Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.
September 2, x786.
At the moment Natsu released his [Soul Armament], Igneel, Irene, who was casually reading the newspaper and drinking a glass of wine in her hotel suite, snapped her head in the Fairy Tail guild hall's direction. And the reason for that was simple, she felt a very familiar aura from inside.
"What was that?" Irene asked herself as she placed both her glass of wine and the newspaper on the table next to the reclining chair, she had come to enjoy sitting in. "I don't know how it's possible, but that was a pure draconic aura. And even though Fairy Tail houses three Dragon Slayers, that should be impossible."
And Irene's train of thought was correct. Although she knew there were still dragons living in the world, she also knew that they all lived on the continent of Guiltina. Well, other than Acnologia, who lived wherever he felt like living, as he was too powerful for anyone to say otherwise.
"I need to find out what that is." Irene muttered to herself while continuing to look in the guild hall's direction. "This could be a major issue for His Majesty's plans. Unfortunately, I cannot reach my magic power senses into that tower. Otherwise, I would be able to find out in no time."
With that, Irene shook her head. Then, she once again picked up the newspaper and started reading. However, she quickly found herself getting bored.
"*Sigh* I should summon Heine and Juliet to accompany me." Irene muttered to herself while continuing to drink her wine. "At least I could make them do things to keep me entertained."
At that moment, the door to one of the bedrooms opened. Through it, Brandish, wearing a slightly different bikini than usual, stepped into the suite's living room before flopping down on the couch with her latest reading material in hand.
"Your outfit, it's different." Irene said in an interested tone. "Although not by much, this looks a bit more elegant while drawing attention to the good points of your figure. Where did you buy it?"
"Elicia, the wife of our target made it for me." Brandish replied without looking up from her book. "And although it was more expensive than I was expecting, it's worth it. And since there are no annoying parts to tie, it's easy to put on and take off."
"Hmm… Interesting." Irene replied. "She did ask me if I would allow her to make a new outfit for me. But I declined, thinking that it would be annoying to enchant my clothes once again. But perhaps it's not such a bad idea."
'And if she's as good as everyone says she is, then I will definitely be taking her back to Alvarez with me.' Irene thought as a smile stretched across her face. 'Alfonzo would be less likely to try and escape if his wife was with us. On top of that, I bet Heine and Juliet would like some new clothes, too.'
"Anyway, you've usually left to interact with those close to the target by now, Brandish." Irene said in a curious tone. "So, why are you still here?"
"Marin, Erza, and Lucy are all taking quests today." Brandish replied nonchalantly. "So, there is no reason to wait for them. They'll be gone for a while."
"I see." Irene replied. "Then, I guess there won't be any chances to examine that mansion for a while." Irene replied.
In response, Brandish simply rolled her eyes.
'Is there really a reason to pretend at this point?' Brandish thought to herself as she turned a page in her book. 'Since there is no way to investigate when you're over there, we both know the only reason you want to go to their mansion is for the food.'
Fortunately for her, Brandish was smart enough to not say that out loud. She made sure not to let her thoughts show on her face, either. On top of that, she could not fault Irene for her reason to want to visit so often. Alfonzo's cooking was truly that good.
"Hey, Irene, what did that woman from yesterday mean when she said you weren't human?" Brandish asked. "I wanted to ask you yesterday, but it didn't feel like the time was right?"
"And the time still isn't right." Irene said in a stern tone. "So, you should not ask again."
Understanding the quite blatant threat, Brandish dropped the subject and went back to reading her book.
'Yeah, I'll let that go.' Brandish thought to herself. 'Trying to find out isn't worth the trouble.'
Meanwhile, Retsu and Tsunade, who had chosen to stay at another luxurious hotel in the town were just finishing breakfast in the hotel's dining room. And just as they finished, Tsunade took a sip of her mimosa. Then, she looked at Retsu quizzically.
"Master Retsu, what did you mean when you said that woman, Irene, was not human?" Tsunade asked curiously. "I mean, other than being extremely powerful, she seemed no different from any other huma n wizard."
"To be honest, I'm not sure what she was." Retsu replied after taking a sip from a cup of tea. "But as you know, I have the ability to perceive one's soul. And her soul is different. Although it resembles that of a human, it's been changed in a way that makes it closer to that of a beast than a human."
"But how is that possible?" Tsunade asked. "Was she experimented on?"
"As I said, I'm not sure." Retsu replied. "But I can tell you that it is a natural change. Experimentation of that level often leaves quite glaring marks on the soul."
"I see…" Tsunade replied with a contemplative expression on her face.
"Anyway, let us be on our way." Retsu said as she stood up from the table. "I need to talk to Alfonzo about what I know. She seems intent on getting close to him, after all."
