The royal palace of the Edolas Kingdom appeared rather peculiar overall, completely different in architectural style from the world of "Earth Land."
The entire capital city seemed like the polar opposite of the "City of Flowers," Crocus since it was embodying a dark aesthetic.
From above, it looked pitch black, almost like some Demon King's Castle.
However, inside the capital, the buildings were actually quite normal, with only the large central palace area being particularly unique.
Standing outside the palace, Marco contemplated his next course of action.
Over the past few days, after making contact with the "Fairy Tail" of Edolas, Marco had discovered a key point: the magic in the world of "Edolas" indeed differed significantly from that of "Earth Land."
Of course, this could also be due to the prohibition of civilian magic, which meant that all the magic Marco had witnessed so far was rather inferior.
Magic in the world of "Edolas" served as a genuine tool, as the people of Edolas couldn't use magic themselves and lacked inherent magical power. T
hey could only rely on the combination of Lacrimas and "tools" to create magical artifacts for use.
An individual's strength depended entirely on the power of their magical artifacts.
Currently, in "Edolas," magic was completely banned, and the sale of magical artifacts was naturally prohibited.
However, black markets still existed, and with the right connections, one could still purchase them.
That said, the items available in these black markets were mostly trendy junk—fine for casual use but useless against the royal army.
Marco observed that the equipment worn by the royal soldiers could be considered magical artifacts.
Though still rather basic, they easily outclassed the inferior magical items circulating among civilians.
If people from "Earth Land" came to this world and couldn't use magic, they'd likely struggle even against these royal soldiers.
Regardless, Marco felt this trip hadn't been in vain; he had gained some understanding of the general situation in this world.
It was conceivable that the 'Magic War Squad' led by Erza Knightwalker would possess considerable combat prowess.
After all, it was a unit assembled with all the magical artifacts of an entire world.
Just thinking about it made Marco realize he couldn't underestimate them.
If all the powerful Mages from the "Western Continent," "Northern Continent," and "Ishgar" were gathered together, how formidable would that force be? The thought alone was terrifying.
Moreover, above the "Edolas Kingdom" lay the "Kingdom of the Exceed," the higher-level rulers.
The "Exceed," the race of Happy and Carla, were referred to as "angels" by the people of "Edolas."
Their queen was regarded as a "god," ruling over the kingdom known as Extalia, which floated above the capital, hovering over all the people of Edolas.
"It's hard to gauge the strength of the Exceed race from Happy and Carla alone. Perhaps I should go up to that island and take a look."
Marco lifted his head, gazing at the sky in search of that massive floating island.
Even the king of the "Kingdom of Edolas" had to obey the commands of that god, merely acting as a dog for the Exceed.
From this perspective, the god of the Exceed should be the final boss.
"Would such an ambitious king willingly be someone else's dog?" Marco felt puzzled as he gazed at the towering spires of the palace.
Everything the "King of Edolas" had done revealed his immense ambition and desire to consolidate power within himself, turning magic into a tool for his control.
He was clearly a monarch with strong authoritarian tendencies and a thirst for dominance.
Could such a schemer, who aimed to unify the world and become the "King of Humanity," truly be content to serve as a "dog" for another race?
"But this has nothing to do with us." Marco chuckled.
Perhaps the "King of Edolas" was using the power of "Anima" to resist the rule of the "Exceed," but so what? The people of Earth Land had no obligation to sacrifice themselves for them.
Marco had come as a representative of "Earth Land," so he naturally stood on the side of its people.
Even though he was a transmigrator, his home was now Fairy Tail and this Anima threatened his home and family.
If, after overthrowing the "King of Edolas," Mystogan wanted their help to topple the "Exceed's" rule, Marco would be more than willing to assist, because Mystogan was also a part of the "Fairy Tail" family.
Although Mystogan was from "Edolas" and the son of the "King of Edolas," everything he had done had earned recognition.
His identity only made his actions all the more commendable.
No member of "Fairy Tail" would ever question Mystogan's contributions; he would always be a part of this family.
'Hum!'
As magic surged, Marco donned the "Aries Gold Cloth" and the "Pope's Mask" on his face.
He directly activated Instant Transmission to bypass the palace walls and enter the vast palace grounds.
Fortunately, the palace walls weren't too thick, and Marco's "Instant Transmission" range was sufficient.
The crows soaring in the sky acted as Marco's eyes, guiding his direction. He successfully landed in a secluded small garden, infiltrating the palace.
"This place is truly massive."
Marco marveled at the sheer size of the palace, which was far larger than Mercurius of the Fiore Kingdom.
The most absurd part was that Marco even spotted an amusement park within the palace grounds—utterly ridiculous!
"This king must still have a childlike heart." Marco muttered to himself, thinking he should ask Mystogan later if the king happened to have particularly favored younger siblings.
Using "Instant Transmission," Marco moved around the palace, avoiding crowds.
However, he didn't enter any buildings, only confirming the general layout of the palace and the functions of each area.
Entering the palaces directly would be too risky.
This visit was solely for gathering intelligence.
Marco tried his best to avoid conflicts and prevent his identity from being exposed, which could alert the enemy.
After all, when they could organize an allied force depended entirely on Mystogan's research progress.
"Captain Marco, Captain Erza has failed several times and still hasn't managed to completely eliminate 'Fairy Tail'. Perhaps you could lend her a hand?"
As Marco arrived outside a palace, his attention was caught by a conversation - mainly because of that name.
