Of Aura and Ethernano (Fairy Tail/ Jaune Arc SI): Chapter 20

x781, Clover Town.

Within the Guild Meeting Building, the place where the Guild Masters of all the top Legal Guilds in Fiore gather to discuss various topics, things were in full swing as various masters discussed various topics.

It was in this meeting that Jaune sat alongside Roubaul’s thought projection, acting as his Guild Master’s assistant, also as his proxy since the Guild Master could not be present for the discussion in person.

As a place where the top guilds gather, it was given that not every legal guild would be invited for the meeting, especially with how often smaller guilds tend to disband and prove themselves unreliable when it came to serious tasks.

To be invited into such a meeting was already proof enough that Jaune’s efforts to bring Cait Shelter into the spotlight were paying off and a point of pride for him.

However, he did not let it get to his head and continued staying vigilant, knowing better than to let his guard down when in the presence of outsiders, thanks to his experience.

The topics of discussion varied, ranging from things as mundane as harvests and yields near their respective guilds' territories or their own industries all the way to the movements of Dark Guilds and potential threats towards the common folk.

It was during this discussion that things slowly devolved into a trajectory that Jaune simply did not expect.

Makarov Dreyar, the guild master of Fairy Tail, laughed loudly as he talked to the Guild Master of Blue Pegasus, Bob, who was praising Fairy Tail’s latest S-Rank mage, Erza Scarlet, who had reached the rank just last year.

“HAHAHA! My children really are amazing!”

Bob simply smiled demurely at those words before speaking again.

“They really are~ All of them are so handsome or beautiful~ and really strong as well.”

Makarov simply grinned at those words. But Master Goldmine of Quatro Cerberus snorted.

“I bet Baccus can still easily defeat that girl in a serious fight.”

Makarov glared at his old friend and immediately climbed onto the table, not even caring about his dignity, as he pointed his finger at Goldmine.

“No way! Erza will wipe the floor with your drunkard!”

“....Says the drunk guy.”

“Shut it! This ain’t about drinking!”

Goldmine simply chuckled and raised his hands in defeat, making Makarov harrumph in pride.

Jaune, on the other hand, was not impressed with how these old men were acting.

For people who hold so much power and were gathered here for the greater good, they sure were quite interested in boasting about their ‘children’.

And unfortunately for Jaune, his own Guild Master was not exempt from this behaviour either.

“Hoho! While I acknowledge Ms. Scarlet’s power based on the available records, I don’t think she can match up to my own S-Class wizards in terms of reputation, Nabura!”

Makarov was instantly incensed by Roubaul’s words as the midget Guild Master spun on his feet, now facing the Master of Cait Shelter.

“Oh yeah? How so?”

Roubaul simply smiled cheekily as he pointed at Jaune, who gave an exasperated sigh.

“Nabura! Ms. Scarlet has gained a good reputation in the past years, but my Jaune reached S-Rank long before her and has a far better reputation than hers. He also holds the current record for the highest number of S-Rank requests completed in a single month.”

“That record was rigged, and you know it! If those request destinations and targets were not so close to each other, he would not have been able to do that!”

Makarov hopped in place with anger, but then gave an apologetic look towards Jaune, expressing that he meant no offence with his words. An action that Jaune responded to with a respectful nod and a smile.

The old men continued to bicker for some time before things finally settled down until Master Goldmine spoke with a chuckle.

“Still. I guess that saying about the young surpassing the old was true. So many promising people have been appearing in the younger generation these days, eh? Makarov?”

Makarov nodded at those words with pride, knowing that many of the so-called promising young generation were from his guild, but still, he also acknowledged that there were good people in other guilds as well.

“Titania Erza, Gildarts, and the Thunder God Tribe from my guild, Iron Rock Jura of Lamia Scale,  Ichiya of Blue Pegasus, The Drunk Falcon Baccus of Quatro Cerberus, and the Golden Knight Jaune Arc of Cait Shelter. So many talented men and women.”

Makarov smiled as he leaned back into his seat.

“The future of our kingdom really is looking bright, eh?”

“Indeed~”

Once again, the guild masters went back to their bickering and simple talks since all the heavy stuff had already been talked about before hand, such as the Alvarez Empire’s invasion attempt a few months ago, the sudden spike in Dark Guilds in recent years along with strange magical seignatures across the land, and even the absurd risk that Gildarts Clive of Fairy Tail took by deciding to take on the infamous 100-year quest recently.

