The recent light rains had finally broken the lingering summer heat.
The weather had cooled noticeably, and it was now necessary to wear a coat when stepping out in the mornings or evenings. Even Warm, usually lazy on chilly days, was eager to go out and play again.
After successfully tricking Lucy into taking a part-time job, Rhodes left the guild with Mira and rented a carriage headed for Ravender Village.
They could have used a crab to travel faster, but the carriage was far more comfortable, and offered a bit of privacy, making it easier for the two of them to talk during the journey.
They stopped for lunch midway and arrived at Ravender Village by afternoon.
Along the way, Rhodes used his connection with the patrolling crab to observe the scenery. Most of the village's fields had already been harvested, with only a few golden plots remaining uncollected here and there.
It had been about half a year since their last visit, and the village wall had been completely rebuilt, based on the bramble barrier Rhodes had once summoned with the Brambleback's help. Now, it was solid and well-constructed.
The large incinerators once used to burn rat corpses and waste had been dismantled, and the unpleasant odor that had long plagued the village was finally gone.
Rhodes stepped down from the carriage and gently helped Mira down. He noticed the ground was surprisingly dry—likely the recent rains hadn't reached this region.
A man pushing a cart full of rice recognized them at a glance. "Wizards?! Oh, Mr. Rhodes! Miss Mira!"
"Bill?" Rhodes smiled, remembering him clearly. This was the hardworking villager who had guarded the bonfire at the village entrance and helped out everywhere during the infestation.
"I can't believe you still remember me!" Bill beamed, then quickly realized something. "Ah! You're here for the Harvest Festival, right? I think the village chief mentioned it!"
"Yes," Rhodes replied. "Mr. Jasper invited us personally. Is he around?"
"He should be in the village center, getting things ready for tomorrow's celebration. You can head straight there. If he's not around, feel free to rest at his house, I'm sure he won't mind. Sorry I can't guide you myself..."
Bill motioned to his heavy cart.
Rhodes waved it off with a grin. "No worries. We know the way."
Bill nodded and pushed the cart on.
Mira paid the coachman, who watched Rhodes with open envy.
Rhodes, naturally, was in a great mood.
They walked through the village side by side, while Rhodes sent his river crabs to patrol the outskirts.
The village was bustling. People were threshing, hauling, chatting, it was lively. The shadows of fear that hung over them during the rat plague were gone.
Villagers along the path recognized them and greeted them warmly.
A little girl began trailing them shyly. Mira turned and asked gently, "Is something wrong?"
The girl shook her head. "You're really pretty, big sister. Will I be that pretty when I grow up?"
Rhodes looked at the girl more closely. She had two little hairpins in her hair, freckles across her cheeks, and a missing front tooth—causing her to speak with a cute little lisp. Honestly, she was pretty adorable, even if her smile was hilariously crooked.
Mira knelt and patted her head. "Of course. Maybe you'll be even prettier than me."
"Fei! Stop bothering people! Come home!" a voice called from down the road.
The girl turned and dashed away, but tripped and face-planted after just a few steps. Without crying or fussing, she sprang right back up, dirt and all, and kept running.
The way she fell and got up so naturally reminded Rhodes of Wendy. He wondered how she was doing lately.
She'd rushed off last time with such worry. He made a mental note to send her a letter soon, or contact her directly using the guild's magic communication crystal.
"Put the wood over there, by the main path! Yes, right there!" someone shouted.
Rhodes and Mira had arrived in the village center, where the chief was overseeing the setup for tomorrow's celebration.
A wooden platform over two meters high had already been erected. At the front of it stood an offering table, clearly for the traditional harvest sacrifice ritual.
Colorful banners fluttered in the breeze, and festive decorations lined the square, garlands, lanterns, and fresh flowers. The whole village was glowing with excitement, the joy of the upcoming Harvest Festival already filling the air.
As they walked closer, Rhodes called out, "Mr. Jasper!"
Without turning, the village chief responded distractedly, "What is it?"
But the moment he finished speaking, he froze.
Most people in the village just called him "Jasper" or "Chief." That respectful "Mr." stood out, and he immediately realized who it must be.
He turned quickly and gasped in surprise. "Mr. Rhodes? Miss Mira?! What brings you here?!"
Rhodes looked puzzled. "Weren't we hired to be guards for the Harvest Festival?"
"Ah—well—yes, yes you were!" Jasper stammered, clearly flustered. "I just meant… the festival doesn't begin until tomorrow evening. Why have you arrived so early?"
