Chapter 20 Or System R
Sorry it took so long to continue. I just had to hand in my term paper and show the beginnings of two others (I have demanding teachers). Plus I was sick at the time.
After defeating Deliora , Sigmund said goodbye to Ur and Ultear and then set off for Fiore .
The first thing he did was look for Nirvana, he would never miss the opportunity to get this toy. After all, there was no rule that prevented guilds from building magical structures. Finding Nirvana turned out to be easier than Sigmund initially thought. He found it after literally 3 hours of searching, which is quite a bit .
It was more difficult to come to an agreement with Rubal, since he was very principled, but he agreed to hand over Nirvana to the care of Sigmund when he realized that Sig could recreate Nirvana on his own. In return, he asked not to use this weapon to start wars. It was obvious that such a magical fortress would be used in war and defense, and therefore there was no point in asking for such a thing.
Sigmund spent the rest of the day arranging Nirvana to his taste, and the next two days Sigmund actively sought out dark guilds in the area. Surprisingly, there were a lot of them. Of course, dark guilds are not all the same. Most dark guilds are just bandits and mafia that " protect " some establishments, villages or cities. Thieves are rare, and guilds that specialize in murder, like the same Eisenwald , practically do not exist. Competition is low, since stronger guilds simply kill weaker ones, taking the strongest members of the defeated guild. The main members of the Blam Alliance are exceptions to the exceptions. Guilds of this scale appear, at worst, once a decade.
Ten-year missions to destroy such guilds are almost typical and the only ones that are officially issued. The arc with Nirvana is just indicative. At that time, Jura was an officially recognized holy mage, Erza was one of the strongest mages of the S rank, but there were also Natsu , Gray, Lyon, who were equal in strength to mages of the S rank. Natsu defeated Gajeel , an official mage of the S rank, and Gray Jivia , the same S rank, such a rank is issued primarily not by the guild, but by the council or the kingdom, the primary certification in the guild simply simplifies this. There were also Lucy and Wendy , who with a big stretch can be given the lower S rank, for the amount of magical power. The rest of the team was a solid rank A. Plus there was Christina, a heavy bomber.
And they completed this task by a miracle, because if it weren't for Igneel's help , Natsu would have died, and Zero would have calmly killed the rest.
And so the week was drawing to a close, and Sigmund was only now beginning to get his own guild officially recognized, although he did so in a very, very specific way.
Right now, Sigmund flew towards the inner part of Crocus, the capital of Fiore , landing exactly on the square of the Palace of Mercury. He did not land with a flash and a crash, he did everything very carefully and slowly, but there was already a whole squad of royal guards around him.
- Trespasser! Do you realize that this action is considered as intrusion into the territory of a military facility with limited access, as well as an attempt to assassinate the ruler?
Sigmund just waved it off.
- I understand perfectly well, but I have an important matter that I must resolve with the king. Is Toma E. Fiore free now ?
- You are not in a position to demand anything now!
- Oh, yeah? And now?
Sigmund unleashed magic that exceeded Ur's Magic Reserve five times. It was painfully obvious to the entire castle that a holy mage had come to visit them. And mages of such caliber have an impressive status, as well as privileges that not every Duke has, which are given to them for their strength.
Based on this information, Sigmund can demand an audience with the king.
- Um ... Wait a minute, we will now take you to the waiting room, after which we will inform the king and adjust his schedule.
Sigmund was in no particular hurry, as he understood that he had caused a specific situation for which the palace was not prepared.
Half an hour later, Sigmund was sitting at the table in front of Toma E. Fiore , behind the king stood Garou The Knights' current lineup consists of Uosuke , Neppa , an unnamed squad leader who everyone calls Kama, and two trainees: Cosmos , who learned Magic from Warrod , and Kamika .
All main members of Garou The Knights were very strong S-rank mages. Still noticeably weaker than any holy mage, but capable of being effective executioners of other S-rank mages. The two trainees were fairly young girls who had reached A-rank, but they were chosen with special care, their loyalty to the crown was unquestionable.
Well, on either side of them sat young Arcadios , and opposite him was Varrod. Sequen , one of the gods of Ishgar .
And the most important thing was that Sigmund was sitting in fairly loose anti-magic shackles. He could sit normally, spread his arms a meter apart, but no more. In a normal situation, such a precaution would be more than enough, but this was the case with the Holy Mage.
- And you got ready quite quickly. I commend you.
Sigmund realized that Warrod had only rushed to the castle in 3 or 4 minutes, and then began to question the others about the situation. He had expected an invasion and a bloodbath, but he found Sigmund sitting calmly in the waiting room, drinking tea.
Such a calm, even slightly sarcastic comment made Garou Knights frowned and watched Sigmund with irritation, but the army drill kept them silent, even the youngest of the knights.
- I'm glad we were able to impress you, but could you introduce yourself? You already know me, I'm Toma E. Fiore .
The king, seeing that the woman in front of him was behaving very restrainedly and within the bounds of etiquette, which surprised him, treated her accordingly.
- Okay, you can call this persona Jeanette . As you already understood, this is my fake persona that I use during my work. It would be unpleasant if I was constantly pestered in my daily life.
- Okay, Jeanette . What is the purpose of your arrival?
Toma was quite calm, despite the fact that he was talking to an " anonymous " person.
- My goal is quite simple, I would like to create a guild with special rights and responsibilities, which would be directly controlled by the crown, and not by the magical council.
- What's wrong with being under the council's jurisdiction? The council itself is one of the links between different countries, which gives much greater freedom of action, which magicians love so much.
Toma watched with interest the behavior of Jeanette , who sat quite calmly, crossing her legs.
- The thing is that the magic council itself has started to go crazy. I have no faith in this gathering of idiots, whose eyes have been blinded by the authorities and whose insanity has gone to their heads. I see direct cooperation with the crown as a much simpler, more understandable, more transparent and more profitable deal for me. Let me explain why. The thing is that one of my specializations in magic is broad-based prediction magic. It allows me to look into the distant future, but the conditions for using this magic are very specific. In fact, I am over 300 years old, but only recently was I able to be reborn, and therefore I do not have much time left ... Do you have any questions?
- First of all, it's hard to believe that you're 300 years old. How did you get reborn?
- Well, first of all, you must understand what time it was then. Zeref's demons were popping up like mushrooms after rain. Dying back then wasn't that hard, but I died in the year 697. My death itself may be a prerequisite for activating Magic. Warrod must know what event was supposed to happen at that moment.
Sigmund knew that he could be constantly pestered with "possible futures" if the conditions for activating his Magic weren't too harsh, so he came up with a rather obvious restriction.
- Warrod ?
All eyes turned to the God of Ishgar .
- I'm not sure. A lot happened that year.
- Heart of the Fairies.
