The masked members looked at each other incredulously.
Even Pilar, who maintained a neutral expression throughout, couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise. She turned her gaze to Zeref, trying to grasp the purpose of such a bold, if not foolish, endeavor.
A heavy silence settled in.
"You seem quite arrogant, Mr. Grimwald," said the member with the cat mask, in a chilly tone. "Do you realize the significance of your words?"
Zeref stared directly at the member with the cat mask.
"I understand that my offer may seem audacious, but I am confident that we will find common ground, and that everyone will leave this meeting satisfied."
These words, though seemingly conciliatory, only served to further inflame the already tense atmosphere.
"Can we know where such confidence comes from?" inquired the member with the tiger mask. "Has your former title of Plague clouded your mind, rendering you incapable of seeing the reality before you?"
Zeref smiled slightly.
"I admit I fail to understand what troubles you so much, gentlemen," he replied calmly. "Yet I believe I mentioned ensuring that everyone benefits. That is the very basis of bargaining. In what way do you deem me mad?"
"Hey, are you going to stay silent forever?" raised the member with the bear mask, turning to the last member present at this meeting.
This one had not uttered a word since the beginning.
She wore a lion mask and sat at the end of the table on the most luxurious cashmere seat.
"Are you incapable of deciding without my intervention?" she finally asked, her voice feminine.
"What is there even to decide?" retorted the member with the eagle mask. She then turned to Pilar. "Pilar, I hope you are aware that you have wasted our time with this meeting. It tarnishes your otherwise impeccable service. With that, I believe I have nothing more to do here."
The member with the eagle mask was about to remove the glasses from her mask.
"Where do you intend to go?" stopped the member with the lion mask. "You asked for my opinion on the matter, so let me give it before."
"Good job, bear!" said the member with the eagle mask ironically, withdrawing her hands from her glasses.
"First of all," the member with the lion mask began, addressing Zeref, "are you serious about the content of your words?"
"I am," Zeref immediately replied, without hesitation.
The member with the lion mask remained silent for a moment, then continued: "However, your proposal is unwarranted in form and substance."
Zeref stayed silent, letting the member explain herself.
"You ask to bargain," the member continued, "but you lack this very right. Because bargaining can only take place between individuals with the same status or exchange ground. Otherwise, bargaining has no place, the dominant party will seize without concession from the dominated party. So my second question is this: Mr. Grimwald, by suggesting bargaining, do you imply that we are equal?"
A frosty silence enveloped the assembly.
Zeref, for his part, began to rub his left temple, as if pondering, not appearing troubled, rather calm, too calm even.
"Hmm," he began, "you are the high dignitaries of the Zion guild. A clandestine guild of mages that has prevailed for centuries already, with branches across almost the entire world. Your stature and power are such that you have received the unofficial title of 'Sixth Great Power.' Who am I compared to that? A former war hero turned criminal, becoming an enemy of his own country. A fugitive whose everything has been taken. Who am I in comparison to the immense Zion guild and its lofty pillars?"
"It's already a good thing if you understand the reality before you," intervened the member with the tiger mask.
"Now, Mr. Grimwald, stop this charade," the member with the serpent mask intervened in turn. "The guild cares not for your past. As long as you accomplish missions in the most efficient manner, as you have done so well over the past five months, we will support you. That should satisfy you, shouldn't it?"
"If it's privileges that led you to spout such nonsense," added the member with the cat mask, "it had no place. You are the first to sit here while having only spent five months among us. We have taken into account your identity as well as the efficiency of your missions, allowing you to sit here. From the beginning, our goal was to grant you a high status within the guild. So to hear you say such foolishness, I wonder if we are making the right choice in granting you our trust."
« I've always been against such an initiative, » said the member with the eagle mask. « But no one listened to me. Now, here's the result. A notorious fugitive who thinks he's capable of biting off more than he can chew. What a waste of time ! »
« Tiger, something wrong ? » suddenly asked the member with the bear mask to his colleague who seemed elsewhere.
The member with the tiger mask remained silent, then suddenly disappeared from the meeting without warning.
« The rascal ! He disconnects without warning ! » exclaimed the member with the eagle mask indignantly.
« It's quite understandable, considering… » The member with the snake mask couldn't finish her sentence, becoming silent all of a sudden.
« Snake ? Snake ! » exclaimed the member with the bear mask, to no avail.
Then, just like with the member with the tiger mask, the member with the snake mask disappeared from the meeting.
As confusion reigned, murmurs could be heard from Zeref, who continued to rub his temple.
« Who am I in comparison ? Who am I in comparison ? Who am I in comparison ? »
He kept asking this question repeatedly in soft murmurs.
« Is it you ? What have you done to them ? » suddenly asked the member with the bear mask, struck by a sudden revelation.
« What are you talking about, bear ? » intervened the member with the eagle mask, sounding slightly intrigued. « How could he reach us ? It's impossible. Tiger and snake must have simply grown tired of this meeting. »
Meanwhile, Zeref continued his gentle murmuring.
« Who am I in comparison ? Who am I in comparison ? Who am I in comparison ? »
« Are you going to answer me ?! » exclaimed the member with the bear mask, her tone becoming severe.
At the same moment, Pilar also disappeared from her seat, without warning.
« What's going on ? » exclaimed the member with the cat mask, unsure how to interpret what was happening.
« Isn't it obvious to you yet ? »
It was then that the member with the lion mask spoke, forcing the remaining members to look at her in anticipation of answers.
Ignoring the gazes of her colleagues, the member with the lion mask turned to Zeref.
« Is that your answer to my question ? » she threw at him.
To that, Zeref put an end to his murmuring. He then began to contemplate the remaining members, disappointment evident on his face.
His voice sighed with exasperation as he addressed them, « I didn't want to resort to such extremes, but you left me no choice. »
A frosty silence descended upon the place.
The voice of the member with the bear mask was heard, filled with indignation, « What have you done to them ?! »
Zeref ignored the question from the member with the bear mask and continued to present his viewpoint with unwavering determination. His voice rose, carrying intense conviction, « However, I believe in everyone's right to a second chance. That's why I reiterate my request. Do you accept to bargain ? »
A palpable tension filled the place.
« Is this a declaration of war, Mr. Grimwald ? » inquired the member with the lion mask, her tone slightly threatening.
Zeref smiled.
He stared intensely at the member with the lion mask.
« War ? Oh, no, far from me such an idea. I simply propose another path, a path of change, of renewal. If you see it as a threat, it's only because you cling to obsolete power. »
« You think you're clever, huh ? » said the member with the cat mask in a stern tone. « I don't know how you did it, but know that it's reckless of you to dare defy our authority. »
« You see, a war wouldn't benefit either of us, » Zeref continued smiling. « However, unlike you, I would just lose a potential weapon among many others, while you, you would lose everything. »
An oppressive silence settled in.
Eyes turned to the seats once occupied by the members tiger, snake, and Pilar, now empty.
Tension grew as the masked members wondered about the sudden disappearance of their comrades.
« What is your objective ? » asked the member with the lion mask, a mix of curiosity and suspicion, in a sharp tone.
« I simply seek to make the world a better place, » replied Zeref, sporting a wicked smile, in a tone audible enough.
A hearty laugh emanated from the member with the bear mask.
« Making the world a better place, is that it ? » he said amusedly. « Do you think you're some kind of good Samaritan or something ? »
« Indeed, my ultimate dream is to become the symbol of peace and hope in this troubled world, » replied Zeref unabashedly, shocking the members even more.