Mrs. Vis opened the door and welcomed Rhode and Elfman inside, pouring them some tea.
The client's house didn't look affluent, but it wasn't poor to the point of being destitute either.
Of course, this was just a first impression, not ruling out that sudden changes may have caused temporary stagnation.
The person who needed the rare herb due to illness was Mr. Calute, who was currently lying in the bedroom, unable to get out of bed.
According to Mrs. Vis, Mr. Calute was an ordinary coachman, but he preferred taking long-distance freight and passenger jobs.
Because it was more profitable; just taking one job allowed him to rest at home for a while, without needing to look for jobs at the market or commercial guild every day.
He had always done it this way, but ever since returning home last week, he fell seriously ill.
To treat his illness, they not only spent all their savings but also sold the carriage and horse, yet his condition showed no improvement.
Until yesterday, Mrs. Vis brought in a renowned doctor from afar, diagnosing that Calute had contracted a rare disease.
His lungs were deteriorating, suspected to be caused by inhaling miasma or something similar while traveling.
The cure for this disease required Divotian Grass.
But this herb was extremely rare, with specific growing conditions and could only be found on Galanotos Snow Mountain.
On that mountain resided a fierce beast named 'Laban,' and for an ordinary person, climbing the mountain was akin to delivering their death.
So they had no choice but to seek help from the Mages' Guild.
"This is all the money we have left for the reward now. I know it's terribly unfair to offer such low compensation for such a dangerous task, but..." Mrs. Vis bit her lip,
"No matter how much the reward increases, I can accept it, but please allow me to temporarily owe... owe... I will work hard in the future to repay any shortfalls as soon as possible!"
Rhode looked at Mrs. Vis; her weary face was unmistakable, with fingers somewhat pale and wrinkled, likely from doing laundry and dishes constantly.
Yet her own clothes had small stains that hadn't been changed, perhaps due to being too busy or unconcerned for herself.
To have such a wife, Mr. Calute must be considered extraordinarily fortunate.
Elfman was almost moved to tears: "Mrs. Vis, truly a manly woman!"
Seeing Vis's astonished expression, Rhode explained, "He just has a habit of praising people this way, don't mind him.
Regarding the reward issue, we have already accepted the commission, unless we encounter extremely unusual circumstances, we won't demand a sudden price increase. In any case, the mission is to quickly find the Divotian Grass, right?"
"Yes..."
"Please rest assured. We have some experience with search missions, and we've studied the herb thoroughly, so we won't mistake it."
Rhode thought that at times like these, the client needed some confidence, and he calmly stated, "So, we'll set off now."
"Oh!" Elfman responded energetically, an effective morale booster.
In Mrs. Vis's eyes, one was steady and reliable, while the other was enthusiastic and energetic, also appearing quite capable. She felt much more at ease.
Watching Rhode and Elfman walk out the garden gate, Vis leaned against the door frame, looking toward her husband in the bedroom, a smile appearing on her tired face.
As long as Calute's illness is cured, everything will get better.
She perked herself up; it's time to cook. When the mage comes back, at least there should be a decent meal ready.
And Jimmy and Hunter should be returning as well...
"Vis! Vis!"
The anxious shout from outside nearly made Vis's heart skip a beat, prompting her to step out and see what was happening.
Mrs. Nebel from next door came running over, out of breath. Hearing someone call the client's name, Rhode and Elfman paused for a moment.
Mrs. Nebel exclaimed, "Vis, something terrible! Someone saw Jimmy climbing the snow mountain alone!"
Vis almost fainted, taking two steps back and leaning against the wall to barely stand: "Jimmy... why would Jimmy..."
This question didn't need an answer; Vis could already guess the answer. The child must have wanted to find the herb for her father.
This is too... too...
But Mrs. Nebel had more bad news: "Hunter also went after Jimmy!"
Vis felt the world spinning, her body sliding weakly down the wall.
The sky was collapsing.
Her husband bedridden, her two children at risk, combined with the exhaustion from the past few days, this poor woman gradually lost the light in her eyes.
No, they hadn't encountered any danger yet; if they could just bring them back...
"Bring them back..." Struggling to stand, Vis ignored the dust on her clothes and stumbled forward.
"Vis, don't do anything foolish! You'll lose your life too if you go!"
But Vis paid no attention, her mind focused only on retrieving her daughter and son.
"Hey, Rhode!" Elfman was somewhat anxious.
"I know." Rhode stopped Mrs. Vis, "I can find them."
These words, the ones Vis most wanted to hear, struck her consciousness, her face full of sorrow as she looked at the calm mage.
"Get me two items they've worn, or anything that carries their scent." Without wasting a word, Rhode held his pendant and called, "Shadow Wolves!"
A large Two-headed Wolf and two ordinary Shadow Wolves suddenly appeared in the courtyard, startling Mrs. Nebel, making her tremble uncontrollably.
In contrast, Vis wasn't scared, just stared intently at Rhode.
"Their noses are sharp; they can find your children as quickly as possible." Rhode patted the wolf's head, repeating his previous words, "I need the children's clothes or anything that has their scent."
His steady and firm tone, as well as the effective method to solve the issue promptly.
Rhode's words jolted Mrs. Vis as if awakening from a nightmare, prompting her to hastily run to the siblings' room and grab two sheets.
"Please... please make sure..." With tears welling up in her eyes, Mrs. Vis mumbled, unable to say more.
Rhode let the Shadow Wolves sniff the scent on the sheets and gestured for them to set off immediately.
"Please trust in the mages of Fairy Tail." Rhode once again clutched his pendant, "Gorge Swift Crab!"
Two River Crabs appeared; Elfman instinctively hopped on, thankful to his sister, as he had ridden these many times.
Without waiting for Rhode to speak, Elfman urged the River Crab forward.
Rhode mounted the other one and, before leaving, turned back, speaking as gently as possible to Mrs. Nebel:
"Sorry for scaring you, but the situation is urgent. Please allow us to apologize properly when we return, and could you look after Mrs. Vis in the meantime?"
"Yes... yes." Mrs. Nebel nodded, still in shock.
Rhode gave a reassuring smile to Mrs. Vis:
"It would also help if you could prepare some hot water; it's cold on the mountain, the kids might catch a chill."