Days pass, weeks pass, months pass, and the year finally changes. It's finally year X777 now, but there's still no news from Ur. Alex is surely worried, but the only thing he can do now is trust her and wait for her return.
He keeps improving himself by training almost every day. Sotis he also studies the magic theories in Heartfilia Mansion's library. Layla often teaches Lucy the theories of magic and even magic tools creation theories.
Alex is also forced to join their studies, but using his brain to study isn't really his strong point. He is eager to learn and study, but his learning speed is like a snail. If Lucy could understand a whole book already, then Alex would have just understood so pages.
Luckily for him, he is not alone, he has the Tailed Beasts. While Shukaku and Isobu are just as helpless as him, Matatabi is much smarter and she can rember almost everything that she sees through Alex.
That ans Alex can just read books and listen to the lessons that Layla gives him even if he doesn't understand much. He is just a dium for Matatabi to learn everything and in the future, he can just ask her about things he doesn't understand.
Thanks to that, Alex can improve his magic skills even though he still can't use magic other than Take Over. But knowing more about magic is still important because he might need the knowledge he learns now soday.
The easiest example that Matatabi tells him is if he knows more about magic, then he won't be surprised by his opponents' magic. Even if he can't use it, if he knows the magic that his opponent uses, then he'll know how to face it.
Though well, most of the books in Heartfilia Mansion are basic theories about magic. They are not Magic Books that contain spells, but books that tell things about magic like its principles and even research about known magic.
These books don't teach them spells, but they teach the theories behind spells, so they are actually more complicated sotis. But Mages often don't read these books even though they are sold in public because they are too complicated and boring.
What's important for Mages is the Magic Books that teach them magic spells. They are more useful because they are more practical. Besides, most of the theory books are not proved yet and just full of speculations, so not all of them are correct.
Still, they are useful to increase one's knowledge, that's why Layla teaches Lucy and Alex about them. Now Alex knows why Lucy can be that smart despite being dumb too.
Anyway, the 1 year ti limit that Ur has to find the advanced magic for Ultear is getting closer. The ti for Layla to open the Eclipse Gate is also approaching. Soon, the Dragon Slayers will co from the past and the main story of this world will start.
Alex is now worried about 2 big things, Ur's mission to find advanced magic and Layla's task to open the Eclipse Gate. Ur needs to find the advanced magic before the deadline and Layla needs to find all the Gold Keys before 7 July X777.
What Ur does depends on Ur herself, but Alex can help Layla to find the last Gold Key that she couldn't find in the story. Luckily, he rembered that the holder of the Gold Key that Layla couldn't find was Grammi who now lives in Alakitasia.
The problem is, he doesn't know how to tell Layla because it will be very strange for him to know about Grammi. Besides, even if he can tell her, he actually doesn't know Grammi's exact location on Alakitasia.
Alakitasia is a whole continent, which is as big as Ishgar. Unless he knows the other person's exact location, it will be almost impossible to find Grammi there while all he knows is she lives in Alakitasia, nothing else.
"Hmm? Wait! But how did Layla find the other Gold Key holders?"
It doesn't take long for Alex to know because Layla quickly starts looking for the Gold Key holders after the year changes to X777. She uses her connections as a rchant to find them and checks what she'll need to offer so they'll lend their Gold Keys to them.
Layla finds the owners and their locations quite easily. She even finds out what she'll need to give them so they'll lend her their keys. They mostly want money, which she has, fortunately.
But just like in the story, she can't find Grammi who holds the Aquarius Key. This one Key will be the reason Layla needs to use her life force to open the Eclipse Gate which led to her death not long after that.
'Alex-kun, can't the Spirits communicate with each other?' Matatabi suddenly asks while Alex is thinking of how he can help Layla find Grammi.
'I think so. They live in the sa world, so I guess they'll et each other and talk when their Mages don't summon them.'
'Then, can't we just ask a Spirit to talk with that person's Spirit. Like we can ask Cancer to talk with Aquarius so that she can tell Grammi that Layla is looking for her.'
Alex's jaw drops when he hears Matatabi's idea that he never even thinks of. It's actually brilliant, so he quickly looks for Layla to tell her that idea.
Just like Alex, Layla is shocked when she hears that idea. She never even thinks about that too. But then she seems worried.
"Although that is a good idea, I don't think it will work, Alex. You see, each Celestial Spirit is contracted to a Mage and only follows their commands. Aquarius is now contracted by Grammi, so I can't command her. It's also why the other Gold Key holders are willing to lend their keys to . It's because they know I can't order their Celestial Spirits while they are still in contracts."
"Can you at least try? Also, try to not think of it as an order, think of it as a request. Besides, it's just delivering a ssage and Cancer will be the one that tells Aquarius to relay the ssage, not you."
"Hmm? Ah! Do you think that's a loophole?" Layla brightens up.
"Huh? Loophole?" Alex doesn't understand what Layla ans because he doesn't think that deeply.
Without explaining any further, Layla summons Cancer. Then she starts asking him about Ultear's condition in the Spirit World as usual before asking about the other Spirits which is kinda unusual of her.
She asks things like their conditions, how their life in the Spirit World, and how she wishes to et all of them. Cancer is confused why she asks these things, but he answers what he can answer.
"Ah, I wish I could see Aquarius and Grammi again. It's been a few years since we saw each other, so I really miss them. But I don't know where they are and don't know how to contact them."
"Aquarius is doing well, -ebi." Cancer answers cluelessly.
"I see, but I still want to see them. Sigh, I hope I can contact them, but I don't know how. If only there was soone who could tell them about this."
Cancer finally seems to catch on what Layla wants him to do. He knows that Layla is looking for all 12 Gold Keys and only needs Aquarius Key now. But she can't find the holder even after trying so hard.
"E-ebi, *cough* I think Aquarius will be happy to hear that you miss her, -ebi."
Seeing that Cancer has caught on to her intention, Layla nods and sends Cancer back to the Spirit World. Now she just needs to wait for Cancer to et Aquarius and "coincidentally" tells Aquarius that Layla misses her and Grammi.
Then Aquarius will "sohow" bring it up when Grammi summons her. This way, Layla's ssage will reach Grammi through Cancer and Aquarius, but she doesn't give an order to Aquarius even if it's through Cancer, she is just saying that she wants to et them in front of Cancer.
Unexpectedly, that afternoon, Ur finally returns after leaving for months. The 1 year ti limit is almost up, so everyone has been very worried about her. Luckily, she returns on ti and she looks happy, so she must've found the suitable advanced magic for Ultear.
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Ch. 95: Kurama
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