The news that Raizel had easily completed an SS-Class Quest and slain a dangerous demon spread like wildfire across the Kingdom of Fiore.
Rumors began to circulate. People whispered in taverns and market squares that Raizel would soon be named a new member of the Ten Wizard Saints, the elite group of mages recognized by the Council as the strongest in the continent.
However, the Magic Council quickly released a statement to temper their expectations: "Raizel is a promising talent, but such speculations are premature."
It was politics.
Fairy Tail already had Makarov and Ur among the Ten Wizard Saints.
That was two out of ten spots belonging to a single guild. If they added Raizel (or even Gildarts), Fairy Tail would hold 30% or 40% of the highest power in the land.
The Council would never allow one guild to dominate so overwhelmingly.
(Warrod Sequen, one of the Four Gods of Ishgar, was technically a founder of Fairy Tail, but he was retired and focused on his trees, so the Council conveniently ignored him in their calculations.)
Currently, there was zero chance for Raizel or Gildarts to join the ranks unless Makarov or Ur retired.
Despite this, the Council seemed intent on fanning the flames.
They pushed Raizel into the spotlight, publishing articles about his heroism. Why? Because Fairy Tail, despite its chaotic reputation, was a legitimate Light Guild with powerful backers.
Establishing Raizel as a "Hero of the Era" was beneficial for the Council's image—it showed they had powerful allies protecting the peace.
The scope of this news was massive.
Far away from Magnolia, Erza, Ultear, and Kagura were resting at a train station after completing part of their quest.
Erza held a crumpled newspaper in her shaking hand.
[THE KNIGHT SLAYS THE SPIDER DEMON!] [Fairy Tail's Raizel Clears SS-Class Threat Solo!]
"Raizel!" Erza growled, her aura flaring. "Going off to do an SS-Class Quest by himself and leaving us behind! Unforgivable!!!"
She clenched her fist, reducing the paper to a ball of pulp.
"Calm down, Erza," Ultear said, sipping her tea calmly. "Even if we were there, the Master wouldn't have agreed to let us go. An SS-Class quest is too dangerous for a team. Raizel only got permission because his magic counters demons."
Ultear understood Makarov well. He was protective. S-Class was one thing; SS-Class was suicide for anyone not ready. Moreover, Raizel himself wouldn't have agreed to risk their safety.
Erza sighed, releasing the tension in her shoulders. "I know. I'm just venting. I want to be strong enough to stand by his side on those missions, not left behind."
Kagura sat quietly next to them.
She picked up another copy of the newspaper. As she read the lavish praise describing Raizel's victory, her lips curved slightly upwards into a faint, proud smile.
She felt a sense of shared joy.
'He is amazing,' she thought.
"Alright," Erza stood up, her eyes burning with renewed determination. "Let's get going. We need to complete our quest quickly so we can train more!"
Ultear and Kagura exchanged a knowing glance. They smiled softly at each other and nodded.
...
Back in Magnolia, Raizel was suffering.
He never read newspapers or magazines, but he couldn't escape the noise.
Today, Ur and Makarov had to attend an emergency Magic Council meeting regarding the demon incident.
They had entrusted Wendy to Raizel's care. Ur thought Raizel had more experience with kids, and frankly, Wendy preferred clinging to her "big brother" Raizel anyway.
Carrying Wendy in his arms, Raizel walked through the streets of Magnolia, intending to buy groceries for dinner.
From one end of the street to the other, he keep getting praise over and over again.
"Raizel! I heard you slew a demon that even the Council couldn't defeat!"
"Raizel! Is it true you killed it in five minutes?!"
"Raizel! I heard you finished it with one finger!"
"Raizel! My cousin said you wiped out an entire army of demons with a single breath!"
The rumors were mutating rapidly.
"Ah... well... not exactly..." Raizel tried to explain, smiling apologetically while shielding Wendy from the eager crowd.
'What kind of nonsense is this?' Raizel thought, sweating.
'The newspaper report was accurate! It said I fought for a while! It never said I instantly defeated it with one move! Onacxes was fast! I actually had to try!'
This was Raizel's first real taste of celebrity fame.
He had been well-known in Magnolia before as one of the S class mage of Fairy tail, but this was different.
The Council's propaganda machine had turned him into a mythical figure.
