Chapter 322 – First Seat of the Ten Wizard Saints
"Uh… all right…"
That Sting turned out to be his own little fanboy was something Ren had never expected.
Ren wrote his autograph on the signature board.
Sting Eucliffe's eyes sparkled with an intensity that completely betrayed his former image as the untouchable, arrogant White Dragon Slayer. He held out the pristine board with both hands, his fingers practically trembling with awe as he watched the ink dry.
"Thank you! Thank you! This is amazing!"
Sting clutched Ren's autograph as if he'd just succeeded in chasing his greatest idol, beside himself with excitement. He looked ready to frame the simple piece of cardboard in solid gold and mount it right above the bar in the Sabertooth guild hall.
"Isn't this wonderful, Sting-kun?"
The little cat Lector chirped happily, hovering near his partner's shoulder. The red Exceed, usually so quick to boast about Sabertooth's absolute superiority, was equally starstruck by the man who had effortlessly suppressed a flight of ancient dragons.
"Lord Ren."
Jura Neekis also came up to Ren, his towering frame casting a shadow over the festive banquet hall. The Iron Rock Mage bowed his head slightly, a gesture of profound respect that drew gasps from the surrounding nobles.
"Mr. Jura." Ren acknowledged him with a polite, easygoing nod, turning his attention away from the celebrating Sabertooth duo.
"Your strength is truly admirable, Mr. Ren! I thought seven years would let me close the gap, yet I find myself falling further behind you."
Jura's voice was filled with genuine awe, completely devoid of any jealousy or bitterness. He recalled the terrifying, sun-like golden avatar that had saved Crocus, realizing that the Fairy Tail mage existed in a realm completely separate from ordinary mortals.
"Don't sell yourself short. I can only maintain that level of power for a few minutes; once my magic's exhausted, I'm the same as everyone else."
Ren offered a modest deflection, gently swirling the fine wine in his crystal goblet.
"Thanks to Lord Ren this time. Should you ever need aid, Lamia Scale will spare no effort."
Jura said with utter seriousness, placing a heavy hand over his heart. From a few paces away, Lyon Vastia and Sherria Blendy watched their ace, nodding in firm agreement with his vow.
"Good!"
Ren accepted with a smile; there were still many battles ahead, and Lamia Scale's help might well be required. The dark machinations of Zeref and the looming threat of the Alvarez Empire meant that having strong, reliable allies was never a bad thing.
The extravagant victory banquet in the Mercurius palace was in full swing. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm, golden glow over the long tables, which were groaning under the weight of exotic feasts, roasted meats, and overflowing barrels of ale.
One after another, guests from various guilds raised their glasses to Ren. They offered enthusiastic toasts, their previous rivalries completely forgotten in the wake of surviving the apocalypse together.
"Everyone!!"
Arcadios, the Cherry Blossom Knight, suddenly stepped onto the grand staircase, his magically amplified voice cutting through the boisterous chatter.
"You must grace this place with your presence!!"
He gestured respectfully toward the highest royal balcony, signaling for the musicians to cease their playing.
"In honor of the valor displayed in this Grand Magic Games and the toil of saving the realm in its hour of peril!! His Majesty will address you personally—pray attend!"
At these words the great hall quieted and every eye turned upward. Even Natsu Dragneel stopped stuffing roasted chicken into his mouth, his cheeks bulging comically as he looked toward the balcony.
Presently, King Toma E. Fiore stepped out. He wore his finest regal attire, his small, grandfatherly stature radiating a warm and benevolent aura.
"A-hem!"
The King cleared his throat, leaning slightly over the velvet-draped railing to look at the sea of battle-worn, triumphant mages below.
"First of all! Welcome, all of you, to this Grand Magic Games victory banquet!"
His voice echoed with deep sincerity, bringing a proud smile to the faces of the assembled warriors.
"This Grand Magic Games has been the most spectacular in the tournament's history! I was deeply moved by the courage I witnessed!"
King Toma spread his arms wide, encompassing the entire hall in his gratitude.
"You all performed magnificently!"
The mages beamed, soaking in the highest praise the kingdom had to offer.
"Secondly! Thanks to your efforts the kingdom weathered this crisis—you saved the country!"
Every listener proudly straightened at the king's praise. The exhaustion, the broken bones, and the magical depletion of the past few days all felt completely worth it in this glorious moment.
"Think nothing of it, Your Majesty!! Fiore is our homeland; saving it needs no thanks! It is our duty and our honor!!"
Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki declared, his chest thrust out prominently. The Blue Pegasus ace struck a dramatic, sparkling pose, his signature 'parfume' practically radiating visible sparkles into the air.
"Claiming the credit again!"
"What has it got to do with you?!"
Gray Fullbuster couldn't help sniping from the Fairy Tail table, slamming his mug down. Last time against Oración Seis, Ichiya had acted as though he'd done the heavy lifting, and the ice mage wasn't about to let the narcissistic man steal the spotlight now.
King Toma chuckled softly at the familiar guild banter before his expression shifted into one of profound, solemn respect.
"Here I wish to thank one individual in particular—Mr. Ren!"
Bang!
A magical spotlight snapped on from the ceiling, instantly pinning Ren in a brilliant circle of light. The hall fell dead silent, the playful banter ceasing as all eyes shifted to the tall, imposing figure of the Fairy Tail mage.
"It was thanks to Mr. Ren that the evil dragon was driven off and the realm preserved. Therefore I hereby confer upon him the title of 'Knight of the Realm'!"
Clap-clap-clap-clap!!
