Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master

"Ah, it's nothing," Makarov said quickly, forcing a smile. "I just suddenly recalled that Zeref's peculiar ability stems from the curse of the god Ankhseram."

He explained it to Princess Hisui in a slightly flustered tone, already making a mental note to warn the others later: 'No one must reveal the First Master's presence to outsiders. Her current state absolutely cannot be known.'

Mavis, sensing the tension, also fell silent for the time being, deciding to discuss matters later in private.

Princess Hisui listened to Makarov's explanation of the contradictory curse, her brows knitting in disbelief. "'The more one cherishes life, the more lives around them are taken'? Then… Zeref is actually someone who values life deeply?"

Mira followed the thought with a quiet insight. "If that's true, then in order not to harm others, he might try to harden his heart, to forget the value of life, so the curse wouldn't trigger. But…"

Rhodes picked up her words. "But once he abandons the sanctity of life, the Black Wizard himself becomes unimaginably dangerous."

A man who commands countless forbidden magics, if he no longer values life, was indeed a disaster waiting to happen.

Princess Hisui pressed her lips together. "So, no matter what he truly feels in his heart, he brings ruin to those around him either way?"

Rhodes considered, then said, "There may be a third possibility. That he becomes like Ankhseram himself, seeing mortals as no more than ants beneath his feet, rising above them as a god."

Until now, Rhodes hadn't thought much about the gods, but the more he examined Zeref, the more he saw divine traits: immortality, the creation of intelligent beings like the Etherious, entire sects who worshipped him… If Zeref were to claim land, gather his demons and followers, and declare dominion, wouldn't he be no different from a god?

Princess Hisui gave a soft laugh, dismissing it. "A god? Impossible. How could a human ever become a god?"

As royalty, she held fast to hierarchy, if commoners could never be kings, then mortals could certainly never be gods.

Makarov and Mira nodded; they thought the same.

But Mavis's expression shifted. She quietly considered Rhodes's words with unsettling seriousness. She knew that more than a century ago, Zeref had, in truth, played something very much like a "game of kings" in the Western Continent.

To him, people were chess pieces. He expanded territory, commanded armies, moved lives without remorse, because pieces are not loved. If they fell, he felt no grief, and the curse did not awaken.

And now, the West Continent had already been unified. If Rhodes's theory was right… what was Zeref's next step? Could he truly be on the path to becoming a "god"?

Rhodes, for his part, didn't press the point. He hadn't said it to argue with the Princess, only to raise a possibility. But in his heart, he suspected Zeref carried a streak of self-destruction.

He wondered how much the First Master truly knew of him, he would have to ask her later.

After chatting for a while longer, Princess Hisui rose with a polite smile. "I won't keep the bride and groom from enjoying their day any further. I'd like to see the Magicians' ball for myself."

Naturally, no one tried to stop her, though Rhodes kept an eye on Princess Hisui, not out of suspicion, but from concern she might get caught in some unforeseen chaos.

Hisui, however, didn't seem the least bit worried. She moved through the crowd with poise, first greeting Jura and Ichiya, then exchanging a few polite words with Kagura, the rising star of the Grand Magic Games. Before long, her eyes found Lucy.

"Miss Lucy," Hisui said warmly, smiling as she waved.

Lucy, who had been sitting with Levy while nibbling snacks and chatting, quickly stood up in surprise. "Princess Hisui?"

Levy blinked, startled. "Lucy-chan, you know the Princess?"

"H-how could I? This is the first time we've met…" Lucy replied uncertainly. With the scale of the Heartfilia Konzern back then, it was possible her family had crossed paths with royalty, but she couldn't remember ever meeting the Princess, or even the King.

"We haven't met before," Hisui assured her, "but I have long followed you. You might not know this, but when I was younger, I was cared for by your esteemed father and mother. In fact, I even sought magical knowledge from Lady Layla."

"Really? My mom, she…" Lucy's voice softened. A pang of sorrow stirred in her chest, but so did warmth, hearing someone speak fondly of her mother brought a bittersweet happiness.

"I'm sorry for mentioning Lady Layla without permission," Hisui said sincerely. "Her loss is truly regrettable."

Lucy shook her head gently, managing a smile. "It's alright. I'm glad when others remember her."

Hisui's smile brightened. "You are every bit as gentle as Lady Layla was."

Lucy felt her cheeks flush slightly, then suddenly asked, "Does the Princess also use magic?"

"Yes. Actually…" Hisui leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Please keep this between us, but I am also a Celestial Spirit Mage."

Lucy's eyes widened with delight. Aside from her mother and that one Dark Guild mage, this was the first time she had met another Celestial Spirit Mage. (She had yet to meet Yukino, and other memories were long buried.)

"Really? That's amazing!" Lucy said, her excitement bubbling over.

Curious, she asked, "May I ask which Celestial Spirits you've contracted with?"

Hisui discreetly revealed several silver keys in her hand. "They're nothing rare," she admitted modestly.

Lucy leaned in to take a closer look. "Crux, Canis Minor, Fornax…" She gasped suddenly. "Canis Minor! I have that key too!"

Hisui chuckled softly. "Yes. Nicola is just too adorable. I couldn't resist purchasing a key for him. The same goes for Crux and Canis Minor, I chose them out of fondness, not power."

Levy tilted her head curiously. "Eh? None of them are battle-types?"

Hisui smiled but didn't answer. Lucy filled the gap for her: "That's because she's a Princess. She doesn't need to fight."

"Oh, right." Levy nodded in understanding. She had studied magic as a livelihood, while the Princess clearly treated it as more of a passion.

With the bond of Celestial Spirit Magic between them, Lucy and Hisui soon found themselves chatting easily. Combined with the connection through Layla, their conversation flowed naturally, and their rapport deepened quickly.

After a while, Hisui suddenly asked, "By the way, Lucy, have you heard of the Grand Magic Games?"

Lucy nodded. "Yes. It's that grand festival where all the guilds of Fiore can compete, right?"

"Exactly," Hisui said with anticipation. "Will Fairy Tail be participating this year? I would very much like to see your performance, Lucy."

"They probably will," Lucy admitted with a wry smile. "The rankings are important, after all. But… if they do, it's unlikely I'll get a chance to shine."

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STONES PLZZZ

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