In the end, Raizel didn't manage to buy much. Shopkeepers kept shoving free apples and bread into his arms.
Since he was holding Wendy, he couldn't refuse them without being rude.
"Thank you... thank you..."
He escaped back to his house.
After unpacking the free groceries, Raizel made a decision that would surely annoy Makarov: He was going on strike.
'I won't take any missions for the next two or three months,' Raizel decided. 'I'm laying low. If I go out now, I'll be mobbed.'
In the world of magic, news cycles were fast.
Today he was the hero; tomorrow someone else would do something crazy. He just had to wait for the storm to pass.
"Wendy," Raizel asked, looking at the little girl drawing at the table. "What would you like to do this afternoon?"
Even though he wanted to hide, he didn't want Wendy to be cooped up inside all day.
Wendy blinked her big brown eyes.
She put down her crayon.
"Hmm... Raizel-san, could you take me to the East Forest?" she asked softly.
"The East Forest? Why?"
"There's... a familiar scent there," Wendy said, touching her nose. "I smelled it during the festival, but I couldn't find it. It feels like... Grandeeney."
Raizel paused.
'Porlyusica.'
He knew exactly who she meant.
Porlyusica, the guild's medicinal advisor, lived deep in the East Forest. She was the Edolas counterpart of Grandeeney, the Sky Dragon. Their scents would be nearly identical to a Dragon Slayer.
Wendy was considerate.
She knew Raizel didn't want to go to crowded places, so she suggested the forest where few people ventured.
"Alright," Raizel nodded. "We can go."
Raizel had driven away the violent Vulcan monsters from the forest years ago, so it was relatively safe.
But he wouldn't take chances.
"Take Over: Omegamon."
Raizel transformed into the Royal Knight. He didn't don the full helmet, keeping his face visible to comfort Wendy, but he wore the white armor and cape.
He lifted Wendy onto his left shoulder, seating her securely near the Brave Shield.
They walked into the woods.
The trees were tall and ancient, their branches filtering the sunlight into dappled patterns on the forest floor.
"Look! Rabbits! Squirrels!"
Wendy pointed excitedly. Small animals scurried away as the armored giant approached.
"And a... what is that?" Wendy pointed to a strange, multi-colored lizard.
"That's a Prism Lizard," Raizel explained. "Don't touch it; its skin is sticky."
Raizel moved with caution.
He didn't emit his magic aura, keeping it suppressed so he wouldn't scare away the wildlife or attract aggressive beasts. He was confident he could handle anything in this forest, but his priority was Wendy's absolute safety.
As they walked, Raizel's mind wandered to the future.
'Wendy loves animals,' he thought. 'Eventually, she'll meet Carla.'
In the original timeline, the Exceeds from Edolas sent 100 eggs to Earthland.
It was supposed to be a refuge mission to save their children, disguised as a mission to hunt Dragon Slayers.
Raizel suspected that some eggs were intentionally guided toward Dragon Slayers by the Anima magic or fate.
Natsu found Happy. Wendy found Carla. Sting found Lector. Rogue found Frosch.
Gajeel... well, Gajeel eventually found Pantherlily, but he was late to the party.
'If Happy's egg arrived in Magnolia, then Carla's egg should be at Cait Shelter,' Raizel reasoned.
However, in this timeline, Wendy was here, not at Cait Shelter.
Would Carla still hatch there? Or would fate bring the egg to Magnolia?
'If Carla is at Cait Shelter, she'll be alone since the place is empty except for the spirit of Master Roubaul,' Raizel realized.
'A kitten alone in a ghost village...'
He made a mental note.
If Carla didn't show up soon, he would take Wendy on a trip to the wasteland to check on the Cait Shelter location.
Although Carla could be bossy and strict, her ability to foresee the future (Precognition) was a massive strategic asset.
And more importantly, Wendy needed her best friend.
"Raizel-san?"
Wendy tugged on his armor, pulling him from his thoughts.
"We're getting close," she whispered. "The scent is stronger."
Raizel looked ahead.
Through the trees, he could see a small, wooden house built into the roots of a giant tree. Smoke curled from the chimney.
Porlyusica's House.
"Let's go say hello," Raizel said. "But be warned, the old lady who lives here... she has a temper."
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