Hearing this, the drunk Makarov immediately became sober. His eyes became serious as he looked at Akira with a serious expression.
"Where exactly are you going, Akira?" Makarov asked. His voice was low and serious. He set his beer mug down heavily on the counter. "For you to say we can't reach you... This isn't a normal job, is it?"
At this moment, Sera, who was nearby, also came sensing the tense atmosphere. But when she heard about what Akira was about to do, the relaxed smile on her face began fading away. Her sharp eyes locked onto Akira. To go somewhere so far or dangerous that even the upgraded jade slips wouldn't work meant Akira was going somewhere very risky.
Akira met the Master's serious gaze calmly behind his mask. "It's a personal favor for Lady Layla Heartfilia, Master. It might require me to cross the ocean to the Western Continent. Because it is so far away, the communication slips might not work."
Makarov's eyes widened a bit. As one of the Ten Wizard Saints, he knew the Western Continent was a mysterious and dangerous place.
Sera, who was cleaning a glass nearby, stopped moving completely. Her face became sad and worried as she stared at Akira because she knew that Irene was there on the Western Continent.
"The Western Continent..." Makarov muttered, closing his eyes with a long, heavy sigh. He was deeply worried, but looking at Akira's calm stance, he knew he couldn't stop him.
Opening his eyes, Makarov looked straight at Akira. His voice was strict but caring. "I won't stop you if it's to help a friend. But listen to me, Akira. No matter what happens over there, your life comes first. Fairy Tail doesn't care about a finished mission if it means losing a member of our family. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Master," Akira replied quietly.
He looked over at Kira and gave him a quick nod. "Keep an eye on the kids while I'm away."
Kira nodded. As a parallel existence, he knew exactly what Akira was thinking. So there is no need for them to say anything. Just an eye contact alone is enough for them to understand each other.
With everything settled, Akira didn't waste any time. He activated his flying magic and turned into black smoke, leaving the guild instantly. Ever since he created this magic, he had been using it for every quest. After all, compared to traveling on bumpy trains, this method was much faster and more practical.
Well, it certainly didn't have anything to do with the fact that his self-hypnosis had stopped working on trains. Now that his dragon bloodline was growing stronger and enhancing his dragon slayer magic, he was finally experiencing the classic, embarrassing dragon slayer motion sickness. Flying by himself was simply the best way to save his dignity.
...
When Akira departed from Magnolia, it was already close to noon, so when he finally arrived at the Heartfilia mansion, it was already nighttime.
The massive estate was quiet under the moonlight, looking peaceful but grand. Akira landed softly outside the front gates, the black smoke swirling together before fading away as his boots touched the ground.
After explaining the reason for his visit to the guards, he was escorted inside by a butler who came down the hill riding a small magic vehicle. Riding the magic vehicle, they rode for at least ten minutes before they finally arrived at the front doors of the mansion.
Even though it wasn't his first visit here, looking at the giant mansion, Akira couldn't help but sigh at the extravagant wealth of the Heartfilia family. As a family with a history spanning four hundred years, their capital was certainly impressive. Unfortunately, he knew that this massive family fortune would eventually be completely swallowed up by rival merchants, leaving the wealthy heiress, Lucy, reduced to a young teenager who had to constantly worry about next month's rent.
Shaking those thoughts from his head, Akira stepped out of the vehicle as the butler opened the grand front doors for him.
"Lord Akira, Mistress Layla has been expecting you," the butler said with a respectful bow. "She is waiting for you in the Dining hall. Please, follow me."
Akira nodded lightly and followed the butler through the quiet hallways that were brightly lit by magic lamps. Akira also noticed that most of these lamps came from his own magic shop.
Speaking of which, Akira suddenly remembered he had not paid any attention to his magic shop for a long time now. When he goes back, he should replace that clone with a parallel existence. After all, this shop is very important to his future plans. Especially after that guy Natsu joins the guild.