Everyone applauded enthusiastically. A title bestowed by the King of Fiore carried both immense honor and tangible authority.
A royal knight could walk anywhere in Fiore with absolute impunity, granting him access to classified royal archives and military resources. Slighting Ren would now be legally equivalent to slighting the crown itself.
Ren nodded to the crowd, gracefully accepting the applause. He felt calm—perhaps too many memories from too many roles had left even a youth like him oddly composed. Having experienced the memories of world-shaking powerhouses through his templates, a mortal king's knighthood felt like a pleasant, but minor, novelty.
Suddenly, the heavy oak doors at the back of the banquet hall creaked open. A frog-man entered, dressed in the crisp, authoritarian uniform of the government, with several stern-faced attendants in tow.
"Mr. Ren!"
The frog-being halted before him, clutching a velvet-covered scroll to his chest. He was sweating profusely, clearly intimidated by the sheer concentration of magical power in the room.
"Hm? And you are?"
Ren raised an eyebrow, looking down at the diminutive creature. He was fairly certain he had never met a frog in such formal attire before.
"Greetings. I am an envoy of the Magic Council."
The frog-man puffed out his chest, attempting to project an air of official authority despite his shaking knees.
"The Magic Council?!"
"What are Council people doing here?!"
Macao and Wakaba nearly choked on their wine, their faces paling instantly.
"They're not here to make trouble, are they?!"
Lucy Heartfilia panicked, instinctively taking a step back to hide behind Erza.
"We haven't caused any incidents lately!"
"Right! We haven't even had any jobs—no chance to mess up!"
Natsu yelled defensively, waving a half-eaten turkey leg at the envoy. To guild Mages, Council officials were like cats to mice; Fairy Tail in particular, forever in trouble for collateral damage, had written countless apologies to Era over the years.
"Silence, please!" The frog-envoy squeaked, wiping his brow. "By order of the Chairman of the Magic Council! I come to bestow honors upon Mr. Ren!"
The defensive tension in the room instantly evaporated, replaced by intense, breathless curiosity.
"A-hem! By command of Chairman Gran Doma of the Magic Council: Ren of Fairy Tail, whose mighty magic delivered the people from peril, is unanimously granted one of the four presently vacant seats."
The envoy dramatically unrolled the scroll, his voice echoing loudly off the marble walls.
"Ren is hereby appointed to the Ten Wizard Saints, ranked: First Seat!"
The frog-envoy proclaimed the Council's decree, lowering his head in a deep bow of absolute submission.
"Whaaat—?!"
"Ten Wizard Saints?!"
"First Seat?!"
Everyone was stunned. A pin dropping could have been heard in the massive hall as the sheer gravity of the announcement settled over the crowd.
Ren's strength made the appointment no surprise; seven years earlier he had already defeated the Saint Jose Porla with overwhelming ease. His power had always been recognized as abnormal by those who witnessed it.
Now he had also overcome Jura, the fifth seat of the Ten Wizard Saints, without breaking a sweat.
They had all watched him physically manhandle a flight of dragons; claiming the first seat was only fitting for a monster of his caliber.
[Akarin's Note: The top four Wizard Saints are known as the "Gods of Ishgar." By being appointed directly to the First Seat, the Magic Council is officially recognizing Ren as the undisputed strongest Mage on the entire continent.]
Still, seeing the legendary title conferred before their eyes was a monumental shock. The First Seat was a position reserved for a mage akin to a walking deity, a peak that most mages couldn't even dream of comprehending.
Ren himself froze, his eyes widening slightly. Becoming a Wizard Saint had never truly crossed his mind, let alone being shoved directly to the very top of the continent's hierarchy.
"Mr. Ren, here is your certificate and the insignia of the Ten Wizard Saints."
The frog-envoy bowed even deeper, offering the items with trembling hands as the attendants stepped forward.
Attendants lifted the red cloth: a beautifully gilded certificate and the Saint's badge the Fairy Tail members knew well—Makarov wore one on his chest. It gleamed brilliantly under the chandeliers, a pure gold cross symbolizing ultimate magical authority.
It was the highest honor Ishgar's magical world could possibly bestow upon a living human.
Mirajane Strauss stepped forward, her beautiful blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears of immense pride and deep affection. She gently took the heavy gold badge from the velvet cushion and stepped intimately into Ren's personal space.
With delicate, loving fingers, she pinned it onto Ren's lapel, smoothing the fabric of his coat before looking up at him with a breathtaking, radiant smile.
Thunderous applause!!
"Congratulations!!"
"Congratulations to Mr. Ren on becoming a Wizard Saint!!"
"Fantastic!! Now besides the master our guild has another Saint!!"
The Fairy Tail mages erupted into deafening cheers, raising their mugs high into the air as they swarmed around him.
Compared with King Toma's "Knight of the Realm," the Ten Wizard Saints carried vastly more weight. It was an acknowledgment not just of noble status, but of absolute, unrivaled magical supremacy.
"Waaaah!!"
Tears streamed down Makarov's wrinkled cheeks. The diminutive guild master sobbed openly, wiping his face with his sleeves like a proud father. His Brat had become a Saint, standing at the very pinnacle of the world he had raised him in.
On a second-floor balcony, Lahar and Mest watched; they too had been invited.
"Aren't you going down to say hello?"
Lahar asked Mest.
The affair had been too big to hide; after the event they'd handed their recordings to the Council.
The councillors, astounded, had reviewed the Grand Magic Games data and, knowing Ren had defeated fifth-seat Jura, resolved to fill the long-vacant First Seat, silencing gossip while rewarding power.
[Akarin Note:
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