Calvin ignored Mest and Lahar's concerns. He and Zangetsu took a winding path to a secluded corner, where he transformed Zangetsu back into a card. The Dark Magician, who had been waiting for him, did the same. Calvin stored both cards in his utility belt and then spoke softly.
"Spying isn't a good habit, Kagura."
A soft gasp came from around the corner, and Kagura soon emerged, looking slightly embarrassed, far from her usual cold demeanor.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I just saw you arguing with the council and..."
"It's fine. Fairy Tail has never had a good relationship with the council," Calvin said, shaking his head dismissively.
"But it's surprising that the mysterious mage who defeated Jura is just one of your summoned beasts. Isn't that against the rules?" Kagura relaxed, making a playful comment. Calvin, noting her unusually relaxed demeanor, wondered if it was because Erza wasn't around. Once again, he marveled at Erza's incredible influence.
"The rules only state that non-guild masters and members with guild marks can participate. All my summons have guild marks," Calvin explained with a smile. He wasn't lying; the updated summoning cards indeed had Fairy Tail's mark engraved on them.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't against the rules.
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have let Zangetsu pretend to be Mystogan. It attracted unnecessary attention from the council," Calvin thought.
"I wasn't planning to report it. But I noticed you seemed upset earlier. Is something bothering you?" Kagura asked cautiously. Like Mest, she had followed Calvin because of his unusual agitation.
Calvin was surprised by her perceptiveness. Even Erza and the others hadn't noticed anything amiss. Of course, that might be because his friends were typically carefree.
"Nothing much, just a minor issue. I need to meet up with my team. See you," Calvin said, shaking his head. He had no intention of telling Kagura. If things went according to his plan, everything would be fine. If not, what could she do—fight the dragons?
Watching Calvin leave without hesitation, Kagura felt a pang of disappointment, quickly replaced by admiration. The mage who defeated Jura was just one of Calvin's summons. She knew Calvin could summon up to three beasts simultaneously, but it was his synergy with them that was truly impressive.
How much of Calvin's full power did one summon represent? It was hard to say, but she was certain Calvin far surpassed Jura.
How could she not be excited?
Little did she know, Calvin could now summon up to seven beasts simultaneously.
After parting with Kagura, Calvin walked quietly through the streets, deep in thought. He had more questions and concerns about his meeting with Future Lucy and the Dark Magician. Why did Future Lucy's magic intertwine with Jellal's?
The only difference between Future Lucy and the original Lucy was her journey through the Eclipse Gate. If the gate used celestial spirit mage magic and the twelve zodiac keys to traverse time, why was Jellal involved?
Reflecting on Future Lucy's words, Calvin recalled that the Grand Magic Games were meant to siphon magical power. Jellal had detected Zeref-related magic only after the games started. This led Calvin to suspect that the Eclipse Gate was connected to Zeref.
With little information about the Eclipse Gate, Calvin knew it allowed time travel but not much more. Hearing it was tied to Zeref complicated things.
From Future Lucy's account, Calvin had a vague idea that became clearer upon realizing the gate's connection to Zeref.
Calvin didn't believe there were over ten thousand dragons in the world. The only explanation was that the dragons traveled through the Eclipse Gate from four hundred years ago.
The timeline was too convenient—four hundred years ago, dragons still existed, and the royal family aimed to travel back four hundred years.
If not for Future Lucy's information about Acnologia's slaughter causing the dragons' disappearance, Calvin might think the dragons vanished because they traveled forward in time.
However, the Dragon's Tomb and Jade Dragon confirmed that no such dragon population existed. Acnologia had killed them all, proving the dragons came from four hundred years ago.
If so, preventing the Eclipse Gate from opening would stop the dragon invasion.
But two pieces of information worried him deeply: Zeref's immortality and Acnologia's invincibility. The gate was likely connected to Zeref.
Who knew if Zeref was behind this? If he was, Calvin doubted he could stop it. Zeref was a legendary dark mage, the most dangerous figure in history. He was a murderous, demonic, and unpredictable being.
Calvin believed Zeref was a madman, perhaps even trying to get himself killed by the dragons.
Shaking off the absurd thought, Calvin resolved to handle whatever came his way.
"As long as I don't know Zeref's true intentions, I can't act rashly."
Walking, Calvin's plan became clearer. Despite the uncertainty, he approached everything as if there was a mastermind behind it.
Unwittingly, Calvin arrived at Fairy Tail's gathering place—a tavern. Even from outside, he could hear his teammates' raucous celebrations. Their unrelenting cheerfulness made him smile.
Protecting their smiles, especially Mira's, was his goal.
"Zeref or Acnologia, I'll never let Tenrou Island's tragedy happen again!"
"But I should discuss this with the First Master. Not consulting Fairy Tactician would be a waste."