Bacchus had already decided to cooperate fully with Fairy Tail, without asking for a single jewel in return.
Mainly, he felt a little embarrassed. After all, he'd already troubled them twice for detoxification, and his pride couldn't bear to keep owing favors.
So he made up his mind: this time, he'd work for free to repay the debt.
As they talked things through, the sun had long since sunk behind the mountains, and the forest had turned deep violet under the twilight sky.
Bacchus stood up and stretched. "It's getting late. I say we rest for the night. Those things probably won't come out again till morning."
Of course, his main motivation was that he'd already run out of wine, and it was too awkward to ask Rhodes for more. Besides, Rocker still needed rest.
Rhodes nodded. "Then we'll stop here for today. Where are you staying?"
"At the inn, obviously," Bacchus said. "We booked rooms when we first got here. Don't tell me you haven't?"
Rhodes shook his head. "We're staying in the village. Someone needs to keep watch in case the swarm reappears."
"Suit yourself. We'll meet you here tomorrow morning." Bacchus waved lazily and motioned to Seemes, who hoisted the weakened Rocker onto his back.
Once they'd gone, Rhodes looked back at his team. "Alright. Let's head back too."
He didn't bother summoning the Crabs this time, instead, he called out Warm and let it enlarge itself to carry everyone.
The first thing the over-enthusiastic Warm did after growing bigger was attempt to greet them, with its tongue.
Rhodes reacted instantly, grabbing Wendy by the collar and pulling her backward, leaving poor Lucy to take the full brunt of the slobbery affection.
Carla, being small enough, barely escaped the tongue's reach. She landed gracefully, pretending to be calm, but her fur stood on end like an electrified puffball.
Lucy stood there dripping and furious. "Why didn't you pull me back too?!"
Rhodes, entirely unbothered, replied solemnly, "If Warm didn't get to lick anyone, it would feel hurt."
"So I have to be sacrificed?!" Lucy's voice went up an octave.
"Don't sweat the small stuff," Rhodes said casually. "It's normal for kittens and puppies to lick people. Warm's cute, isn't it? What's there to complain about?"
"Then why did you dodge it?!"
Rhodes pretended to think deeply. "Hmm… Mira just washed these clothes for me. If they ended up looking like yours after only one day, she might be… unhappy."
"Ugh...you're impossible!" Lucy huffed, but Warm's back was warm and soft enough to calm her down soon after.
They climbed aboard, the creature's fluffy surface like a living cloud beneath them. Wendy immediately hugged the fur and lay flat with a blissful sigh.
Carla tucked her paws in primly, pretending not to enjoy it, though the slight twitch of her tail betrayed her.
Lucy resisted for all of five seconds before she, too, gave in, rolling happily across the velvety surface.
Rhodes watched the chaos, cleared his throat, and went to sit silently on Warm's head instead.
A few minutes later, Lucy suddenly remembered herself. She sat up quickly, cheeks pink, and tugged her skirt down into place. "By the way," she blurted, desperate to break the awkward silence, "why did those bees suddenly disappear earlier?"
Wendy tilted her head. "Maybe because it got dark? They went home to sleep?"
Carla flicked her tail. "No… if you think about the timing, the bees vanished right around when that Three-Headed Dog was driven off by Bacchus."
Lucy blinked. "You mean they're connected? The Hellhound and the bees?"
"They appeared so close together," Carla said. "And both are abandoned Star Spirits. It'd be stranger if there wasn't a link."
"That's true…" Lucy rubbed her chin. "So what's the plan for tomorrow? Keep searching like before?"
Rhodes turned slightly, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Don't worry about that. I've already got an idea, something that'll draw them out on their own. Just follow my lead tomorrow."
Everyone felt instantly relieved. If Rhodes sounded that confident, it meant he'd already worked out something brilliant.
With the tension gone, Lucy started rambling about their lodgings instead. "I just hope the village has a decent place to stay. And please, let there be a bath…"
Before long, Warm had gently carried them back to the village.
