As Aurelius once again disapeared, Lucy stood before Mirajane, feeling a sense of accomplishment as the guild mark was stamped on her right hand. She was now an official member of Fairy Tail, and it felt surreal. The warm glow of the guild around her was a stark contrast to the cold wind she had braved outside that day, and she couldn't help but smile. She was finally where she belonged.
But before she could linger in the moment for too long, Natsu waved her over. "Hey, let's get a job! We're not done yet!" He was eager, as usual, and already looking at the job board. Lucy followed him toward the job board, but before they could choose anything, they were interrupted by a familiar voice.
Romeo Conbolt, a young boy with spiky hair, walked over to Makarov, the guildmaster, and tugged at his sleeve. His eyes were full of concern, and Lucy overheard the boy's worried question, "When will my dad, Macao, come back? He promised he'd be back in a three days…"
Makarov frowned, his face darkening. "I haven't heard anything from him. I'm sure he'll be fine. Just go home and wait, Romeo."
Romeo's concern only deepened, and he looked up at Makarov with frustration. "But you're the guildmaster! You should be doing something!"
Makarov shook his head. "Romeo, there's nothing to do. Just go home and wait for your father."
Romeo's fists clenched in anger, and his face reddened. "You don't care!" he shouted, before suddenly punching Makarov in the face, shocking everyone in the guild.
The guild went silent as Romeo stormed out, and the tension was palpable. Lucy was unsure how to respond, but Natsu's fists clenched, his expression hardening. He could feel Romeo's pain—he'd been "abandoned" by Igneel, his father figure—and now he saw a child going through something similar.
Without saying another word, Natsu turned to Lucy, his expression determined. "We're going after Macao," he declared. "I'm not letting a kid's dad get lost in some mission. We're going to find him."
Lucy, feeling a swell of empathy, nodded firmly. "I'm in. Let's go."
...
As the doors of Fairy Tail swung closed behind Natsu, Lucy, and Happy, the bustling noise of the guild slowly settled. The atmosphere was still charged with the remnants of the earlier brawl and the chaos that followed.
Mirajane stood behind the bar, wiping a glass with a towel, her gaze sweeping over the guild, before her gaze landed a in a certain spot beside her. "Aurelius" She said.
Aurelius, on cue, suddenly appeared beside Mirajane.
"It seems you're starting to adopt to my illusions..." He said, meeting Mirajane's gaze.
"Stop that... I know you were just using your basic illusions, and if you wanted to, you might even be able to fool master." Mirajane answered back before looking back at the glasses that she was polishing.
Aurelius ignored this and gave a noncommittal shrug. "What do you think of the new girl?."
Mirajane smiled knowingly. "Oh? You're always so quiet about these things. But now you're revealing that you got your eye on Lucy?"
Aurelius's expression was unreadable, his gaze shifting toward the door where Lucy had just left. "There's something about her that's bugging me but I can't seem to figure it out..."
Mirajane chuckled upon hearing his words. "Now that's new. The great genius of Fairy tail struggling to figure something out. You know, you could have just used your eye right?" She joked before asking a question that made Aurelius frown.
He didn't respond immediately. He wasn't one to waste words, especially not about something like this. With his right eye covered, his left eye seemed to always be seeing deeper than others would. Something about Lucy had caught his attention, but there was still much more to learn about her. Much more to watch for.
The silence between them stretched for a moment before Makarov approached, his presence always a commanding one despite his small stature.
"Ah, Aurelius," Makarov said with a grin, his voice deep and laden with experience. "I overheard you talking about the girl." His eyes twinkled. "What do you think of Lucy?"
Aurelius didn't respond immediately. He wasn't someone who gave his opinion freely, but the guildmaster's question was direct and Aurelius respected the man enough to answer.
"She's still figuring things out. I could feel that she has the potential to be something more. But then again, there's something about her that makes me feel... hmmm... I can't figure it out..."
Makarov nodded thoughtfully, seemingly satisfied with the answer. "Good. I had a feeling you might say that." He paused for a moment, considering the next words carefully. "I need you to keep an eye on her. Observe how she interacts with the guild. If she truly has the potential and the thing you can't figure out, it will show soon enough."
Aurelius's gaze flickered slightly. He didn't like the idea of being told to "watch" someone, but there was no arguing with Makarov. The guildmaster's decision was final.
"Understood," Aurelius replied simply.
Makarov gave a satisfied nod. "Good. Try to learn more about her." The master said.
Without another word, Aurelius turned and made his way toward the door and soon exited the guild and stepped into the cold air, his sharp eye scanning the streets of Magnolia as the rest of the guild returned to their usual chaos. He took a slow breath, as if preparing himself for what came next.
As Aurelius stepped outside, the cool night air brushed against his face. He glanced down the street, his uncovered silver eye glinting faintly in the moonlight. Despite the quiet calm of the city, his mind was already spinning, piecing together fragments of impressions he'd gotten from Lucy. "What is it about you that feels so… out of place?" he thought.
With a subtle wave of his hand, his form shimmered and blurred, fading into invisibility. It was a trick so natural to him now that it felt like breathing—his way of navigating a world that often demanded too much attention.
Meanwhile, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy walked briskly. The tension in the air after Romeo's outburst still hung over them.
Lucy, still processing everything, finally broke the silence. "That boy, Romeo… he must really love his dad to act like that. Do things like this happen often here?"
"More often than you'd think," Natsu replied with a shrug, his tone unusually serious. "Fairy Tail's all about family. When something happens to one of us, it affects everyone."
