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Half an hour passed, and Larcade showed no signs of waking up.
Gajeel looked at the desire demon, who was sprawled on the ground like a dead fish, and asked in confusion, "Speaking of which, this guy just called himself 'White Dragneel.' I think I've heard the name Dragneel somewhere before."
"It should be Natsu, Natsu Dragneel."
As a sworn rival and good brother, how could Gray not remember Natsu's name? It's just that the surname "Dragneel" isn't common. Could Larcade and Natsu be related?
He scrutinized the unconscious Larcade up and down.
Upon closer inspection, Gray really did find a problem: the two "Dragneels" looked so similar they could have been cast from the same mold.
Larcade was practically a blond version of Natsu!
It was just that he lacked Natsu's unique "single-celled organism" aura, which was why Gray hadn't noticed it immediately.
The more he looked, the stranger it felt. Gray, feeling a prickle of unease, wanted to hear other people's opinions. He turned to look, only to see his companions either eating breakfast, drinking coffee, reading newspapers and chatting, or a white-haired man flirting with two women at once.
Even Gajeel, who had been interested in Larcade earlier, paid no attention to his discovery, devouring the food on his plate.
No one cared about this matter.
Oi, there's a demon here who looks exactly like Natsu!
Doesn't anyone find that strange?!
Gray shouted inwardly, but maintained a calm demeanor outwardly.
Everyone present was intelligent. His guild companions, who spent every day together, couldn't possibly have failed to notice Larcade's appearance. Their indifferent attitude indicated that they either knew or had already discovered something.
If he were to speak up now, wouldn't it make him look stupid? Where would he put his face?
So Gray also began to feign indifference.
Gray just didn't know that his companions at the table were already experiencing a storm of emotions in their hearts.
Erza: How can they be so similar? I really want to know what's going on, but even an idiot like Gray has noticed something. If I ask, wouldn't that mean my intelligence is even lower than Gray's...
Mira: If Erza doesn't ask, then I won't either.
Laxus: As long as I keep a straight face, no one will know that I actually don't know anything!
Makarov: Why isn't anyone talking? Do I, the Master, have to ask personally? No, I must maintain the dignity of an elder.
Gajeel: Breakfast is good, I'm going to eat, eat, eat!
August: Why is everyone acting so calm? Could it be that they already know about the relationship between Father and Natsu?
Irene: I don't know why, but it just feels very interesting.
Excluding the unconscious Larcade, there were nine living people in the room. At this moment, nine minds were racing. Noah, with a woman on each arm, had only one feeling about it.
Erza smells so good, Mira is so soft.
As for what Natsu and Larcade have in common? That's, of course, because of Black Wizard Zeref Dragneel.
By connecting the descriptions from Robinlu, Lucy's ancestor Anna, August, and Irene, Noah had already pieced together a rough overall picture of Zeref's intelligence.
It's just that since no one asked, why should he say anything?
Noah planned to announce all of this when Natsu returned; otherwise, it would be tiring to explain back and forth.
Breakfast ended with everyone having their own "ulterior motives." In the following days, although everyone felt an itch of curiosity, the joy of vacation always made people forget their worries...
The days quickly arrived at the fifth day.
During these days, everyone had fun but didn't forget Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. They gathered early, waiting for the Alvarez Empire to send them back.
However, what arrived was not news of Natsu's Team, but a solemn-faced Invel.
Invel had mobilized all the Empire's intelligence personnel and municipal staff from various cities over the past few days, yet he couldn't find any trace of Natsu's Team. They were as if they had never appeared on the Western Continent.
A gentle breeze blew the scent of flowers and plants from the balcony through the half-open window into the room. The refreshing fragrance, however, could not soothe everyone's anxious hearts.
Listening to the results of Invel's busy days, Noah frowned. Through "mind reading," he could confirm that Invel was not lying and had not been negligent in searching for Natsu's Team.
The Alvarez Empire had absolute control over its homeland. This could be seen from the fact that the Spriggan 12 were well-known throughout the Western Continent, yet Ishgar's spies were consistently unable to send their intelligence back.
A pink-haired boy, a golden-haired girl, and a talking blue cat—such a combination, if they had appeared anywhere within the Western Continent's sphere of influence, would surely have been noticed by the Empire's intelligence personnel.
But the reality was that not even a single trace was left.
This made Noah wonder if Natsu's Team had never even arrived on the Western Continent.
Everyone present was intelligent; what Noah could think of, they quickly realized too. It's just that if Natsu and his team hadn't gone to the Western Continent, where else could they have gone?
Did they return to Ishgar? Or somewhere else?
Just then, Invel whispered to August, "Teacher, Brandish and Dimaria went out on patrol and have not returned to this day. It has been about half a month."
Upon hearing this news, August suddenly understood something.
Between the Western Continent and the Eastern Continent lies a neutral small island—Caracole Island. The most famous thing on the island is its cuisine, which combines the best of both the East and West.
Brandish was a foodie, often going out to sea under the guise of patrolling to visit Caracole Island, which was not under the jurisdiction of the Alvarez Empire, because of her cravings.
Coincidentally, Caracole Island was also a necessary stop for sea travel between the Eastern and Western Continents.
If Natsu's Team just happened to meet Brandish, who was there for the food, on Caracole Island...
Brandish didn't know the truth about her mother's death and always believed the Heartfilia family was her enemy.
August quickly told everyone what he was thinking and stated that if a fight really broke out, Natsu's Team would definitely be the one to lose.
"Oh? Are Brandish and the Warrior Queen that strong?"
Noah looked at August in confusion. Brandish only became a member of the Spriggan 12 this year, and the Warrior Queen Dimaria joined only a year before Brandish. Could these two newcomers be stronger than the Winter General or the Assassin?
August nodded heavily. "Brandish's magic, Command T, can freely change the size of objects, living beings, and even magic. It can be said that as long as the Magic Power is below hers, it will be controlled by her."
"As for Dimaria, she possesses exquisite swordsmanship and Âge Seal magic inherited from her bloodline, which allows her to pause time. Unless one possesses time-based magic or overwhelmingly superior Magic Power, there's no chance of even escaping."
Random size changes plus time stop.
No wonder August was worried. With this combination of attacks, there were probably very few people in the world who could resist. And with Natsu and Lucy's current Magic Power, they were definitely no match for the Warrior Queen and Brandish.
However, Noah wasn't worried at all.
Natsu's body is home to the Fire Dragon King and the Purgatory Dragon. In terms of Magic Power, no matter how monstrous Brandish and Dimaria are, they can't compare to dragons. As long as the two dragons make a move, everything will be fine.
As for Lucy, although the Celestial Spirit King cannot and will not actively intervene, she has a group of Celestial Spirits who can actively jump out to protect her at any time. As long as her Celestial Spirit companions' abilities are used well, she should be able to withstand a few more hits.
As for Happy, it might survive if it acts cute...
But in fact, these were not the real reasons for Noah's peace of mind. His confidence lay elsewhere.
The World Will protects Fairy Tail. If Natsu's Team falls into a desperate situation, even if that loli-loving World Will doesn't give them a cheat, it will definitely be able to keep them out of harm's way.