“There are too many people down here.
It isn’t something I can demonstrate in public.”
Ron glanced at Cana, who had finally fallen asleep, then at the other Mages sprawled around the guild hall and shook his head at Makarov.
Seeing the rare seriousness in Ron’s expression, Makarov put aside his teasing and considered where they could speak in private.
“Follow me upstairs.”
In the end, Makarov decided to take him to the second floor.
Allowing Ron up there technically went against guild rules, but Makarov was the Guild Master.
Whatever he said the rules were became the rules.
He climbed the nearby staircase, and with the Master’s permission, Ron followed him to a floor that most Fairy Tail members had never been allowed to visit.
The first thing he saw was another request board much like the one downstairs.
The difference was that every job posted here was an S-Class Quest, available only to S-Class Mages.
Ron studied the board for a moment before losing interest.
At his current level, none of those commissions had anything to do with him.
Makarov clasped his hands behind his back.
“You told Cana that learning magic depends on what lies in the heart.
Where did you learn that?”
“It’s the conclusion I reached after studying every magical theory I could find,” Ron answered without hesitation.
“It’s also similar to Fairy Tail’s own teachings.
Magic isn’t some miraculous force.
It comes from the flow of energy within the body, shaped by concentration and strength of mind before being infused with the Mage’s very soul.”
Fairy Tail’s Three Great Fairy Magics were all closely connected to the heart, conviction, and emotion.
That was clearly part of what made them so extraordinarily powerful.
It also explained why Silencer’s talent could increase both magic power and mental strength by stealing intelligence.
The three were deeply connected.
Makarov nodded, clearly impressed.
“It seems your studies have given you a solid foundation in magical theory.
“You weren’t born with especially large magic reserves, but I can see that you’ve already begun correcting that weakness.
From here on, you only need to keep walking the path you believe in.
“Cana, on the other hand, possesses remarkable natural talent but lacks confidence.
In that respect, the two of you couldn’t be more different.”
Makarov frowned and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.
“I’ve only met a handful of people with magic reserves that powerful.
One of them is Gildarts.”
Ron remained silent.
He naturally knew exactly where Cana had inherited that talent, but he could hardly reveal that she was Gildarts’s daughter before the two had even acknowledged each other.
That would be crossing a line.
“Master, have you forgotten why we came upstairs?”
Ron noticed that Makarov had wandered far from the subject and casually reminded him.
Makarov returned to his senses, stroked his mustache, and laughed.
“Humor an old man.
My attention tends to wander these days.
“Go on, then.
Show me this magic of yours.”
Ron still looked uncertain.
“Master, this spell only works when cast on another person.
Are you sure you—”
“It’s fine,” Makarov interrupted with a dismissive wave.
“Don’t worry about me.
I’m far tougher than I look.
Taking one spell from you won’t do me any harm.”
“All right.”
Ron nodded, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
‘I warned him.
Besides, it’s only a B-rank spell.
Master Makarov should be able to endure it easily.’
He opened his eyes again, his gaze sharpening with concentration.
Ron raised his right hand toward Makarov and silently invoked the spell.
‘Silence Magic: Last Word.’
A dark-purple magic circle flared to life behind him, surrounded by several distorted ripples of matching light.
The movement of magic generated a powerful current of air around Ron, whipping his silver-gray hair wildly.
Even the white hair at Makarov’s temples fluttered in the wind.
At first, Makarov merely stared at the unfamiliar violet light.
Then his expression turned grave.
The symbols forming the magic circle were not written in any modern magical script.
They were twisted ancient characters.
Ron released the spell.
A strange, jagged white ring appeared beneath Makarov’s feet and surrounded him without warning.
Makarov’s frown deepened.
The ring had manifested directly around him without any visible projectile or warning, leaving him no opportunity to evade it.
No longer underestimating the spell, he slowly began circulating his magic power in preparation for whatever came next.
Several seconds later, the white ring suddenly contracted and sank into his body.
Makarov felt only a faint stab of pain inside his head.
Nothing else happened.
After such an impressive display, the spell’s apparent effect was so minor that an amused smile crept across his face.
“That’s your spell?
It doesn’t seem particularly powerful.”
At that moment, one of the request sheets on the board came loose in the breeze Ron had created and floated toward the ceiling.
Makarov instinctively tried to use Giant Magic to catch it.
The instant he attempted to cast, however, he discovered that he could no longer access his magic power.
It felt as though the connection between him and his own magic had been severed.
No matter how hard he tried to command it, the energy refused to respond.
It continued circulating naturally through his magic channels, but none of it obeyed his will, and not the slightest magical fluctuation appeared in the air.
As the wind weakened, the request sheet spun once overhead, then surrendered to gravity and drifted down to the floor.
Makarov’s smile vanished.
He stared at the fallen page in shock before slowly raising his head and fixing Ron with an incredulous gaze.
“Boy, what is this?
“What did you do to me?”
Ron remained perfectly calm, having expected precisely that reaction.
He bent down and picked up the request sheet.
As he walked back toward the board, he explained, “Anyone affected by this spell becomes unable to cast magic.
That is its entire purpose.”
After pinning the sheet back in place, Ron turned toward Makarov.
“Don’t worry.
The effect won’t last long.”
Sure enough, several seconds later, Makarov tried again and successfully activated Giant Magic.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and looked at Ron with unmistakable wariness.
During those few seconds, he had felt as helpless as an ordinary person.
For one terrifying moment, he had feared that he might never be able to use magic again.
“I did warn you.”
Ron spread his hands innocently.
“So, what do you think?”
Makarov closed his eyes and released a heavy sigh.
“Judging by the ancient script within that magic circle, this is most likely a form of Lost Magic.
Its power is truly terrifying!
My advice is that you never use it again until you possess enough strength to protect yourself.”
Makarov opened his eyes and stared at Ron with complete seriousness.
“If knowledge of this magic spreads, even I may not be powerful enough to keep you safe.”