After Mystogan left, only Makarov, Noah, Laxus, and the other S-Class examiners remained. Ur was away, but Laxus had been in the guild; he just hadn't participated as an examiner.

Noah turned to the women who had served as examiners. "Why didn't you go a little easy on them, or just pass them? Their strength should be sufficient by now."

"After going on that SS-Class mission with you, I feel like my strength still isn't enough," Ultear replied. "Their skills are decent, but they would all benefit from more training."

Noah looked at Mirajane, Sorano, and Erza, and saw them all nod in agreement with Ultear's assessment.

Erza, in particular, added, "It's true. They're still far from ready."

Noah just ignored Erza's comment. She was notoriously strict and incapable of holding back; her opinion on this matter was worthless. Still, since Ultear and the others were the examiners, they had the right to set their own standards.

He could only apologize silently to Lyon and the others. It seemed he had inadvertently doomed them by raising the bar.

After chatting for a while, everyone went home to rest.

The newly promoted Mystogan began accepting S-Class jobs at a furious pace. He was clearly in dire need of money, and powerful magic items were indeed expensive. Noah had to track him down and tell him to slow down, offering to lend him the money if he needed it. Mystogan refused the loan but did return half of the request forms, so he'd clearly taken the warning to heart.

Ten days later, it was the end of the year. The guild celebrated the new year with its customary all-night party, with everyone crashing at the guild hall afterward.

The next day was the first day of the new year, X783.

Everyone settled back into their routines. Noah, too, returned to his cycle of study, research, and training.

About a month passed when Noah received sudden news: the Western Continent had officially severed all diplomatic relations with Ishgar.

He immediately went to find Makarov, who was already sitting at the bar, lost in serious thought. When Makarov saw him, he stood and walked to a quiet corner, with Noah following.

"Gramps," Noah said, "you've heard the news about the Western Continent, haven't you?"

"Yes, I just received word."

"Given their previous invasion attempt, this move is almost certainly a sign of hostile intent," Noah said grimly. He knew the Alvarez Empire was led by a man who was clearly unstable, with a cabinet full of warmongers. A nation like that was incredibly dangerous.

"I know," Makarov said with a wave of his hand. "But this isn't something you need to worry about. Let me handle it. You just focus on getting stronger."

Makarov had high hopes for Noah. To be so powerful at such a young age, he needed to stay on his path without distractions. These were the burdens a parent should bear.

"If you need anything, Gramps, you have to ask me for help."

"I will. Now, go on."

After talking with Makarov, Noah went home, his mind on the Alvarez Empire. With diplomacy severed, all normal channels of travel and communication were gone. Fortunately, he and Jude had already prepared for this, as had Grammi. During her last visit, Noah had given her and Brandish a positioning marker, so he could find them if he ever went to the Western Continent.

He knew he would have to go there eventually, but not yet. He wasn't strong enough.

But he also knew they wouldn't attack immediately. Their Emperor was still... wandering. As long as he remained hesitant, the empire wouldn't move. Plus, the Magic Council still had its two ultimate weapons, Etherion and Face. An invasion would result in catastrophic casualties, even if they succeeded. For now, they would wait.

With that in mind, Noah decided he only needed to pay casual attention to the situation. He could continue his own work.

Another month passed. Noah was reading in the guild hall when he suddenly felt a foreign magic trying to affect him. It failed instantly. His own magic was too powerful, his body was layered with protective spells, and he had detected it immediately.

His first thought was an intruder, but as he analyzed the magic signature, he realized it was familiar. It was someone from the guild.

He stood up, scanned the room, and saw his target trying to sneak out the door.

In a flash, Noah was behind him, lifting him off the ground by the scruff of his neck. "Mest? What are you doing?"

"Whoa! Noah, I can explain! The Master knows about this!"

Noah nodded, then teleported both of them directly to Makarov's side.

Makarov saw them and sighed. He knew what had happened. "Come with me," he said, turning and walking to a private room.

Once they were alone, Makarov turned to Noah. "Mest was trying to erase your memories of him. I authorized it."

Noah waited. He knew there was more.

"After the diplomatic ties were cut," Makarov continued, "I asked Mest to infiltrate the Magic Council to gather any and all intelligence on the Western Continent. But as a low-level member, he can't get access to anything. So... he decided to erase his own memories of the guild, and our memories of him, allowing him to infiltrate deeper. He failed with you."

Noah nodded. He had to admire Mest's dedication. To erase his own past, all his happy memories of the guild, just to protect it... it was an incredible sacrifice.

"You don't have to do that," Noah said, looking at Mest. "I can seal your memories instead. That way, when your mission is over, I can restore them. It's not fair to you, or to us, to lose you as a comrade."

"Really? But won't the Council detect it?" Mest asked, hopeful but worried. "Maybe it's better to just erase mine..."

"Trust my skills," Noah said. "Besides, I still go to the Council with Gramps for guild business. I can check on you and reinforce the seal. It won't be a problem."

Mest still looked hesitant, but Makarov made the final decision. "That's what we'll do. Noah will seal your memories, and he'll seal our memories of you. When I go to the Council, Noah will come with me to maintain the seal. I need that intelligence, but I'm not willing to sacrifice one of my children's memories to get it. This is a much better way."

Hearing Makarov's decision, Mest finally relented and agreed.

~~~

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