LRAB Page 349
Page 349
They returned to the tower as if nothing had happened.
However, from that day on, Simon became more cautious.
During construction, he began investigating the tower's true purpose.
[And, the whereabouts of the person who left.]
Every so often, Simon would notice newly washed-up bones drifting ashore.
This made him increasingly suspicious of Gerald.
Could it be that all those who were released back then... are dead?
Could it really be... Gerald who did it?
These questions vanished completely once Simon understood the purpose of the Tower of Paradise.
It's almost certain that Gerald did it.
The Tower of Paradise is forbidden magic; therefore, Jellal will absolutely not allow anyone who knows about it to leave and inform the outside world.
Those people... were probably secretly destroyed by Gerald not long after they left, right?
Upon learning the truth, Simon even began to doubt the perfect world Gerald had described.
[Until he discovered that the person Gerald truly wanted to resurrect was not some god capable of bringing good to people at all.]
[It is, in fact, the legendary dark mage Zeref!]
From that moment on, Simon realized that Gerald had changed.
It's become unfamiliar, it's become...evil!
This tower cannot be allowed to continue developing, but...
Simon's power was far too insignificant.
Although, in the eyes of Hugh and his group of naive youngsters, Simon was the strongest.
However, for Simon, who had gained Gerald's trust and thus was frequently allowed to go out on missions, this was a different story.
He was acutely aware of just how insignificant his own power truly was.
Forget about destroying the Tower of Paradise; if he shows even the slightest sign of something amiss, Gerald could probably crush him with a single finger.
So he went into hiding.
[Waiting for an opportunity, a chance... to use someone else to do the dirty work.]
That opportunity only recently presented itself.
[With the Tower of Paradise completed, Gerald ordered them to find a suitable body to serve as a sacrifice.]
It doesn't matter who it is, nor does it matter the number.
In other words, strength is not important.
[As long as you have enough talent, even a child can succeed.]
Therefore, Simon and his companions boarded a ship bound for the mainland.
At that moment, Simon knew his chance had come.
An opportunity has arisen to lure a powerful mage to the Tower of Paradise, incite hatred between the two sides, and ultimately destroy the Tower of Paradise.
Simon immediately focused his attention on Fairy Tail.
Over the years, he had also come to know that Fairy Tail had long since become one of the strongest guilds on the entire continent.
[Especially Hänatsu, Erza, and others, whose fame has spread throughout the entire continent.]
[This attack, to put it bluntly, was actually just a test of Henna and the others' strength, orchestrated by Simon.]
If he proves powerful, then Simon wasn't wrong about him.
If he is weak, he will seek out others.
[After the attack ends, I'll retreat immediately and then try to kidnap Happy, the cat next to Henna.]
[By taking Happy to the Tower of Paradise, they can attract the strongest members of Fairy Tail to the tower.]
That was Simon's whole purpose.
After hearing all this, Honez couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Should I say you're smart, or stupid?"
"Isn't that clever... You've thought of so much, your plan is so well-organized, and the success rate is even quite high."
"But to call it foolish..."
Black Natsu paused, then looked at Simon: "Perhaps you never imagined that I could kill you in an instant?"
"You know what? If I weren't just a little curious about you..."
"You died in that split second just now!"
Simon nodded with a hint of bitterness. "Indeed, I overlooked that."
"At the same time, they also looked down on the strong in the world."
"Setting my sights on the strong was indeed a bit presumptuous of me."
Simon's eyes narrowed slightly at this point.
That fleeting moment kept flashing through his mind.
[In an instant! It really was just a fleeting moment.]
As darkness fell, my body was simultaneously struck by an unimaginable force.
He didn't even see clearly how his opponent made their move.
[The person's entire consciousness then truly plunged into darkness.]
[He couldn't help but shake his head: "It really is... a monster beyond our comprehension..."]
Chapter 250 A Surprise!
[Buzz...]
With a soft sound, the dancer's illusory form gradually emerged from Black Natsu's body.
"So? Do you think he lied?"
[Henatsu crossed his arms, glanced at the dancer, and asked a question. ~]
The dancer gently shook her head at this.
"Judging from his facial expression, he doesn't seem to be lying. I feel I can believe that this guy really thinks that way."
After confirming the dancer's identity, Hazen turned his gaze to Simon.
"I must say, you're quite lucky."
Simon looked up at the man before him, frowning as he asked, "What...do you mean by that?"
"It's simple, we're interested in the Tower of Paradise too."
"So, even if you don't come, we'll still go to the Tower of Paradise," Henatsu replied.
"However, since you're here, you can lead the way."
Simon's eyes lit up with surprise: "So... you really can help us fight against the Tower of Paradise!!"
"You can interpret it however you like, but at least our goals should be the same," Henna said.
As he spoke, he gave Erza a look behind him.
Erza understood immediately.
[Remove the magic immediately.]
In an instant, all the swords surrounding Xiu vanished.
The deadly crisis has passed.
Xiu breathed a sigh of relief.
He suddenly knelt down on the ground.
Sweat dripped down like raindrops, soaking the floor.
Heavy breathing could be heard.
Seeing this, Simon rushed over and helped Hugh up.
But Hugh shoved him away.
"Hugh..." Simon stared blankly at Hugh.
"What exactly did you mean by what you just said?!"
[Shu glared at Simon.]
"You mean... Gerald has been lying to us all along?!"