"Right." Tsunade replied as she finished her mimosa before standing up as well. "I need to talk to him about what the old man from the village told me. Plus, I need to know why he wants to commission a quest for the shinobi of the village."
"Very well." Retsu said. "Then, let us be on our way."
Like that, Retsu and Tsunade made their way from their hotel to the guild hall. And since they knew the usual schedule of the Fairy Tail wizards they were acquainted with, they knew they would spend a bit of time waiting for them to finish their training.
Not long later, the ladies of Mermaid Heel arrived at the guild hall. And just as they expected, most of the wizards were nowhere to be seen as they were still training. However, they did see Cana, Team Natsu with Juvia accompanying them, Ultear and Meredy, The Strauss siblings, as well as Marin and Sun.
"Oh, you all aren't training this morning?" Tsunade asked as she approached the quest boards near the bar. "Never thought I'd see any of you slacking off."
"Master Tsunade, good morning." Erza said politely as she turned away from the quest board. "As it happens, we intend to take quests."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Tsunade replied. Then, she let her gaze brush over Erza, Mirajane, and Sun before she continued. "But didn't you three just get back from Blue Pegasus with Alfonzo? Why don't you take some time to rest?"
"Because that's all we did while Alfonzo was working." Sun replied with a smile. "Other than training after he finished work each day, we did not do anything to keep ourselves battle ready."
"So, we're taking quests to get back into shape, so to speak." Mirajane said, picking up where Sun left off.
"I see." Retsu replied with a nod. "Then, please be careful. Pushing too hard in such situations can be detrimental."
"We will." Erza replied. "Luckily, due to constant training, our bodies are in shape. It's just we haven't been in any real combat situations for two months."
"And that's why I told you we should take an A-Class quest instead of an S-Class one." Lucy said in an exasperated tone.
"Oh, come on, Lucy." Natsu said with a grin. "Me, you, and the frozen streaker will be there. So, there's no need to worry. If Erza gets in trouble, we'll be there to back her up."
At the same time, after hearing that Team Natsu would be taking an S-Class quest, Mirajane's competitive spirit was ignited. Then, with a stern expression on her face, she spoke to her siblings.
"Elfman, Lisanna, we'll be taking an S-Class quest, too." Mirajane said in a no nonsense tone.
"But Big Sis, we just decided on a quest." Lisanna said while holding a recently ejected quest sheet. "And Master Ur will know it was me who chose it. So, I wouldn't be able to go with you on this quest if you change it now."
Hearing that, Mirajane wore a conflicted expression. However, last night, she promised her brother and sister that they would go on a quest together since she hadn't seen them in two months. So, despite wanting to compete with Erza, she eventually gave in.
"Anyway, you all should be going." Tsunade said casually. "No one wants to start a quest too late in the day, after all."
"Yes." Erza replied in a solemn tone. "Then we shall see you later, Master Tsunade, Master Unohana. Now, let's go."
Hearing that, Natsu, with Happy sitting on his shoulder showed the most excitement.
"Hell yeah, another S-Class quest." Natsu shouted happily. "I'll definitely make S-Class this year with all the experience."
While he spoke, Natsu strode towards the guild halls sliding doors. Meanwhile, Lucy only shook her head. She knew there was no changing her team mates' minds once they decided on something. So, she just followed Gray, Erza, Juvia, Wendy, and Carla out of the guild hall without another word.
At the same time, Cana, who had not chosen a quest yet, hesitated for a moment. Then, she realized that only she, Alfonzo, and Lici would be at home. So, she decided that she would take a quest later, as she still wanted to spend more time with Alfonzo. So, after the others left and Tsunade and Retsu found a place to wait for Alfonzo, she made her way back to the elevator to join the others in training.
A few hours later, all the wizards who had been training made their way down to the first floor of the guild hall. Then, they all moved towards the showers to get cleaned up. And as they all came out of the showers in groups of two and three, Alfonzo eventually entered the main hall. Shortly afterwards, he noted the current and former guild masters sitting at a table.
"Master Tsunade, Master Unohana, good afternoon." Alfonzo said with a smile as he approached the table where Tsunade and Retsu sat. Then, as he took a seat at the table, he continued. "So, Master Tsunade, will you tell me how to put forth a mission for the Village Hidden in the Leaves?"
"That depends." Tsunade replied as she crossed her arms under her breasts, emphasizing them even more. "What do you need them for? I doubt your request is too much for your guild to handle."
"And you would be right about that." Alfonzo replied with a nod. "But with our numbers, it would be quite time consuming. And judging from the number of training grounds you told me I would be expected to modify, I'm guessing that the village has an abundance of manpower, making the job go much quicker."
'So, Master Retsu was right.' Tsunade thought to herself. 'If that's the case, then it shouldn't be a big deal to tell him.'
