Originally, Rhodes had come here hoping to learn more about the Fire Dragon, the Iron Dragon, and the Sky Dragon. Instead, he had accidentally uncovered the origin of the Black Dragon himself.
But this kind of knowledge wasn't immediately helpful.
If anything, it only made the three Dragon Slayers panic.
Natsu looked shaken.
"So, we really might turn into Dragons someday?"
"I don't want to!" Gajeel barked. Being called the Iron Dragon was bad enough, he didn't actually want to become an Iron Dragon. That would be ridiculous.
"What do we do now?" Wendy whispered, looking to Rhodes instinctively.
Rhodes asked,
"When your Dragons taught you magic, didn't they mention this possibility?"
All three shook their heads at the exact same time.
"They didn't say a word about it."
Rhodes fell silent for a moment, thinking.
"Since Zirconis knew the origin of the Black Dragon, then your Dragons must've known it too. So they also understood the final fate of Dragon Slayer Magic."
He paused.
"And since they never warned you, maybe it's because they don't think you need to worry."
Wendy blinked.
"But… why wouldn't we?"
Rhodes smirked mischievously.
"Maybe because your talent is limited. No matter how hard you train, you won't reach Acnologia's level."
Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy froze.
Was that encouragement or an insult?
Even Rhodes wasn't sure.
He then softened his tone.
"Becoming a Dragon clearly needs very strict conditions. Like Zirconis said, slaughtering countless Dragons, bathing in their blood constantly.
Where are you supposed to find that many Dragons now? Until you three can defeat even one, you don't need to worry."
Wendy sighed with visible relief.
Natsu grumbled, "I mean… I feel a bit better, but I'm still annoyed."
"Same," Gajeel said, equally irritated.
"In fact," Rhodes added thoughtfully, "if anyone should worry, it's Laxus, right?"
He genuinely wasn't sure if second-generation Dragon Slayers like Laxus carried the same risks.
He'd noticed that when Laxus and Natsu went all out, small signs of "dragonification" appeared, horns, scales, fangs. Gajeel had used Iron Scales before, but that was clearly a spell, not actual dragonification.
And Wendy, had never shown anything like that.
Rhodes shrugged.
"In short, you guys should first focus on reaching his level. Then you can worry."
Before any of them could retort, Rhodes suddenly stiffened.
"Someone's coming. Let's go."
Without hesitation, he hoisted Wendy onto his back, grabbed Natsu and Gajeel by the arms, and leapt upward.
The four shot through the cave ceiling like spring-loaded arrows, emerging on the surface in an instant.
Natsu asked, "Who would come to a place like this?"
Rhodes stared at him flatly.
"The patrol. Did you not hear anything I said earlier?"
Natsu's expression turned guilty. Once he'd heard "Dragon bones," everything else had gone in one ear and out the other.
Rhodes let out a sigh.
"Listen carefully this time. There were two five-man teams, plus two strong female mages. Very strong."
He almost said they also looked beautiful, but quickly swallowed the thought before it damaged his reputation.
Rhodes had initially thought the underground guards were simply protecting structural tunnels, but now, after what Zirconis revealed, it seemed far less innocent.
The Dragon King Festival…The Dragon Graveyard…Ultear's request to investigate Zeref's magic…And now the organizers themselves potentially playing a part.
Rhodes spoke quietly:
"When we return, remind everyone to be cautious of the organizers, both at the arena and at the inn."
Meanwhile, in the underground passage
More and more patrol teams gathered. The chubby man with the wine bottle from yesterday among them.
They searched nearly every corner of the tunnels with military precision. By late night, they regrouped near the skeleton chamber.
Five mages dressed very differently from the soldiers approached.
These were the infamous Garou Knights, the royal order known for making criminals tremble at the mere mention of their name.
Their leader stood before the bone field, cloak and mask fluttering faintly, two strange oversized scythes strapped to his back.
"How is it?" he asked, voice calm, cold.
The plump mage, Nepa, took a swig from his wine bottle and shrugged.
"As you can see, absolutely nothing found."
"Tai," Uosuke replied in his usual laconic style, very similar to Happy's "Aye."
"How could there be intruders in a place like this?"
Cosmos, wearing her trademark white round hat and low-cut top that revealed her neckline, turned toward the soldiers. Her voice was calm, almost sweet, but the aura she gave off made the men tremble.
"Are you absolutely sure you heard strange roars?"
Even though the woman before them was stunning from every angle, none of the soldiers dared look directly at her. One of them, looking as if he'd accepted death, stammered:
"Y-Yes! We definitely heard it! It… it sounded like two roars, spaced not too far apart. But the echoes in the cavern made it impossible to judge the distance!"
Next to her, Kamika, with black twin pigtails, held a folded paper between her fingers like a blade.
"If you dare lie," she said coldly, "I'll suffocate you to death."
The soldier went pale, sweating profusely.
"N-NO! I swear, we're not lying!"
"Honestly, we searched everything and found nothing alive," Neppa said, already finishing another bottle of wine. "Maybe it was just the wind? Should we call it a day?"
But the masked leader of the Garou Knights shut that down immediately.
"No." His voice was cold and absolute.
"This concerns an important plan of the kingdom. Search again.If you encounter anyone unauthorized, execution on sight."
Since this involved Acnologia and Zeref, Rhodes knew this needed to be reported to both guild masters.
By the time Rhodes finished dealing with everything underground, spent time with Mira, and returned to the inn, it was already very late.
He immediately pulled Laxus aside to talk about Dragon Slayer Magic.
"Turning into a dragon?" Laxus frowned, thinking for a moment."Other than some dragon scales when I go all out, nothing unusual."
Rhodes mused, "Maybe your power isn't enough yet… or maybe second-generation Dragon Slayers like you are different from Natsu and the others."
"If even Mr. Laxus's strength isn't enough…" Wendy whispered, suddenly more relieved, and a little nervous.
Rhodes sighed.
"Just pay attention to your bodies. All of you."
Everyone slept, then woke early for the third day of the Grand Magic Games.
But today, Team A, Team B, and even the support group all glanced toward the organizers with thinly veiled suspicion.
Only when the host announced the official start of Day 3, and the crowd roared with excitement, did Fairy Tail temporarily shift their focus back to the competition.
Chapati had changed into yet another new wig. Today, it was shoulder-length, side-parted black hair.
"The hosting and commentary will still be handled by me, Chapati, and Mr. Yajima," he proclaimed, "but today we have a special guest, Mr. Lahar from the Magic Council!"
"It's an honor to be invited." Lahar began with a polite smile.
"I've been observing the matches these last few days. Rest assured, I will not allow any illegal activity to go unpunished."
As he continued, the gentle smile faded into the strict steeliness of a Council officer.