Rhodes never expected that after all the fun of the performances, the next part of the festival would be... hard labor.
The stars of this segment? The children of the village.
Every child between the ages of six and fourteen, regardless of gender, was gathered in the open fields. Each of them was handed a specially made hoe, sized according to their age. Older children received sturdier tools, while the younger ones wielded lighter versions that they could manage.
Excited at first, the kids swung their hoes with energy, enjoying the rare chance to work outdoors together in such a big group. It felt like a game.
But after a while, the novelty wore off. The effort set in. Some of the younger kids began to whimper and cry.
Yet surprisingly, even the most doting parents made no move to coddle them. Only a handful of stricter adults stepped forward, correcting postures, giving advice, and firmly telling them what they were doing wrong.
After crying for a bit and realizing no hugs were coming, the little ones sniffled and wiped their faces, then picked their tools back up and kept going, tears and all.
Once the plot was fully tilled, the grown-ups began teaching the next steps: how to sow seeds, how to turn the soil gently, and how to care for the new crops.
This season, they were planting winter wheat. And everything from weeding and pest control to fertilizing, harvesting, drying, and grinding, all of it would be the responsibility of these children.
Bill, one of the village elders, explained the custom to Rhodes and Mira. "It's a tradition in our village. Every child must learn how to grow at least one or two crops. After they reach adulthood, they're exempt, they'll either be working in the family fields or starting their own lives after marriage. But this rite of passage is important."
"That's a wonderful custom," Rhodes said with admiration.
Now he understood why this village could still achieve such good harvests even after hardship. It was because every generation passed down the knowledge through experience, true, living inheritance.
By the time the children had finished their work, the sun had long since dipped behind the mountains.
Only then did the parents gather them up with tender smiles and soothing words, bringing them home to bathe and rest before the evening celebration.
They did feel a pang of guilt seeing their children exhausted, but they also knew, when next year's festival came, they'd let them participate again. Because they too had gone through it and knew how much it shaped them.
While the village prepared for the next round of festivities, the chief quietly led Rhodes to where the captured attackers were being held.
"Over forty of them… and they're all wizards?" Jasper's voice trembled slightly.
He eyed the group of bound men, each dressed in matching uniforms, with wild hairstyles and a dangerous aura.
A gang of forty regular bandits would've been enough to overwhelm their peaceful village. But forty wizards? That could have flattened them.
In the past, Jasper had thought the Magic Council's existence had nothing to do with his little corner of the world. But now? He fully understood the importance of magical deterrence.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "Thank you both so much for saving our village."
"You don't have to thank us," Mira replied with a warm smile. "It was our mission. Actually, you were wise to post that escort request in advance."
"Well… actually…" Jasper rubbed the back of his neck, blushing.
Rhodes and Mira exchanged a glance. They were getting close to the truth.
Jasper hesitated, then confessed, "To be honest, it wasn't until quite a while after your last visit that we realized just how amazing the two of you really are. That whole rat infestation… it wasn't just pest control. It saved lives. When we think about it now… the 200,000 Jewel reward feels like far too little."
"So after the harvest, we specifically issued a designated request. To be honest, we just wanted to invite the two of you to our festival under the pretense of a guard mission," Jasper admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Then we could treat you well and properly thank you for everything you've done. We never imagined something like this would actually happen..."
He had originally planned to keep the truth from them, let them enjoy the festival peacefully, then pay them as a token of thanks afterward.
But now that things had turned out this way, it didn't feel right to keep up the pretense.
It had all come from good intentions, but in the end, it dragged them into more trouble. Curse those dark guilds.
Mira gently nudged Rhodes with her elbow and gave him a sly smile.
So after all that tension... they were just trying to thank him.
"I see..." Rhodes didn't quite know how to respond. Was he too suspicious? But then again, a little caution wasn't a bad thing.
It was just that this village was too kind.
He thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness. But honestly, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. And since the reward was agreed upon, we won't be returning it."
They had gone out of their way to express their gratitude. He'd accept it, not arrogantly, but with genuine appreciation.
Jasper quickly replied, "Of course! If I'd known something like this would happen, I should've offered even more."
Watching Rhodes singlehandedly defeat over forty dark wizards had completely changed Jasper's impression of him. He realized his earlier gratitude hadn't even scratched the surface.
Mira raised a finger, smiling playfully. "Still, the reward was agreed upon. We won't accept anything extra."
The three of them chuckled together.
Then Rhodes turned to Mira and said, "Let's hit them with one more sleep spell. After that, we can finally enjoy the rest of the festival."