"We received the request and thought something might've gone wrong," Rhodes replied. "I figured we should come a day early, just in case you needed help setting up, or if there was any real danger."
Mira stepped forward and asked gently, "Has something been happening around the village? The pay for this job is quite high… Was there a particular reason?"
Jasper scratched the back of his head, hesitating. "It's not that anything terrible has happened, really… Well, not exactly. It's more of a strange feeling, something that's been making me uneasy."
Before he could elaborate, two young villagers approached, carrying a large stone mortar meant for pounding mochi.
"Chief, where should we put this?" one of them asked.
"Over there, near the ceremony platform," Jasper said, then turned back to Rhodes and Mira with an apologetic smile. "Would you mind coming to my house first? It's hard to talk here in the middle of all the noise."
"What about your preparations?" Mira asked.
"I'll have my wife come and supervise," Jasper replied, already motioning to a nearby helper. "The young ones can handle the setup."
He led Rhodes and Mira away, chatting with them as they strolled down the main path. Their pace was slow and relaxed, the kind of walk that invited conversation.
Rhodes took in the scenery and asked, "Looks like the harvest this year turned out well?"
Jasper beamed. "It did! After you helped us with the infestation, everyone returned to the fields right away. And the rainfall this year was perfect. Honestly, it might be the best harvest we've ever had."
Mira's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful news."
"It's hard to believe, really," Jasper added. "You'd think a rat infestation would ruin everything. But here we are, more produce than we know what to do with! That's why we wanted the festival to be extra special this time."
Rhodes smiled to himself, glad that his efforts with Mira had borne fruit, literally and figuratively.
Jasper glanced back at them, looking a bit sheepish. "You know… I only learned later just how famous the two of you are. Back then, I had no idea. The reward we gave last time...."
Rhodes gently shook his head and said, "Please don't bring that up again. A wizard's reward isn't based on fame. Once a price is agreed upon, that's all that matters."
Still, he couldn't help but admire how efficient the villagers were, how quickly they had turned their harvest into wealth.
Before they reached the house, Jasper had already expressed his gratitude multiple times.
As they entered, his wife, Tara, looked up from the doorway. "You're back so soon... Do we have guests?"
"It's Mr. Rhodes and Miss Mira, the wizards who helped us last time," Jasper replied.
"Oh, then I'll prepare some tea right away."
"I'll do it. You head over to the square and keep an eye on things. Make sure those boys don't mess anything up. We've got something to discuss here."
Mrs. Tara gave a polite bow. "Understood. Please excuse me."
Neither Rhodes nor Mira minded. After all, the preparations outside were just as important, and Tara had always been attentive.
Once inside, Jasper brewed the tea himself, and the three quickly got down to business.
"About what Miss Mira asked earlier, whether something has happened recently…" Jasper hesitated before continuing, "At the beginning of the month, someone was killed."
Rhodes's expression turned serious. "Murder? Someone from the village?"
Even in a world filled with magic and danger, murders were rare, especially outside of encounters with dark guilds or cursed cultists. Rhodes had only come across such cases because he often ventured into dangerous places. For most ordinary people, it was something they might never see in their entire lives.
Mira's expression turned somber. Despite being known as the "Demon," she could never be indifferent to the loss of life.
Jasper shook his head. "No… it wasn't a villager. It was a merchant who often did business in the area. There were five of them altogether, the merchant, his coachman, and a few assistants. All were killed on their way back."
"It had already been a full night before the bodies were discovered. No one saw who the attacker was."
He paused, then added grimly, "Their money was gone. The carriage had been searched, but oddly enough, the goods were still there. Even the horse and the wagon were untouched."
"Sounds like a robbery followed by murder to silence witnesses…" Rhodes guessed, but something about it didn't sit right with him.
"If it was really a robbery, they should've taken the carriage too. The goods were valuable, and they could've escaped faster by riding off. Why leave them?"
Jasper nodded. "That's what the town's security team thought as well. In the end, they concluded that the signs pointed to a wizard being involved. But with no way to handle that kind of threat, they escalated it to the Magic Council."
Rhodes frowned. "The Council, huh…"
These days, the Magic Council was overloaded and disorganized. Even if something was reported, there was no guarantee of any follow-up, especially if the incident only might have involved a rogue wizard.
