Chapter 570 - 570: August: In a Battle of Attrition, the Odds Are That I Would Lose

Noah had never lacked money, but he was always starved for new magical theory.

He spent every single waking moment aggressively hoarding magical knowledge, searching for new concepts to dissect and master.

So when August casually offered him an entire database of completely novel magical concepts, Noah was genuinely thrilled.

"I'm glad it pleases you," August smiled warmly, seeing Noah's eyes light up. "That packet only contains the foundational elemental theories I've mastered. I'm still organizing the more complex, esoteric spells. I will transmit them to you sequentially as I finish compiling them."

Through his conversations with Mavis, August had learned that Noah was officially designated as the Fourth Guild Master of Fairy Tail—he simply hadn't assumed the title yet because he preferred to focus on his research. Mavis had also made it abundantly clear how deeply she loved and cherished her guild.

Since his mother loved Fairy Tail, August inherently loved it as well.

Furthermore, Noah was the man who had orchestrated this miraculous family reunion. To August, Noah was family.

Since Noah wanted magical theory, August would give him everything he knew. Thanks to his unique Copy Magic, August possessed a functionally infinite internal library of spells; gifting that knowledge to Noah cost him absolutely nothing.

Knowing exactly what was in the downloading data packet, Noah practically glued his eyes to his Archive screen, eagerly watching the progress bar inch toward 100%.

Seeing his unadulterated excitement, both August and Mavis couldn't help but chuckle.

The moment the download finished, Noah immediately ripped open the digital files and began voraciously absorbing the theoretical formulas.

"Alright, put the screen away for now. Pack your things; we're checking out of the inn," Mavis ordered gently.

"Right. Sorry," Noah blinked, reluctantly closing his Archive interface and gathering his sparse belongings.

August and Mavis returned to their own room to pack. Since they both possessed their own spatial storage magic, packing took a matter of seconds. They simply tossed their clothes and souvenirs into their respective pocket dimensions.

Once they were ready, the three of them checked out of the inn and began their grand tour of the Empire.

To fully experience the joy of traveling with her son, Mavis decided they wouldn't use teleportation magic to move between cities. She wanted to walk the open roads, enjoy the scenery, and spend quality time together.

August and Noah agreed, and the three of them set off on foot.

Throughout the journey, August practically never stopped smiling. For a man who had spent eighty years maintaining a terrifyingly stoic, detached demeanor, the profound, gentle warmth radiating from him was staggering. Simply walking beside his mother filled him with an immeasurable, quiet joy.

Mavis held his hand as they walked, chatting incessantly about everything from the landscape to her days leading the guild. She was clearly trying to cram eighty years of missed maternal affection into a few months, desperate to make up for lost time.

August listened patiently, completely captivated by every word she spoke. Having starved for this exact affection his entire life, he savored every single second of her attention.

Noah hung back several paces behind them, deliberately giving the mother and son their privacy.

With no immediate threats around, Noah reactivated his continuous Gravity Magic training. He had turned it off in the capital to avoid accidentally crushing the cobblestone streets, but now that they were on the dirt roads of the open wilderness, he cranked the gravitational multiplier back up.

Because he was walking behind them and couldn't risk the massive shockwaves of shattered earth disturbing their conversation, he had to exert an immense amount of magical control. He aggressively compressed the gravity well directly around his own body, forcing himself to walk normally while bearing the weight of a small mountain, ensuring his boots didn't leave craters in the dirt.

Simultaneously, he reopened his Archive and began studying the magical data August had gifted him.

August hadn't exaggerated. The data packet contained hundreds of unique Fire-attribute spells, ranging from basic elemental manipulation to highly complex, multi-layered destructive arrays. Some of the principles Noah had seen before, but many were entirely foreign, based on ancient Western theories that had never reached Ishgar.

August's method of categorizing and transmitting the spells by elemental attribute was highly efficient. It saved Noah hours of having to manually sort the chaotic data.

Completely immersed in studying the new runic matrices, Noah essentially put his body on autopilot, blindly following Mavis and August down the road.

Around noon, Mavis stopped walking.

"Let's set up camp and have lunch!" Mavis announced cheerfully.

August immediately stopped to help.

