Fairy Tail: Sun Eater-Part 3

411. Judgment

Hey guys, I'm trying a new format for the dialogues. Hope you like it
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After Ben wakes up, his priority is to make sure everything is fine now. Mira tells him that no one on their side died in the war and Alvarez has lost, just like Acnologia. He sighs in relief before checking on himself.

"How long have I slept?"

"8 days. It must've been an intense battle."

"Yeah, surely the most difficult battle I've ever done. What happened in these 8 days?"

Mira explains to Ben what happened in the last 8 days as a result of the war. Ishgar imprisoned the remaining 6 Spriggans in a very secure prison guarded by Wizard Saints. They plan to guard it until Ben wakes up because they want to leave the decision to him.

Alvarez has sent a messenger to talk about the future. The messenger is one of the Spriggans' grandfather, Ajeel's grandfather, Yajeel. Even after the war finished, Alvarez and Ishgar still need to talk about their future.

The Magic Council decided to leave this matter to Ben who won the war single-handedly. Many people, especially the National Leaders were opposing this idea, but the Wizard Saints and Big Guilds shut them up. For these Mages, only Ben has the right to decide because he was the only one who fought in the real war.

"Tell Draculos I will go to the prison tomorrow. I want to fill my energy for today."

Ben then goes to meet his children, family members, and guildmates. He eats together with them to fill his stomach which hasn't been filled for 8 days. Ben spends time with his family members who have been worried for days.

The next day, Ben goes to the prison as he said, and meets the 6 Spriggans. They look very scared when they see Ben even though he hasn't done anything. His battle against Acnologia is still vivid in their mind as if they've just seen it.

"Your Emperor has died, Acnologia has died, and your Empire is in a mess right now. I will ask you, what are you planning to do from now on?"

No one answers because they think that there's no chance for the losers, only destruction and death are waiting for them. But August then thinks otherwise when he remembers what kind of man Ben is from his research, so he takes his chance.

"If possible, can you let Alvarez continue to be an Empire, a free nation? His Highness has built that Empire for a very long time. I don't want it to be erased from this world. I know I'm asking too much, but that's what I'm hoping for. You can make some terms and conditions for Alvarez, but please don't destroy it."

Ben and the others are surprised by what August said. Though Ben knows August doesn't love the Empire as a nation, he loves it because it was made by Zeref.

"Why do you love Zeref this much?"

August doesn't answer Ben's question for a while.

"... Is it strange for a child to love their father?"

Except for Irene, the others including the 4 Spriggans are surprised by his answer. Ben is grinning when he hears that.

"So that's why you have a similar smell and that's also the reason you have a massive reserve of magic power. But there is also another familiar smell coming from you. Are you by chance, the child of Zeref and our First Master?"

"You are correct."

August's answer doesn't just surprise the Spriggans, but also the other spectators. The other Gods of Ishgar, Jura, and Makarov are present to see how Ben interrogated the 6 Spriggans. But this isn't the only surprise they'll hear today.