Zig quickly reminded the old mage of green. And seeing the sour expression on Warrod's face , everyone realized that something serious had happened.
- Can you enlighten me?
- The Fairy Heart is the body of Mavis , the founder of the Fairy Tail guild.
- Let me quickly put everything in order, otherwise we will spend another couple of hours analyzing this. Mavis is under the influence of a curse that makes her immortal, however, due to another curse, she should have died. And being in this state, she became a source of enormous magical power, which she cannot control, since her soul was literally separated from her body. She had to be sealed to prevent the leakage of magic. This Magic would be enough to raze half of Fiore to the ground, if not half of Ishgar .
Toma looked in shock first at Jeanette in front of him, then at Warrod , whom he knew well. And Toma realized that Jeanette was not lying.
- Warrod , why didn't you tell us about this? This is a threat to national security!
God of Ishgar himself was quite depressed.
- Toma, it was a very turbulent time back then, your father was very ambitious . We were afraid that he would use the Fairy Heart.
- Due to the peculiarities of the soul structure, as well as the situation itself, when trying to pump magic out of the Fairy Heart, an explosion of enormous proportions would occur. Only an immortal mage could absorb the magic, otherwise there would be an explosion.
Zig also covered for Warrod , as he did not want to quarrel with him. The God of Ishgar himself also understood this and nodded his head.
- I see ... Well, let's say I believe that you are a very old sorceress. What happened in the future?
- Well, the Magic Council, let's say, created an alliance of dark guilds, each of which had magicians comparable to holy magicians, and also involved the Demons of the Books of Zeref. That's one. Then there was a skirmish with the Dragon of the Apocalypse, which can absorb any magic. That's two. Then, due to its stupidity, the Magic Council built a machine that destroyed all magic from the atmosphere throughout Ishgar. The machine was called the Face. That's three. Well, and then there was a war with Arakitasia. That's four.
These were quite serious arguments that made the king think.
- Okay. I understand that you want to prevent the end of the world. But I have questions. Why did you choose Fiore , your ideas for solving these problems, and also some data that should be secret. Like national security secrets. Sorry, but you could have just been a witness to the affairs of the Warrod guild .
- Do you trust everyone present here?
- Yes.
- Good. The Mercury Palace stands on a huge dragon graveyard. Around this time, you are either preparing to become a father, or your spouse is pregnant, or you have a daughter, Hisui E. Fiore . Well, about the first question... the power of the magic council is weakest in Fiore . They will interfere less here.
A drop of sweat fell from Toma's temple. He realized that either Jeanette knew all the secrets of his country in detail, or she had seen the future.
- Two out of two, I believe you. What are your plans for the future?
- I will create a guild that will include promising participants. There are still 7~10 years left before the confrontation with the Dark Guild Alliance. I have already gotten rid of the master of one of the guilds. There are at least 17 years left before the war with Arakitashi . I think I will be able to raise at least several mages of the level of a Saint Mage. Ur Milkovich , a candidate for the role of a Saint Mage, should also join me soon. Plus, I intend to recruit an old acquaintance to the guild. I know her through third parties and the future, but she is very strong.
- The plan is good, but I don't know any sorceresses except Ur , which could be called strong or at least promising.
Warrod actively monitors the dynamics among the mages of all of Ishgar ; after all, it is his job.
- She's 400 years old, she'll kill you with one blow.
- That strong?
Warrod was surprised. He didn't believe that there would be anyone strong enough for such a thing.
- No exaggeration. She can enchant ordinary soldiers to such a level that they can kill an A-rank mage. One on one, I might add. She is extremely strong in principle. Half of the corpses in the dragon graveyard are her merit.
- Wait, isn't that the Dragon Queen Irene Belserion ?
Toma had a vague feeling that he knew the person in question.
- Yes, I'm talking about her. And don't worry, she's not interested in the throne, so she has no intention of starting a revolution.
- Wow ... I didn't know that I could meet my distant ancestor... Okay, what are your requests?
- Good. First, I want freedom from the magic council. All questions regarding the actions of my guild should be handled by the crown. Second, I want any requests and tasks that are even indirectly related to Demons to be sent to my guild. I recently killed Deliora , so the demons should be on guard or preparing to do something . Third, I want the freedom to personally manage the land around my guild. I will build myself a small village or town for my own needs. Please just do not interfere. Fourth, to direct the ten-year quests to the guild. Fifth, recognize my guild as a state law enforcement agency with a special status, in order to simplify all actions against dark mages and guilds. Sixth, issue me an official permit to use prohibited Magic. The thing is that my Soul Magic can heal in a very specific way, which is very similar to Life Magic. These are my main demands.
It was quite a large list, which would be difficult to satisfy, especially the items related to magic.
- In general, it is doable. It is possible to give you permission to use Life Magic in special situations, but I would wait. You do not yet have the necessary fame and authority to justify such permission, otherwise the magic council will hunt you, and the country will be sanctioned by the same council for such a decision. I will need convincing evidence that you will not become a second Zeref . Regarding the land... I am not sure yet. If you can justify your construction, I will allow it. Only the highest nobles have such a privilege.
- That suits me. I'll start with the slave traders. They're working too brazenly along the entire coast of the country now. I know some cultists who've settled on one of the islands, I'll start with them. If necessary, I can give you various information regarding the affairs of various families, including incriminating evidence. I can also sell my products.
- For example?
- For example, this.
Then, in front of everyone, Jeanette took and tore off her arm at the elbow. Bloody splatter flew all over the room, even hitting Toma's face. This cruel scene simply horrified everyone present. They could not believe that she would do something like that. And while everyone was in shock, and blood was pulsating from Jeanette's arm , she injected herself with some kind of drug. Five long seconds later, under the astonished gaze of the spectators, Jeanette was already stretching her healthy arm.
- This is a product of my research, primarily Soul Magic. I don't need to tell you how useful and in-demand this product is. It is for the production of this drug that I need a lot of land. And despite the fact that it is not magic, it is difficult to convince others that it is not Life Magic. This is why I need permission, as well as the land around my guild.
- Wow ... Impressive... If you issue this drug now, then immediately after the tests I will be able to issue a permit for the use of the land. The main thing is that it is not too close to the other nobles ... How much can you produce per year?
- I can produce about 1,000 pieces a year, but not earlier than in a couple of months. I still need to set up a place, and also prepare the ingredients. And about the place, it is near the eastern border, north of Clover, next to the mountains. I will sell for 100,000 each. What markup you give is your concern. You will definitely make money on this. Deal?
- Yes, we agreed. Now we will register you as a resident of Fiore , and also resolve the issue with your Guild. This may take about two hours.
- I'm not in a hurry.
This is how the issue of creating the Heart Spirit, the first Guild in history with an official special status, was resolved.
The day after the deal was made, Sigmund moved on to the next stage of his plan.
