Chapter 110: The Council.

Chapter 110: The Council.

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[Adam C. POV]

The wind whipped through my hair as we journeyed back towards Magnolia in the boat we had taken from the Tower. The setting sun painted the sky with hues of red and orange, a stark contrast to the dark memories threatening to engulf me.

I had destroyed the Tower. For a second time.

At this point I was starting to wonder if there would be a third.

Hopefully not.

Taking a deep breath, I glanced over at Erza. Even now, hours after the dust had settled, she was staring off into the distance, lost in thought.

It didn't take a genius to know what she was thinking about.

It was hard not to think about what we'd endured in this wretched place. The brutal work, the hopeless days, the pain... it was a life no child should experience, or anyone for that matter.

The point is, I understood what she was going through, I mean, as much I had grown out of my intense hate for this place, it still affected me to some degree.

My mind wandered back to my own escape, to the night when fate had given me a narrow chance, giving me an unlikely opportunity to escape that hell.

I remember my heart pounding fear, anger, hate, the desperate hope, and finally the weightless relief when I realized I was finally free.

Then, as my relief died out, my hate grew, and revenge took place.

Now that I look back, I know it was mostly due to the fact I had thought this was my cross to bear, as well as wanting to pretend my time there never happened.

All of that made me ill-prepared to deal with the storm when it finally came.

Erza on the other hand, had managed this situation better than I had.

Perhaps it was because of how her story had woven itself into.

Unlike me, who had tried to avoid any connection within the Tower, in order to make it easier for me to escape when the time came.

Erza had made connections.

Sure, at the time I had old man Rob to keep me sane, but that was mostly him approaching me, if he hadn't done so, I probably would've avoided any interaction.

Erza and her friends at the Tower. They'd been more fortunate than most, forming bonds amidst the adversity. Bonds that, in the particular case of Jellal, had been shattered and twisted beyond recognition.

"Adam, do you think the Jellal I knew is there?" Erza asked me suddenly, her voice breaking through the silence.

I looked at her, seeing the pain and hope in her eyes. "I don't know," I admitted.

In the anime, the events leading up to him returning to his former self were confusing at best, at least for me, and seeing I had changed everything, not once, but twice, I wasn't sure how that would go.

Jellal.

The mere thought of him evoked mixed feelings within me, I wasn't sure what to feel when it came to him.

Hate?

Pity?

Regret?

It was a complicated thought. Because in essence, Jellal was nothing more than a child stripped of his freedom, a puppet at the mercy of a cruel puppeteer, a victim, just like everybody else.

At least Brain had the decency to leave my mind intact, even if it was to break me down himself, the one thing I was allowed to keep was my mind.

Sighing, I stared out at the horizon.

Shit like this was never easy to deal with.

"I'm sure once we tell the council about what we know, they will help him," I offered after a moment, hoping to ease her troubled thoughts. The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.

He would serve time, no doubt. But hopefully he would do so free off the strings of his captors.

The moment stretched for an eternity as the Knights moved in an almost mechanical manner, the silence in the room being almost deafening.

I guess they don't need me.

Seeing they hadn't asked anything about the events that had transcurred on the Tower, I assumed they already knew everything they needed to know, so with that in mind, I turned on my heel and walked out, leaving behind a room of stunned knights with Jellal in their capable hands.

Yawning, I navigated the labyrinthine streets of the capital, intending to return to the ship.

I hadn't slept well, and the reason for that had been simple. I was the only one in the ship capable of handling Jellal if he tried anything.

What can I say? I didn't trust his catatonic state. Broken or not, he was a threat, and my responsibility until now. Now he was the council's problem.

"Halt!"

With those words, a group of about a dozen Knights made their appearance blocking my path, their faces grim and resolute as their leader stepped forward.

"I have to ask, was that a power move?" I chuckled, tilting my head. "I mean, I stayed in your office for around twenty minutes, and no one addressed me, but I leave, and suddenly it's a national emergency?"

Ignoring my attempt to break the ice, the man cleared his throat.

"Adam of Fairy Tail," The leader declared, his voice echoing in the narrow street as he unfurled a scroll to read out loud, "You have been summoned by his majesty, Toma E. Fiore, to meet before the council."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sudden summons.

"To what do I owe this honor?" I asked, my tone laced with sarcasm.

"We cannot disclose any details regarding your summons, you are simply to come," The leader replied, his face serious.

I am simply to come?

Well, ain't that cute.

I let out a deep sigh, running a hand through my hair. As much as it annoyed me how they were wording their invitation, I really couldn't do much without bringing politics into the table for the Guild.

"Very well," I said, gazing at the distant docks. "You might want to let me tell my companions I'm going to be missing for a bit."

"No," The leader said firmly, "You are to come with us immediately."

I narrowed my eyes at the man in front of me.

"Look... I'm trying to be understanding here, I am, I truly am, but I'm not a dog that will follow your every command blindly," I said, my voice sharp. "Perhaps you are misinterpreting my willingness to collaborate as a sign of weakness, in which case, let's make one thing very clear, if I wanted to, none of you would be able to take me anywhere against my will."

The Knights tensed, their hands moving towards their weapons, but their leader raised his hand to signal them to stand down.

"Adam of Fairy Tail," The leader replied, his voice low and dangerous, "I understand your concerns, however. We are under strict orders to bring you to the council without any detours."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you completely sure you don't want to reconsider your position on the matter? Keep in mind I am not against following you guys to meet the council, I just want to avoid my group worrying about my whereabouts."

Natsu would probably storm into the castle, threatening to burn everything.

"No, your friends will be informed once the clearance for such action is granted," The leader replied, his gaze unwavering.

I let out a deep sigh. "Just remember, you asked for this."

Having said that, I slammed my hands together, palms flat and parallel, a blue-white light emanating from the space between them as a blue-tinted Kido barrier materialized around me in an instant.

"Let me know once you're ready to cooperate," I said, laying my back on the ground, watching as the Knights started to try and break the barrier to get me out.

Perhaps I was being petty.

But I had a good reason to be petty, avoiding the very probable event of Natsu going on a destructive rampage just to 'rescue' me.

It wasn't even because I cared about the possible destruction. It was mostly because I wanted to avoid the old man going bankrupt because of him, more than he already is, that is.

"Defying a Royal summon it's a crime! Your actions now are only adding up to any possible conviction!" The leader of the Knights warned me, his voice rising in anger. "Come out of that barrier, now!"

"That's enough, soldier," A new voice interrupted, its tone calm and authoritative. The Knights immediately straightened up, standing at attention as a tall, regal figure approached us.

The man wore a long, flowing robe made of fine silk, embroidered with intricate golden patterns that glinted in the sunlight. "My apologies, Mr. Clive, I should have known they would take the orders at face value."

"It seems you have me at a disadvantage, so if it's not too much to ask, who are you?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as I studied the man before me. There was something about his presence that didn't quite click with me.

The man smiled gently, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "My name is Crawford Meront, and you could say that I'm their boss."

Well, that was vague as fuck, but I can work with that.

"With your introduction, am I to assume I can tell my group then?" I asked, pushing my body off the ground.

"Indeed," Crawford replied with a curt nod, "Feel free to tell them about the situation, take your time, we will be here to escort you to the council once you finish dealing with your personal affairs."

Taking his word as the confirmation I needed, I dropped the shield down, and started walking back to the docks without looking back, as Crawford and the Knights remained back in position.

Well.

That was fun.