"No. That's… not acceptable."
The king's composure cracked. His voice rose despite himself. He had only one child. His daughter was the sole heir to the throne. Letting her join a mage guild, living among battle-hardened spellcasters, was unthinkable.
Rowan Mercer stood close beside him on the podium, trophy raised for the crowd, one arm draped casually around the king's shoulders like an old friend. The applause drowned out everything else.
Inside the king's mind, Rowan's voice was calm and cold.
She won't be sent on dangerous missions. I won't harm her. You may assign guards, tutors, advisers, anyone you like. She'll learn everything a future monarch must learn.
But she stays with the guild.
The king's breath caught.
Refuse, Rowan continued, and I'll assume you intend to keep targeting me and my people. In that case, my response is simple. I remove you, your daughter, and every senior official who supports you. A new royal family will rise eventually. Kingdoms always replace their dead.
The king's hands trembled.
You could also expose everything you've done and rally the world against me, Rowan added. It wouldn't change the outcome. Even united, they can't stop me.
Silence followed. Not outside. Inside.
Rowan wanted the princess in the guild for two reasons.
First, the impact. A royal heir joining the reigning champion guild would shake the continent. Talent, contracts, influence, and prestige would follow. The guild would grow stronger without Rowan lifting another finger.
Second, leverage.
Erasing the royal family outright would provoke chaos and backlash, and Rowan had no interest in managing a country. He planned to spend most of his time buried in spell research, not policing politics. But with the heir living under his roof, the court would think twice before playing games again.
If they valued their bloodline, they would behave.
"I… agree," the king finally said aloud, forcing a stiff smile. "On the condition that you keep your word."
He had no real choice.
The ceremony ended. Then the king stepped forward again, seized the microphone from the stunned host, and addressed the arena.
"There is one more announcement," he said. "From today onward, my daughter, Princess Jade E. Fiore, will join Fairy Tail for a period of seven years. After those seven years, I will formally pass the crown to her."
The number wasn't accidental. Seven years placed a visible limit on Rowan's control and reassured the court that the succession would proceed.
Rowan smiled. Publicly tying the future monarch to Fairy Tail only amplified the effect. Better than he'd expected.
The arena erupted.
"The princess joined Fairy Tail?"
"That's insane!"
"No wonder they're the strongest!"
To ordinary citizens, royalty stood far above mages. Hearing that the future queen would live among them felt unreal.
The princess herself looked stunned.
"Father, why—"
One sharp look from the king silenced her.
Rowan nodded, satisfied.
"As long as the crown doesn't interfere with my guild again, she'll be safe," he said quietly. "I give my word."
Then, as if remembering something trivial, he added, "By the way… I heard the palace collapsed?"
The king's lips twitched. He nodded.
Rowan leaned closer. "I made my name repairing things. I can restore it. Saves you the reconstruction costs."
That got the king's attention.
"What's the condition?"
"The spell archives," Rowan replied. "All of them. The Magic Development Bureau and the Royal Library."
Access granted by royal decree would reveal texts no outsider could ever touch.
The king didn't hesitate. "Agreed."
Rowan stepped off the stage, wings unfurling. He crossed the sky and hovered above the ruins of the palace.
"Reparo."
The shattered stone reversed itself. Walls reformed. Towers rose. In seconds, the palace stood whole again.
The crowd stared in stunned silence.
"So that's him," someone whispered. "The restoration mage."
Few had realized the legendary repair specialist and the terrifying champion were the same being. Fewer still imagined that being was a cat.
By noon, the celebrations were over.
Rowan was preparing to visit the Magic Development Bureau when Minerva arrived at the guild lodgings, several figures behind her.
"I want them to join Fairy Tail as well," she said.
Rowan glanced at them once. "Rufus Lore. Orga Nanagear. Yukino Aguria." He nodded. "Accepted. Take them inside. Macao will handle the paperwork."
They were strong. Strong enough to be worth keeping.
The guild was growing. Exactly as planned.