Sigmund's goal is to create the strongest guild.
What is the main strength of the guild?
That's right, in the strength of its strongest representatives. Even in the canon manga , no one cared how many skilled mages Blue had. Pegasus , let at this time their number is 3 times more than Fairy Tail , but they didn't become the strongest because of that. After the timeskip, even Lamia Scale wasn't the strongest, despite the fact that they had Jura , the strongest human (though he wasn't compared to Makarov back then), the strongest was still Sabertooth .
And then a completely logical question arises.
Where should Sigmund recruit his members, especially considering that he is in fact a very specific part of the Executive Authority of the kingdom?
Sigmund must gather strong and talented individuals, but he must also conduct a selection. He cannot undermine his reputation before the guild is actually created.
He can check the main flow of people with the Book of the End, but someone more important?
The core of the guild must trust him unconditionally and without the influence of the Book of the End.
Any person who would participate in his plan to bring back the Age of Faerie must be either unconditionally loyal to him, or have a personal interest in the plan itself.
And Sigmund started with the simplest and most reliable plan.
He decided to recruit children from a very young age. Fairy Plot Tail is teeming with various talented orphans. The Dragon Slayers, Juvia , Gray, Lyon, Sherria , Erza , Jellal , Ultear , members of Oración Seis . They all lost their family very early and joined the guild. For them, the guild is a family, even for Oración Seis , who was recruited from slaves, is one of the main leaders of the R System.
And Sigmund decided to start with the most important person, Erza . One of the most powerful sorceresses with a very interesting past, and one of the few who had a specific place of residence.
Sigmund went to the village of Rosemary.
But despite the fact that Sigmund had started gathering potential recruits quite early, he simply did not have time. When he arrived at the place indicated on the map, he found only a charred village, as well as a small group of people. They stood out because they were sorceresses. Three women of very attractive appearance accompanied a little girl of about 7 years old with long purple hair and brown eyes .
()
Sigmund was interested to hear what would happen next.
One of the women sighed with fatigue.
- Sorry Kagura , but we can hardly help you in any way. Although we promised to help you find your brother, he is no longer in Fiore , or he was taken to the guild. Charlie's divination magic cannot be wrong three times in a row.
The little girl almost started crying because of this.
- But sister, you said that you are from a strong guild and can help...
- The Guild may be strong, but we do not have the right to operate on the territory of another country without serious grounds.
- Then I will give you a task! Find my brother!
The girl was already crying, she was desperately waving her arms from side to side, trying to find at least some kind of help.
- Kagura , I'm sorry, but even so we can't help you. If your brother were on the country's territory, we would have helped bring him back anyway, but now the magic council or the crown will be handling this matter. And even if a similar task is given to some guild, it will cost no less than 3,000,000. I'm sorry, but we can't help you.
- Please! Oh please, there has to be some way!
And since nothing worked, Kagura did the same as any other child, she grabbed one of the girls by the leg and began to beg for help.
For Sigmund, the information he received was more than enough to understand the situation. The girl in question was Kagura Mikazuchi , one of the best magical girls featured in history and a proud S-rank magical girl.
And as cruel as it may sound, Sigmund was extremely lucky that he met her at that particular moment, since it was quite easy for him to recruit her.
Sigmund stepped out from around the corner, allowing the other sorceresses to see her.
- Sorry to interrupt, but could you fill me in on the details of this case? First , I'd like to know what you're doing here, especially with a child.
And despite the fact that Sigmund behaved calmly and restrainedly, two sorceresses stepped forward and covered their friend, who was pressed against Kagura .
- To begin with, it would be nice to introduce ourselves.
- Oh, where are my manners? I am from a newly created guild under the crown. I hope you recognize this symbol?
Sigmund took out a magical crest from his spatial storage, as well as a pendant that shows its connection with the crown. This magical crest is known to every mage above rank B, as it is shown during the magical certification. It is almost impossible to forge it. Because of this, the sorceresses calmed down.
- Okay, we're from Blue. Pegasus . My mother's friend asked me to help this girl find her brother. Since my friend has divination magic, we decided to help. We came here so that the magic would work more accurately, since this was the village where Kagura and her brother lived. Unfortunately, her brother is not in the country now.
- I see... We can say that we are all lucky, since I am investigating this case.
After these words, Kagura's eyes filled with hope. She was not a stupid girl, and therefore she knew that the hope of finding her brother was in the woman in front of her. Sigmund himself approached Kagura and squatted down to be on the same level with her.
- Kagura , huh? Could you tell me what happened then?
Kagura looked into Siegmund's blue eyes, and felt incredibly calm around him. She completely trusted Siegmund. Just now, Jeanne d'Arc's skills : Charisma Rank C and Holy Rank B had just worked, raising Charisma to Rank B.
Kagura had no chance of not trusting him.
- Well ... It was evening when we heard some screams and noise, after which a girl from the village, Erza , helped me hide, then the noise became even louder. I heard Erza running somewhere, and the adults chased her. At some point, my head started spinning, and I fell asleep. When I woke up, the village had already burned down. I was lucky that Mikhail, a merchant who came here from time to time, found me.
- I see... Thank you for telling me this. Do you have any other relatives?
Sigmund saw in his peripheral vision how the sorceresses began to shake their heads. Kagura , however, was very upset.
- They told me that my mother died.
- Oh … I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Do you have any personal belongings of your brother or that Erza ? I have search magic too, so that will help me find him.
- Simon gave me this ribbon. Will it do?
- Yes, more than. And before I continue my work, let us walk you home.
- O-okay .
The next 30 minutes are the trio of sorceresses from Blue Pegasus and Siegmund, in the form of Jeanette , took Kagura to the orphanage. Siegmund did this in order to get rid of unnecessary listeners. As they walked, Siegmund talked to Kagura , trying to calm her down, and also to gain her trust. Although it does not sound very good, Siegmund did this for the benefit of Kagura herself .
- And... We arrived.
Kagura stood in front of the orphanage, looking at her "older sister" with a complicated look. She liked talking to her. Even though she hadn't known her for long, something made her trust Jeanette . Kagura believed that she would find her brother.
- Yes. We came ... And ... Kagura , how do you feel about becoming a mage?
Sigmund needed to act now, as it was the right time. Even though his B-rank Charisma worked in this world, not enough time had passed for Kagura to choose him over her brother Simon, who might have already developed an admiration for the Fairy Guild . Tail . It is unlikely that Simon will join any guild other than Fairy Tail , and Kagura will join him .
- A magician? Can I?
A wizard, as a worker, was quite respected in society. About the same as a teacher or a doctor in modern Japan. A wizard is a respected professional, which not everyone can become. Only 10% of the world's population can become a wizard. And most of them choose a job related to magic, unless they have another better-paid job, like a banker or a lawyer.
