CHAPTER 610: ULTEAR’S IDENTITY

Mira placed the plates one by one on the table and called out cheerfully, "Everyone, dinner’s ready!"

Right after, Erza came in carrying a tray of food as well.

The two had been busy in the kitchen as soon as they returned. Many guild members hadn’t even had lunch after spending the morning taking the exam and the afternoon fighting.

Rhodes glanced at Erza. Even though her body was covered in bandages, she wore only a swimsuit with an apron over it, an oddly striking sight. He couldn’t imagine where she had learned to dress like that.

Mira looked down at her own plain clothes and skirt, then wondered if she should drop by Erza’s dorm sometime just to see what her wardrobe was like. For someone so shy, Erza’s outfits were always daring and bold. Still, Mira wasn’t jealous, she understood that Erza never viewed the men in the guild in that way at all.

She quietly sat down beside Rhodes, realizing it had been a long time since they’d been this close.

Rhodes felt the same, but with both of them wrapped in bandages, it wasn’t exactly easy to get any closer.

Even so, the late-night meal quickly turned into a lively little party.

Not far away, Precht was bandaged like a mummy, while Zancrow and Bluenote remained unconscious beside him. Ultear and Meredy still hadn’t returned, Caprico had vanished, Rustyrose had been burned into charcoal, Kain and his cursed doll were dead, and Azuma had fused with the forest itself. Their remaining members sat dejected and quiet, making Precht suddenly feel, in contrast, that perhaps he preferred the warm, noisy atmosphere inside Fairy Tail’s tent.

After the meal, Rhodes asked, "Any food left over?"

Mira perked up. "You’re still hungry? I’ll go make more."

"It’s not for me." Rhodes smiled, gently taking her hand as he stood. "I want to bring something tasty to Mavis."

He still wasn’t sure what state Mavis existed in now. When she had given him Fairy Glitter, he thought she might be a lingering magical projection. But when she had spoken through him to Precht, it felt more like she was a ghost, or perhaps something similar to Cait Shelter’s Master Roubaul.

If that was the case, then visiting her with food to share seemed like something that would make Mavis happy.

Mira nodded warmly. "We should definitely go see her."

On a whim, Rhodes conjured a small flower crown and placed it gently on Mira’s head. Mira touched it with her fingers and smiled. For someone who had just gone through such an important trial, he still found the mood for silly little gestures like this.

"Phew~ it’s good to be young," came a voice from the doorway.

Gildarts had returned, and the first thing he saw was Rhodes and Mira bustling about, with Mira smiling and wearing the flower crown.

"I saved food for you too," Mira said brightly. "It’s still hot."

Gildarts chuckled. "That Mira’s really grown considerate."

Mira puffed her cheeks and replied seriously, "You don’t look hungry at all. Why don’t you let Cana eat it instead?"

"Ehhh~" Gildarts drooped in defeat.

Cana, amused, just laughed at her father’s antics.

But Rhodes’s gaze fell past them, onto the two people father and daughter had brought back. He immediately recognized the woman with the long black hair: Ultear, the former Council member.

As for the little girl with the pink hair standing beside her, that was someone he hadn’t seen before.

But there was no doubt, she was someone from Grimoire Heart.

"These two are members of the Seven Kin of Purgatory," Cana explained casually. Then she turned her head toward the tent. "Gray’s inside, right?"

"Yeah," Rhodes nodded.

Without hesitation, Cana walked in boldly. "Gray, come out for a second."

"Huh?"

"There are two people you probably need to see."

"What now?" Gray complained, but let Cana drag him outside.

The instant his eyes landed on Ultear’s face, he froze. "Ultear?! No...wait... you’re;"

Shock and confusion collided across Gray’s face. This woman looked too much like his master, Ur.

Wendy, Lucy, Lisanna, Juvia, and Cana all peeked out from the tent, their heads lined neatly in a row at the entrance.

At the sight of the two beautiful women, Juvia’s inner alarms blared. She bit down on her clothes to stop herself from crying out.

Had Gray-sama’s charm reached the point where even enemies were drawn to him? Her heart wavered between joy and despair.

Ultear’s expression softened into one of sorrow. "My name is Ultear. I am Ur’s daughter. You... probably never even knew I existed."

Beside her, Meldy stood stiffly, her glare at Gray laced with barely veiled killing intent.

"You..." Gray began, but Ultear cut in with quiet certainty.

"Actually, we’ve met before. On Galuna Island."

Her body shimmered and transformed, becoming the short, masked old man they had once encountered, then shifted back to her true form.

"Ah! It’s her!" Lucy blurted out in surprise from behind.

Gray spun around at once; Rhodes, Mira, and the rest all turned to stare at Lucy.

Lucy quickly slapped her hands over her mouth and ducked back inside the tent. The others followed suit, retreating with awkward looks that silently scolded her.

Lucy squatted down, raising both hands in apology. Only once voices resumed outside did they cautiously peek out again.

Gray, regaining his composure, demanded, "If you’re Ur’s daughter, then why... why did you do all that with Lyon? You knew the one who froze Deliora was Ur. And yet you used Moon Drip!"

"Yes, I knew."

Ultear’s eyes lowered. "At that time, I was pretending to be Jellal’s subordinate, infiltrating Lyon’s group under his orders.

"Lyon’s goal was to test his own strength. Jellal’s goal was to see if Deliora’s power could be used.

"But in truth, I was sent by Grimoire Heart to masquerade as Zeref’s ghost and manipulate Jellal into completing the Tower of Heaven. I also infiltrated the Council as his ally, acting as a spy.

"So the goal back then was to see if there was any key to resurrecting Zeref."

Her tone grew heavier. "Of course, I also intended to use Master Hades and the power of Grimoire Heart for my own wish."

"..."

Rhodes exchanged a glance with Mira.

They were both taken aback. By Ultear’s own words, she had infiltrated Grimoire Heart for her own ends, been sent by Grimoire Heart to infiltrate Jellal’s side, infiltrated the Council with Jellal, and then infiltrated Lyon’s group for Moon Drip.

How many faces did this woman wear?

Rhodes started counting on his fingers, her cover identities sounded even more convoluted than a spy movie plot.

"You..." Gray still couldn’t fully process it. Why would Ur’s daughter do such things?

Ultear whispered, almost to herself, "I don’t know what I wanted back then either. Maybe it was to completely erase Ur. Maybe it was to prove she was wrong, that everything she did was meaningless. Or maybe..."

She faltered, then admitted the thought she wasn’t sure she should say.

Maybe, deep down, She hoped that when Moon Drip melted that Absolute Freeze... there might be a one-in-ten-thousand chance that Ur would return.

...

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