Because Noah was completely buried in his holographic screen, he didn't realize they had stopped. He nearly walked straight into August's back before his combat instincts flared, allowing him to smoothly hit the brakes.

Realizing it was time for lunch, Noah closed his Archive and stepped forward to help.

August quickly found a flat, shaded patch of grass. He smoothly pulsed his magic, perfectly leveling the ground, before pulling a massive, intricately woven picnic blanket from his spatial pocket.

He then began pulling food from his storage. And he kept pulling.

Within seconds, the blanket was buried under a literal mountain of high-end rations, preserved meats, fresh fruits, and luxury pastries.

"Uhh... August, don't you think that's a bit much?" Noah asked, genuinely startled. "We literally couldn't eat all of this in a week."

Noah knew August possessed spatial storage—virtually every high-tier mage did—but the sheer volume of food the old man was casually dropping onto the blanket was absurd.

"It's perfectly fine. Whatever we don't finish, I can simply return to stasis," August smiled warmly. "The priority is ensuring everyone is fully satisfied. I currently carry enough preserved provisions in my spatial pocket to feed the three of us for roughly ten years. We will not run out of food."

Noah deadpanned, noticing that while August used the word "everyone," his eyes were fixed entirely on Mavis.

He just doesn't want his mom to go hungry, Noah realized, internally rolling his eyes. It was incredibly endearing, but also slightly excessive.

Noah wasn't worried about food either; his own spatial pocket was fully stocked. He just hadn't expected the stoic Magic King to hoard a decade's worth of snacks just in case his mother got hungry on a walk.

"I can't possibly eat all of this," Mavis laughed, seeing right through her son's intentions. "Put two-thirds of it back. If we're still hungry later, you can take it out again."

"Understood," August nodded immediately, happily complying with his mother's request and banishing the excess food back to his pocket dimension.

He then turned to Noah. "Regarding the data packet I transmitted... did you encounter any theoretical anomalies you didn't understand?"

"A few, actually," Noah nodded, pulling a large parasol from his own spatial pocket and driving the pole into the ground to provide Mavis with some extra shade.

Noah quickly outlined the specific runic bottlenecks he had encountered.

He had a flawless grasp of modern magical theory, so he could easily reverse-engineer the newer spells. However, several of the spells August had provided were rooted in deeply ancient, forgotten magical frameworks. Because Noah lacked the foundational historical context, deciphering the underlying logic was significantly harder.

August listened carefully, then effortlessly began breaking down the ancient theories, providing Noah with the missing foundational context and explaining the spell mechanics with the casual ease of a university professor.

Mavis sat on the blanket, happily eating a sandwich while she watched them. Seeing Noah, her beloved guild member, harmoniously discussing magic with her son filled her heart with profound warmth. She couldn't wait to finish touring the Empire so she could bring August back to Ishgar and introduce him to the rest of the Fairy Tail family.

After finishing lunch and taking a short nap in the shade, the trio resumed their journey.

By late afternoon, they arrived at the next major city. They rented rooms at a local inn, spent a few days touring the historical landmarks, and then hit the road again.

This peaceful rhythm continued for weeks as they slowly traversed the Alvarez Empire.

Having previously sneaked through these cities, Noah hadn't been able to properly appreciate the architecture or the culture. Now, traveling openly as a tourist, he took the time to genuinely enjoy the sights.

Naturally, he never stopped his training. Because these cities lacked the terrifying magical security arrays of the Imperial Capital, he didn't need to suppress his presence entirely. With August walking beside him, acting as the ultimate deterrent, Noah comfortably maintained his hyper-gravity training 24/7.

He also continued to devour the new data packets August sent him every few days, constantly asking the Magic King to clarify the more esoteric ancient theories.

August and Mavis, meanwhile, fully immersed themselves in the vacation. They visited every major landmark, sampled every regional delicacy, and bought a ridiculous amount of souvenirs.

August insisted on paying for absolutely everything. Having managed the Empire's finances for decades, he had accumulated an astronomical amount of personal wealth that he had never touched. Now that he finally had an excuse to spoil his mother, he threw money around without hesitation.

Mavis, knowing he was essentially a billionaire and recognizing that this was his way of showing affection, happily accepted his gifts.

