CHAPTER 757: JUST A DRAGON-SHAPED VEHICLE, NOTHING TO MENTION

Rhodes didn’t recognize the two people, but from the emblem carved on the airship, he quickly guessed their identities, and the reason for their visit.

He said nothing, simply meeting Jieman’s gaze in silence.

The man’s magic power was solid, but not quite what Rhodes expected. It was strong, certainly, yet still fell short of what one might expect from the Guild Master of Fiore’s so-called "number-one guild."

The woman beside him, however, had a sharp and refined aura, comparable to Erza’s level of power, though Rhodes hadn’t seen Erza in over two months.

Lucy recognized the Sabertooth emblem, but Jieman’s piercing eyes made her uneasy, and she didn’t dare to speak.

Happy instinctively hid behind her.

Only Natsu, who neither knew them nor recognized the emblem, broke the silence. "Who are you guys supposed to be?"

His tone carried that unmistakable edge of hostility. Translated less politely, it sounded a lot like: Who the hell are you?

Jieman had been staring intently at Rhodes, but Natsu’s voice made him pause. He gave Natsu a brief, disdainful glance before returning his attention to Rhodes.

"The brat from your guild is quite rude," he said coldly. "Is that how one addresses a strong man?"

"What did you just say?!" Natsu’s hair practically sparked.

Rhodes chuckled lightly. "Should I take it as a compliment that I wasn’t lumped in as a brat? But honestly, compared to Natsu, it’s hard to say whether you truly count as a ’strong man.’"

Natsu grinned smugly, pleased with the support, while Jieman’s eyes darkened.

"I’m merely showing respect to the title of Saint Ten," Jieman said stiffly. "Don’t mistake it for acknowledgment, boy."

Magic pressure rippled through the air. The beads around his neck rattled, and his long sleeves fluttered despite the still air. It was obvious that Rhodes’s words had touched a nerve.

For Jieman, the timing of this summons was humiliating.

He was the master of Fiore’s top guild, his ambitions set firmly on joining the ranks of the Ten Wizard Saints, and eventually, becoming the leader of the strongest guild in the world.

Yet the Council had delayed his nomination. Rumor had it that the master of an unknown guild had been shortlisted instead, a man who relied more on magic tools than his own power. The insult burned in Jieman’s chest.

And now, instead of being called to receive the Saint Ten title, he was summoned for causing trouble? Worse yet, Sabertooth had been the one to suffer losses, yet the Council claimed they were at fault.

Jieman suspected bias, Rhodes’s name was already on the Saint Ten roster, and clearly, the Council favored him.

Even so, he wasn’t furious at the Council itself. He understood one thing perfectly well: strength ruled everything.

If Rhodes was strong enough to deserve special treatment, then Jieman simply had to prove he was stronger.

He fixed Rhodes with a predatory gaze, the kind that promised a future duel.

Beside him, Minerva spoke up smoothly. "Father, your daughter understands your feelings and believes in your strength. But this is neither the time nor the place."

Jieman exhaled sharply through his nose, forcing his aura back under control. "Hmph. Consider yourself fortunate."

Rhodes blinked, more amused than anything. ’Was this man really that confident?’

As for the woman, her tone was polite, but something about her words sounded a little too practiced, like she was deliberately pushing her father forward while pretending to pull him back.

He couldn’t help thinking that if she kept "helping" him like this, the poor man might not survive long.

Minerva then turned her full attention to Rhodes, offering a graceful bow. "Mr. Rhodes, on behalf of my father and our guild, I extend the apologies of Sting, Rogue, and Orga. They deeply regret their discourtesy during your last visit to Sabertooth and wish to convey their respect for you and your companion."

"Furthermore," Minerva continued smoothly, "my father merely wished to experience your strength firsthand. He had no intention of offending you. Please don’t take it to heart. If you ever have the leisure, we would be honored to welcome you and your esteemed wife to visit Sabertooth again."

She placed her right hand on her left abdomen and bowed slightly, her gesture one of flawless elegance. Her words and etiquette were perfect, but her tone carried that faint, unmistakable arrogance born of long-standing pride.

"Compared to your father, your demeanor is more fitting for a Guild Master," Rhodes replied evenly. "If I have the chance, I’ll certainly visit again."

For the first time, Minerva’s eyebrow twitched. This man wasn’t just another simple-minded brute like Natsu.

At that moment, two Council guards hurried over, looking flustered. "Guild Master Jieman, please proceed quickly, the meeting is about to begin."

Jieman nodded curtly. The guards positioned themselves at his sides, ready to escort him and Minerva into the Council chamber.

Minerva turned back toward Rhodes, her lips curving into a calm, challenging smile. "May I ask Saint Rhodes to make way?"

Her words were courteous, but her tone was not.

Rhodes caught Lucy’s hand just as she instinctively stepped aside, and also grabbed Natsu’s wrist before he could shout something incendiary. He smiled lightly.

"All right, we’ll make way."

The next instant, a surge of overwhelming magic power burst from Rhodes, rippling through the air like thunder.

Jieman and Minerva’s expressions hardened immediately. Both took instinctive defensive stances, their magic rising in response.

"S-Saint Rhodes..." the two guards stammered, retreating rapidly.

A deep hum filled the courtyard. Blue light shimmered across the ground, and with a sharp flash, a massive dragon materialized before them.

It was no living creature, but a majestic construct of magic and metal: a blue-purple Hextech Dragon, its body plated with golden alloy and studded with azure crystals that pulsed with power.

When it spread its wings, arcs of blue lightning crackled along its frame, and a gust of wind rolled through the plaza, scattering loose papers and rattling the Council doors.

The sheer pressure forced Jieman and Minerva to take several steps back.

Rhodes stood casually atop the dragon’s back, Lucy clinging to him in alarm while Happy trembled beside her. Natsu, on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear, shouting with boyish excitement.

The guards, now several dozen meters away, shouted in panic, "Saint Rhodes! This is the Council! Please calm down!"

"Calm down? I am calm," Rhodes replied, patting the Hextech Dragon’s golden neck crest. "This is just my ride. You Council people were curious before, so I thought I’d give you a demonstration. Well then, farewell!"

The Dragon flapped its wings once, lifting effortlessly into the air. No violent blast of magic, no recoil, just pure precision. The air rippled as it rose gracefully into the sky.

Even so, the shockwave it produced sent dust flying everywhere.

The guards, far enough away, managed to stay upright, but Jieman and Minerva, standing too close, were nearly blown over. Minerva quickly invoked her spatial magic, forming a shimmering barrier that shielded them from the worst of it.

As the Hextech Wyvern soared into the clouds, Jieman stared after it, dumbfounded. The sleek metallic frame gleamed under the sunlight, it was nothing like the flaming dragon Sting and Rogue had described.

Rhodes had even called it a "vehicle."

Could it be that this so-called dragon wasn’t a real creature at all, but some kind of advanced magical machine, a product of lost technology or ancient craft?

Minerva’s expression was tight. This was not the "way of making way" she had expected.

If Rhodes could summon and control a construct of that scale so easily, and if Fairy Tail had more of them, then Sabertooth’s strength was meaningless by comparison.

She clenched her hand slightly, her eyes cold. Unless, of course, she relied on her magic.

She possessed the strongest spatial magic, magic that could even surpass the reach of a dragon.