Gildarts in Jail?!

Gaal couldn't help but facepalm. He never expected to see news about Gildarts on here. This was probably just that guy's twisted sense of humor; he must have been caught up in some trap. With Gildarts's strength, he could certainly escape if he wanted to. It seemed like he just wanted to have a good time, considering Gildarts's carefree nature. Nevertheless, Gaal now knew where to find him. The bottom of the newspaper mentioned that this group of magical criminals was being held close by at the magic prison, Black Vox. As long as they went to Black Vox, Gaal could get Gildarts out. 

However, looking at the back of the newspaper, Gaal's lips curled up slightly. Perhaps in this extreme north, not many knew Gildarts, but if that newspaper were tossed in front of any Fairy Tail member, they'd instantly recognize it was Gildarts. Gaal tucked the newspaper away, suddenly curious about how Gildarts would act when he got back. He envisioned the moment when he brought this newspaper out for others to see. 

"Well... it'd be best if it was after Cana's affinity with him was settled." He remembered that the original Gildarts became completely devoted to his daughter after their bond was established. Just after he became a devoted father, then... suddenly, Cana would see this newspaper and ignore that guy. Gildarts's reaction would surely be priceless. Gaal's grin widened. 

Sitting across from him, Gray observed Gaal's expression with a smile but felt a strange chill run down his spine. "W-what's going on? Did my shirt come off?" Gray quickly looked down at his clothing. Nope, nothing was wrong. So why did it feel so cold?

—

In the afternoon, Gaal and Gray boarded the train again. Their goal had changed; they'd initially planned to head towards Monet Town to defeat the giant monster, Unicorn. But now, having discovered Gildarts's whereabouts, Gaal and Gray bought new tickets to head to Black Vox's location. On the train, Gray had learned about Gildarts's incarceration. Yet, seeing Gaal so nonchalant, he held back from asking anything. 

However, as time went by, Gray couldn't help but speak up, "Brother Gaal. Isn't Gildarts the most powerful magician in the west? How did he end up getting caught?" Gaal, holding several newspapers, sat reading and chuckled, "He probably dodged someone or stirred up trouble."

Gray seemed puzzled, "Are there things that even the strongest magician can't deal with?" Gaal nodded casually, "Of course. For example… owing money." Gray scratched his head, confused, "Owing money?"

Gaal laughed as he pulled out a newspaper from the table and handed it to Gray. Gray took it and read the headline Gaal pointed at, "Kuha City attacked by monsters and magicians; the town is severely damaged, wanted…" Below were some descriptions of the wanted magician. Due to the visibility issue, they only noted that he was bearded and had strong magic—little facial detail provided. Although the magician who destroyed the town managed to escape, the monster was killed by an unknown powerful entity, leaving its corpse behind, somewhat mitigating the damage.

Gray suddenly had a thought and looked at Gaal, "No way! Is that person… Gildarts?" Gaal shrugged, "Obvious. It's his style. He probably got scared of the debts he owed."

There's nothing Gildarts ever thinks through. Unless he's particularly serious, he fights without a second thought, doing whatever feels right in the moment. Many in Fairy Tail ended up like this. Given Gildarts's S-Class strength, he could cover the bounty from the destruction he caused.

And with the number of powerful magicians in Fairy Tail dwindling, the damage he inflicted was limited, leaving the guild's reputation resting on a few top-notch members. But in a matter of years, when the younger generation of Fairy Tail had grown up and the task bounties wouldn't suffice for compensation…

That's when Makarov would start to have headaches, likely overwhelmed with complaints. 

Gray's lips twitched slightly. It was no wonder he found it odd when Ur mentioned Gildarts carrying so many task rewards. Turns out, he was short on compensation… Gray thought that wrecking a few houses or mountains was already sufficient. Yet, Gildarts managed to damage nearly half a city. 

This comparison made him realize Gaal was a bit stronger. While Gildarts could only flee after causing destruction, Gaal could restore a town that was reduced to ruins by Deliora back to two-thirds of its original state. As Gray contemplated this, Gaal admonished, "Don't imitate Gildarts. You wouldn't want your task rewards to fall short of your compensation."

"While money may be trivial... you're not at the point where you don't need it. If you want a quiet place to train, strong magical tools, or gifts for someone special, all those things require money." 

Gaal wasn't being dramatic. He knew this was especially true for Natsu and Gray. It was best to warn them beforehand. 

"Why is Erza, who joined later, equipped with powerful magical changing armor? Meanwhile, Natsu and Gray are still living together in a shared dorm?" They focused solely on fighting, disregarding everything else. When they're caught up in battle, the aftermath can be devastating, and their task rewards might not even cover the fines.

If Erza was the "pay-to-win" type, then these two were more of the "grind it out" type. They never really used any gear and relied solely on their raw strength. It was only thanks to their exceptional talent that they progressed rapidly; otherwise, with lesser talent, they wouldn't even make it to the end of the story.

Gray gulped at Gaal's serious tone, nodding gravely, "I understand, Brother Gaal." Even if he wanted to, he knew he didn't have the same strength. 

Also… Gray looked at the half-destroyed city in the paper. If he had that kind of power, he could probably defeat Ur and tackle Lyon without breaking a sweat. He felt motivated again. With Gildarts and Gaal being this strong, how powerful could the president of the Ten Wizard Saint be?

As they left the extreme north and approached the west, the weather grew warmer, and Gray felt restless. 

Five days later, the two, now en route to the magical prison, Black Vox, finally disembarked the train. They arrived at a town not far from the prison. 

Here, they would have to either walk or hire a carriage since Black Vox was located deep in a barren mountain area, greatly reducing the chances of a jailbreak. Even if an escape occurred, the trail was easy to follow due to the terrain. 

Gaal and Gray hired a carriage in the town to take them there. As they were nearing their destination, the coachman proudly chatted with them: "This prison is sure to blow your minds. You definitely can't imagine what a prison for magicians is like. It floats in the sky! And in the past few decades, no criminal has ever escaped successfully."

Gaal looked up at the distance, paused for thought, and replied, "You sure about that?" Gray felt confused, gazing at the thick smoke rising in the distance. The coachman proudly claimed, "Of course! My father even helped build the prison. That place…"

As he pointed towards the horizon, his eyes suddenly widened, "What?!!! How could there be such a huge fire?! Could it be that someone escaped?!"

They looked towards the prison's location, now engulfed in towering flames and thick plumes of smoke. Even from several miles away, the massive smoke pillar was visible. One could imagine how enormous the fire must be…

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