The next morning, sunlight had only begun warming the stone walls of Fiore's royal castle when Astro and Laxus followed a pair of uniformed guards inside. To Astro, the entrance hall felt like it belonged to another era. Tall ceilings rose above them, slate grey pillars lined both sides, and long crimson carpets stretched across the floor in their pathway.
"Well," Astro murmured as they walked, "Fiore's royal castle really is bigger than Joya's."
"Well, it does look more massive from the inside." Laxus also looked around with mild interest.
Lahar, as promised, guided them toward the front door of the castle. These guards then took over. Astro took a look at both of their clothes. They wore casual outfits that still managed to give a neat, official impression.
For Astro, he had a black long coat over black pants and a purple shirt; the coat buttoned loosely up to his chest. Laxus wore a similar style of long coat, but wider, paired with a yellow shirt inside and brown pants. Astro remembered that Laxus used to wear purple often when they first met. But after meeting him, the man had quietly changed to yellow. Astro still did not know if he should feel amused or offended.
One of the guards guiding them glanced back and saw them admiring the castle. He said with a gloating look, "After the last trade war, there was no true victor, but Fiore gained the most benefits. The castle was rebuilt afterward to make that statement."
The other guard elbowed him. "Stop talking so much."
"What? I am telling the truth. My great-grandfather even earned a medal for his service."
"Nobody cares."
Astro watched their small argument with a faint smile and looked around again. He was not sure how much ordinary people of Fiore knew. But it was because of their first master, Mavis Vermillion, that Fiore managed to secure such advantages in the war. Without the Fairy Tactician, it is unknown where Fiore would have been today. Although it had not been publicized much, the fact that Fairy Tail can still stand proudly in Fiore was probably because of that.
Of course, he would not talk about those here. People in high positions liked to feel they were the ones holding the reins. Nothing irritated them more than having their positions questioned. Astro instead let his eyes trace the symmetry of the pillars, the careful layout, the intent behind every piece of architecture. He had to agree that the Fiore Royal Family had good taste.
They passed a gallery filled with magical awards, a courtyard visible through tall windows, and a row of enchanted suits of armor that shifted every few seconds. The movement was subtle but very clear. It was most likely a warning for visitors not to get any ideas.
After several turns through carpeted corridors, the guards stopped in front of a solid wooden door with brass patterns carved into it.
"This is the office of Lord Darton, the Minister of Defense. He will brief you."
The posted guards straightened. One of them knocked twice on the door.
"Lord Darton, the wizards you requested have arrived."
A firm but slightly tired voice replied from inside. "Let them in."
As the door opened, Astro leaned a little closer to Laxus and spoke quietly.
"Let me handle the talking."
Laxus clicked his tongue. "Got it." He was not much interested in talking to people here anyway.
Astro blinked as he saw that the office inside resembled a war strategist's den more than a minister's workspace. Maps covered the walls, stacks of documents rose across the desk, and several folded scrolls lay in messy layers on top. An elderly man stood behind the desk. He was short and slightly hunched, with a scar across his cheek and eyebrows shaped like downward hammers. His cape draped heavily over formal clothing, giving him a stern but tired presence.
Another burly, brown haired man stood on the opposite side of the table as if they had been in the middle of a discussion. He looked toward Astro and Laxus with a hint of annoyance, though before Astro could take a good look at him, the elderly man had already stepped forward.
"Astro Blackmist. And you must be Laxus Dreyar. I am Darton Reinhardt, the Minister of Defense of Fiore." His eyes moved between them with careful attention. "I expected Fairy Tail to send three people. The mission poster should have stated that three was the maximum."
Astro paused for a brief moment as if he had just realized the issue.
Then he removed his hands from his coat pockets and offered a small, polite bow.
"Then I owe you an apology, Lord Darton. We wizards are not the best at interpreting indirect phrasing. We did not want to risk misunderstanding a request from the royal family. Coming here by myself felt a little too informal, so I brought someone capable with me to avoid appearing disrespectful."
His tone was even and simple, the kind that invited no argument.
Darton blinked, slightly surprised, and let out a slow exhale.
"I suppose that is understandable. I sometimes forget that most guilds do not have much experience with official procedures."
Astro smiled faintly, unbothered.
"Please do not worry. We plan to take this mission seriously. This is Laxus Dreyar, grandson of our guild master. He is an S Class mage and the strongest available member of our guild right now."
Laxus nodded silently, keeping a steady poker expression. He was not surprised that Astro would claim that he was not the stronger one. After spending some time with him, Laxus had already figured out that Astro never cared much about how outsiders perceived him.
However, what left Laxus speechless was how Astro avoided confirming that only two Fairy Tail members had come. He kept it vague enough that even if Mystogan got exposed later, the council or royal family could not blame them. They would simply assume it was a misunderstanding.
"No offense to your vision, Darton, but are you sure these brats can handle such a heavy task?" The brown-haired man behind him asked with an arrogant tone.
