Chapter 144: The Phantom Lord's Scheme

Many might think that the Iron Dragon Slayer Gajeel isn't as fearsome as rumored, but those who roamed around knew better. Gajeel, hailed as the ace mage of Phantom Lord, had undoubtedly earned that title through raw ability.

At the very least, his strength was comparable to that of the Element Four. Gajeel's reputation as the Iron Dragon was built on real achievements, such as single-handedly taking down multiple dark guilds.

"Um… it wasn't us. We're no match for the Iron Dragon Gajeel. It was George. He defeated him effortlessly and saved us," Levy quickly clarified, her cheeks flushing.

"George!!"

All the gathered mages turned to George, who was still lost in thought about the rumors surrounding Mirajane. Their faces were filled with disbelief.

It was one thing to imagine Levy and her team coordinating perfectly to defeat an S-class mage like Gajeel—it would be surprising, but still within the realm of possibility. However, the idea of George defeating Gajeel in a one-on-one match? That was beyond their comprehension.

It was as absurd as imagining Happy defeating Natsu.

"If I said it was just luck, would you believe me?" George shrugged helplessly, spreading his catlike paws.

While he felt confident that with his premium wand, various spells, and psychic abilities, he could spar with an S-class mage like Erza for a while—even manage to escape—claiming outright victory was another story. He had no illusions about his current limits.

Yet, given the situation, any further explanation would likely fall on deaf ears. Resigned, George chose to close his mouth.

What he didn't realize, however, was that he still underestimated his own strength.

Unbeknownst to him, S-class mages from Fairy Tail were in a different league compared to many other guilds. George's only prior comparison, Erigor, had left him with the impression that his power was underwhelming compared to Erza's.

In truth, Erigor's strength surpassed that of many S-class mages from other guilds.

The issue was George's limited exposure to the magical world beyond the Fairy Tail guild, leaving him with an incomplete understanding of the standards for magical strength. His sole benchmark had been Erza.

Fifteen minutes later, Erza arrived, clad in her Heaven's Wheel Armor, dragging Natsu and Gray along by their collars.

Behind her flew Happy, carrying Lucy, while Jet sprinted to keep up from the ground.

Twenty minutes later, Mirajane descended with Master Makarov, both wearing grim expressions.

Makarov's anger was palpable, his terrifying magical energy almost spilling over.

"If they had only destroyed the guildhall, I might have let it slide. But attacking my guild's children? That I will never tolerate.

All Fairy Tail mages, listen to me! Tonight, we declare war on Phantom Lord! Move out now!"

"War!"

"War!"

"War!"

Cheers erupted as Makarov's declaration electrified the already furious Fairy Tail mages.

'War, huh? Fine by me. At least now I'll get to witness a battle between the top-tier mages of this world,' George thought, feeling a surge of excitement.

Having spent most of his time researching magic in the guild library, George's knowledge of many spells and magical battles was purely theoretical. A large-scale mage battle—and a clash between the Ten Wizard Saints—was an experience he couldn't miss.

"Master, wait! Let me check his memories first!"

Just as Makarov was about to lead the charge, George stopped him.

Phantom Lord's sudden, blatant attack was uncharacteristic. George suspected an underlying scheme and felt it prudent to use Legilimency and his psychic powers to uncover Gajeel's motives.

"You can perform memory-reading magic?" Makarov paused, clearly surprised.

Memory-related magic was notoriously difficult, requiring exceptional talent. Few mages in the magical world could use it.

Aside from Mest Gryder, Fairy Tail's undercover agent in the Magic Council, only Phantom Lord's Element Four member Sol was widely recognized for this ability.

Yet here was George, casually revealing his proficiency in the field.

"I believe it's useful to learn a variety of magic. You never know when it might come in handy," George replied casually.

With that, he dispelled the Sleep Charm on Gajeel. As the dazed mage regained consciousness, George locked eyes with him and cast Legilimency.

"Legilimency!"

Moments later, George frowned in surprise. "So that's the truth."

From Gajeel's memories, George discovered Phantom Lord's true motive for attacking Fairy Tail: they were after Lucy, the heiress of the Heartfilia family.

Lucy's family, the Heartfilia Financial Group, was the wealthiest in the kingdom. Unwilling to be part of a business marriage orchestrated by her father, Lucy had run away from home.

Phantom Lord's master, Jose Porla, had accepted Lucy's father's commission to capture her. However, Jose's true goal wasn't just the mission.

He planned to use Lucy to manipulate her father and seize the Heartfilia fortune to expand Phantom Lord's power. Destroying Fairy Tail was merely an added bonus.

"Iron Dragon's Roar—!"

The revived Gajeel attempted to retaliate, but Makarov silenced him with a massive, magically enhanced punch, driving him into the ground.

"You stay put, brat!" Makarov growled before turning to George. "Did you find anything useful?"

"Yes," George replied, explaining everything he had learned from Gajeel's memories.

The revelation about Lucy being the heiress of the Heartfilia family stunned the group.

"Lucy, the daughter of the Heartfilia family? She doesn't act like it at all!"

Lucy, overwhelmed with guilt, stammered, "I… I'm sorry. It's my fault. If I hadn't run away, the guild wouldn't have been attacked."

Lucy loved Fairy Tail and cherished her life and friends here. She hadn't expected her presence to bring trouble to the guild.

"This has nothing to do with you," George reassured her. "Phantom Lord is after your family's wealth. They've been at odds with our guild for ages—this was bound to happen sooner or later."

"That's right, Lucy! If they dare challenge us, we'll just crush them!" Natsu grinned, smashing his fists together in excitement.

"You don't even seem like a rich heiress," Happy teased, raising a paw in agreement.