Chapter 72: A Ruthless Man

Two Days Ago—

Two days ago, after Laxus sparred with Erza and witnessed Selene's magic power, he had been restless, unable to sleep.

Early in the morning, as Erza was preparing to return to the guild to look for suitable missions, Laxus descended from the second floor of the guild and expressed his desire to meet Aegon.

Erza scratched her head and muttered, "Why does everyone ask me when they want to meet him? Well, I guess... I'm the only one both at the manor and the guild."

"I can pass on the message, but I can't guarantee he'll agree to meet you."

However, things were much simpler than Erza had anticipated.

Aegon agreed almost immediately.

"You agreed just like that? That's not like you."

In the two years that Erza had stayed at the manor, aside from Guild Master Makarov, she had never seen Aegon receive any visitors. Even Makarov had only been there once, so she hadn't held much hope.

"Well, it's all thanks to you, Lady Erza."

"Oh, please."

Erza waved her hand in exasperation. Even if she wasn't the brightest, she could tell from Aegon's tone that something wasn't quite right.

On reflection, Erza figured it might have been because Aegon was in a good mood at the time. After all, Mirajane was giving him a massage, while Jenny was peeling oranges for him. Erza had long grown used to such scenes. As Heine often said, "I've seen it so much I've become numb to it."

Back in the courtyard, Laxus was silently drinking, one sip after another…

Aegon didn't press for details. It was rare to find someone who enjoyed drinking baijiu like he did. Selene and Irene usually preferred wine or red wine, even when they did drink.

Although, they had other uses for their wine…

Their interest in drinking wasn't really about the alcohol...

Wine did indeed look more appealing with its colors.

Those who know, know.

The two of them continued to drink, each with a jug in hand.

Aegon's reason for meeting Laxus wasn't quite what Erza had guessed. It didn't depend on his mood. He was simply intrigued by Laxus.

Of course, his interest was mostly in whether Laxus had potential as a tool for his own purposes.

Even if it didn't work out, he had nothing to lose, so why not give it a shot?

After two jugs of warm wine, Laxus finally spoke:

"At first, I came here to confirm how strong the 'strongest person' Erza talked about really is. Now I know… you're far beyond my reach."

Ever since becoming an S-class wizard, Laxus had been somewhat arrogant, believing he was above others.

But the overwhelming magic from Irene and Selene radiating from the house, several presences no weaker than Erza's, and the young red-haired man in front of him, whose magic felt almost like it had returned to a primal state—all of this made Laxus realize just how small he truly was.

Even Mera and Heine, who were standing by after retrieving more wine, exuded magical power that would qualify them as S-class wizards in Fairy Tail. Yet here, they were just attendants.

"You've done well for your age to reach this level of strength."

As the grandson of Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Laxus could have lived a life of ease and luxury even without training—just indulging in pleasures. Ishgar's relatively peaceful environment certainly allowed for it.

But he didn't choose that path. He pursued training and became renowned across Ishgar as "The Thunder God" Laxus.

Perhaps the alcohol was loosening his tongue, because Laxus's next words were blunt: "But aren't you young too?"

Aegon didn't mind. In fact, he preferred this kind of straightforward attitude over fearful respect.

For the first time, he poured Laxus a cup of wine. "You're mistaken. Some people may look young, but their age far exceeds your imagination. Take the black wizard Zeref, for example. He's over 400 years old, but his appearance is not much older than yours."

Laxus snapped to attention. "Four hundred years old? He's still alive?"

Of course Laxus knew about Zeref, the black wizard mentioned alongside the Black Dragon in the Book of Revelations.

Aegon nodded after a moment of thought. "Yes, he's very much alive, probably wandering the world as we speak."

From the Black Dragon's memories, the last time he saw Zeref was a few years ago. But Zeref was immortal, so there was no doubt he was still around.

"So, what you're saying is that, although you look young, your actual age is far greater than it seems. Does that apply to them too...?"

Aegon smiled faintly but didn't give a direct answer. "You can say things like that to me, but I'd advise you not to say it to women."

If Selene and Irene were paying attention, Laxus might not live to see another day.

Although Aegon didn't explicitly confirm it, Laxus had already gathered that Aegon, Selene, and Irene were much older than they appeared.

"Alright, you didn't come here just to drink in silence, did you? It's time to state your purpose."

He could sense that Selene and the others were all bathing together, and while he enjoyed drinking with Laxus, the fact that they were all in the bath at the same time was a rare event.

Laxus took a deep breath, his gaze determined. "I want to grow stronger and lead Fairy Tail to become the strongest guild in Fiore, and even in all of Ishgar!"

"A noble ambition. But what does that have to do with me?"

"Teach me how to get stronger. I'm willing to do whatever it takes!"

"You're a Dragon Slayer, right? A Dragon Slayer whose heart has been implanted with a Dragon Lacrima?"

"Yes."

"And you're okay with that?"

Aegon extended his left hand, transforming it into a menacing black dragon claw and placing it on the table.

"Once you start the process of dragonification, you'll become a half-human, half-dragon, stuck between forms. People will despise you. If you can't handle it, you might go insane."

"But if a Dragon Slayer wants to become stronger, there's only one way—dragonification. However, the Dragon Lacrima in your body will suppress that process."

"A Dragon Lacrima acts like an additional magic container. It allows you to use Dragon Slayer magic, but it doesn't transform your body the same way actual Dragon Slayer training does."

Of course, the question of whether removing the Dragon Lacrima would lead to dragonification was still under discussion between Aegon and Irene.

After all, there hadn't been any such case so far.

Laxus was the perfect test subject.

He had excellent talent. His fearsome reputation as "The Thunder God" came from his mastery of lightning magic, not even Dragon Slayer magic.

If they could get him to remove the Dragon Lacrima and observe whether he eventually underwent dragonification, they'd have their answer.

Despite being shocked at the idea of Dragon Slayer magic leading to dragonification—and the fact that Aegon, an already dragonified person, was right in front of him—Laxus quickly regained his composure.

"This Dragon Lacrima was implanted in me by my father, Ivan, when I was a child. To be honest, I don't really care about it."

"The Dragon Lacrima suppresses dragonification, right?"

As soon as Laxus finished speaking, under the astonished gazes of Heine and Mera, he clawed at his own heart with his right hand!

Laxus's face twisted in pain, his teeth clenched tightly, cold sweat pouring down his body. His eyes were wide like saucers. His right hand was drenched in blood, staining his shirt and coat red, with blood even splashing onto the wine on the table. But he didn't make a sound.

Heine and Mera exchanged a glance:

Damn, this guy's ruthless!