It was as they were talking that Jaune felt a familiar magic signature sneak up behind him, her arms holding out to try and close his eyes.

However, Jaune easily dodged the attempt and quietly withdrew from Roubaul’s side, making sure that this matter would not disrupt the old men from their talks.

With annoyance, Jaune turned to the woman with long green hair and brown eyes who stared at him with a seductive look.

Despite her obvious beauty that would make any man swoon, Jaune felt nothing but annoyance for her.

“What do you want? Karen?”

“What? Can’t I say hi to a friend that I met after so long?”

Jaune suppressed the outburst that was about to come out of him at the word ‘friend’, knowing that it was exactly the kind of attention that Karen was seeking.

In fact, this woman would do anything for any kind of attention. That was the kind of vain woman she was, and the reason why Jaune hated dealing with her in any way, shape, or form.

Suppressing his emotions, Jaune looked the woman up and down, noticing the rather haggard look she sported underneath all that makeup, something that only someone of his experience could spot.

If it were up to Jaune, he would have had this tragedy of a mage thrown out of the building where only those who truly deserve their power were located. However, he was not he one in charge, and he did not want to insult Master Bob with his actions, especially since the man in question was nothing but kind to him and his companions whenever he passed through their territory.

So, with a deep breath, Jaune gave Karen a flat stare.

“...If you have nothing important to say, I have other things to take care of-“

“Ok! I’ll speak!”

Jaune paused in his step and turned back to the woman, who now put on a pitiful look.

“So, it's like this. I’ve run into a bit of a problem and need your help.”

Jaune raised an eyebrow as he mockingly gave a gasp, making the girl give him an annoyed look.

“You? The great Karen Lilica of Blue Pegasus? The Celestial Spirit Mage that holds not one but two Golden Keys? Please tell me it's not so!”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up!”

Jaune just grinned at those words as he finally felt vindication for the hell she put him through when he was still an unaffiliated mage a few years back, demanding that he become her slave in exchange for helping him get good-paying jobs.

But soon, that feeling left him as he realized that there was no meaning in holding a grudge against someone like her.

His old friends would truly be disappointed in him if he did something so petty, so he just shook his head before speaking again with a serious tone.

“I can already tell that you are constantly losing your magic power even without a proper examination. The physical markers are clearly apparent, which you are trying to hide with makeup and cosmetic magic. Tell me, what is actually happening?”

Karen bit her lips and turned away from him.

“.....I caught a curse-“

“Did you forget that I am someone who regularly deals with Dark Guilds and knows exactly what a cursed person feels like? If you are going to lie to me, you might as well go speak with someone else. ”

With that, he turned around and prepared to leave, making Karen panic.

“Wait! I’ll speak, please.”

Jaune did not turn around, but he did stop walking.

With a sigh, Karen spoke words that instantly incensed the Huntsman from Remnant.

“That bastard Leo, he refuses to go back to the Celestial Spirit World, simply because I used Ares for some fun. I mean, what the hell does he think he is!? He is just a tool that should serve me, just like that bitch Ares!”

“All I did was have her serve a few of my admirers, that’s all! So what if some of those men wanted to play with her for a bit? So what if some of them wanted to use her for target practice? It's not like they are people-“

“Enough.”

Karen instantly shut up, realizing quickly that she had accidentally spoken too much as Jaune’s Aura flared around him like a raging golden flame before he forcefully suppressed it.

There was no sneer on his face or anger in his eyes. There was no condemnation or words about morality that Karen had heard so much of already from her guildmates and others around her.

No. There was just a cold, indifferent look in his eyes.

As if looking at an insect not worth using his brain cells for.

“Leave. And never show your face in front of me again.”

There was no threat in his words, nor was his body language threatening.

Yet, Karen could not help the chill that went down her spine.

She knew instinctively that if she pushed the issue, he really might draw his blade then and there.

And if his reputation is to be believed, once he draws his blade, he stops looking at his targets as humans. Something that she refused to test since she was already extremely weakened, along with the fact that she can’t summon any spirits at the moment because of Leo’s defiance of her orders.

So, Karen Lilica gritted her teeth in humiliation and anger before stomping away from Jaune.

It would also be the last time Jaune would ever see this woman.

For the news of her death would soon spread across the kingdom a month later, thanks to her previous fame.