The unknown Black Magic Sect outside had been tirelessly seeking ways to revive Black Mage Jellal.
But Mest, as a mid-level member of the Advisory Council, knew that guy wasn't dead at all!
They'd been secretly gathering all sorts of information, hoping to control or eliminate Jellal before he caused trouble again, but had never been able to find his whereabouts.
Who would have thought... they'd actually encounter Jellal on Celestial Wolf Island!
Could it be that this island has been concealed by Jellal's magic?
Mest considered many possibilities, but now none of these mattered.
This is a monumental achievement!
If he could capture the legendary Black Mage Jellal, it would be more valuable than finding dirt on a hundred members of Fairy Tail!
However, doing this alone was too dangerous, so Mest decided to urge Lahar and the others to quickly bring the battleship over!
"Mest, sir?" Lucy questioningly looked at the guy who stopped mid-sentence.
Just now he was chewing on tree bark, what does he want to gnaw on now?
"Ah, is there something?" Mest snapped back to reality.
"Weren't you saying you wanted to keep walking around to investigate the guild's secrets?"
"Ah... that... I changed my mind, you go back first!" Mest thought briefly and then used Space Magic to teleport away, leaving Lucy behind.
He had taken Lucy along to have an excuse if someone caught them wandering the island. But now it was no longer necessary, he needed to track Jellal.
"Hey..." Lucy reached out a hand, but only grasped the air. She stomped her foot in dissatisfaction and complained, "What the heck does he want!"
Lucy kicked the tree that Mest had just chewed on twice to vent her emotions, and finally had to walk back to the camp alone.
...
"Wendy...are you a goddess of fortune?"
"N-no, that's too exaggerated."
In the first test E-route, Rhode was staring in shock at the glowing graveyard.
Originally, he just wanted to take a shortcut, and let Wendy randomly choose a path, and as they walked, they saw something glowing.
As the two approached to look closely, they discovered it was a fork in the road carved into the cave wall, inside which was a glowing grave.
Sitting before the grave were the president and Carla.
He had just let Wendy arbitrarily choose a route!
Encountering so many wild monsters and not bringing a single clue back, but casually finding the right path here?
What kind of luck is this angel!
Carla seemed unaware of what happened: "What's that? Why did the grave suddenly light up?"
Makarov calmly said: "There's a not-so-big, not-so-small secret hidden here. The grave lighting up means someone found their way here."
Rhode and Wendy slowly walked in: "President, Carla."
"Wendy!" Carla was very happy because Wendy had safely completed the test.
Makarov had already stood up: "I guessed it was you guys, faster than I expected. Did you solve the riddle?"
"..." Rhode didn't speak.
Wendy wondered: "Was there a riddle?"
Knowing these two found this place purely by luck, Makarov was left with nothing to say.
Luck is luck.
Wasn't luck also one of the elements of the test's first stage? They passed, so they passed.
"Anyway, congratulations on passing the test. This is the grave of the First Generation President Mebius."
Rhode wondered: "Is there no third stage this year?"
"No." Makarov smiled, "But if you insist, there can be, come over here."
The two followed the president to the gravestone, the golden light gradually contracting, becoming a fist-sized orb of light, flickering in the circular hole of the gravestone.
Rhode and Wendy thought for a moment and placed the wildflowers they picked along the way in front of the grave, respectfully offering their homage.
Makarov smiled as he watched them finish their homage, gently beckoned, and the orb of light in the gravestone projected words into the air.
[Fairy Radiance]
Rhode exclaimed: "Isn't this..."
"Yes, one of our guild's three great magics, Fairy Radiance, has always been sealed here." Makarov said, "Weren't you always interested in Super Magic?"
Rhode smiled bitterly, "Interested, yes, but I haven't even mastered Fairy's Ball."
This magic is said to be a relentless light that can defeat any enemy, with difficulty comparable to that of Fairy Law and Fairy's Ball.
Makarov knew what he was worrying about and laughed:
"Don't worry, those who are recognized by the First Generation can gain complete knowledge of Fairy Radiance and one chance to use it. Do you understand what this means?"
Of course, he understood!
Complete knowledge, plus a firsthand experience using Super Magic...
Even if he couldn't fully master it after one use, he would gain a lot of experience and physical instinct and adaptability.
Greatly reducing the learning difficulty of this magic.
If he couldn't learn it this way, then maybe it's better not to pursue it at all!
"So how do I gain recognition?"
"Try, and you will know." Makarov gestured for Rhode to reach out his hand.
Rhode slowly extended his hand towards the golden orb, and when his fingertips touched the light, he didn't feel a force rejecting him.
As he extended further, it felt as if he put his hand into warm water.
The golden orb unfolded, rippling like water.
Out of the ripples rose a few waves that climbed along Rhode's wrist to his forearm, slowly forming brown patterns.
"It's possible."
An ethereal voice suddenly sounded in Rhode's ear.
Rhode asked in surprise: "What?"
"To the guild's future, I entrust you with Fairy Radiance. Please use this power well and protect the guild."
The voice disappeared, and the golden orb in the gravestone slowly dissipated, leaving Rhode's arm with two mysterious black patterns.
As the patterns took shape, a large amount of magical knowledge surged into his mind, making Rhode's eyes widen slightly.
Fortunately, he had experience from a previous knowledge infusion, and didn't scream.
Not bothering to digest all that knowledge, Rhode looked at the gravestone: "Is it the First Generation President?"
"What?" Makarov was somewhat surprised, "Are you talking to the First Generation?"
"Uh... I just heard someone talking to me, didn't you hear it?"
Wendy and Carla shook their heads.
"The First Generation..." Makarov originally thought this seal only autonomously screened those suitable to inherit the Fairy Radiance.
But didn't expect that the 'will' of the First Generation was really there all along.
Maybe the First Generation's soul has always been on this island.
Maybe the rumors about Fairies are true too.
The First Generation fully acknowledged this child?
Makarov brightly announced, "Alright, I now declare, Rhode passes the test and is promoted to S-Class Mage!"
Wendy gleefully jumped in place, "Great, Brother Rhode!"
"All thanks to you, Wendy." Rhode gave Wendy a high-five, "I'll treat you to some dessert, as much as you can eat when we get back!"