ASS 24

"So," Will said as he looked around the rudimentary cell they were placed in with nothing but two benches inside it. "How long are they gonna keep us here?"

"Honestly, I have no idea," Loke replied as he made himself comfortable, leisurely laying on one of the benches and propping his head with a hand. "I usually don't get myself in trouble, you see," he added with a shrug before pushing himself up. "Though I gotta say, this seems unusual."

"How so?" Will also, looking over at the pair of Rune Knights stationed in front of their cell. They really didn't seem to be dressed the part, wearing what appeared to be priest clothes rather than armor.

"Natsu, Grey," Loke started counting them on his hand. "And, well, the majority of the other members get into trouble on a weekly basis," he added, turning to the pair of guards as well, seeing them flinch as he continued talking. "From what I've heard, they usually confirm what guild they are part of before sending them away with a slap on the wrist," he continued as the Rune Knights tried to look anywhere but at him. "And that's if they get caught. Most of the time, they run away, but the Magic Council still sends Makarov the bills for whatever they've caused."

"You were caught causing trouble in town and recklessly throwing spells that could've hurt the civilians," one of the Rune Knights stated before clearing his throat. "We are yet to confirm your identities, and you will be kept here until we do so."

"I'd remove my clothes and show you my guild mark, but unfortunately, you guys are male," Loke shrugged before making himself comfortable once more.

"If you show us your guild mark, you will be promptly released," one of the Rune Knights quickly replied, urging him to do exactly that, but Loke ignored him as he propped his head on the bench.

This all seemed fishy no matter how he looked at it. Those guys appeared right after the fight ended... though they had a history of doing that. They were also keeping them here unreasonably... well, not entirely, but it was the other guys that were at fault.

Thinking about it, the Rune Knights had their reasons, but Will couldn't help but have a bad feeling about it. The only thing that reassured him somewhat was that he was still in Magnolia Town, and Fairy Tail was just a call away. Still, Will didn't like this one bit and was feeling anxious to say the least. With that in mind, he decided to play it safe.

"Huh," Will muttered before forming a flat screen, causing the guards to jump into their stance in response.

"What are you doing?!" Both Rune Knights aimed their staffs at him as they prepared for battle.

"Just checking the time," he replied, staring at the screen for just a few moments before dismissing it and offering them a smile.

With his telepathic connection back online, he felt a lot safer. Nevertheless, that didn't mean he wanted to stay here any longer.

"And why haven't you left yet?" Will mentally asked Loke, having reestablished their connection. "If you show them your guild mark, they'd let you go?"

"I don't feel like it," Loke nonchalantly replied, not bothering to go into detail.

"So," Will said after seeing he won't get a response from the Celestial Spirit. "Why exactly are you still keeping us here? We are the ones that got attacked, yet we are being treated like the culprits."

"You say so, but there are witnesses that saw you," the Rune Knight looked at Loke. "Initiate the attack. In addition, you two look uninjured while the other four were badly harmed."

"What are you talking about?" Will questioned with a frown. "I was attacked first. They initiated it!"

"Again, there are witnesses that saw your companion initiate the attack," the guard replied quickly. "Not a single one of them even mentioned you being attacked first."

"You..." Will paused, taking a deep breath. "What if I show you my memories and prove there was an invisible attacker?"

"Um," the Rune Knights seemed startled as they looked at each other for a moment. "You could have..." one started talking, pausing for a moment as he bit his lip. "You could've fabricated those!" He then exclaimed. "Yeah, you could've fabricated those. We can't accept that."

"Well, if you have witnesses that have seen him," Will pointed at Loke. "Initiate the attack, then why can't you let me go?" He asked as the Celestial Spirit slowly lowered his sunglasses to look at him with pure betrayal in his eyes.

"I'm just trying to figure this out," he quickly informed Loke as he stared at the Rune Knights, receiving a disgruntled humph in response from the Celestial Spirit.

"Well, um, you see," one of the guards rambled, but the other thumped his staff on the ground. "You were caught alongside him, so we can't release you yet."

"Why so?" Will inquired with narrowed eyes. "Just slap us with the fines, and I'm gonna pay them right now," he stated, having no qualms about spending money to get out of there. Unless they asked for an unreasonable sum, he could pay it off with ease, and even then, it won't be too much of an issue for him.

