the world.

"Ah, so that was it. I really didn't think it was a big deal," Noah said, scratching the back of his head. Knowing his own limits, the actions he took back there were entirely within his comfort zone. He hadn't expected it to completely flip the Council's attitude toward him.

"Your 'not a big deal' is something the vast majority of mages couldn't achieve in ten lifetimes," Yajima scolded mildly. He then grew serious. "Since your true strength is even greater than what you displayed on that tape, make sure you don't show your full hand in the future. Hide what you can. Only use the exact amount of power necessary to solve the problem at hand. Always keep your trump cards hidden."

"I understand, Grandpa Yajima," Noah said solemnly. He knew Yajima was advising him out of genuine care, and he took the words to heart.

"Oh, right. There is one more thing," Yajima added.

"What is it?"

"During the councilors' internal discussion just now, a proposal was made to grant you the title of Wizard Saint."

"Huh? Me? A Wizard Saint?" Noah pointed at himself in surprise.

"What, do you feel you lack the strength or aren't qualified for the title? In terms of power, what you displayed today has been universally acknowledged, and coupled with your defeat of Jose, no one doubts your might. In terms of merit, you destroyed the Tower of Heaven. You acted as the main force, battled Jellal, and ultimately minimized the catastrophic fallout of Etherion.

"For that last point alone, the Council owes you an astronomical favor. If Etherion had detonated properly, the political and geographical disaster would have been unprecedented. Calculating all of this, you are absolutely qualified. If Jellal could be granted the title, you certainly can," Yajima reasoned.

"Ah, it's not that I think I lack the strength or the qualifications. I just feel like it might be incredibly troublesome. Won't they force me to do a bunch of tedious tasks?" Noah asked.

"Do you think there are ever matters that require Makarov-kun to act in his capacity as a Wizard Saint on a daily basis? It is primarily an honorary title. Normally, the Council only formally requests the aid of a Wizard Saint when world-threatening incidents occur. There is practically nothing to do day-to-day.

"Furthermore, with the Council currently embroiled in such a massive scandal, the councilors likely want to grant you the title to divert public attention and relieve some of their political pressure. It also serves to salvage the reputation of the Wizard Saint title itself. After all, two consecutive holders of the title have recently committed atrocious crimes."

"Is that so..." Noah extended his right thumb and index finger, resting his chin on them as he fell into thought.

It made sense. The Council was desperate. Crowning a new, heroic Wizard Saint would shift the narrative perfectly. Plus, the title's prestige had taken a massive hit thanks to Jose and Jellal. They desperately needed to re-legitimize it. As the person who had been present at both incidents and acted as the primary force in resolving them, he was the flawless candidate to restore the title's honor.

Thinking it over, Noah realized he was indeed the perfect fit. He had systematically defeated or chased off two current Wizard Saints; his resume was flawless. The Council practically had to give it to him to save face.

However, he absolutely despised unnecessary trouble. Aside from guild matters and protecting his friends, he had zero interest in handling bureaucratic Council affairs.

Would you like me to translate the next chapter to see what Noah decides regarding the Wizard Saint title?

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