Darton's eyebrow twitched. "I am the one in charge of defense, Zash. I thought we agreed that we would each stay in our own lane."
The brown haired man, now fully facing them, revealed two large scars running down the right side of his face. His gaze locked onto Astro, studying him critically before he scoffed.
"Well then, you will not mind if I bring this to His Majesty. These boys do not even know what the Secretary of State looks like, and they are supposed to protect His Majesty and Her Highness during such an important event?" Zash's tone dripped with irritation.
Astro observed their rising tension and quietly stepped forward. He bowed again calmly.
"Of course, I recognized you, Lord Zash Caine. Fiore is close to so many kingdoms. I know you must have put a lot of effort into maintaining diplomatic relationships."
Astro, of course, did not care about this guy; he only remembered reading about this guy in the newspaper once, a total attention seeker.
Zash blinked. His mustache twitched as he rubbed it proudly.
"Oh. Finally, someone understands the amount of work I put in. You seem to be an intelligent young man."
Astro continued with an earnest look. "No, nowhere near you, Lord Zash. I know you were just making sure we are aware of how important this mission will be. Knowing how meticulous you are, you already prepared a list of every important figure attending the event, and wanted to make sure we recognized them."
Astro's eyes held a gentle admiration, just enough to spark pride without looking over the top.
Zash gulped as he put his hands behind his back and fixed some messy scrolls on the table, while making sure nobody noticed. He nodded quickly. "Haha. You are quite a perceptive young man. You figured it out so quickly. I will get it right away. Darton, take them to His Majesty. I will meet you after the meeting."
He left the room in a hurry.
Laxus watched him go, speechless. He had no doubt that Zash had been trying to make things difficult for them and for Darton as well, but the moment Astro showed admiration, the man immediately folded and went to do the work himself. So pathetic.
Laxus wondered silently if Fiore's higher-ups were actually this easy to manipulate, or if the real problem was Astro.
He looked at Astro chatting casually with Darton again and sighed internally. In his mind, he muttered, 'This bastard is the odd one.'
As they followed Darton through the corridor, Laxus leaned close enough so only Astro could hear. Both of them had good hearing, so whispering like this was easy.
"Do you not think you overdid it with that guy? Won't he realize later that he got played?"
Astro glanced at Darton ahead of them and narrowed his eyes. He scanned the corridor and calmly noted that there were no magical listening lacrima nearby, though he had not expected any in a royal hallway anyway.
"It does not hurt to have him do some work for us," Astro murmured. "If he realizes it later, I just need to praise him again. People like him care only about superiority and status. It is like an obsession. As long as you make them feel special, they will do anything for you."
Laxus looked at Astro with narrowed eyes. "You seem very used to this kind of thing."
Astro shrugged. "You do not have to flatter me. Everyone knows it."
Laxus snorted. "Are you stupid? Who thinks like that? What kind of common knowledge were you taught?"
Astro raised a brow. "What? Just because you are a hopeless case does not mean everyone else is."
"Who are you calling hopeless?"
"You, obviously. Are you unaware of how unpopular you are?"
"It is them who are idiots and cannot think straight." Laxus spat back.
"Sure. Delusional Musclehead."
"What did you call me?"
Darton glanced back after hearing their aggressive whispers. He could not hear the words, but judging by their faces, he assumed they were having some heated private debate. For a moment, he was actually suspicious that this kid was a cunning one. If so, he would have to pay extra attention to this kid.
But maybe the purple-haired boy had actually been sincere with Zash and was not manipulating him. Perhaps he was just an odd young wizard who actually admired that Zash. Darton coughed lightly, and the two snapped back into neutral expressions as they looked down at Darton.
"Right ahead is the throne room," Darton said, pointing toward the large doors at the end of the hall, guarded by two guards.
"His Majesty Toma E Fiore and Her Highness Hisui E Fiore are inside. When you meet them, make sure to be respectful to them. Also…"
He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"One thing I did not mention earlier. The mission request was written by the princess herself.. We originally planned to hire another guild, but Her Highness specifically requested Fairy Tail this time. More precisely, she requested you, Astro Blackmist. So, I hope you won't disappoint her."
Astro blinked. "I was not aware of that. We are grateful that the princess chose us. Do not worry, Lord Darton, we will make sure Fiore does not lose face during the event."
Astro bowed slightly. Laxus followed his lead, more to hide the corner of his mouth that twitched in disbelief.
He knew this guy was troublesome, but he always underestimated how unpredictable Astro could be. When he was suffering in the train, Astro and Mystogan were casually chatting about how the princess was the one who wrote the letter based on the wording alone. Apparently, royals used different phrasing depending on rank or etiquette or something."
Laxus was not surprised that Mystogan knew that, since he had been a prince in another world. But how did this lightweight bastard have that knowledge?
His thoughts were cut off as Darton said, "Wait here for now. I will call for you when it is time."