Jasper sighed. "It's already been half a month since then, and there hasn't been a single update. Folks around here got scared. No one dared travel far."
Mira looked up. "So the case… it's just been shelved"
Jasper nodded. "Yes. The bodies were taken by the town's security team, and I believe their families have already given them a proper burial."
Mira folded her hands gently. "I see. So you're worried that whoever did it might show up during the Harvest Festival... and that's why you hired us to serve as guards?"
"Well, it's not just because of that murderer," Jasper explained. "Ever since word spread about the destruction of the Council headquarters, security across the surrounding towns and villages has gotten noticeably worse."
He rubbed his hands uneasily. "On a normal day, people can just be careful and keep their heads down. But a festival like this—+, full of noise, music, and crowds, it's like waving a flag saying, 'Hey, we've got something worth taking.'"
He sighed. "Canceling the festival would've been the safest route. But this is the most important event of the year for us. It's like... skipping the New Year because you're afraid of pickpockets. You still have to celebrate."
"So," Mira said gently, "you thought of us. You figured if two well-known Fairy Tail wizards were on guard, everyone could relax a little."
Jasper nodded with a small, grateful smile.
Rhodes and Mira exchanged a glance and nodded.
"So to be clear," Rhodes asked, "our mission is to defend the Harvest Festival against possible outside threats?"
"Well... yes," Jasper replied, but his hesitation was obvious.
Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is there something else you haven't told us?"
Jasper flinched, then forced a chuckle. "No, no. Really. You'll be paid properly. No issues there, please don't worry."
His reaction didn't sit well with Rhodes. It felt like there was more to this than Jasper was letting on, like someone had baited a trap, and they were walking straight into it.
Still, there wasn't a concrete reason to refuse the mission. And Mira gave a small, resolute nod, so Rhodes exhaled slowly and continued.
"Alright. Then the mission is officially accepted," he said, placing the task slip on the table. "In that case, we'd like as much information about the murder as you can provide."
Jasper blinked. "Do you really need to know that much? It's just a guarding job…"
Rhodes crossed his arms. "If we figure out who the culprit is and eliminate the threat before the festival starts, we could save everyone a lot of trouble."
"Even if we can't catch them," Mira added, "knowing their magic type or fighting style might help us prepare defenses or lay traps in advance."
"I suppose that makes sense…" Jasper looked apologetic. "I only know the man who died was a merchant named Spike. If you want real details, you'd have to ask the town's security team."
Which was fair. Rhodes didn't expect villagers to investigate like detectives, they weren't Fairy Tail or crime experts.
"At the very least," Rhodes said, "can you point us to where it happened?"
Jasper nodded. "It was on the road east of the village, about two kilometers out. Follow the path toward town and then southwest. The bodies were found around two or three kilometers in."
"It's been weeks," Mira noted. "Are you sure anything would still be there?"
"Probably not," Jasper admitted. "But if anything remains, it's yours to look into."
Rhodes stood and stretched. "Then we'd better get to it."
"Ah, right," Jasper added as they stood to leave. "You'll be staying at my place again, the same room as last time. Would you like to rest a bit and grab something to eat?"
"No need," Rhodes said with a small shake of his head. "We'll head straight to the site before it gets dark. But thank you, please keep the room ready for us."
With that, the two left the chief's home and exited the village.
Once they were alone on the path outside, Mira glanced sideways at him. "Did you notice something strange about the village chief?"
"Definitely," Rhodes said with a frown. "He's acting suspicious. It felt like he wanted to tell us more but kept holding back."
"I thought the same," Mira said quietly.
Rhodes' expression darkened slightly. "From now on, we don't touch any food or drink offered by him, or anyone else in the village. We'll cook everything ourselves using the supplies we brought."
He spoke with calm resolve, but his words carried a sharp wariness. A mission with a high reward could also be a cleverly disguised trap. It wasn't the first time someone had used a "designated request" to target specific mages.
Better safe than sorry.
"Rhodes," Mira reminded him with a playful grin, "you do realize poison doesn't affect demons, right?"
"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow. "How about sleeping powder or tranquilizers?"
Mira paused, then admitted a bit awkwardly, "…Those still work."
"Exactly." Rhodes gave her a knowing look. "Which is why girls shouldn't accept drinks from strangers when they're out."
Before Mira could quip back, Rhodes pulled something from his coat, sunglasses. He gently slipped them onto her face, then stepped back and gave a low whistle.
"Perfect. You look amazing."