Peaceful days did not last for long.
On this day, a shocking piece of news spread throughout the magical world.
"Big news!! Big news!!"
"Just one week ago, the Magic Council deployed 70% of its military strength, along with support from half of the 'Wizard Saints,' to destroy the headquarters of the Dark Alliance that had been hiding in the shadows of Ishgar!!"
When the news reached Fairy Tail, the wizards were all struck with amazement.
"The Dark Alliance? Isn't that the power that has always opposed the Council and talked about restructuring the magical world?"
"I remember that organization alone had hundreds of Dark Guilds under it, right? To think the Council wiped out such a massive and terrifying existence in less than two years?! Is the Council's strength really that unfathomable?"
"They are the organization that manages the magical world of the entire continent, after all. It's normal for them to have that kind of foundation."
"It wasn't just the Council itself; didn't the news say half of the 'Wizard Saints' helped as well?"
"Speaking of which, the Master is also a 'Wizard Saint.' Why does it seem like he had absolutely no idea about this..."
As they spoke, everyone turned their gaze toward Weston, who was sitting at the bar counter, frowning as he read the newspaper.
Suddenly, someone let out a "pfft" and started laughing.
"Master, you haven't been looked down upon by them, have you?!"
"Is it because you're only 20 and your main magic is Super Archive, which isn't exactly famous for combat power, so the Council people thought you weren't up to it and didn't notify you?"
"Hahaha... if that's the case, that's way too pathetic!"
The teasing from his companions cut deep, and Weston's face turned red with heat.
"You guys are so noisy!"
Weston slammed his milk tea cup onto the table with a thud and let out a huff, twin streams of white steam puffing from his nostrils: "The Council people just felt that enemies of this level didn't need to trouble the great Master Weston, that's why they didn't notify me!"
"After all... as you know, this Master only plays in high-end matches!!"
The companions snickered incessantly upon hearing this.
"This raid was carried out by the Council sending people to infiltrate the Dark Alliance headquarters first, then striking from both the inside and outside."
"Even under such premises, the Council suffered heavy casualties. Over half of the deployed troops were killed or injured, and three of the 'Wizard Saints' even sacrificed their lives because of it..."
As the companion continued reading the paper, the laughter in the guild gradually died down. Even the sounds of drinking and chatting vanished.
"No way?!"
"Even three Wizard Saints sacrificed themselves? Was the battle that brutal?"
"Wizard Saints can basically be viewed as wizards on the same level as the Master, right? It's a good thing the Master didn't participate in this operation, otherwise..."
"Can't you newcomers have a little more confidence in the Master?! If the Master had been there, he could have helped the Council formulate better tactics, and such massive casualties might not have occurred!"
"While that may be true..."
Everyone's faces turned solemn as they began to discuss in hushed tones.
The companion reading the paper continued: "After the Dark Alliance headquarters was crushed, most of the criminals were arrested by the Council, but a small portion managed to escape. Some of them are fleeing toward the southwest of the continent... Wait! Southwest?"
"Isn't that right toward the Fiore Kingdom?!"
Upon hearing this, everyone became tense.
"Looks like we're in for another headache for a while!"
"Don't be too pessimistic. Those guys might not necessarily make it into the Fiore Kingdom. Look on the bright side!"
"I actually find it quite interesting. If those guys dare to come, let's show them the strength of Fairy Tail!!"
The Magic Council did not make Weston wait long. The day after the news arrived, Councilor Zanc came knocking on the door.
"I trust Master Weston has received the news?"
"You mean the matter of the Dark Alliance remnants drifting toward the Fiore Kingdom?"
"That's the one!"
"Due to the previous great battle, the Council's manpower is severely lacking right now. So, if there is any movement on this side later, we can only rely on you!"
Councilor Zanc's words gave Weston a headache.
Even if their relationship was decent, the other party wasn't a companion from Fairy Tail after all; he just couldn't solve troubles for the Master like Yajima did for Makarov!
"They don't call me when the war starts, but now that things are a mess and they need someone to clean up, they remember me?"
To say the Council's operation was a complete "mess" wasn't entirely accurate; at most, it could only be called "incomplete success."
It was just that Weston already had to spend his time cleaning up the destruction caused by his guild companions' work—his workload was already heavy. Now that another task had been added, he was naturally unhappy.
Furthermore, according to the operating rules of the magical world, the Council is supposed to solve troubles for magic guilds, not the other way around.
The current situation was simply turning heaven and earth upside down!
"Sigh, the Council definitely didn't mean to look down on you."
"It's just that the Dark Alliance headquarters is quite far from the Fiore Kingdom. Even if we had notified you then, you wouldn't have been able to rush over to help."
Councilor Zanc wiped the sweat from his forehead helplessly: "Moreover, we always need to reserve some manpower as a trump card to deal with enemies in the magical world who haven't shown their faces."
"For instance, that rumored Tartaros, which is said to have a cooperative relationship with the Dark Alliance..."
That did make some sense.
"Fine, fine... I get it!"
Weston waved his hand and said: "Leave this matter to me! But let's get this straight—if I accidentally cause some damage during the arrest process..."
Councilor Zanc took the hint and said: "The Council will bear all of it!"
Only then did Weston nod in satisfaction and end the conversation.
A few days later, Weston summoned all his companions.
"...That's how things stand."
"To maintain the order and stability of the Fiore Kingdom, I have already consulted with the Masters of the Local Guild Alliance. We are prepared to jointly execute a 'Crackdown Plan' within our territories!"
"The details are as follows..."
The so-called Crackdown Plan was the "Dark Alliance Remnants Elimination Plan."
Using Fairy Tail as an example, a team would consist of at least five wizards plus an Exceed cat. They would conduct a carpet search within a certain range, listening for suspicious events in the area or investigating strangers who had recently arrived, especially wizards.
Other guilds followed a similar approach; the only differences lay in the number of squads, the number of people per squad, and the scope of the territory.
"Mavis will stay at the guild to handle the dispatching of reinforcements at any time."
"Then, the people in charge of leading the squads are: Me, Precht, Warrod, Zera, Reiya, and Joey."
"We will investigate outward from six directions, covering a range of about three hundred miles. We cannot overlook a single village, mountain, or forest in between!"
"Now, let the operation begin!!"