At that time, he would need to research and create a magic item that can repair damaged items. Otherwise, that old man would really have to burn away his retirement fund to compensate for the property damage.
Lost in his thoughts, Akira barely noticed they had reached the grand doors of the dining hall. The butler opened them smoothly, gesturing for him to step inside.
The dining hall was warm and beautifully decorated, with a long mahogany table filled with a large feast. Sitting at the head of the table was Layla. Despite the pale look on her face and the exhaustion in her eyes, she carried herself with the perfect grace of a high noble. When she saw Akira enter, her tired expression instantly lit up with a genuine, relieved smile.
"Welcome, Akira. Please, sit down," Layla said gently, gesturing to the seat closest to her. "You must be hungry after such a long journey. Let's talk while we eat."
Akira gave a respectful bow before taking his seat. He pulled off his mask and set it on the table, revealing his calm face. He could see that Layla is very exhausted but still healthy. This made him breathe a sigh of relief knowing that his chances of saving Layla is very high. He just needs to make sure Layla is rested enough before she has to go on to open the Eclipse Gate.
"Thank you, Lady Layla," Akira said softly. He took a small bite of the food, but his focus was entirely on her. "You looked very serious over the communication slip. What exactly is this quest that made you so stressed?"
Layla took a slow sip of her tea, her smile fading into a solemn look. She stared down at the table for a moment before looking back up at Akira with absolute seriousness.
"I want you to find someone for me," Layla began, her voice dropping to a soft, tight whisper. "My former maid, Grammi. When I decided to retire from being a celestial spirit mage, she also retired from being a maid and got married. And according to the latest information I managed to gather, she is now living on the Western Continent."
"And because it is the Western continent, I'm not able to contact her. I tried to locate her through some merchants, but unfortunately, my search was not very successful. And this is why I need you to find her for me. "
"I see then, Lady Layla. If I may be bold to ask, can you tell me why you want to find this Grammi?" Akira asked, setting down his utensils and locking his eyes onto hers. "From what you said, this person has been out of contact for a very long time. So I find it very puzzling as to why you would suddenly want to meet this person, and in such a hurry nonetheless."
Layla's gaze drifted toward the grand windows of the dining hall, where the silver moonlight painted the room in cold shadows. Her fingers tightened around her teacup, her knuckles turning slightly white.
"You are as sharp as ever, Akira," she sighed softly. "The truth is, this involves a mission that has been passed down through my family for generations.
Before I retired, I held three of the golden celestial keys. When I decided to step down, I entrusted those three keys to the three servants who had faithfully followed me for many years. Grammi was one of those loyal servants, and to her, I gave the key of Aquarius."
"When I gave those keys to my servants, I didn't know about our family mission," Layla explained, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. "It was only after becoming the head of the Heartfilia family that I came to understand this. This mission has been passed down for four hundred years by our ancestor, Anna Heartfilia.
Our family was tasked with a sacred duty: to open the Eclipse Gate on this exact day, July 7, X777, to welcome the dragon slayers from the past who are destined to save our world. To open the gate properly, all twelve golden keys of the Zodiac must be present at the same time.
When I finally learned the truth, I immediately contacted my servants to ask for the keys back. Two of them responded right away and returned their keys to me. But when I tried to reach Grammi... it was already too late. She had already left the country and moved all the way to the Western Continent.
Because I am missing the Aquarius key, I am in a desperate situation. To open the gate, all 12 zodiac keys must be present. "
"So this is why you want me to find this Grammi. " Akira asked, to which Layla nodded.
Deep down, Layla knew this quest was a desperate gamble. For three long years, she had cast her nets across the sea, sending out letters and pleading with passing merchants, only to be met with silence. But she had to try at least one last time because the consequences of not having all 12 keys is not something she could bear if possible.
Author's Note: I'm currently balancing my university studies with writing, and things can get pretty tight. If you enjoy my work, even a $1 donation on Patreon makes a massive difference in helping me cover my education expenses.
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