Nightfall brought a whole new kind of joy to the village.
Bonfires crackled cheerfully as platters of freshly sliced fruits, roasted vegetables, and homemade delicacies were laid out on long tables. Laughter and music filled the air as the villagers danced, feasted, and celebrated beneath the stars.
Rhodes and Mira were invited to join a cheerful circle dance around the fire. They didn't know the steps, but that only made the villagers laugh more warmly, clapping and cheering them on. After a few spins, the two slipped to the edge of the crowd, sharing a plate of sweet grilled yams and spiced apple cider as they watched the festivities.
"This is wonderful," Mira said softly.
The village's harvest festival couldn't compare in scale or glitz to the ones held in the big cities, but it had something else, something deeper.
Something no parade or firework display could replace.
She couldn't quite put it into words. But sitting side by side with Rhodes, she felt her heart at ease.
"Yeah," Rhodes murmured in agreement.
He was starting to drift off.
After staying up all night the day before and being on high alert all throughout today, the moment his body relaxed and his stomach was full, drowsiness hit him like a spell.
His head tilted toward Mira's shoulder, eyes fluttering shut, and his breathing grew slow and steady.
Mira wrapped an arm around him, smiling gently as she let him rest.
The next morning.
"You ambushed me yesterday, didn't you?" Rhodes asked groggily as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Nope," Mira replied innocently.
"You secretly hit me with sleep magic?"
"Nope."
"Did you do anything sneaky while I was asleep?"
"Yes," Mira said with a mischievous grin. "I secretly put on a gorgeous new dress and wore my prettiest makeup, then strolled right past you."
"Ah..." Rhodes let out a heavy sigh.
Mira raised an eyebrow. "What's with that face? Are you seriously disappointed?"
"Don't tell me you regret falling asleep too early?" she teased.
"No," Rhodes muttered as he looked away. "I just think you must be lying, if you're answering me like that."
He lowered his head, took a breath, and sat up. "Come on. Time to get up."
Mira playfully thumped him in the chest. "Pervert. What's so interesting about that anyway?"
The two of them got out of bed and began to wash up.
Maybe to get back at her, Rhodes didn't even try to hide the fact that he was watching her change out of her pajamas.
But Mira only looked back at him flatly for a few seconds, then, with a smirk, continued changing without hesitation. She had her special sleeping lingerie on underneath, anyway. Might as well treat it like a swimsuit and let him look all he wanted.
If anyone was going to feel awkward, it wouldn't be her.
After receiving the reward and preparing to leave the village, Rhodes was still giving Mira that sulky, betrayed look.
Mira? She was quietly laughing to herself the entire time.
But once she'd had her fill of teasing him, she flipped the tables.
She wrapped herself around Rhodes, whispered into his ear, kissed his cheek, rested his head on her lap, even used her chest as a pillow—
All sorts of little affectionate attacks until Rhodes finally broke down.
He glanced up at the sky and sighed dramatically. "It's over. I've completely fallen into the hands of this wicked woman."
He reached back and gave her a firm pinch. The look of startled surprise and blush on Mira's face was satisfying enough.
Back on the road, Rhode shared his next steps. "Let's head to the nearest town first. We'll hand these guys over, confirm Erigor's location, then go catch him."
Behind them, more than 40 unconscious dark wizards were being carried or dragged by wild monsters, all marching in a neat column led by their two crabs.
With over twenty summoned beasts following behind, the scene looked less like a bounty mission and more like a military parade.
Mira spoke up, "You know we'll need to convince the Master when we go back."
Rhodes grinned like a fox. "No need. We'll just head back after the Master leaves for the regular council meeting. He should be leaving around noon. If we're just a bit late... we'll miss it."
"Regular meeting?" Mira paused, doing the math in her head. She hadn't been paying attention to the date when they left, but now that she thought about it, the timing lined up.
"Hehehe... If we get back after it starts, we can just dump all the paperwork on Erza. Or Macao. Or Wakaba."
Rhodes had joked many times about skipping the routine guild meetings, but this was the first time he might actually succeed.
Mira couldn't help but laugh.
She added with a bit of concern, "If Erza's around, sure, but if she's not... Macao and Wakaba aren't exactly enthusiastic about guild operations."
"It's fine. I can bribe them," Rhodes said with confidence. "I've still got a few invitation tickets to that Blue Pegasus show. Those two won't say no to that."
"Oh? Invitation tickets to Blue Pegasus..." Mira leaned in and gently wrapped her arms around Rhodes's waist, resting her cheek against his back.
If this were another girl, maybe it'd be seen as affectionate or cute.
