novelraw Chapter 516 516
Chapter 516 516
The Celestial Spirits' reactions didn't alter the Celestial Spirit King's expression.
He pondered for a moment before finally turning his gaze to Marco, who stood nearby.
"Child of All Stars," he began, "are you also willing to help the Leo Celestial Spirit? Do you also believe he should return to the Celestial Spirit World?"
The Celestial Spirit King's question seemed to come out of nowhere, but his gaze and the title "Child of All Stars" were clearly directed at Marco.
He was genuinely seeking Marco's opinion.
Although Marco wasn't entirely pleased with the title "Child of All Stars"—since he much preferred "Lord of All Stars," as the King's choice inexplicably demoted him by a generation—he still nodded and replied.
"Of course. I'm definitely willing to help him."
No one was surprised by Marco's answer.
After all, he had been the first to help Leo the Lion, enabling him to remain in Earthland indefinitely instead of fading away.
"Very well. It's decided," the Celestial Spirit King declared without further delay after Marco spoke.
"From this moment on, the exile of Leo the Lion is revoked. He is permitted to return to the Celestial Spirit World."
Lucy, Hisui, and Leo were all thrilled by the announcement.
Of course, they were also surprised.
'Why would the Celestial Spirit King seek Marco's opinion? And why did it seem to carry so much weight?'
"Leo the Lion," the Celestial Spirit King began sternly after revoking the exile, "do not make such a mistake again. If you do, you will not be shown mercy. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Leo replied, his voice thick with emotion.
He was the most thrilled of all.
He never imagined he would truly be able to return to the Celestial Spirit World.
He hadn't thought Lucy and Hisui could actually succeed in persuading the Celestial Spirit King!
Of course, Leo was most grateful to Marco, who had continuously supplied him with Magic Power.
In truth, Leo was also puzzled. '
'Why did the Celestial Spirit King specifically ask for Marco's opinion? Surely he doesn't think I've become Marco's pet, does he?'
The Celestial Spirit King paid Leo no further mind.
His gaze swept over Marco, Lucy, and Hisui before he waved his large hand.
A Gold Key materialized before Lucy.
"This is... Leo's Celestial Spirit Key!"
Upon recognizing the constellation pattern on the Gold Key, Lucy gasped.
She glanced from the Celestial Spirit King to Leo.
The Celestial Spirit King nodded, his expression solemn.
"Leo," he said, "take good care of your new Contractor."
Clearly, the Celestial Spirit King had made his decision, directly entrusting Leo the Lion to Lucy, the daughter of his old friend.
"I will," Leo replied without hesitation.
He turned to Lucy with a serious expression and spoke formally, "Lucy, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Leo the Lion, a Celestial Spirit. I look forward to serving you."
He would continue to fight as Lucy's Celestial Spirit—for her, and for Fairy Tail.
Though he had only spent three years at Fairy Tail, Leo had made many memories and friends within the guild.
He cherished his time there. Seeking Marco's help had been, without a doubt, the best decision he had ever made.
Lucy glanced at Hisui, who smiled and nodded encouragingly.
Hisui showed no dissatisfaction over the ownership of Leo's key, Lucy had taken the lead in this matter from the start, and Hisui had only come to assist.
She naturally had no claim on the Celestial Spirit.
Lucy glanced at Marco again. Her master smiled and nodded, urging her to quickly form the contract with Leo.
"Alright, Leo, let's form the contract!"
Lucy didn't hesitate any longer. Full of energy, she moved to finalize the agreement.
She was genuinely thrilled to receive Leo's key, as it meant he could remain at Fairy Tail instead of being separated from everyone.
Leo also agreed without hesitation, completing the contract and officially becoming Lucy's Celestial Spirit, allowing him to stay with Fairy Tail.
"Return, all of you."
Seeing that Leo and Lucy had successfully formed their contract, the Celestial Spirit King waved his hand.
All the Celestial Spirits vanished, and his own form began to fade, dissolving into motes of light.
"Wait! Celestial Spirit King!" Lucy cried out, stopping him just as he was about to disappear. "Leo's problem has been perfectly resolved, but you still haven't answered my earlier question!"
Although Leo's immediate crisis was over, the root cause of the problem remained unaddressed.
"What if another Celestial Spirit faces this kind of situation in the future? If they all resort to Leo's method, it will harm both the Spirit and the Contractor, and could even lead to another tragedy!"
Lucy fired off her thoughts like a machine gun, terrified of missing her chance, terrified the Celestial Spirit King would vanish before hearing her out.
The Celestial Spirit King's form solidified once more. He stared at Lucy, as if trying to see into the very depths of her soul.
What he saw was a sincere heart, desperately trying to solve the Celestial Spirits' problems, genuinely concerned for their well-being, and utterly devoid of selfish motives.
Pressing this issue offered Lucy no personal gain and even risked earning the Celestial Spirit King's displeasure.
Yet she did it anyway, without a moment's hesitation.
"Very well, daughter of my old friend," the Celestial Spirit King declared. "If any Celestial Spirit is ever abused again, as long as I am made aware, I will personally intervene. I will protect them, immediately dissolve their contract, and ensure that human can never again become a Celestial Spirit Mage."
Seeing Lucy's utter sincerity, the Celestial Spirit King made his guarantee.
The punishment he described was indeed severe—effectively stripping the Celestial Spirit Mage of their abilities, preventing them from ever summoning Celestial Spirits again.
"That's wonderful!!!"
Lucy cheered.
She felt this punishment was perfectly justified.
While Mages like Karen Lilica who abused their Celestial Spirits might not deserve death, they absolutely should never be allowed to remain Celestial Spirit Mages after committing such acts!
"So the Celestial Spirit King can be reasoned with," Marco commented from the side.
The Celestial Spirit King wasn't some tyrannical ruler after all, he was actually quite receptive.
His earlier behavior likely stemmed from a genuine indifference to such trivial matters.
Or perhaps he simply couldn't be bothered to get involved.
Communicating and coexisting with Contractors was the Celestial Spirits' own business—what did that have to do with him, the King?
Was he supposed to intervene every time a Spirit failed to manage their relationship with a Contractor?