After touring several major and mid-sized cities, they approached a new region of the Empire.

"We need to detour around the next city," Noah announced quietly as they checked into a new inn.

"Why?" Mavis asked, tilting her head.

"Because that city is currently being governed by Irene," Noah explained.

"Irene? You mean the woman known as the 'Scarlet Despair'?" Mavis asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"Yes. That is her title," August confirmed, his expression turning serious.

"Her sensory capabilities are incredible. If we enter her city, I cannot guarantee she won't detect my true magical signature beneath my stealth wards," Noah admitted. "A direct confrontation with her right now would be catastrophic for our plans."

"He is correct. We must bypass her territory. Mother, I apologize for the inconvenience," August said, bowing his head slightly in shame.

Both August and Irene possessed unfathomable magical power. If they maintained a healthy distance, August could easily use his advanced wards to cloak the three of them from her senses. But if they walked directly into her city, proximity would inevitably render the stealth wards useless. Her passive magical radar would detect them immediately.

"It's perfectly fine. Avoiding unnecessary conflict is the smartest choice. It's not your fault," Mavis quickly reassured her son. She paused, her curiosity piqued. "But since you mentioned her strength... if the two of you were to fight, who would win?"

August thought for a long moment before answering honestly.

"We have sparred in the past. It always ended in a stalemate.

"Our raw magical reserves are relatively equal. Because I have mastered countless forms of magic, I possess vastly superior offensive versatility. However, Irene specializes entirely in High Enchantment. She can enchant absolute defensive properties onto any object, or even the air itself, effortlessly neutralizing my varied attacks.

"Furthermore, her baseline physical constitution is profoundly unnatural. She is significantly stronger, faster, and more durable than a human should be. If we engaged in a genuine battle to the death, it would devolve into a brutal war of attrition.

"And in a battle of attrition... the odds are that I would eventually lose. I must actively consume my magical reserves to cast spells to match her physical speed and strength. She does not. In a fight where our magical output cancels each other out, her inherent physical superiority gives her the ultimate advantage."

"She is that strong?!" Mavis gasped, genuinely shocked.

She knew Irene was considered August's equal, but hearing the Magic King explicitly state he would likely lose a deathmatch against her was staggering. Over the last month, Mavis had come to realize just how terrifyingly absolute August's power was. To know another mage existed who could overpower him was terrifying.

"Yes. It is definitely best if we avoid her city," Mavis nodded firmly.

However, she subtly glanced at Noah. Her unparalleled tactical instincts told her that Noah wasn't just avoiding Irene because of her raw power. There was another, highly specific reason he wanted to stay far away from her.

As they continued their journey, Mavis discreetly asked August for more details regarding the "Scarlet Despair."

August, assuming his mother was simply curious about the only other mage who rivaled his power, happily provided the intelligence he had gathered over the years.

When August casually mentioned Irene's full name—Irene Belserion—Mavis froze.

Belserion. That was Erza's surname.

The realization hit her like a lightning bolt. She instantly understood exactly why Noah wanted absolutely nothing to do with Irene.

Her first instinct was to pull Noah aside and demand to know the truth. But after a moment of consideration, she decided against it.

If Irene truly was Erza's mother, and she was an unstable, apocalyptic threat who could overpower August... then it was a situation requiring absolute, delicate precision. Noah obviously already knew the truth. If he could have resolved the issue peacefully, he would have done so already.

The fact that he was actively avoiding her meant he wasn't strong enough to guarantee a safe resolution yet.

Mavis implicitly trusted Noah. He had brought her son back to her. When he was strong enough to handle Irene, he would do so. Until then, she wouldn't push the issue.

Having made her decision, Mavis relaxed and threw herself back into the joys of their vacation.

They bypassed Irene's territory entirely, continuing their grand tour of the Alvarez Empire.

Over the next few months, they visited almost every major city in the nation. Mavis bought so many local specialties and souvenirs that her spatial pocket completely filled up, forcing her to dump the excess into August's practically infinite storage.

Noah also bought a massive amount of gifts, carefully storing them away to give to Ultear, the girls, and the rest of the guild when they finally returned home.

~~~

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