As the trio made their way towards a carriage rental, the crisp night air filled the silence. Lucy, her thoughts lingering on the enigmatic figure she'd seen earlier, finally spoke up.
"Hey… that guy back at the guild, Aurelius. What's his deal?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "He seemed... different."
Natsu scratched the back of his head, thinking for a moment before shrugging. "He's just Aurelius, y'know? He joined the guild years ago, a few months before Mira joined I think... He's kinda quiet, doesn't talk much. Keeps to himself a lot. Oh, and he's really smart. Like, scary smart."
"That's it?" Lucy pressed, her brow furrowed.
"Pretty much," Natsu replied nonchalantly.
Lucy sighed, realizing she'd have to be more direct. "What about his magic? Just Illusions?"
Natsu's face lit up as if he'd been waiting for this question. "Oh, his magic's, uh… illusions and stuff. He can make you think you're seeing something that's not really there. Like once, he made me think I saw Igneel!"
Lucy tilted her head, intrigued but skeptical. "The dragon you talk a lot about?"
Natsu nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I thought he was back! But then I found out it was fake, so I got mad. But, y'know, it's still pretty cool."
Lucy blinked, unsure if she was more confused by the description or by Natsu's enthusiasm. "That... doesn't really explain much."
Happy, perched on Natsu's shoulder, rolled his eyes. "Natsu's terrible at explaining things. Let me do it!"
The little blue Exceed fluttered into the air, gesturing dramatically with his paws. "Aurelius is an illusionist! He can make you see things that aren't real. But it's not just for tricks—his illusions are so good, they can fool even experienced mages. You'd never know what's real and what's not!"
Lucy's eyes widened. "That sounds… terrifying."
Happy nodded, puffing out his chest. "Aye! He's super strong! Everyone in the guild knows he's on par with the S-Class mages!"
"Wait, really?" Lucy asked, her surprise evident. "He's S-class?"
Happy smirked, as if he'd been waiting for this part. "Well, he rejected that rank a few times now because he doesn't want the attention. Aurelius doesn't like being in the spotlight, so he stays away from stuff like S-Class trials. Even when the Master wanted to promote him, he said no."
Lucy frowned, trying to reconcile the image of a powerful mage who avoided recognition with the quiet figure she'd seen in the guild. "That's... unusual. Why wouldn't he want the recognition?"
Natsu grinned. "That's just how he is. But trust me, if he's around, you don't have to worry about anything. He's one of the best!"
Lucy's curiosity only deepened. "A mage who's strong enough to stand with the best but chooses to stay in the shadows… That's new.." She thought.
Unbeknownst to them, Aurelius followed silently a few steps behind, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he listened to their conversation.
As they continued to walk, Lucy's curiosity got the better of her again.
"But if his magic is just illusions," she began, "how does that make him so powerful? I mean, illusions sound impressive, but they don't sound like they'd be enough to match someone like Erza."
Happy opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Natsu suddenly stopped in his tracks, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air.
"Wait a second…" he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "I smell someone familiar."
Lucy looked around, confused. "Someone familiar? Out here?"
Before anyone could say more, Natsu's expression shifted to frustration. "It's gone now. Just disappeared." He rubbed his nose, visibly annoyed. "Weird. It was definitely someone I know, though."
Happy hovered in the air, tilting his head as he glanced around. "Maybe it's your imagination, Natsu. Or maybe your nose is broken!"
"Ha! My nose is perfectly fine!" Natsu shot back with a grin, before continuing down the path, though his posture remained tense.
Lucy gave him a skeptical look but decided not to push further. Instead, she turned her attention back to Happy. "So, about Aurelius's magic… How exactly does it work?"
Happy nodded, taking the opportunity to answer now that Natsu was distracted. "Well, his basic magic is illusions like I said earlier. It's great for confusing enemies in a fight!"
"Yeah" Lucy replied, still unimpressed. "But it doesn't sound like it would make him as strong as an S-Class mage."
"That's because you haven't heard about his other magic," Happy said with a sly grin. "This is the part that's really scary."
Lucy leaned in, intrigued. "Other magic? What do you mean?"
Happy's tone grew more serious. "Aurelius has a magic that lets him control someone's senses. If you see him, he can control your vision. If you hear him, he can control what you hear. It works for all senses—touch, smell, taste, and even your magic senses."
Lucy's jaw dropped. "Wait, are you saying he can literally control what someone perceives just by letting them sense him?"
"Aye!" Happy chirped. "That's why he's probably S-rank in strength. It's not just his illusions—you'd never know what's real once he gets you."
"That's also why everyone in the guild closed their eyes earlier. Y'know? When Natsu went for a punch, everyone closed their eye." Happy added.
Lucy shivered at the thought. "That's terrifying. How do you even fight someone like that?"
"You don't," Happy said, shrugging. "That's why the Master trusts him so much. If Aurelius wants, he can probably take down anyone before they even realize what's happening."
Natsu, overhearing the last part, grinned over his shoulder. "Yeah, but he doesn't. Aurelius doesn't like fighting unless he has to. He's kinda boring that way."
"Boring?" Lucy echoed, incredulous. "You call someone with that kind of magic boring?"
Natsu just laughed, and Happy smirked as they continued on their way.
Meanwhile, a short distance behind them, Aurelius remained invisible, walking silently in the trio's footsteps. A small smile played on his lips as he heard Happy's explanation.
"Not bad, Happy," he thought to himself. "But there's more to me than that… far more... And from the looks of it, you're already in my illusion... Without me using any illusion whatsoever."