While it wasn't impossible for someone else to share the name Marco, within the royal palace and being addressed as Captain, it could only refer to that Captain Marco of the "Magic Warfare Unit."
Marco listened carefully.
The speaker's voice was quite aged and carried a sinister tone, sounding like someone of questionable character.
"Hah, Bairo, are you trying to drive a wedge between me and Erza? How bold of you."
A young voice responded with sarcastic amusement.
"Not at all! I'm merely making a suggestion."
The aged voice continued, carrying a hint of laughter, showing no offense at the young man's disrespectful tone.
"Don't make such a suggestions again."
The young voice turned cold, seemingly irritated.
As the two voices drew nearer and gradually emerged from the palace, Marco decided not to leave this time.
He retracted his special effects-laden Aries Gold Cloth, wanting to see this Captain Marco for himself - he simply couldn't resist this curiosity.
Soon, two figures - one tall and one short - walked out.
The shorter one matched his voice perfectly - a sinister-looking old man with ghostly features who clearly appeared untrustworthy.
The taller one actually made Marco pause for a moment, because that guy looked almost identical to him.
The only difference lay in their hairstyles - this "Captain Marco" sported a spiky aircraft-style cut that looked quite roguish.
Oh, and besides that, this "Captain Marco" was covered in tattoos - various eerie demons and beasts.
His overall style differed significantly from Marco's.
Marco frowned.
Honestly, while he had initially known this guy would be quite different from him, the extent of the contrast still exceeded his expectations.
Although the members of this world's Fairy Tail had undergone significant personality changes, Marco could say with certainty that their core remained unchanged - they were still good people.
The ones with the biggest differences were probably himself and Erza, since these two had never joined Fairy Tail at all.
'Is that the reason?' Marco wondered.
Currently, it seemed the only thing separating him and Erza in this world from their companions was their lack of Fairy Tail membership, which explained such dramatic contrasts.
Marco found this quite plausible.
After all, "Fairy Tail" was the main character - since this world's Marco and Erza hadn't joined Fairy Tail, they had become antagonists instead.
While Marco was lost in thought, "Captain Marco" parted ways with the short old man.
The short old man named Bairo appeared to be a high-ranking official, with everyone around treating him with utmost respect.
Naturally, the palace guards also regarded "Captain Marco" with awe and reverence.
Marco kept his eyes on "Captain Marco," planning to follow him.
This "Captain Marco" was clearly preparing to leave the palace.
Sure enough, "Captain Marco" strode out of the royal palace with an utterly unhinged swagger. The difference between him and Marco was truly stark—they clearly weren't the same person at all.
A person's aura really does profoundly influence their outward appearance.
If Marco was the type of "model child others praise," then this "Captain Marco" was the "good-for-nothing loiterer."
Marco never imagined he could appear so detestable to others.
Hum!
Using "Instant Transmission," Marco closely followed "Captain Marco" out of the royal palace of Edolas.
Along the way, Marco kept observing, focusing on "Captain Marco's" weapon—mainly because he couldn't spot where it was hidden.
People in Edolas relied entirely on magical tools for combat, yet Marco didn't see any magical tools on this "Captain Marco."
Still, the guy must be using magical tools to fight, since Marco also detected no trace of magic power emanating from him.
Inhabitants of the Edolas world inherently lack magic power—a fundamental difference from Earth Land.
In Earth Land, even when using magical tools, one must rely on their own internal magic power.
That is what defines a Holder-Type Mage.
Those in Edolas who depend entirely on magical tools aren't even considered Mages.
If you can't even channel magic power from within, you naturally don't qualify as a Mage.
After all, you wouldn't call someone who can operate a magic crystal-powered lamp a Holder-Type Mage, would you?
That's why, when Mystogan joined Fairy Tail, Marco had reflected on how unique Mystogan was within the guild.
It wasn't because he was an otherworldly traveler—that wasn't particularly special in Fairy Tail—but because, strictly speaking, he wasn't even a Mage.
"It must be a very small magical tool."
Since he couldn't identify the weapon from outward attire, Marco guessed that 'Captain Marco' likely used a compact magical tool.
He was quite curious: What ability did this guy's magical tool possess?
The Fairy Tail members in this world had never confronted "Captain Marco," as they were constantly being hunted by the "Fairy Hunter" Erza Knightwalker.
Thus, they weren't very familiar with this infamous "Mage Killer."
They only knew he struck with lightning speed and that the Magic Guilds he targeted usually met gruesome ends.
"I hope he can provide some entertainment."
Marco followed "Captain Marco" all the way out of the royal palace, discarding his earlier plan entirely.
All notions of "avoiding alerting the enemy" and "refraining from combat" were tossed aside.
In Marco's eyes, this "Captain Marco" was essentially a walking "Gemini Gold Cloth."
How could he let it roam freely instead of seizing it directly?
...
Marco Darkning strolled through the streets of the Edolas royal capital, heading toward his luxurious residence near the palace.
His expression was stern; he hadn't been pleased lately due to some "minor issues" with his magic.
'What's going on? Lately, when I try to channel Star Magic, it sometimes fails to respond. Could the stellar magic power be depleting? This is not good news.'
Marco Darkning was preoccupied with worries.
He touched the "Starstone" hidden in his inner chest pocket. If the magic of the stars were to be depleted, his magical power would plummet dramatically.
"Captain Marco's" subtle movement, along with the fleeting magical fluctuation from his chest, made Marco keenly aware.
Just as he had guessed, this guy's magical artifact was an inconspicuous little object, concealed in his chest.
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