"We can't do that," a Rune Knight shook his head.

"You can't?" Will questioned as he stood up, and the pair of guards both stepped back. "And why is that?"

"We don't have the authority," one of the guards said, stepping forward with a bit of confidence. "We must await the arrival of a member of the Magic Council before we judge your case."

"The Magic Council?" Will asked with a gulp. "Is it one of the seated members?" He followed up, feeling no small amount of trepidation. There were a few among those he had no desire to meet so early on, knowing they were spies that had infiltrated the Magic Council.

"No," the Rune Knight shook his head. "A seated member doesn't have the time to deal with someone like you," he continued, his response causing Will to let out a sigh of relief. "Though the employee that's on their way is a high-ranking member."

Despite feeling relieved, this information didn't make him feel that much better. Will had been expecting the Magic Council to reach out to him, so he could outfit their army with potions if anything else. However, not a single member of theirs has contacted him so far.

"What about the other guys?" Will asked, wishing to figure out who attacked him and why. "What happened to them?"

"The four of them are currently being interrogated," one of the Rune Knights answered.

"Four?" Loke perked up. "There should've been five of them. Not counting the one you prevented us from catching up to," he pointed out afterward.

"Only four were apprehended at the scene of the crime," the Rune Knight replied, saying no more than that.

"So you guys," Will pointedly looked at them. "Are interrogating the thugs, but you have to wait for a Magic Council member to deal with us? Why?"

The only response he received from the Rune Knights was silence as both looked away, not willing to meet his gaze.

Will came to the conclusion that they were keeping them there because of him. The Magic Council most likely wished to... do something, he wasn't sure yet, but he couldn't help but feel that maybe they were responsible for the thugs that attacked him. Was it possible they had this planned all along? Considering how the Rune Knights stopped the two right before they caught up to the invisible attacker, it kind of made sense in his head.

'But if they set up the attack, why wasn't the Magic Council member already stationed here?' Will thought as he quietly returned to his bench, thoughtfully sitting down. 'Was it just a coincidence from which they are trying to profit? Well, I will know for sure once the Magic Council member arrives.'

As they waited for the Magic Council member to arrive, Will hoped that Erza wouldn't come storming in to get him out. Fairy Tail mages were known for their recklessness, and he could see her doing that. As much as he would appreciate Erza coming to his rescue, that would most likely make the situation more complicated.

Will wasn't ready to deal with Jellal yet. He might've been one of the earlier antagonists in the story, but he was anything but weak. In fact, he was a genius comparable to the Wizard Saints, and not only did he have an immense amount of magic power, but he also knew multiple different types of magic to back it up.

Erza could probably handle Jellal if it came to a fight, but Will? He had no chance. And if Erza got involved here, then there was a chance Jellal would make an appearance before canon even started, and Will was the easy and obvious target as hurting him would hurt Erza as well. Chances are, the man was already keeping an eye on the shopkeeper, but Will would prefer it if he didn't get involved with him at all.

"Say, what were those potions from earlier?" Loke asked him, feeling bored out of his mind just sitting in the cell.

"Just improved versions of my usual stock," Will replied, deciding to copy the Celestial Spirit and also make himself comfortable by laying down. "I only made like two dozen of them and gave half of them to Erza."

"Tsk, why am I not surprised?" Loke shot back. "Give half of them to your girlfriend. Forget about your friend whose life would be waaay more comfortable if he had those potions."

"Hey, asshat," Will stared at him challengingly. "I literally made them a few days ago and only because Erza brought me Wyvern blood! I need a strong magical reagent just like that one to create them!"

"Wyvern blood?" Loke replied with a tilt of his head.

"Yes," Will confirmed. "Take down a few Wyverns, drain them of their blood, and I'm gonna make some for you as well."

"A Wyvern?" Loke looked to the side. "I don't know if I can beat one as I currently am, and it probably won't even be worth it. I'd waste more life force trying to take it down than what I'd get in return from the potions."

"It's fine. I'm graciously gonna give you a few for being a good sport," Will replied, lifting his chin high. "You can praise me now for my generosity."

"I'm gonna punch you in that smug-looking face of yours," Loke grinned at him. "How does that sound, eh?"

"Typical Fairy Tail mage," Will shook his head. "Always resorting to violence first."