- Yes, I feel that you have the potential to become a very strong mage. I recently founded a new guild, so I can accept you into my guild. If you want to become a mage, then I will accept you into the guild and make sure that you become strong.
- Really? Will I be able to find my brother?
- I will find your brother in any case. I just want to know your opinion.
Kagura cared about her brother the most, so it was obvious that she needed to gain her trust through him. Sigmund knew this, and so he took full advantage of it . It wasn't that he hadn't helped her and Simon in other cases, but why not get an extra benefit?
Kagura looked into her older sister's clear and lively eyes, which made her remember her mother. Jeanette's smile was too beautiful and bright for little Kagura to resist.
- Then I'll join your guild! I'll become a powerful sorceress!
- Oh, that's so sweet, let your big sister hug you!
After this, Sigmund hugged Kagura tightly , while Kagura hugged her back.
After that, Sigmund found the caretaker of the orphanage and took custody of Kagura . It was obvious that Kagura was a small child who needed to be taken care of. As the Guildmaster of Spirit Heart, Sigmund was supposed to take custody of a new member of his guild under the age of 14. But since his guild was not yet registered in the city archives, he simply took custody of Kagura , and therefore without his permission, no guild could accept her, even if they really wanted to.
Sigmund spent the next two days traveling with Kagura to Hargeon . It was the closest port city that could provide a decently large throughput. There were at least several hundred people working on System R. A regular ship couldn't bring them all off the island and drop them off in another city. Not to mention that the ship needed to be operated, which meant at least another 40 crew members for a large ship. And Sigmund would be using the crown's resources, which meant there would be warships that would arrest the mages along with the slaves, while also sorting out the situation. Sigmund had already warned the King that several ships might soon be needed to evacuate the slaves.
This operation should be as loud and demonstrative as possible, as it is aimed at increasing the credit of trust of the royal power, as well as becoming a source of reputation for the Heart Spirit guild and Jeanette in particular. After this, Ur will be in his pocket, she will join the guild within a year at most.
However, he must leave Kagura in Hargeon .
- Kagura , I'll have to leave you at the inn, since I can't take you with me to look for your brother. It's too dangerous. You understand me?
- Yes.
Kagura wasn't stupid, she knew that her brother had been kidnapped by a dark guild, so there was nothing she could do now. She felt helpless and useless, but that was what made her want to become a strong mage so she would never feel so weak again.
- Okay. I'll be gone for a couple of days at most. Here's some money, 100,000. If you want to eat, go down to the hotel dining room and buy something to eat. Don't go outside. I'll leave you books on magic and other interesting books. Encyclopedias and stuff. Try not to get bored while I'm gone. Every day at 9:00 PM I'll visit you with my magic, so I'll still be looking after you. Have you remembered everything?
- Yes.
- Okay, I'm off then.
And since Sigmund had a need to acquire OD, he decided to start broadcasting.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: And I am ready to put on a show for you all once again. This time I will show you the local terrorists/dark mages and what they usually do.
Five minutes to dead : You know, brother... I have a question. Don't you get into trouble too often? It hasn't even been a week since you defeated Deliora !
Ultear is currently undergoing "rehabilitation" under Ur's supervision. That is, she is simply sitting at home hugging her mother and slowly getting used to normal life again. When she jumped out of bed screaming in horror after the first night, Ur did not like it at all. For the last few days, Ur herself has been busy with teaching her students, looking after Ultear , and constantly arguing with the council. One bloody massacre was not enough for her; she wants to bleed everyone involved.
And taking into account all the incriminating evidence that Sigmund left her, she has every chance of receiving compensation "for what she experienced" and "for her silence" in the amount of 500,000,000.
It was obvious that no heads would roll after this, but she would get the money. At the very least, Ultear herself would find it useful.
Illogical Exhibitionist: Don't pay any attention to him, he's a walking disaster himself, what could possibly threaten him?
Rias didn't like Sigmund, after their serious conversation, it was obvious, but she calmed Ultear down first and foremost .
Pedobear's Wet Dream : Yeah. I can't imagine him having any problems with any dark mages.
Sadistic dominatrix #1: Is there going to be anything like that ? Every time you go live, there's either a battle or something exciting.
Maria also tried to calm Ultear down , after all, she was the youngest member of the chat. Esdeath was more interested in the upcoming performance. By this point, she was already convinced that Sigmund would cooperate with her despite her character.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: It will be. There is no epic battle planned, I just wanted to show Ultear what we are fighting against. And it would not hurt for the others to meet reality.
Illogical Exhibitionist: Who are you hinting at?
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: For example, on you. From everything I've seen, and I've seen a lot, your group hasn't landed a single finishing blow. Not to mention the finishing blows to the head and heart. Because of your group's carelessness, primarily in the emotional sense, due to his own mental trauma caused by dying on his first date, the Red Dragon Emperor used the Jeggernaut Drive. Moreover, most of his entourage were girls entering into relationships with him, but no one asked a simple question... "Hmm, this guy wants to create a harem for himself, so why doesn't he ask us on dates and try to get closer to us?"
Illogical Exhibitionist: What was that for?
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: I'm just grumbling like an old man because I'm in a bad mood.
Illogical Exhibitionist: I will repeat my question.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: You just got caught in the crossfire … And you need all the criticism I can give you. After all, I give you valid criticism and help you not make the same mistakes.
Illogical Exhibitionist: Thank you very much for your "kindness".
And despite the fact that her phrase oozed sarcasm for miles, she was a little grateful for this form of "support". It reminded her of the usual brother -sister relationship, where they try to tease each other. Rias was not stupid , she had already started to improve: she began to train more, almost all of her time after school, and also took care of her surroundings. The progress was modest, but it was there.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: By the way, Ciel , why are you silent?
Tragic Love of Alabama: I'm not in the mood at all. I'm sitting alone, doing nothing, watching TV series... It feels like life is passing me by.
Sigmund knew that Ciel was similar to himself. It is very difficult for her to live when she does not have some goal or object of her affection nearby. Sigmund himself went through this when he found out that his wife did not remember him, he was completely devastated at that moment. You could even say that Sigmund was a more "human" version of Mio Takamiya and Ciel .
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: Okay, how about going on a date with me when I get back?
Tragic Alabama Love: Date?
Even though Ciel is currently acting like a typical depressed girl, this phrase from Sigmund brought her back to life!
Sigmund asked her out on a date for the first time!
Date!
This means that he has started to evaluate her from the point of view of a girl! They will finally start their relationship officially!
After almost three and a half months!
Before this, Sigmund had never even mentioned dates; he simply invited her to go for a walk or "get some fresh air, because they would wither away in the laboratory."
Ciel was practically beaming with happiness at this moment!
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: Yes, let's go on a date. Where do you want to go? A tourist tour of Japan? Or do you want to go to the sea? Or admire the majesty of the mountain ranges? We can go to the cinema, if you want.