But this was Mira.
Depending on her mood, this could become a suplex... or a spine-crushing bear hug.
"That... uh... those tickets were a gift! From Master Bob, during the last regular meeting," Rhodes quickly clarified, feeling the tension in her fingers pressing into his sides.
He gently reached back and rested his hand on hers, smiling awkwardly.
Mira didn't respond at first. She just waited, quiet and still, giving Rhodes a chance to explain himself.
"I was actually going to ask you to toss those tickets or sell them off the moment we got back," Rhodes said, scratching his cheek. "But… I got distracted by something. Totally forgot. Just remembered it now."
He could feel the arm wrapped around him loosen ever so slightly.
Without wasting a second, he turned around and hugged her tightly.
"From start to finish, I never had any intention of going there myself. Really. Now they're just the perfect bait to bribe those two uncles."
Mira thought about it, then shook her head. "Don't give it to them."
"Huh?"
"Let's save them for ourselves. Just the two of us."
Rhodes immediately raised a hand like he was taking an oath. "I, Rhodes, solemnly swear that I will never set foot in Blue Pegasus. If I do, may—"
Smack!
Mira lightly slapped his hand down mid-vow and rolled her eyes.
"What do you think I meant, you dummy?" she said, exasperated.
Then she started giggling again. "I meant we go together. Then we make Jenny pour tea and wine for us, sit and chat, make us laugh..."
Just picturing Jenny's uncomfortable expression at being the one stuck serving them had Mira laughing all over again.
"You're a devil," Rhodes said, chuckling. "But I like it."
A caravan of wild beasts lined up and marched into town, creating a small stir among the townsfolk. But once people saw how neatly organized they were, the panic faded quickly.
It was, in fact, extremely convenient for Rhodes.
He didn't even need to find the local security force, they found him.
He raised a hand in greeting as they approached and immediately clarified the situation to avoid misunderstandings.
"We're Fairy Tail wizards," Rhodes explained calmly. "The ones being carried are members of the dark guild Black Unicorn. We caught them yesterday. These beasts are all my summons, nothing to be afraid of."
"A-ah… understood," stammered the security captain, who had marched in with authority but now seemed like he was the one being interrogated.
"Can we leave these guys with you for holding?"
"This... uh… We'll need to check if we have enough magic-sealing manacles in storage," the captain said nervously. "If not, we might need to send a request to the nearest Magic Council branch…"
He glanced at the sheer number of unconscious wizards and summoned monsters around them and began to sweat. He had never seen this many captured dark mages all at once.
Rhodes, meanwhile, picked up on something curious. "Wait… Did you just say the Council has resumed operations?"
The security captain replied, "While the Magic Council hasn't been fully restored, the branch office is functioning again for basic duties."
Rhodes gave a small nod. "Good enough. Then I'll leave these guys to you. There's one more thing I need to ask."
"Of course. Go ahead."
"There was a murder near Ravendel Village about half a month ago. I heard it might've been done by a wizard. We've got a suspect and would like to cross-check the details."
The captain brightened. "No problem! If you're helping with the case, it's a big help to us."
Crimes involving wizards were always tricky for the local authorities to handle, especially with the Magic Council still in the midst of reorganization. Having proactive mages like Rhodes and Mira willing to help made things much easier and prevented widespread panic in the region.
Rhodes stayed to help oversee the transfer of the Black Unicorn members to the prison. As expected, the town didn't have enough magic-sealing restraints for everyone.
Mira stepped up with a soft smile. "I'll extend the sleep magic a little longer. That should keep them still until you get reinforcements."
The captain was immensely grateful and quickly sent a runner to fetch the case files.
Rhodes skimmed through the documents with practiced efficiency.
According to the professional reports, there were two distinct types of wounds found on the five victims.
One set was inflicted by wind-based magic, likely a high-velocity slicing spell like Wind Blade.
The other wounds were physical, created by a sharp weapon. Based on their curvature and depth, the examiner suspected a scythe or sickle-type blade.
What stood out most was the precision of the attacks—quick, clean, and merciless.
That detail alone narrowed the list of suspects dramatically.
Wind magic. A sickle. Ruthless execution.
All signs pointed to one infamous name.
"Erigor," Rhodes murmured to himself. "It has to be him."
The style was unmistakable, Erigor of Eisenwald, also known as the Reaper of the Wind. A dark wizard known for combining deadly wind spells with brutal scythework. Cold-blooded, fast, and efficient.
But one mystery remained: who had hired him?
Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly. That part would require a face-to-face interrogation.
...
Bonus Chapter