"Are you asking about... the Moon Drip matter?" Ultear furrowed her brow and asked in a low voice.
Ankh nodded, narrowing his handsome eyes as he smiled and said, "I'm actually quite interested in the matter of Deliora."
A trace of resentment flickered in Ultear's eyes as she replied in a low voice.
"Interested in that demon? What exactly are you after?"
Hearing Ultear's disrespectful words, Ankh's eyes turned cold, though a smile still lingered at the corners of his lips.
"That demon itself is insignificant. What interests me is the magic used to defeat it."
"Ice shell!"
"If I recall correctly, that should be the ultimate magic your mother used at the moment of her death, right?"
Ultear gritted her silver teeth, sparks nearly flashing in her beautiful eyes.
But before she could react, Ankh cast a cold glance directly at her.
"Ultear, mind your attitude. Don't test my limits!"
The venomous words on the tip of her tongue were forcibly swallowed by Ultear.
She hurriedly lowered her gaze, her voice trembling as she replied respectfully.
"Yes... Master."
Ankh glanced at Ultear, clearly sensing the intense killing intent she still harbored toward him in her heart, but he didn't pay it much mind.
"Use your Transformation Magic to make contact with that man who calls himself 'Ice Emperor.' Follow his lead and observe Deliora's condition while you're at it."
"It won't be long before I personally come to the island to meet you. Until then, do not let the Moon Drip plan commence."
Ankh issued the command in a lighthearted tone.
Ultear kept her head bowed and nodded in agreement.
Ankh remembered the events of the Moon Drip on Galuna Island very clearly.
The man who called himself Ice emperor was none other than Lyon, Gray's senior, who excelled in dynamic Ice Make magic.
Gray and Lyon's master was Ultear's mother, Ur, and Deliora was the terrifying demon that forced Ur to use Ice shell, sacrificing her own life to destroy it.
Lyon had become Ur's apprentice because he believed she was the strongest Mage.
However, Ur's death had left him deeply traumatized.
He obsessively believed that it was all Gray's fault—that Gray's insistence on challenging Deliora had caused Ur's death!
Only by defeating Deliora, a demon even Ur couldn't overcome, could Lyon truly surpass her and escape her shadow.
That was why Lyon had taken on the identity of Ice Emperor and used the unique Magic Power of Moon Drip, which could dissolve all magic, to release Deliora, whom Ur had sealed at the cost of her life.
Thinking it over now, Ankh felt that Gray's senior was just a bit too reckless...
According to Ur's introduction in the original story, she was a woman with Magic Power on par with the Wizard Saints.
If even she couldn't handle that demon, how could Lyon, who was only on par with Gray, possibly succeed?
If it weren't for the fact that Ur's "Ice shell" had already killed Deliora when the seal was broken, given the demon's full power at its peak, probably very few people on Galuna Island would have survived...
Moreover, melting the ice that encased Deliora's corpse was, in a way, the final death of Ur.
Ur's Ice shell involved dissolving all of her Magic Power, transforming her entire body into ice to nearly eternally freeze her opponent.
Ultear's expression was complex, and she secretly clenched her fists.
Ankh looked at Ultear's solemn face and couldn't help but sigh.
Although Ultear was a member of a Dark Guild...
To be honest, in Ankh's eyes, she was just a stubborn young girl who had lost her mother's love and strayed down the wrong path.
With a little guidance, it wasn't impossible for her to find her way back to the right track.
Moreover, Ankh knew that deep in Ultear's heart, she had never truly abandoned or forgotten her love for her mother.
For instance, she was unwilling to let Meredy call her "Ur" because she believed that was her mother's title.
Additionally, the reason Ultear chose the most difficult magic to learn—the Time Magic—was her desire to manipulate time.
But her true purpose was likely known only to herself...
So, as Ankh looked at Ultear kneeling on one knee before him, he couldn't help but reveal a trace of pity in his eyes.
He reached out and gently placed his hand on Ultear's head.
Just like how Ankh used to comfort a grieving Lisanna and others when he was young in the guild...
Ultear's delicate frame trembled slightly as she felt the warmth on her head, her emotions shifting uncontrollably...
Shame, anger, unease, grievance, and tranquility—all these feelings intertwined within her.
Surprisingly, under Ankh's head-patting, Ultear unexpectedly calmed down.
Ankh himself was taken aback, glancing suspiciously at his own hand.
Even after years of not using this "head-patting technique," its effect was still this potent.
Ankh reasonably suspected that he must have awakened some special ability.
He stroked Ultear's hair a couple more times before clearing his throat and reaching out to slowly lift her face, which wore a complicated expression.
Smiling, he said, "Do well on this mission. If you complete it nicely, I'll give you a reward."
A reward?
For some inexplicable reason, Ultear, who had initially felt no ripples in her heart, now felt a faint sense of anticipation...
"Yes, Master."
After sending off the emotionally fluctuating Ultear and dispelling the magic restraining her in the manor, Ankh finally let her leave alone for Galuna Island.
Watching Ultear gradually disappear into the distance, Ankh sighed.
"When it comes down to it, she was just a little girl lacking love..."
[What, interested in her?]
Seram's voice abruptly echoed in his mind.
Ankh nodded frankly and said.
"Using poison to control her is just too wasteful."
"Rather than a puppet with zero growth potential, I'd prefer to obtain an Ultear who serves me wholeheartedly and can grow rapidly. Her talent and magic are truly remarkable."
When chatting with Seram, Ankh naturally didn't need to hold back, openly expressing his views on Ultear.
[This woman has limited skills but high ambitions. Is she worth it?]
Seram's voice carried a hint of disdain.
Ankh, of course, knew his temperament.
Although Ankh didn't possess them, Seram retained fragments of divine memories, giving him extraordinary insight—thus, he looked down on Ultear's abilities.
Of course... if one were to put it that way, Seram essentially disdained every human in this world except Ankh.
But Ankh believed that in the Fairy Tail world, even if Ultear couldn't be counted among the very top tier, she was still a rare and powerful figure.
Moreover, the lost magic Arc of Time had far too many uses and development potential...
Ankh couldn't handle everything personally; he needed a few subordinates.
And to truly win Ultear over, perhaps he had to first grasp the attachments in her heart...
What was Ultear's true attachment?
Without a doubt, it was her biological mother, Ur—whom she both loved and resented!
In Ankh's sinister crimson eyes, obscure and inscrutable glimmers flickered incessantly.
"Seram, do you remember what I mentioned to you before..."
[You mean, about reviving that woman?]
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