Taking a deep breath, Mystogan finally made up his mind.
"Alright." He nodded seriously. "I can take you there."
Just as a smile was about to appear on Shane's face, Mystogan immediately raised one finger.
"However, we can't leave right this second. It would be best to wait a little longer."
"Why?" Shane's brows knit together. He genuinely couldn't understand.
"Lisanna's case has already been delayed for a full year. It's dragged on long enough. At this point, even putting it off by one more day makes me uneasy."
"Because the rules are different." Mystogan explained patiently. "Magic in Edolas is extremely scarce. There are almost no free-floating magic particles in the air."
"That means mages like you, who are used to drawing magic from the natural world, won't be able to use any magic once you enter that world."
Then his tone eased a little.
"But don't worry. I've been developing a medicine that can temporarily offset that limitation, and it's almost in its final stage of refinement."
"As long as you take it, you'll be able to use magic normally in Edolas. Once it's finished, we'll leave immediately."
After giving that firm promise, Mystogan's gaze swept past Shane and over the quiet guild hall.
Perhaps worried that leaving the sleep magic in place too long would put strain on his guildmates' bodies, he didn't linger.
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a raindrop falling onto a still lake.
As that invisible ripple spread, the sticky heaviness of sleep hanging over the hall receded like a tide.
Before leaving, Mystogan pressed a communication Lacrima into Shane's hand, then pulled his hood back down, opened the door, and left.
Shane held the crystal and stared at the gently swaying wooden door, his expression unreadable.
Honestly, now that Lisanna's trail had finally been confirmed, he had no desire at all to just stand here waiting.
But Mystogan's concerns were completely reasonable.
If he stepped into that world and lost access to magic, then a mage would be no different from livestock waiting to be slaughtered. Any sudden complication could turn into disaster.
Weighing the pros and cons, Shane took in a long, irritated breath and slowly let it out, trying to calm the impatience in his chest.
After a moment, he turned his head and looked toward the bar.
"What do you think, old man?"
Makarov, who had been sitting there cross-legged and listening the whole time, was unusually silent.
His gaze was deep, his thoughts clearly still stuck on what he had just learned.
He had never imagined that Mira—who had seemed to have long since moved past the shadow of her sister's loss—had quietly done so much behind the scenes.
And even though it still sounded somewhat uncertain, it was true that because of Mira's persistence, things had finally reached a turning point.
"They're all such stubborn kids…"
Makarov sighed inwardly, and for the first time began wondering if he really had gotten old lately.
Old enough that he had failed to notice the pain his children were hiding behind their smiles.
"Master? Old man!"
Seeing the little geezer stay silent for so long, Shane couldn't help raising his voice and calling him twice more.
"Hm?" Makarov finally snapped out of it. He looked up, thinking Shane was asking about whether he could trust Mystogan, and immediately reassured him.
"Mystogan may be a little withdrawn and solitary, but deep down he's a gentle kid. You can trust him!"
"I know he's trustworthy."
Shane gave his guild master a helpless look. "What I'm asking is whether I should follow his pace and wait for him to finish that medicine before making a move."
Hearing that, Makarov froze. His white brows furrowed together, clearly not keeping up with Shane's train of thought.
Seeing that, Shane sighed and explained patiently.
"Mystogan said mages from Earth Land can't use magic over there, but my case is different."
He pointed at his chest.
"This heart of mine can keep producing magic on its own no matter what world I'm in. That environmental restriction doesn't apply to me."
That was true—but the real reason Shane was hesitating was something else.
Edolas still had another "him."
He knew better than anyone how dangerous that existence could be. And since this involved Lisanna's life, there was absolutely no room for mistakes.
That was exactly why someone as decisive as Shane was so unusually hesitant now.
This time, Makarov understood.
The old man set down his oversized wooden beer mug.
"So you're hesitating between going in alone right now and cutting straight through, or playing it safe and waiting until everyone is fully prepared to move together?"
Shane nodded, not denying it.
"You brat… you really have grown steadier. Four years ago, you'd have already swaggered off and charged in headfirst."
Makarov first let out an almost proud sigh, then his expression turned serious.
"But because that's true—because you've learned to think things through and take other factors into account—then you should trust that more mature judgment of yours and act on it."
In the past, as the head of the guild family, he never would have said something that sounded like encouragement for a child to walk into danger alone.
But thinking back on Mira's silent persistence, Makarov suddenly understood something.
Maybe he shouldn't keep underestimating these children whose wings had already grown strong.
Too much protection could end up shackling them instead.
"I see…"
Hearing the Master's firm answer, Shane lowered his eyes thoughtfully.
Only a few seconds passed, but when he looked up again, all the hesitation in his gaze was gone. He had already decided.
Yeah. He was the real one. What was there to be afraid of?
And besides, there was one thing Shane still hadn't said out loud.
If he went to Edolas, then by crossing the boundary between worlds, one of the greatest shackles on him would disappear as well.
Over there, even if he pulled out Arondight without restraint, that black dragon in Earth Land—no matter how terrifying it was—would never be able to follow his scent across worlds to hunt him down.
In other words, once he got there, he could go all out without holding back.
Once that point clicked into place, the tangle in Shane's thoughts slowly unraveled into clarity.
Just then, the last traces of Mystogan's leftover magic dissipated.
In the previously quiet guild hall, rustling sounds began to spread.
Guild members who had been sprawled on benches or collapsed under tables started groaning groggily and struggling awake from sleep.
"Ugh… why is it morning already…" someone yawned as they sat up and stretched long and hard.
Makarov stretched out a foot from atop the bar and lightly nudged Shane in the arm.
"Alright. Stop thinking about all that troublesome stuff."
The little old man jerked his chin toward the gradually livelier hall.
"It's been four whole years. Figured out how you're going to say hello to everyone yet?"
~~~