Chapter 577: Irene Belserion, the "Scarlet Despair"
"Naturally. I am quite confident in my alchemical engineering," Noah grinned, stretching his arms.
"Do you not intend to use the potion yourself?" August asked, noticing that Noah hadn't taken out a second vial.
"Not this time. I want to let my body recover naturally. Consider it a passive endurance exercise," Noah shook his head. "Besides, my baseline regeneration is absurdly high. It won't take long."
Since it was incredibly rare for him to completely exhaust both his Ethernano and his physical stamina, Noah wanted to force his body to adapt to the absolute depletion, which would further expand his maximum capacity.
"Indeed. Your regenerative capabilities are truly monstrous," August noted, already sensing Noah's magical core rapidly reigniting.
At this rate, Noah would be back at full combat capacity within an hour. August shook his head in mild disbelief; he certainly didn't possess that kind of biological resilience.
"We should finish cleaning up. The Imperial Guard scouting fleets will be arriving soon," Noah said, standing up.
August nodded. They had lingered long enough.
The two of them rapidly swept the area. They completely pulverized the remaining large ice floes, aggressively dispersed the residual magical signatures in the atmosphere, and used their telekinesis to forcefully stabilize the churning ocean currents.
Moving at top speed via spatial teleportation, they completely erased any evidence that a battle between two god-tier mages had occurred.
Once the cleanup was finished, they teleported back to the outskirts of a coastal Alvarez city, reuniting with Mavis.
Sure enough, shortly after they left, several Imperial Guard frigates arrived at the coordinates. However, they found absolutely nothing but open ocean.
"That was an incredibly intense battle. You both need proper rest," Mavis insisted, noticing the lingering exhaustion on August's face.
"Yes, a warm bed sounds quite appealing," August admitted, rolling his stiff shoulders. It had been decades since he felt this physically drained.
"I need to organize the combat data anyway," Noah added.
Having fought the Magic King at full power, Noah had gathered an absolute mountain of practical combat experience and spell metrics. He was eager to document and analyze everything while it was fresh in his mind.
"Let's rent rooms in the city," Mavis suggested.
They walked into the coastal city, found a high-end inn, and rented a suite. After enjoying a massive dinner together, they retired to their respective rooms.
Noah opened his Archive, meticulously cataloging the battle data, analyzing August's casting speeds, Ethernano efficiency, and spell combinations. Once he had thoroughly documented the fight, he finally allowed himself to sleep.
For the next few days, the trio relaxed, casually touring the coastal city to unwind.
Once they were fully recovered, they sat down to discuss their next destination.
"We should return to the guild," Mavis proposed brightly. "I want August to finally meet the rest of the Fairy Tail family."
"I completely agree. I wish to express my gratitude to them in person," August nodded immediately.
He was genuinely eager to meet the guild. Firstly, he wanted to thank them for helping Mavis and Noah find him. Secondly, he was profoundly curious to see the guild his mother loved so deeply.
From their conversations, August understood that Mavis's love for Fairy Tail was essentially maternal. While she loved him fiercely as her biological son, she also viewed the guild members as her children. He felt absolutely no jealousy toward this fact; he simply wanted to understand the place that held so much of his mother's heart.
"Returning to the guild is a good plan," Noah nodded. "However... there is one final thing I need to do before we leave."
Noah turned to August, his expression turning serious. "With my current strength, what would happen if I fought Irene?"
"If you fought Irene in a pure deathmatch... I cannot confidently declare a victor," August answered honestly after a moment of thought. "However, if your goal was simply to retreat, she absolutely could not stop you."
August paused, looking at Noah with genuine concern. "Do you have unfinished business with Irene? Is there a misunderstanding between you two? If necessary, I can act as a mediator."
"I appreciate the offer, but for the initial confrontation, it's best if you stay out of it," Noah shook his head. "I need to trigger the situation myself and let her vent her immediate emotional instability. Once she has calmed down and I've established a line of communication, your presence will be incredibly helpful."
"I understand. If you require my assistance, do not hesitate to ask," August smiled warmly.
"I definitely won't hesitate," Noah chuckled.
Mavis listened to the exchange quietly. She knew exactly what Noah was planning.
Irene Belserion. Erza's mother.
Given Irene's unstable mental state and her apocalyptic power, Noah had to be the one to initiate contact. If Mavis or August interfered too early, Irene might violently misinterpret their intentions. Only Noah, who possessed an intimate bond with Erza, could navigate the psychological minefield.
"Are you planning to seek her out right now?" August asked.
"Yes. If you two are ready to move, I'll go see her," Noah nodded.
"Let's go together. We have nothing else pressing to do anyway," Mavis suggested.
"I just checked my local intelligence network. Irene is currently residing within the city she governs," August said, referencing the telepathic updates from his clone in the capital. "We can travel there immediately."
"Perfect. Let's go," Noah said.
August tapped his staff against the floor, and the three of them vanished from the inn.
When they reappeared, they were standing in the dense forest on the outskirts of Irene's governed city.
"You will have to proceed alone from here," August said. "Mother and I will conceal our presence and remain in this forest. If you require assistance, simply send a signal."