Sigmund knew that Ciel remembered his phrase about "cinemas are only for kissing in the back rows", she looked longingly towards the cinemas every time, but she was silent and did not raise this topic, since Sigmund was not ready to call her his girlfriend. It was selfish, but it was right. First, two people need to get used to each other, and only then should a serious relationship develop.
Tragic Love of Alabama: To the movies! We're going to the movies! Never mind the sea and the mountains, we're going to the movies!
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE !: How you will say , dear .
This phrase made Ciel smile like a fool, slowly spreading into a pink puddle of happiness. However, she had another problem.
She will need to pick a totally stunning outfit that will look good on her, but will not be vulgar. The perfect balance of beauty and modesty.
Pedobear's Wet Dream : Congratulations on the start of your relationship!
Best Rape Target: I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Five minutes to dead : Brother, I didn't even know you had a girlfriend. When did you manage to meet her?
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: Relatively recently, right before you were added to the chat, I was helping her because she lost her memory. Well, it just so happened that we started dating.
Five minutes to dead : Cool! And can you tell me everything in detail later?
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: You'd better ask Ciel about that. After our guild officially opens, you can ask her about it in person.
Five minutes to dead: Really ? Sister, you'll tell me about your dates, right?
Since Ultear was a young girl, she was interested in relationships between a man and a woman. People in this world matured quickly, at 15 everyone was already considered an adult, which, however, is not surprising. Mortality among some layers of the population is quite high. And since hormones were in full swing, any romance attracted Ultear's interest .
However, she received no response.
Sweet Slime: No answer ... Does n't look like Ciel .
While Mio and Maria were happy about Siegmund and Ciel's relationship , Rias felt uncomfortable congratulating Sieg, and Saeko and Esdeath felt... Lost. After Siegmund, they were the oldest in the chat, but they had never been in a relationship. Esdeath was in her early 20s, and Saeko was over 37, and she had only ever held hands with a guy!
They were jealous!
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: I bet she quit chatting and started picking out an outfit.
Pedobear's Wet Dream : Do you know her that well?
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: Obviously, I spent more than three months with her, I know her inside out. Predicting her reaction after something like this is not difficult for me.
Pedobear's Wet Dream : Got it...
Best Rape Target: Sigh ... I wish I could get a guy as understanding and considerate as him... All the guys around me can't even remember their girlfriends' birthdays... It feels like there are only a few guys in this world that make any sense to have a relationship with, but they've all been in relationships for a long time...
Mio was also a young girl who dreams of romance with her future boyfriend.
Illogical Exhibitionist: After all, harems are the norm.
Pedobear's Wet Dream : Actually, that's not far from the truth. I don't know a single guy who makes sense to get into a relationship with. Like... they're all "so-so" or weak and have no potential. If it were otherwise, my mom would have introduced me to some nice guys a long time ago. For example, my older sister already found herself a "boyfriend" in the form of Ramusas ...
Best Rape Target: Hmm ... Our family tree... Not so great, to say the least. I'm getting more and more sick of my family. I want to strangle half of them myself .
Pedobear's Wet Dream : As long as you don't touch my mom and sister, everything is fine.
Best target for rape: Obviously.
And while the cousins were talking to each other, Ultear listened attentively to their conversation. She was also interested in listening to the stories of her "older sisters" who were in another world. It was as interesting as listening to another country, only better.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: Well, here we are.
In front of Sigmund was an island with a huge structure of an incomprehensible shape. This still unfinished structure occupied most of the island, with the exception of the pier and the "material warehouse". It was obvious that this island was being used for very specific plans.
Bringer Light first to get to the Tower, and then used the Book of the End. Thanks to this information, he now knows the layout of System R like the back of his hand, but he decided not to act in the most "efficient" way. He decided to observe for a while first.
The sun was high in the sky, so it was hot. The island was in the tropical zone, and it was quite small, so the air was humid and hot. It was incredibly stuffy to be outside.
However, the "broadcast camera" began to follow Sigmund 's gaze, showing a picture below. And below was a large group of slaves in tattered clothes, who were chipping away at the stone and transporting it somewhere inside the structure.
Five minutes to dead: Slaves ...
Ultear immediately understood what was going on. The brain was quite chatty, and it didn't take Ultear seriously, and then she also learned the news from the Weekly Wizard, which talked about the increase in dark guild activity. It wasn't hard for Ultear to put two and two together .
Sweet Slime: Zig, why are you showing us this?
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: I already answered this question. This is what my guild will fight against.
Illogical Exhibitionist: Then why don't you go save them?
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: This makes little sense now.
And immediately after that, everyone saw how an old man and a girl who looked about 10 years old fell down from exhaustion. Immediately after that, two guards came up and started shouting about something, but soon after that, they started to beat them with whips.
Illogical Exhibitionist: Does that make much sense now? Open your eyes! They're about to be beaten to death! What's the point of all your power and guild if you can't even help those you see right in front of you?!
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: How accurately you described Sirzechs' situation . He is strong, but he can't do anything about your marriage. I'm just waiting now. At most, these two will just get beaten up, it will hurt, but tomorrow they will get up and continue working. It is not profitable for the Dark Ones to beat to death slaves who can continue working.
No one in the chat sensed any anger or embarrassment in Sigmund's words, only a slight sadness and melancholy.
Illogical Exhibitionist: What a heartless bastard you are. What did Ciel see in you ?
Pedobear's Wet Dream : Oni-chan , I'm sorry, but you're wrong here. You're very strong, why not help them?
Best Rape Target: I agree , what's it cost you? You could vaporize this entire island without much effort.
Ciel, although she watched the chat with one eye, didn't care. Well, they'll beat up a couple of people, what difference does it make to her? Sigmund's well-being is much more important to her.
Sadistic dominatrix #1: Sigmund, my condolences, this group is full of kids who can't think ahead ... Or they're so arrogant that they think other people are idiots.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: Thank you, Esdeath , it seems like you and Ciel are the only ones who understand me. Although I can't blame them for that . Due to circumstances, they have a limited horizon. You can't see the forest for the trees, after all .
Illogical Exhibitionist: Two sadists find each other.
Rias just rolled her eyes at this 'introduction'. What else could she expect from a man named 'S, Desu ' and also the founder of the proud 'Broken Protagonist' movement?
Five minutes to dead : Brother, do you have some kind of plan with which you will save everyone?
Ultear , unexpectedly for everyone, was on Sigmund's side, she believed in him much more than in the words of everyone else in the chat. In the end, he summoned her from her personal Hell.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: Thank you for believing in me, Ultear . And yes, I have a plan, but I think it would be better if Esdeath told me about it . The others could learn from it.