Loke snorted as a grin grew on his face before shortly looking to the side. A sigh escaped his mouth as he stared at nothing with a reminiscent look in his eyes. Will frowned as he saw him struggle with his circumstances. The Celestial Spirit obviously enjoyed his stay with Fairy Tail, but what happened with Karen—how fitting of a name for that woman—still weighed on his mind.

Will could probably solve some of his issues, and he had been trying in a way, but Loke had given up on life in his own way. He was very slowly dying while making the best of what remained of his life force. The best Will could do was ensure that he lived long enough to meet Lucy. If anyone could help him, it was more than likely the female protagonist of the series, and she did exactly that in the story.

"Hey," Will called out to him, deciding to change the subject to something that Loke was familiar with. "Before all of this happened, there was something I wanted to ask you."

"Yeah? What of it?" Loke asked, turning back towards him, though his eyes remained unfocused.

"Say... what can you tell me about Black Keys?" Will asked, seeing the Celestial Spirt's eyes instantly become serious.

Summoning a Celestial Spirit to assist him with his work in the store was one of the solutions he came up with. Obviously, his first choice would've been a Gold Key as they were the best, but he decided to leave them to Lucy. They were part of her Heartfilia heritage, after all.

Plus, he wasn't sure what would happen if he purchased a Gold Key from the system since they were supposedly unique. Would it create a duplicate? Or would it summon the one that already exists in this world?

"Black Keys?" Loke inquired with narrowed eyebrows. "I'm surprised that you, of all people, don't know about them," he said with a smirk.

"I know they exist, and I've seen one in action," Will paused, scratching his head. "Well, I've kinda seen one in action, but I generally don't know anything about them."

"Black Keys are... they have the potential of Gold Keys," Loke answered, saying nothing else.

"Well, gee, that sure was helpful," Will rolled his eyes as the Celestial Spirit looked away.

"Which one do you know about?" Loke asked shortly.

"Well," Will paused. Due to his system store, he knew of a lot, all of them to be exact, but he had seen only one in action. "Ophiuchus."

"The big snake?" Loke raised an eyebrow as he asked. "As long as you feed him every time you summon him, you should be fine," he continued, unknowingly divulging more information about the Black Keys. "Wait, you know where his Key is?"

"Uhh, kinda?" Will uncertainly said since the owner of Ophiuchus should be nothing but a young girl, and she shouldn't have it at this point in time. "But I'm not interested in the snake. I need one that has a more human-like appearance."

"Just be careful..." Loke paused, biting his lower lip. "Black Keys generally don't play nice with their summoner. Take Orion, for example, he would stab you in the back the second he is given the opportunity."

"Stab me in the back?" Will asked, raising his eyebrow in amusement. "You'd think someone like that would shoot you rather than stab you."

"I thought you said you didn't know about any of the other Black Keys?" Loke quickly replied, staring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Hey! I just figured it out through the name," Will truthfully said. He might not be into astrology, but the Orion constellation was a famous one on Earth. Plus, he could always look them up through the multitude of information he had downloaded from the Internet and get a general idea of what to expect.

"Aha," Loke nodded, not believing his words. "Anyway, which one are you interested in then?"

"Well," just as he was about to answer, the door off to the side of the cell burst open, followed by the echo of the clinking sound of high heels.

"I'm sorry to have kept you boys waiting," a melodious voice greeted them before the Council member appeared in their vision. Dressed in a white kimono with the Magic Council crest sewn on it—an ankh—the enchanting woman with purple hair stopped in front of their cell, studying them both with a seductive look in her red orbs.

"Oh," Loke lowered his sunglasses to take a good look at her before he quickly stood up and fixed his clothes as he shot her his trademark grin. "It seems I would have to get myself caught causing trouble more often if a-"

'Fuck! I should've figured something like this might happen. Ultear and Jellal had become seated members just before the start of the canon. Right now, both should still be climbing the ranks,' he thought, gulping as he recognized the woman in front of him.

Out of the two spies, Ultear was the one he feared most. As strong as Jellal was, he had an idea how the man would act, and he could expect to be targeted in some fashion. But Ultear? She was more subtle and much more dangerous.

In the future -after she turned a new leaf- Ultear would become one of Fairy Tail's best allies. Helping the main cast unlock their Second Origin, which practically doubled their magical power and providing them with helpful information. A large part of their success after the seven-year time skip could be attributed to Ultear. However, at this very moment? Well...