"And what do you need the ninjas of the village to do?" Tsunade asked.
"I just need them to set up some magic items in strategic places for a project I plan to unveil to the Magic Council in about two months." Alfonzo replied. "And if I get the green light, I'll make the request when I go to scout the work sites in the Village Hidden in the Leaves."
"I see." Tsunade replied with a nod while wearing a contemplative expression.
'If it is something that will be approved by the Magic Council, then I have nothing to worry about.' Tsunade thought to herself. 'The only issue is that bastard Danzo. I have no doubt that he will try to steal one of those magic items to study it for himself. I guess I'll have to go back and discuss this with the old man. Though, he probably won't do a damn thing about Danzo.'
With her thoughts coming to an end, Tsunade exhaled a sigh. Then, she looked up and made eye contact with Alfonzo.
"I'll have to talk to the Hokage about this." Tsunade replied. "But I don't see an issue telling you about it. I'll let you know in the next few weeks."
"Sure, and you can tell him I'm willing to pay generously for this." Alfonzo added in an attempt to sweeten the deal. "This project will be really important if it gets green lit. And it will change the way people communicate on Ishgar."
Though Alfonzo seemed excited, he was thinking about why Tsunade seemed so hesitant. It was just commissioning the wizards of the village. What was the big deal. At worst, the Hokage could just decline the job.
'She's probably worried about Danzo trying to do something.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'Since that old mummy is willing to do anything "for the betterment of the Hidden Leaf". Still, if he has the balls to steal something I built to study it, he's not gonna like the results. Hehehe.'
Hearing Alfonzo's sinister internal chuckle, Riot and Bedlam almost felt sorry for anyone who tried to hijack his communications equipment. Especially since they both watched Alfonzo as he built in so many safety features, which got more deadly the harder the thief tried to tamper.
"Well, if you two are done, I have a question for you, Alfonzo." Retsu said once there was a lull in the conversation.
"And what can I do for you, Master Unohana?" Alfonzo asked politely.
"Why are you associating with that woman who is clearly not human?" Retsu asked bluntly. "Especially when I'm sure you can tell she does not have good intentions. Neither of those women do, actually."
"*Sigh* I know they have bad intentions, Master Unohana." Alfonzo replied while shaking his head. "But I wanna know if my theory about why they are here is correct. They only showed up after I beat the Eight-Dragon Douche's ass, after all."
"So, you think Serena sent them, huh?" Retsu replied, a glint of understanding shining in her eyes. "And if you can get confirmation, you can have him removed from his seat as a Wizard Saint for his behavior."
"Exactly." Alfonzo replied with a nod and a smile.
'I'm looking to get him branded as a traitor, though.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'But I can't tell Retsu that. I'm not supposed to know he's working for the Alvarez Empire yet."
Meanwhile, Tsunade was shifting her gaze between Alfonzo and Retsu with her eyes wide open in surprise.
"Wait!" Tsunade exclaimed in surprise. "Did you just say the kid defeated--- Mmph!"
Before Tsunade could finish, Retsu clapped a hand over her mouth. At the same time, Alfonzo and Retsu wore expressions that said: "That's right, she didn't know, did she?"
"Although what you're thinking is correct, please keep quiet about it, Tsuna." Retsu said in a stern tone. "We didn't make it public knowledge for a reason. Especially after Serena disappeared from his hospital room afterwards. As proud as that man is, if his reputation were damage that severely, no one knows what he might do."
Eventually, after processing what Retsu said, Tsunade nodded her head, prompting Retsu to remove her hand. Then, after exchanging a few more words, Tsunade and Retsu excused themselves, as they needed to return to Mermaid Heel HQ.
Not long later, Tsunade and Retsu had checked out of the hotel. Then, as they both sat on Retsu's motorcycle, Tsunade finally came back to her senses and processed that Alfonzo was strong enough to beat God Serena.
'For the sake of the village, I really hope Danzo doesn't do anything to piss off the Kid' Tsunade thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around Retsu's waist. 'Actually, I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to explain to Alfonzo that the old bastard did whatever he's gonna do on his own initiative. Then, Danzo will be taken care of and the old man won't have anything to say about it… Wait, what is this on my head. And what am I sitting on. On top of that, why am I hugging Master Retsu?'
*Vroom~~~~!*
Before Tsunade could answer her own questions, Retsu started her motorcycle's engine, which answered all of Tsunade's questions.
"Wait, Master Retsu, I think I'll--- Kya~~~~~!" Tsunade screamed after trying to ask Retsu to let her take the train.
At the same time, Retsu turned the throttle and pulled away from the front of the hotel at high speed. And thanks to her razor-sharp reflexes, she had no fear of hitting any pedestrians. Though, she did leave quite a few terrified of motorcycles.