Chapter 659: Awkward


Purple Sweet Potato frowned, thinking hard. "We should report this to the Guild Master. Just now, I didn't only see that Demon, I also saw a Demon. If Master were here, maybe it'd be fine, but with just the two of us? There's no way we can handle it."


The man in black expression told a different story. He didn't believe Rhodes was untouchable.


His mimicry Magic had brought down more than a few well-known Mages in recent years. So long as he had the right information, he could silently blend into an enemy's path, strike from where they least expected, and end the fight before they could even react. To him, it didn't matter how strong someone was, if they couldn't defend against the first blow, they were finished.


New-era Mages had fallen to him before. The arrogance of relying on powerful tools instead of discipline always made them predictable.


Purple Sweet Potato caught the look on his partner's face and pressed the point: "Besides, the Guild Master plans to make Raven Tail a legitimate Guild. If we stir up trouble now, it'll ruin everything."


That silenced the man in black. As much as his pride itched, he couldn't deny the truth.


The two marked down the spot, then slipped quietly back into the forest. Hidden away in the trees, they prepared to contact their Guild Master.


High above, Rhodes had felt the prickle of eyes watching him, but brushed it aside. He and Mira were never subtle; a giant purple crab and glowing dragon wings drew attention everywhere they went. People staring wasn't unusual.


And what was he supposed to do, drag someone out and beat them just for sneaking a glance? That was the kind of thing Fairy Tail might do if they'd actually gone Dark Guild someday… but not now.


Under Rhode's blistering speed, they reached their destination in no time.


It was a small town, nothing like bustling Magnolia, quiet, ordinary, but scarred. A massive crack split the main road, jagged like it had been carved by a blade.


Workers strained with carts of stone and sand, trying to repair the damage.


Rhodes and Mira exchanged uneasy glances, thinking the same thing. 'Could this have been Erza's doing?' With her, it wasn't impossible.


"Time to go down," Rhodes muttered.


He exhaled softly, releasing a faint green mist that coiled around them. Both their figures shimmered, and then, vanished.


"What is this?" Mira whispered.


"Alchemical Mist. Works like camouflage, almost like invisibility." Rhodes held her close and touched down silently near the workers, listening in.


The townsfolk, completely unaware of the two extra presences, kept chatting as they shoveled.


"Two more cartloads should fix it."


"Yeah, but those Mages only bring us trouble!"


"Shhh! What if they hear you? They're strong! We'd be done for!"


The longer Rhodes and Mira listened, the heavier their guilt grew. This really did sound like their own people had caused the mess.


"Didn't the Town Chief hire Magicians? Then why is the Black Knight Gang still running wild?"


"Maybe they haven't arrived yet… or maybe they're already out investigating."


"I just hope they don't get scared off by the Black Knights like the last group of Mages," one villager muttered.


Rhodes and Mira exchanged looks, their feelings a mix of relief and concern.


Relief, because the road's destruction didn't seem to be Erza's doing. And the townsfolk clearly welcomed outside Mages, which meant Erza's team hadn't ruined the Guild's reputation here.


Concern, because the coachman swore he'd dropped Erza's group off, yet the locals spoke as if they'd never seen them.


With no more useful information, Rhodes and Mira dropped their disguise and revealed themselves in a quiet corner of town. Mira asked for directions at a roadside shop, and the two made their way to the town hall.


They were soon greeted by the Town Chief's secretary.


Rhodes presented the updated request form with polite confidence. "Hello, we're Mages from Fairy Tail. We've accepted this commission and would like to meet with the Town Chief."


The secretary blinked in surprise but quickly led them to the Chief's office. She knocked, and a gruff voice called from inside.


The Town Chief was clearly displeased, scowling as soon as they entered. "You're late. Very late. And you're not the ones we agreed upon."


Rhodes took responsibility without hesitation, bowing slightly. "My apologies. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the original party couldn't come. We're here to complete the mission in their place. To make amends, please feel free to deduct part of the reward after the job is done."


Even as he spoke, Rhodes added another note in his mental notebook. 'Those blockheads had better have a good reason for vanishing… though honestly, I'd rather it was laziness than danger. Laziness means they're alive.'


Perhaps moved by Rhodes and Mira's respectful attitude, the Town Chief's glare softened, but only for a moment. His brows furrowed again. "Just the two of you? The Black Knight Gang has eight members, and each one is dangerous. Last month..."


The secretary's frantic winks went unnoticed. The Chief sighed heavily and pressed on.


"Last month, we hired ten Mages from the Guild Earth Spirit's Wheel. But after only a brief investigation, they gave up and fled."


Mira's eyes widened. "Mages don't abandon jobs easily. Were they really that strong?"


The Chief lit a cigarette, shaking his head. "All ten went together. When they returned, two were unconscious and the rest were battered black and blue. They stammered an apology, returned the deposit, and left in a hurry."


Returning the deposit was no small thing. The reward itself might not be huge, but giving the money back meant publicly admitting a Guild had taken a mission they couldn't handle. Six years ago, that would've devastated a Guild's ranking. Even now, it meant losing face and future clients in this whole region.


Earth Spirit's Wheel might not have been large, but it was still a reputable Guild in the same alliance as Fairy Tail. For them to walk away like that… it spoke volumes.


"I don't know if you noticed the huge crack in the road outside town," the Chief went on grimly. "That was the work of Eters, one of the Black Knights. He did it just to scare us, because he knew we'd called for Mages. So if you two aren't strong enough, it'd be better to escape now or bring more help..."


"Cough, cough."


The secretary finally couldn't take it. She cut him off with a nervous cough. "Town Chief…"


He turned to her irritably. Interrupting him in front of guests was far too rude.


Sweat trickled down her temple as she forced the words out. "Town Chief… this is Rhodes of Fairy Tail. One of the Ten Wizard Saints, the very same who recently defeated five Dark Guilds single-handedly."


"..."


The Town Chief froze, cigarette dangling between his fingers.


Had he really just told a Saint Ten to flee for his life?


...


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