"Understood," Noah nodded.
As they had discussed, August and Mavis needed to remain hidden. If Irene's hyper-attuned dragon senses detected the Magic King lurking on the edge of her city, she would instantly assume he was plotting a coup or an assassination, which would trigger a catastrophic battle.
August immediately began tracing complex runic arrays into the dirt, erecting a heavily fortified, multi-layered stealth ward around himself and Mavis. Once they were secure, they would be completely invisible to Irene's radar, but they could still monitor Noah's progress.
Leaving them behind, Noah meticulously purged his own magical signature, ensuring absolutely no trace of August or Mavis lingered on his clothes.
Then, he activated his Spatial Magic and vanished.
A few minutes later, Noah reappeared on the outskirts of the city. However, his appearance had subtly changed.
His clothes were slightly disheveled, and his lips were noticeably glossier, his cheeks flushed with a faint, healthy red.
He had taken a quick detour back to Ishgar. He needed to ensure Irene immediately recognized a very specific, undeniable scent.
Adjusting his collar, Noah confidently walked into the city.
This time, he didn't use any perception-filtering wards. He allowed a tiny, controlled fraction of his immense Ethernano to passively bleed into the atmosphere. He wanted Irene to find him.
Acting like a normal tourist, Noah casually wandered through the bustling commercial district, browsing the local shops and purchasing a few unique Alvarez souvenirs.
After visiting a few stalls, he stepped into a large boutique. As he was examining a display of enchanted jewelry, a sudden commotion erupted in the street outside.
"It's Lady Irene!"
"She actually left the castle!"
"It's been so long since Lady Irene walked among us!"
"And Lady Juliet and Lady Heine are with her! Has something major happened?"
"Usually, Lady Juliet and Lady Heine handle all administrative affairs. If Lady Irene is personally investigating something, it must be incredibly serious!"
Hearing the frantic, awestruck whispers of the citizens outside, Noah smiled. His target had arrived.
He casually set down the jewelry he was holding and turned toward the entrance.
Two young women stepped into the boutique first.
One was a slender, sharp-eyed woman with dark blue hair, wearing a dark blue cloak over a skin-tight black bodysuit.
The other was a cheerful woman with bright orange hair styled into twin braids. She wore a white dress with orange frills, and a bright, carefree smile plastered across her face.
"Lady Irene said an 'interesting' person had entered the city. That's the only reason she left the castle," the orange-haired woman, Juliet, chirped loudly. "Heine, who do you think it is?"
"Idiot, how should I know? Lady Irene explicitly stated this intruder possesses terrifying strength. Do not underestimate them," the blue-haired woman, Heine, scolded her partner sharply.
"I'm just curious!" Juliet laughed, completely unbothered by being called an idiot.
"We'll find out soon enough. This is the location Lady Irene pinpointed," Heine noted, scanning the interior of the boutique.
"Indeed. The target is inside."
A mature, incredibly commanding female voice echoed from the doorway.
A breathtakingly beautiful, mature woman stepped into the shop. She wore dark red lipstick, and her vibrant, scarlet hair was braided into several thick tails that cascaded down to her waist.
She possessed a tall, incredibly voluptuous figure. She wore a revealing top with a diamond-shaped cutout exposing her cleavage. The top cut off just above her navel, revealing a prominent, jagged scar on the left side of her waist.
She wore a dark loincloth adorned with the Alvarez Empire crest, thigh-high black boots, and matching black gloves that ended in sharp, claw-like points.
Atop her head sat a massive, oversized black witch's hat. Thick, dreadlock-like braids extended from the hat all the way down to her thighs, with white bandages wrapped around the base of the braids. A dark cape draped over her shoulders, flowing down to her calves.
In her right hand, she gripped a massive, gnarled wooden staff that was taller than she was.
This was Irene Belserion, the "Scarlet Despair."
The moment she spoke, Heine and Juliet immediately stepped aside, bowing their heads respectfully.
Every single customer and employee in the boutique instantly dropped to their knees, bowing deeply in absolute reverence.
Noah was the only person left standing, making him painfully obvious.
"Is that the guy Lady Irene was talking about? Aside from being pretty handsome, he doesn't look like a monster," Juliet noted, tilting her head curiously. She took a step forward to get a closer look.
Heine instantly grabbed her arm, yanking her back. "Lady Irene said his strength is terrifying. Do not approach him, you reckless idiot."
Irene ignored her subordinates. She glided forward, stopping a few paces away from Noah. She tilted her head, her sharp, predatory eyes scanning him up and down.
"Who are you? I have never seen you before. A mage possessing your level of power should not be unknown to me," Irene stated, her voice smooth but laced with inherent authority.
Suddenly, she froze.
She leaned forward slightly. Her nostrils flared as she took a sharp, deep breath.
Her beautiful face instantly contorted into a mask of terrifying, absolute fury. Her eyes widened, blazing with a murderous, draconic intensity.
"Who... who have you been with?!" Irene demanded, her voice dropping into a terrifying, guttural snarl.
Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her massive staff, the sheer, apocalyptic pressure of her magic instantly crushing the air in the room.
~~~
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