landbeastnovel Chapter 451 The Banquet, On the Eve of the Opening of the Eclipse Gate
Chapter 451 The Banquet, On the Eve of the Opening of the Eclipse Gate
Chapter 451 The Banquet, On the Eve of the Opening of the Eclipse Gate
In the heart of Crocas, the Palace of Lights, Melucrias, was brightly lit, illuminating the magnificent palace where the king resided. Although it was late at night, the atmosphere inside was exceptionally lively and bustling.
Two rows of royal guards in full armor stood watch at the gate. The magnificent main hall was filled with dining tables, and servants constantly moved back and forth, serving tempting ingredients that looked and smelled delicious.
This was a banquet prepared in advance by King Thomas of Fiore, and the guests were naturally the guild mages participating in the Grand Magic Games.
According to the original schedule, the banquet should have been held tomorrow, so that the athletes who had just finished the competition could have enough time to rest and prepare.
However, tonight's "overlapping of the sun and moon" phenomenon is one of the essential factors for opening the gate to the solar eclipse, and Thomas wants to entrust the mages to go back four hundred years to kill the black dragon and the black mage.
Therefore, the dinner had to be brought forward to allow them to recover their strength as much as possible.
"Thank you everyone. This year's Grand Magic Games have completely exceeded my expectations; every battle has been incredibly exciting!"
Thomas walked onto the platform in the hall and expressed his gratitude to the mages below.
As King Fiore and the host of this banquet, he was no longer the comical and cute pumpkin-headed figure. He was dressed in a magnificent robe and wore a crown inlaid with various gemstones. Even his voice had become more dignified and composed.
Apart from a few hotheads like Natsu who were engrossed in their work, most of the mages stopped what they were doing and looked at Thomas with awe.
The seasoned guild leaders responded one after another, thanking the Fiore royal family for their strong support and for providing such a grand stage for everyone.
After a few polite exchanges, Thomas cleared his throat twice and finally revealed the purpose of the dinner:
"I am truly happy that there are so many excellent guilds in Fiore. It is because of your existence that the country has been able to maintain its current stable and peaceful situation."
"If needed, could you please provide assistance? Of course, we will pay the appropriate compensation as if it were a normal commission."
The first part is true. In a world dominated by magic, the national guard is often primarily focused on maintaining stability, and its power is quite limited.
Resisting foreign enemies and deterring other countries relies on the mage guilds, or more precisely, the number and strength of mages possessed by the nation.
This implicit factor was also one of the reasons why the Kingdom of Fiore was able to become a permanently neutral country after the Second Trade War.
The second half of the sentence was naturally meant to give everyone present a basic mental preparation in advance.
Even with the help of the Celestial Spirit Mages, Thomas couldn't guarantee that the Eclipse Gate would open 100% of the time.
Since it involved "Zeref's Black Magic," he chose a more conservative and prudent approach before receiving news from Emerald, leaving himself ample room for maneuver.
Can you offer help?
Payment?
Everyone present, including the leaders of various guilds, was completely confused.
Just then, Natsu suddenly put down the turkey leg he was holding, patted his chest confidently, and said, "Hahaha, of course, no problem, you little old king!"
"Any requests or favors, just leave them to Fairy Tail!"
The speech, devoid of any sense of hierarchy, instantly startled everyone. Even the future Jura, with a bandage wrapped around her forehead, was so shocked that she made a meme-worthy expression, her eyes wide open.
The man before me is the king, the powerful and influential king of the Kingdom of Fiore!
While the image is indeed fitting, adding a little old man in front of it? Are you kidding me?!
Marcao and the others rushed over and covered Natsu's loose tongue, while repeatedly pleading with Thomas.
However, instead of being angered by this offensive behavior, Thomas was pleased that Natsu, who had performed brilliantly in the Grand Magic Games, was able to stand up for him immediately.
"This trust is truly reassuring."
He smiled and nodded at Natsu. "Then please take care of me from now on, Natsu, Pumpkin~"
"Huh? Wrong?!?"
The mages, who were tense just a second ago, suddenly widened their eyes and exclaimed in disbelief.
That strangely familiar verbal tic, and that physique that perfectly matched the pumpkin-headed referee model—could it be that Thomas, realizing he'd let something slip, subtly changed his expression: "In short, please enjoy the banquet!"
To preserve the king's integrity, he gave a brief explanation and then hurriedly left, giving no one a chance to speculate or ask further questions.
In fact, even without this little incident, he wouldn't have been able to stay here for long; he would have needed to step back and take charge of the overall situation, preparing for all aspects of the eclipse plan in advance.
For example, persuading Defense Secretary Dutton, who still held opposing views at this point.
In a corner of the banquet, several presidents sat together.
"Surprisingly, he wasn't scared out of his wits and rushed over to stop the little fire dragon."
Goldman, the guild leader of Four-Headed Hounds (who has now reverted to its original name), looked at Makarov with a strange expression. "This isn't like you."
"Even though he won the championship, he still seems so distracted."
Ouba Barbama was furious, spinning her raised finger in a circle. "Is this showing off? Of course it is! I'm going to make you spin!"
"By the way, Chess-chan didn't see him either. I was hoping to get to know this handsome young man who suddenly appeared~" President Bob's tone was still full of coquettishness.
Although they acted normally, they were all old friends who had known each other for many years, and they still caught a hint of something unusual in Makarov's solemn expression.
Under normal circumstances, this old guy should be laughing loudly, showing off his achievements in the Great Magic Games.
Moreover, King Thomas's words just now seemed strange and abrupt.
The three shrewd and calculating individuals had a feeling that something extraordinary was about to happen.
"Let's fill our stomachs first."
Makarov noticed the doubt in his close friends' eyes, picked up the glass of wine in front of him, took a swig, and said in a deep voice, "If nothing unexpected happens, the answer will be revealed soon."
After giving this ambiguous statement, he slowly put down his wine glass and said no more.
His deep gaze passed through the hall doors, looking at the quiet city nightscape outside the Hua Deng Palace, and finally settled on the blood-red full moon in the night sky.
Hopefully, Chase's Eclipse Project II will proceed smoothly.
Despite his unconditional trust in Chase, this enemy is different from the past; it is a dragon that once ruled an era and possesses power far exceeding that of humans!
Even Makarov, at this critical moment, inevitably felt a sense of urgency.