Summoner of the Fairy Tail - Chapter 273

From his information, Calvin speculated that the true mastermind behind the Eclipse Project might be the King of Fiore. If that were the case, it would explain why soldiers had captured Future Lucy. However, this was still just a theory. It was also possible that Arcadios had discovered Future Lucy and secretly ordered her abduction while negotiating with the present-day Lucy.

Both possibilities seemed likely, and since Calvin hadn’t found any trace of Future Lucy in the castle, he doubted that further searching would yield much.

“I wonder if Jellal found anything on the streets. I should meet up with him, but I can’t leave the castle just yet…” Calvin glanced one last time at the imprisoned Arcadios and Yukino. Unable to discern anything further, he left disappointed. However, before departing, he left behind two Phantasmal Insects—one to keep an eye on Arcadios and the other to monitor the king’s chambers.

After stealthily avoiding all guards and exiting the castle, Calvin flew to meet Jellal. Once they met, they quickly exchanged updates from the night’s investigations.

“Nothing. I didn’t find a single clue in the city,” Jellal said, his worry evident.

“Well, Crocus is huge. It’s no surprise,” Calvin reassured him.

“And you? Did you find Future Lucy in the castle?”

Calvin didn’t answer immediately. He first expanded his magical senses, searching carefully for Future Lucy’s magic. After a moment, he shook his head in disappointment.

The gesture made it clear that Calvin hadn’t found anything in the castle, and after his failed attempt to sense her magic now, it was apparent he hadn’t located her at all. Still, Jellal couldn’t help but ask, “You couldn’t sense anything?”

Calvin nodded. “Nothing. The castle’s empty of any trace of her. Arcadios is still imprisoned, likely by the Minister of Defense. I have a theory that the real mastermind behind the Eclipse Project is the king.”

Jellal thought momentarily, then grimly nodded in agreement as if reaching the same conclusion.

If Arcadios had been acting alone, it would be one thing, but rescuing Future Lucy would mean going up against the entire kingdom of Fiore if the king himself were behind the project.

Both Jellal and Calvin realized this and felt the weight of the situation.

“But you’re not going to give up on rescuing Lucy, right?” Jellal asked with a wry smile, sensing Calvin’s resolve.

“Of course not. We’re Fairy Tail,” Calvin responded with a determined smile.

“So, what’s your next move?”

“I’m not sure yet. Although Future Lucy was captured, things are still going according to my expectations. As long as the king needs Lucy’s magical power, her life shouldn’t be in danger. I’ve already set up my summons to monitor the king. Once I find out where Lucy is, I’ll rescue her immediately. We also don’t have to worry too much about the Eclipse Project—without the twelve Zodiac keys, the plan can’t succeed,” Calvin said, analyzing the situation calmly. Hearing this, Jellal visibly relaxed.

…

The next day, Calvin was abruptly woken by a scream.

Because of his late-night infiltration of the castle, Calvin had gone to bed later than usual. Today was a rest day before the final survival battle, so he had planned to sleep in. However, the scream forced him out of bed.

He recognized the voice—it was Lucy.

Calvin, now very attuned to anything concerning Lucy, yawned as he went to her room, where a crowd had already gathered at the door. Peering inside, he saw Lucy frantically searching her room, looking panicked.

“What’s going on?” Calvin asked, standing on his toes to see better. Gray responded casually, “Lucy’s keys are missing. She’s looking for them.”

The moment Calvin heard this, his face darkened. His worst fear had come true.

He didn’t need to guess; Lucy’s keys hadn’t simply gone missing—they had been stolen. And the one who took them was undoubtedly the true mastermind behind the Eclipse Project.

“Even though I was asleep, my senses were still covering the entire inn. If a stranger had entered, I would’ve known. That means the keys were stolen while I was at the castle last night,” Calvin thought, forcing himself to remain calm.

“Still, even with that, Makarov and Laxus were both in the inn. For someone to steal the keys without alerting anyone means they’re not to be underestimated. Could it be a highly trained mage from the kingdom?”

Every S-class mage, especially those undertaking solo missions, remains vigilant while asleep. This makes Calvin all the more concerned that the thief was able to bypass their defenses.

At that moment, Natsu, still half-asleep, wandered over. Calvin quickly pulled him aside and asked him to sniff out any unfamiliar scents in the room.

Though confused, Natsu complied, sniffing the air vigorously. His expression soon turned serious.

“There is a faint scent of someone unfamiliar, but it’s too weak to track,” Natsu reported gravely.

With that, everyone’s mood shifted from mild concern to alarm. Moments ago, they had thought Lucy had simply misplaced her keys, but with a stranger’s scent, it was clear now that they had been stolen.

For a Celestial Spirit Mage like Lucy, losing her keys was akin to losing all her powers. And with someone having just asked to use Lucy’s keys for the Eclipse Project the day before, the connection was undeniable.

“Could it have been those people?” Gray asked.

“Almost certainly,” Calvin replied quietly, his expression as grim as ever.

“Those jerks never listen! Calvin already told them yesterday that their plan was impossible! I’m going to the castle to get Lucy’s keys back!” Natsu roared in frustration, ready to charge out immediately.

“Wait a minute! What plan? Who stole Lucy’s keys?” Erza intervened, stopping Natsu and demanding an explanation, her anger simmering beneath the surface.

Gray took the opportunity to explain everything that had happened at the Dragon Graveyard the night before. Even Makarov was drawn into the conversation, and after hearing it all, the members of Fairy Tail fell into a heavy silence.

The situation was so shocking that anyone could not decide what to do immediately.

Realizing that the kingdom had likely stolen her keys, Lucy cried, sobbing on her knees.

Seeing Lucy cry, Natsu couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Master! I don’t care if it’s the kingdom or whatever—I’m going to get those keys back now!” Natsu shouted again, ready to storm the castle. But this time, Makarov stopped him—with an enlarged fist.

“Calm down! We all feel the same way, but our opponent is an entire kingdom. We can’t act recklessly. Besides, all of this is still just speculation. We don’t have any proof that the kingdom was responsible,” Makarov said sternly.

Makarov disagreed with the Eclipse Project and supported Calvin’s objections, but they could not easily go up against an entire kingdom without evidence.

Despite all their discussions, they couldn’t develop a suitable plan of action, leaving them frustrated and at a loss for what to do.

In such situations, Makarov had always relied on Calvin to handle the tricky parts.

And now, he did the same. His gaze naturally fell on Calvin, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, seeming either completely confident or utterly clueless.

Noticing Makarov’s look, the rest of the group also turned their eyes to Calvin, waiting for him to speak.

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