Astro and Laxus nodded as Darton stepped inside the throne room. Laxus nudged Astro quietly while they waited by the wall, far enough from the royal guards to keep their conversation private.
"What did you do before joining Fairy Tail? Mystogan said he was a prince, and you also seem very used to things like these." Laxus kept his voice low. He did not finish the thought, but Astro understood what he meant.
"As I said, everybody knows about these things, Laxus."
Laxus gave him a flat look. "Yesterday, you told everyone in the guild to accept that I am unique just like the rest, and to stop denying it."
Astro blinked, confused about where Laxus was going with this. Laxus continued.
"Then why are you so fixated on being normal? You keep acting like you are an ordinary person, but you have talent and knowledge that most people do not. You are one of the few who, even if you cannot defeat me, can fight me long enough without backing down. So stop treating yourself like you are nothing special. If you do that, you are disrespecting me too."
Astro stared at him. He had not expected Laxus to say something so thoughtful. Instead of being moved, he leaned forward slightly.
"Are you okay? Did the stress finally hit you? Do you need a medical checkup? Or did the Magic Council swap my cute Laxus with a fake while I was not paying attention? Where is he?"
A vein throbbed on Laxus's forehead. "Astro Blackmist."
"Oh, there is my cute Laxus. Welcome back." Astro patted his back before quickly changing the subject.
"Come on, Laxus. What sort of prince would travel the continent to join a guild in a…?" Astro couldn't finish his world, and Laxus gave him a side eye. Both of their thoughts briefly drifted to Mystogan's masked face.
Astro sighed. "Okay, why would a prince hide it then. He would just show off to…."
Laxus looked sideways at him again. Astro's eye twitched. He was also thinking of Mystogan's expressionless mask.
"Fine. Mystogan is one of a kind. Fairy tale stories like that do not happen often. I guess you are right. I am just naturally gifted in things like this." Astro exhaled as if admitting a long-avoided truth.
Laxus still looked unconvinced. "So you did not learn these things anywhere? You handle the guild's official work better than half the people there. Even that blue shrimp cannot do it properly."
Astro blinked. "Blue shrimp? Oh. Levy. I would normally lecture you to use your guildmate's real name, but you at least remember what she excels at."
Before Laxus could get annoyed, Astro placed both hands in his pockets and leaned back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling.
"Honestly, it is easier to just think I am naturally gifted. Even though I know it is not true."
His voice softened. His past life slipped into his thoughts. A fifteen-year-old boy who spent most of his life bedridden would not learn paperwork or political etiquette. No child should. And, although he was smart and did actually learn some basic work because of his sister. There is no way the knowledge and those skills from the modern world would be enough for a magical world.
Laxus stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
"I should thank you and Granny. You both kept me busy enough that I do not have to think too hard about my past these days. Not that it matters much anyway."
"What do you mean?"
Astro hesitated. Porlyusica had not told Laxus anything. But hiding it felt pointless now.
"My memories are everywhere these days. In one memory, I had a happy childhood with my father. In another, I was tortured and experimented on. In another, I was adopted by a loving couple, but my adoptive father died early. There are so many versions that it drives me crazy."
Laxus's eyes widened slightly. "If something like that happened to someone, I do not think they could be considered sane. How are you…?"
Astro thought for a moment, then smiled faintly. "I guess there is a reason. Something that keeps me steady. Maybe that makes me a bit unique in the guild, too."
Laxus narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"
Astro just smiled, pushed himself off the wall, and moved to stand before the throne room doors. "Looks like they are ready to meet us."
Footsteps sounded from the other side. Laxus left the wall and came to stand beside him.
"You did not explain anything. And you should know I will not allow someone unstable in my guild."
"I know. So if you ever find me unstable, do me a favor and stop me before I do any harm."
"I thought you would tell me to kill you on the spot."
"I would never do that to you. So I know you would not do it to me either."
Laxus paused and muttered, "I would not be so sure of myself."
Astro heard him and looked toward the door as it began to open. Light filled the hallway. He glanced at Laxus, who stood slightly taller beside him. After a moment of hesitation, he opened his mouth,
"I am not ready to tell you why I can stay stable despite all of these.. But I probably would not mind telling you someday in the distant future."
He decided not to mention his previous life. Not yet.
Laxus also looked at him, then ahead as the door slowly opened.
"Then stay stable. Otherwise, I will drag the answer out of you before killing you."
Astro looked forward again. "We both know you would not be able to kill me as long as I stay a Fairy Tail member."
"You are underestimating my resolve, Astro."
"How are you so confident that you are not overestimating yourself? Laxus?"
"Because..." But their conversation got interrupted as the door finally finished opening, and Dalton stepped out.
"Astro Blackmist. Laxus Dreyar. His Majesty Toma E Fiore is ready to meet you. Are you prepared?"
Astro and Laxus exchanged a look. After seeing no hesitation in each other's eyes, they nodded to Dalton.
"Then follow me."