Sadistic dominatrix #1: Oh, what? Then thank you for such a high assessment of my abilities. Well, about the rest... you are all naive fools who cannot think ahead. Seeing such a picture, does nothing click in your head? Even little Ultear turned out to be much smarter and more resourceful than you!
Pedobear's Wet Dream : What should have clicked for us? Obviously, these dark mages are real dregs, and there's no point in feeling sorry for them.
Sadistic dominatrix #1: Exactly! These are the dregs who have nothing left to lose, they are ready to resort to any vile tactics. And you, being childish idiots, suggest storming this fortress without any reconnaissance?
Best target for rape: Well, Zig used the Book of the End, so he did some reconnaissance. Besides, what can they do to him?
Sadistic dominatrix #1: Good point, they won't do anything to Sigmund, but have you thought about what they will do after they realize they can't defeat him?
The chat didn't answer her.
Sadistic Dominatrix #1: And judging by your unanimous silence, you didn't have enough brains to think about the future. I'll lift the curtain on this dark future for you. As soon as they realize that they can't defeat Sigmund, they'll start using slaves as a human shield, and if that doesn't work, they'll start killing them in droves, showing their readiness to get rid of them. If that doesn't work, they'll take up heavy artillery in the form of some kind of magic guns or explosives, hoping to blow up Sigmund, then they might use suicide slaves or something like that. And to top it all off, they'd simply blow up this tower, hoping to kill Sigmund and cover their tracks. If Sigmund really did come at them head-on, many more slaves would have died than if he'd just waited an hour or two.
Illogical Exhibitionist: This would be a fair remark if Sigmund weren't so strong and fast. He can take them all out in a minute, preventing absolutely no casualties.
Sadistic dominatrix #1: And what's the point of all this? You're supposed to be a noble maiden, don't you understand that these are just performers? Okay, they could have found the island themselves, but how did they get the ships? Slaves? Provisions and equipment, after all? Obviously, they are being sponsored by someone, and someone big at that. There is no mastermind here, at most one of the leaders will be here. Let me explain. There is a mastermind, he knows absolutely everything that is happening on this island. What is on the island now, what stage of construction is, what stage will follow the current one, and so on. He also sponsors all their activities, as well as coordination between other groups. Then comes the leader, he knows what is happening on this island, how the construction is progressing at this stage and how to implement this stage. He does not know what will happen next, as well as what is happening at other sites, he does not even know how they deliver provisions and slaves to him. And at the very end are the performers. Those who are not a pity to lose, because they know nothing. They simply perform extremely fragmentary work, from which it is difficult to understand anything.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: Now Esdeath has revealed the structure of absolutely any shadow organization, be it a mafia or a drug cartel. In this case, it is a dark guild.
Sadistic Dominatrix #1: Well , at least one person understands me.
While Esdeath felt morally superior to the stupid teenagers and Saeko , Sigmund drew a line under Esdeath's thought . In the Empire, Esdeath was simultaneously beating up the negligent soldiers who "thought of" challenging her decision, but now she was in high spirits, and besides, everyone except Kazuma could potentially become stronger than her in the long and even medium term. Making enemies was somehow stupid.
There was something so nice about having someone next to you who understood you perfectly.
Esdeath began to feel like she had found the right person for her, but she was a little sad that he had been snatched away from right under her nose.
Esdeath and Sigmund, due to their military background, can understand each other at a glance, and also quickly and effectively complete various tasks, discarding all morality.
Five minutes to dead : Okay, that seems logical, but why wait several hours?
Only Saeko and Ultear consciously began to delve into this topic. The former, due to her age and upbringing, looks after the younger ones, but the latter experienced the horror of dark mages on her own skin. She has a personal vendetta against all dark mages who may exist in the area.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: And the fact is that these dark magicians are quite... forgive me, moralists , humanely and competently manage human resources. The slaves are fed little, so that they do not rebel. Not so much that they starve, but little. Because of such a diet, the effective working time is less than 6 hours, after which they will simply collapse from fatigue. Therefore, it is necessary to organize two shifts of workers, from morning to lunch and from lunch to evening. During the lunch break, all the slaves are mixed, after which they are divided into groups so that permanent pairs are not formed, in order to prevent a rebellion. Thus, 30% of all the caretakers watch the tired half of the slaves, from time to time checking the cameras, as well as the number of slaves, all for the same purpose. And the remaining 70% watch the already fed slaves, who are distributed over a large area. Thus, each individual slave works as much as he can, otherwise he gets a lash on the back. At the same time, slaves do not have constant contacts and friends with whom they could organize a rebellion. With all this, the mortality rate of slaves remains relatively low, which reduces the need for constant renewal of the number of slaves, and this already reduces the likelihood that they will be caught capturing another batch of slaves. Well, in the event of a rebellion...
Sadistic Dominatrix #1: In case of a riot, they will gather as many slaves as possible to make a show of execution. They will either beat them to death or quarter them in front of everyone, so that the others will be afraid. They will take them to the gallows, in extreme cases. And all the neighbors will be subject to collective responsibility in the amount of 30 lashes each or something else.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: Exactly.
Everyone in the chat was shocked by what had been happening on this island for years. It was obvious to everyone that this tower was not built by mages, but by ordinary people, and therefore their productivity leaves much to be desired...
Five minutes to dead : Okay, but why are you waiting for lunch?
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: It's all pretty simple here. At this point, the prisoners will be regrouped . 30% of the "rear" will be shuffling the slaves around to different departments. It's always noisy there, so there won't be much efficiency in their actions. And if anything happens, they'll start by driving all the slaves back to their cells so they don't start a riot. Those who were just working will escort the slaves to the canteens, where I can catch them. There won't be enough room for many people there. I'll put up a barrier and an illusion, and then I'll cut down all the mages one by one, leaving the slaves safe. Then I'll repeat this several times, and then I'll go finish off the rest of the mages in the barracks, prudently allowing a small group to leave the island.
Five minutes to dead: But Why ? Wouldn't it be better to just kill them all?
Ultear had no mercy for dark mages , she would have been pleased to see her older brother wipe out an entire dark guild, especially one like that.
Sadistic dominatrix #1: Because there is no mastermind here. If he really wanted to, he would repeat this project, but in a different place. So, nothing would change. But if Sieg puts some marks on them, with which he can track them, then he will be able to cover most of the dark guild community to squash them all at once. Besides, even if someone finds out that Siegmund missed one ship of mages, there will be nothing to present to him, since he acted alone. In general, I doubt that even an armed squad will be able to do everything cleanly.
Five minutes to dead: Got it , thanks. for science . I will keep this in mind from now on .
Best Rape Target: Ultear , I don't think you need to learn things like that.
Five minutes to dead: Why this ? Strong mages often encounter dark mages and their guilds. A squad of S-rank mages can be given a mission to destroy such a guild, so why shouldn't I learn from my elders? Besides, I'll become an S-rank mage in the next few years anyway.