"She's a bitch," Will quickly informed Loke.

"-bitch like you..." Loke paused, realizing what he said while Ultear's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Ah, one moment, please," he raised one finger up before walking over to Will and placing an arm over his shoulder. "You two have a history or something?" He mentally asked while acting as if he whispered.

"I'm sorry?!" Ultear asked, the shock in her voice clearly heard by everyone there. Loke just waved her off, not even sparing her a glance.

"Very subtle, Loke, very subtle," Will glared at the Celestial Spirit before shaking his head. "I don't know her personally, but I can tell you she is bad business. Like, don't trust a word that comes out of her mouth. That bad!"

"I see," Loke slowly nodded. "So what you're saying is that I shouldn't pursue her?"

"No!" Will quickly stated the obvious.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ultear questioned, but again, the only response she received was the Celestial Spirit waving her off.

"You're not just saying that because you want to pursue her yourself, right?" Loke asked, wiggling his eyebrows. "If that's the case, then I can understand," he looked back, gazing at Ultear up and down. "She is definitely a beauty."

"No, no, no," Will denied him immediately. "I'm fairly sure I got my hands full with Erza and Mira. I do not need her, of all people, in my life."

"Got it," Loke winked at him before he turned around and cleared his throat. "I apologize for my earlier comment, my lady."

"Huh," Ultear snorted, but despite his earlier words, she didn't look offended. She appeared amused, if anything else, as a smile danced on her lips. "Apology accepted."

"You're still a bitch, though," Loke added after with a pleasant smile as if giving her a compliment.

The shocked, speechless look on Utlear's face was absolutely priceless, and Will was so glad he knew Super Archive at that moment as that expression would be forever saved in his memory. Nevertheless, he didn't expect Loke to start firing shots, even if he just informed him she was bad business.

"Show lady Milkovich the respect she deserves! Reaching such a high position in the Magic Council at such a young age is by no means a simple feat!" One of the Rune Knights angrily stomped as he pointed his staff at Loke.

Ultear simply raised her hand slightly, and the Rune Knight backed away like a properly trained guard dog. That was all Will needed to see to know that both of them were in her pocket.

"It's something I expected from a brutish Fairy Tail mage," she said with a smirk, again not feeling offended by the comment even the slightest. "Even if this one is supposedly known as a gentleman."

"What can I say?" Loke shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands. "Joining Fairy Tail comes with many perks, and one of them just so happens to be... let's just say, disliked by the Council and leave it at that."

"Such a shame," Ultear shook her head, her grin never leaving her face. "I do consider myself one of the few Fairy Tail supporters amongst the Council, and I wish you could understand that I'm one of your allies."

"Hah," Loke snorted in response. "A Council member lying with a smile on their face? Wow! What a surprise!"

"What are you doing? I said not to trust her, not antagonize her!" Will said, staring at him with a frown.

"Isn't... that the same?" Loke nervously questioned, still staring right at Ultear. "Look, I just got carried away trying to get her attention on me," he added in a moment. "I'm not dumb enough to not realize they kept us for so long because of you. Just trying to help in my own way, and you said not to seduce her."

"Ah, well, thanks," Will replied, feeling touched by the gesture, even if the Celestial Spirit went a bit overboard.

"Truly a shame," Ultear shook her head. "Either way, your fines for the disturbance you caused will be sent to your Guildmaster, and you are now free to leave. Men, please escort him out."

"I kinda feel like staying," Loke stated in reply. "I mean, we both got caught together, so I feel like we should be released together, no? It only sounds fair."

"Unfortunately, your opinion doesn't matter. You see, you are a respectable wizard of Fairy Tail, but," Ultear sweetly smiled at him before turning to Will. "Mr. Roberts here is but a simple shopkeeper. The procedure for his release would take a bit longer, and it does not concern you."

"It's fine," Will nodded at Loke before taking a deep breath. Being alone with Ultear? That was terrifying for his current self, but maybe he could salvage this. And he did have a sort of a trump card, a few of them even.

"You're sure about this?" Loke turned to him. "You were the one that said she was bad business."