The village chief was pacing anxiously at the gate, hands clasped behind his back. The moment he spotted them, he rushed forward in relief, not even sparing a glance for the enormous Warm towering beside them.
When he saw that, though dirty and tired, none of them were hurt, his face broke into a broad smile.
"Excuse me," he asked eagerly, "did everything go well today?"
Warm shrank down to its smaller form, and the group slid off its back, landing softly.
"The situation is… quite complex," Lucy explained carefully. "We took down thousands of bees today, but the problem isn't completely resolved yet."
She deliberately avoided mentioning the details about the abandoned Zodiac Spirits. The mission wasn't over, and the reply from the Celestial Spirit Realm was still uncertain.
Rhodes stepped forward and set down a large bundle of freshly picked daylilies. "These are from the mountain slopes. Please have your village doctor use them to make medicine."
Helping to gather medicinal flowers had been part of their request in the first place, and though Wendy had already cured the villagers' poison, the herb was still in short supply.
"Thank you," the village chief said gratefully. "The lodging is ready. Please, follow me."
He understood this wasn't something that could be solved in a single day. Seeing how many high-quality daylilies they'd brought back reassured him they'd worked hard, venturing deep into the mountains rather than lazing about.
The accommodations were simple, a small wooden house with one large communal room for the three mages and one Exceed, but it was warm and clean. There was even a small bath out back, which was all Lucy needed to stop complaining.
Later that night, Rhodes sat cross-legged on the floor, quietly reading by lamplight. Then, remembering something, he pulled a slip of parchment from his bag, jotted a short note, rolled it up, and handed it to Worm.
"Take this back," he said softly, opening a shimmering Hex Gate in the air. Warm chirped, hopped through the portal, and vanished.
At the Fairy Tail guild, night had already fallen.
Lisanna had just pushed a very drunk Cana out of the tavern door when she turned and saw her sister staring off dreamily, chin propped on one hand, eyes distant.
Lisanna tip-toed closer and waved a hand in front of her face. "Mira-nee, earth to you! He's only been gone half a day!"
Mira blinked back to reality and gave her sister's forehead a light flick. "I was just wondering whether I should sign this last request."
"Ow!" Lisanna rubbed her forehead, sulking. "You hit so hard, are you sure you're not mad because I caught you daydreaming again?"
She leaned over, snatched the paper from the counter, and burst into laughter. "You liar! Look what you signed!"
Mira glanced at it, and there it was. In the signature field, clear as day: Rhodes .
Her cheeks colored instantly. "Well… we've been working side by side for months. It's strange not having him around all of a sudden."
Since she was caught red-handed, she didn't even bother to deny it.
Lisanna grinned like a cat who'd found cream, ready to tease her further, but then both sisters froze.
Soft footsteps echoed from upstairs, followed by a muffled thump and a rolling white blur tumbling down the staircase.
"Warm?" Mira gasped and rushed over to catch it. "You're back already?"
"Purr~" Warm shook its head, squirming in her arms.
Only then did she notice the small scrap of paper clamped delicately in its mouth.
Mira gently took it, smoothing it open as Warm hopped into Lisanna's arms.
Lisanna watched her sister's expression soften as she read, a quiet smile spreading across Mira's face.
"Pfft, honestly… improper," Mira murmured under her breath when she finished, though her tone was far more affectionate than scolding.
She folded the note carefully and tucked it into her apron pocket.
Lisanna leaned forward eagerly. "Well? What did my dear brother-in-law say?"
Mira smiled, still blushing faintly. "Nothing important, just that he's staying in the village tonight to keep watch and can't come back."
Lisanna wrinkled her nose. "Sure, sure."
...
Your Stones and reviews would be helpful for the fic.🙏
Support me on patreon and read upto 35 chapters ahead @keepsmiling 818 -p@reon