Best Rape Target: Oh , so that's how you do business? Then yeah, you should pay more attention.
Although Mio was a sweet schoolgirl, after the "personal prospects" that opened up, a thick layer of cynicism and indifference formed within her.
Rias was the only one who tried to wrap her head around the idea that a little girl was seriously learning from a hardened sadist about how she would kill dozens of people in the future. She could hardly imagine it, but it only made her shudder even more.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: By the way, Esdeath , how about joining my guild? I promise to make you stronger. There will always be work, you will live in abundance, and the work itself is interesting. I will make you one of my deputies with a fixed salary.
Sadistic dominatrix #1: In principle, I don't mind . There's not much that keeps me in the Empire, but first I'll need to solve the problem with Night Raid.
EXTRA EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!: There's not really much work there. A month max if I help.
Sadistic Dominatrix #1: The sooner we start, the sooner we finish.
***
/ Damn, now my whole back is on fire!
Things were going badly for the little nine-year-old girl with scarlet hair. She had been in a bad streak since she was born. Her parents abandoned her, leaving her at the village headman's doorstep. Because she was a baby, she nearly froze to death and starved to death at the same time, which is why she later fell ill. Fortunately, the village headman was a kind person who was able to somehow raise her. He lived alone, he was lonely, and Erza brightened his days with her existence.
Since the headman Adam was an old man, Erza helped him with the housework from a very young age. Most of the time she was busy at home, in the garden or in the yard. The work was relatively simple: sweep or wash the floors, clean the house, milk the cow, feed the cattle, weed the beds and other household chores. It is easy to understand that Erza had no strength left by the evening. And only recently Erza began to manage to complete her work on time, she decided to play with other children from the village.
However, because she had no parents, other children often bullied and offended her.
How much does it take for kids to start bullying someone?
You just need to stand out somehow.
And since Erza had rich red hair, when the village was mostly brunette with a few blondes, she stood out a lot.
Because boys teased her, she would hit them, and then a fight would start. Erza would usually win, but she would be in a bad mood after such battles.
Why does everyone bully me?
Why don't they like me?
Why did my parents abandon me?
What did I do to them?
And since Erza was smart beyond her years, she asked herself these questions. She didn't ask Adam because she thought it would upset him, but these questions ate away at her from the inside. However, at some point, she met Simon and Kagura . They were the only children in the village who were nice to her, as they sympathized with her. Their mother Miku was also a very kind woman, and therefore was happy when her rather withdrawn children played with Erza .
However, just when Erza thought that things would only get better, the dark mages attacked the village. Adam and Miku were killed, as were half of the adults, and the remaining half were taken, as well as the children, and then sent here.
Sometimes Erza wonders if she is Cursed ?
Misfortune has been following her since she was born, and when things were just starting to improve, everything only got worse.
/ I should have hidden in that box with Kagura !
It is this thought that visits her every single day, haunting her every time she manages to rest a little and close her eyes.
She doesn't even have anyone to talk to, because everyone around avoids each other, expecting something bad to happen. About a month ago, the guards said that they would reward anyone who turns in a violator of the slave rules.
Almost the same day, they told about the group planning an escape. The next day, the entire sector was punished, deprived of lunch, and instead forced to watch as all the guilty were tortured. Three hundred lashes for each guilty. Erza watched as seven men were beaten with a whip, not as usual, but with all their strength and on their bare backs.
After 10 blows, red streaks remained.
After 30 blows, bloody abrasions began to appear.
After 50 blows, large bloody wounds began to appear.
Each subsequent blow was accompanied by splashes of blood. And because of the sweeping blows of the whip, these bloody splashes fell on the slaves.
These bloody splashes also hit Erza .
After 70 blows from the back, thighs and calves, the skin began to come off.
After 90 blows, the flesh began to come off in places.
After 170 blows, the ribs became visible.
After 210 or 230 blows, the bones in the legs became visible.
After 250, due to constant impacts, some bones simply broke.
After 270 blows, the culprit looked like a mangled piece of meat.
After 300 blows, only one could move his arms at all, but they all remained alive.
And then they were all beheaded.
All this was accompanied by wild cries of pain, anger, hatred, and also furious curses.
Erza watched this seven times in a row.
If there had been something in her stomach then, she would have thrown up.
But all the guards forced them to watch this, because if they noticed that someone turned their head away or closed their eyes, then they beat him with a whip.
After the second shift of that day, they found out who had turned in these seven.
That same evening, all those involved were beaten to death.
Erza saw all this with her own eyes, the culprit's cell was right in front of hers.
At that moment she realized that there were no people around her, only monsters.
At that moment she was very scared.
A week later, the situation repeated itself. Four were sentenced to death, Erza again watched it.
However, by the end of the first kill, Erza felt nothing, she recognized him as the one who beat her former neighbor to death.
She wasn't afraid, she didn't care, because what did it matter to her that one monster killed another?
Erza felt indifferent to everything.
She just burned out and broke.
At some point, the kind and sweet girl died, and another girl took her place, who didn't care about other people.
Anger, disappointment, regret and hatred awaken and accumulate in her every day. And this has been going on for several months. The hour is near when she will simply abandon all this, after which she will attack another guard with a pickaxe.
She doesn't care anymore that she will be killed, she has been on the edge for a long time, she has nothing to lose.
She has nothing.
No relatives.
No friends.
No acquaintances.
No hope.
No faith.
No future.
She has nothing.
/ Today I got heat stroke, the guards remembered it, so it won't be a big deal if next time I faint too ... Next time I'll pretend to faint from the heat, and then try to beat the guard with a pickaxe... All that's left is to wait for the next hot weather.
Erza was already planning her future revenge as she walked through the dining room. However, she caught sight of one colorful couple. They were two girls about her age. One looked a little older than Erza , and the other was younger, they had the same white hair. Both of them were relatively well-groomed, which was rare for slaves.
/ So who could it be?
- Yukino , don't worry, very soon a good angel will descend from heaven and save us all!
The older girl smiled sweetly and showed off her supposed sister's palm. Many slaves nearby were watching their interaction, and while the younger girl was clearly embarrassed, trying to overcome her embarrassment while eating her lunch, the older girl frankly didn't care about the looks of those around her.
- Sister, everyone is looking at us ... And there will be no angel. You say this every day, but nothing has changed...
The younger one was clearly depressed, but the older one tried her best to cheer her up.
- Don't worry, today everything will be different, I tell you for sure!
/ Ah, I see. So this is the one with the magical talent?
Erza realized that these were the sisters she had heard about before. The eldest had some kind of magic, and so she was used as a battery to power the lacrima , while at the same time giving her the indulgence of living with her sister, who was cleaning clothes and cooking dinner.