"It's fine - I have a plan," he told him confidently. 'At least I think so,' Will added in his mind. He had a faint idea what Ultear was after here. It was only a speculation at the moment, but again, he had a trump card if the situation turned south.

"Well, just don't forget we have a drinking night planned for later," Loke said out loud before swaggering out of the cell as the two Rune Knights escorted him, leaving only two people there.

"Now that we are left alone, Mr. Robertson," Ultear pleasantly smiled at him. "How about we move to a more comfortable location, one fit for a respected businessman like you?"

"Was I just promoted from a simple shopkeeper to a respected businessman?" Will asked with a raised eyebrow. If he didn't know her true colors, he might've been fooled by her as she certainly played her part as a high-ranking member of the Magic Council.

"Let us not mince words," Ultear said, her voice gaining a bit of edge as her expression turned serious. "The Magic Council has been keeping an eye on you for some time now, and we have judged it is only a matter of time before your business truly blooms. Already it has become known all throughout the kingdom, and your fame continues to grow even more by the day."

"Really now?" Will queried. "The Magic Council has been keeping an eye on my business, but you haven't contacted me until now?" He shook his head before waiting for a response. "Did you have to resort to such a low scheme?"

"It is... uncouth, I can admit as much, and I apologize for that," Ultear said with a slight bow of her head. "To be honest with you, I wished to approach you sooner since I was truly impressed by your products. However, the seated members denied my requests."

"I see," Will nodded. "Well, I thank you for the vote of confidence."

"I agree, and I would like to request to move this discussion to a more comfortable location," Ultear suggested with a sweet smile. "I do believe we can come to... a favorable solution to this farce. Your fines could be entirely dismissed as long as we come to a beneficial agreement."

"I completely agree with this!" Will exclaimed, having expected something like this. "I wouldn't mind signing a contract with the Magic Council," he continued as a smile grew on his face. "In fact, I'd be more than pleased to offer a gracious discount so that you could supply my potions to all of your Rune Knights! After all, you work tirelessly to protect all of Ishgar," he lied through his teeth.

"That..." Ultear seemed momentarily surprised at how easily he agreed, but she quickly recovered. "That is wonderful to hear."

"And I'd like to offer an alternative," Will continued, holding his breath.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Ultear asked, squinting her eyes ever so slightly.

"Why don't we continue this in my store?" He hopefully offered. "I can show you all the products I can currently produce, and even ones that the public has yet to see."

"Are you referring to the ones you discussed in your interview?" Ultear queried, proving that the Magic Council had been paying attention to him, or at the very least, she had been keeping an eye on his business.

"Those as well, but I also have ones I consider," Will paused, looking to the side with a thoughtful expression. "Let's say, too dangerous to be sold to the public."

"Now this I have to see," Ulter replied, licking her lips as a bit of her true self surfaced for a brief moment.

"Well, shall we be on our way, Miss Milkovich?" Will asked with a smile.

"We shall," she replied with a grin as she turned around, leading him out of the cell.

They left the Rune Knights headquarters in Magnolia Town and made their way towards his store. The moment they stepped outside, he instantly received a telepathic message.

"You okay, brat?"

"For now, yes. But I'd appreciate it if you follow after us until we reach the store. I can handle it from there."

"Bah, you're just wasting my time while seducing women left and right."

"Don't forget you owe me!"

"Fine, fine!"

Just standing near Ultear made him anxious, and he barely restrained himself from showing how nervous he was. The trip to his store felt like it lasted for an eternity, and the casual conversation she initiated with him made it feel even longer. However, they finally reached their destination.

"After you, Miss Milkovich," Will unlocked the door for her to enter, resisting the urge to grin.

"Why, thank you," Ultear said while confidently stepping inside, her eyes immediately scanning everything in sight. He closed the door behind her before locking it, and he finally felt like he was the one in control.

Ultear was as strong or even stronger than Jellal. She was among the most powerful mages on the continent, but he had faith in his recently redone protection by Freed. He was sure she could break through it with enough effort, but she shouldn't be able to force through them in an instant, which would give him enough time to do his magic.

"I welcome you to my domain, Ultear," Will boldly stated as he stepped closer to her, seeing her confident expression be replaced by one of confusion. "Let's have a pleasant chat, shall we?"

---------------------

Beta Reader: LuluViBritania(FF.N, SB, and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th BritannianEmperor(Discord)