There were few people with confirmed Magic Talent, among the four hundred slaves in this sector, only about 30 people, more than half of whom were children. Erza even heard that in the neighboring sector there was some very old mage from a light guild who looked after the children from his sector. It was a very big concession from the dark mages, but that old man, according to rumors, covered half of their daily expenses for magic. In addition, he was an exhausted decrepit old man surrounded by children. He physically could not do anything.
And when Erza was just about to go get her lunch, she felt some kind of wave pass through the entire dining room, causing goosebumps all over her skin.
Erza noticed that most people didn't react at all, but the sisters visibly tensed up.
Moments later, all the guards immediately became alarmed, some took out communicators, some tried to use magic, while others went somewhere.
It was only a second later that Erza and sisters looked towards the entrance to the dining room. They couldn't hear anything because of the guards' footsteps, but they didn't need to. They saw how part of the wall simply began to crumble.
/ Is the wall breaking? No, it's like it's crumbling into dust!
And a second later, this wall completely disappeared, revealing a beautiful woman of about 17 years old with curvaceous forms, captivating blue eyes, and giant snow-white wings behind her back.
- Is this an Angel?
/ Is this… an Angel? Or God?
The sisters asked themselves, while Erza did not understand what was happening here. She felt an overwhelming force that was studied by the figure of the winged girl. She felt so insignificant, so fragile, so weak in comparison. As if the humble flame of a candle was compared to the vast sky itself and the majestic sun.
- Don't worry, I came to save you. Please remain calm.
- Attack the intruder!
While the girl was calm itself, the guards immediately began to attack her, but it had no effect. Their magic itself somehow went around the winged girl, as if not wanting to harm her, and physical attacks did not even reach her, dissolving into nothing .
/ She is a Goddess.
This is exactly the feeling that the winged girl evoked with her incomprehensible power and inviolability.
Erza had never been religious, few people believed in gods at that time. The Dark Mage Zeref was too powerful, he had brought too much trouble and destruction for people to believe in someone who could be more powerful than him.
However, it was now that Erza believed that she had met a higher being.
After the hall of magic, the winged figure smiled slightly, after which her presence became much more distinct. All the slaves felt that they were becoming stronger, healthier, and their wounds were becoming smaller, literally healing before their eyes. Erza felt this especially clearly when her back and arms stopped hurting. She even felt that it became easier to breathe next to the Goddess, but something else surprised her.
While the slaves were being healed, all the guards simply dissolved into nothingness .
They weren't ground to dust, they weren't aged, they weren't torn into bloody pieces . They just disappeared like ghosts, bit by bit, like sand, from their limbs to their heads. There was no blood, no bones, nothing. Magi didn't even make the death screams Erza had expected to hear .
It was at that moment that Erza was certain that the winged figure was a true Goddess. Incredibly powerful and untouchable.
Erza wanted to be close to her.
Erza wanted to be at least a little bit like her.
- Stay here, it's safe here, when I save the others, I'll gather you all outside.
And with these words, the Winged Goddess flew through the remaining walls, not perceiving the physical laws and limitations of this world.
There were no barriers for her, the walls in front of her parted, and then came back together behind her.
It felt like the world itself was bending to her will.
/ Am I saved? Has this goddess saved us all? Will I be free?
Erza couldn't even imagine such a picture, because she had long ago despaired and did not expect any salvation. On the contrary, she wanted to stop her daily suffering. However, today, when she was one step away from implementing a suicidal plan, the Goddess saved her.
However, she felt no joy at all from the fact that they had come to save her. While the monsters in human skin that she despised rejoiced and cried in relief, Erza was experiencing another crisis.
When she is free again, what guarantee is there that she won't be kidnapped again?
Her very presence in this damned tower proves that people are kidnapped every day, without strength and protection she is no different from ordinary livestock. When someone strong wants to take her, she will not be able to do anything.
/ When I see her again, I will beg her to take me with her.
Erza swore to herself that she would beg this goddess to take her with her. She didn't care about any conventions or restrictions this goddess would give her. Erza knew that some gods and goddesses made their priests take vows of chastity or something else. In Erza's eyes , it didn't matter.
If she had to, she would fall at her feet, hit her head on the floor and beg her to take her with her. Erza wasn't too proud for that, she had no pride at all.
What pride could there be in a slave who was going to die any day now?
Thus, a plan appeared in Erza 's head.
***
Two hours later, Sigmund had completely cleared out the entire R System, after which he gathered all the slaves from the northern sector in front of him. There were just over 900 of them. He quickly divided them into groups by health, after which he healed all the sick and crippled. After that, he divided them all into age groups, gathered all the families if possible, and once again divided everyone by their former place of residence, if there was one left. The rest he gathered into several groups depending on age. He devoted most of his time to children, especially orphans.
It was no surprise that most of them didn't have even the rudiments of magic, after all, only 10% of Fiore's population had enough magical power to be considered a potential mage.
He divided these orphans once more into those who had magic and those who didn't . Most were happy to just join a guild, but there were some children who were eager to be around him. Most of them lost their enthusiasm when he said that he would train them even more strictly than they had lived here, but there were some exceptions.
By evening, Sigmund had dealt with the other sectors. His "catch" was as follows: Erza and Sorano , who begged to go with him, Sigmund even thought for a moment that the girls had created some kind of sisterly bond between themselves, Yukino Agria , Midnight , Eric aka Cobra, Sawyer aka Racer, Richard Buchanan aka Hoteye , Wally Buchanan , Kinana , who was turned into a snake. There were a total of 10 new members in the guild, all of them except for the last two had the potential to become a mage of the ten Wizard Saints level, if not higher, while the last two were only S-class.
Unfortunately, the others were either afraid to join his guild, or lived near other light guilds and wanted to join them. Sigmund was not upset about this, since he did not need ordinary cannon fodder, and he considered everyone with potential below S class as cannon fodder.
When Sigmund was killing the other slaves, Rob had been raising children for months, and so they all wanted to join his guild. It was especially frustrating because of Jellal , who was already a Wizard Saint by the start of canon, showing his great potential.
It was a shame to miss out on such potential, but Sigmund was quite pleased that he had recruited the other talented children. Besides, he had been prepared for such an outcome.
And the next morning, the Royal ships sailed to the island, taking all the slaves and transporting them to the port of Hargeon . The entire city and its journalists watched this event, the slaves were taken care of for two days, again dividing them into groups for further distribution throughout the country. Sigmund was involved in this whole story only as the savior of the slaves and the founder of a new guild with a special status, cooperating with the Royal Family.
And while all the civil servants were busy with their affairs, Sigmund was busy with his future guild members, having registered their guardianship and also providing them with everything they needed. Sigmund also arranged a meeting with the King to discuss this incident and further plans.
Overall, this week was extremely eventful and fruitful.