Star Spirit Mage, again a Star Spirit Mage.
Lucy's case of easily succeeding as bait, Mr. Dor's severely injured case, the case of Canopus' attack...
Perhaps a single event involving a Star Spirit Mage is a coincidence, but every abandoned Star Spirit known so far has appeared around a Star Spirit Mage, which really makes you think.
Could it be that their purpose for coming to the Human Realm is to deal with Star Spirit Mages?
Carla said, "We invited Lucy on the mission on the spur of the moment, so it was just a coincidence, right? The only real cases are those two."
Rhode shook his head, "No, there might be more, but the information I have is not enough. I need to go back and check, and maybe also ask other guilds for info.
"Anyway, during this time, Lucy should not take on tasks alone. Be extra careful."
"Okay." Lucy nodded vigorously. Most of the time, she was quite receptive to advice.
"In any case, since the Star Spirit King guarantees those Star Spirits won't emerge again, these two tasks are considered complete. We're heading back now."
Rhode then said to Gemini, "Thank you for your hard work."
"You're welcome."
"It's our responsibility."
"Well, we'll be leaving too."
"I heard there's a meeting."
Gemini and Minnie chattered as they bid farewell and returned to the Star Spirit Realm.
Rhode went to explain the task results to the village chief, assuring him that if those bees came back, not only would he refund, but also resolve the problem for free.
The village chief didn't really expect 'after-sales service,' but saw Rhode's words as a sign of confidence.
So he neatly settled the reward for the bee task and warmly wanted them to stay a few more days.
Rhode politely declined, saying there were still things to do at the guild.
The group left the village and went to Illusory Butterfly Wings. Besides informing them that the issue had been resolved, they also went to check on Dor and Phil.
Mainly to inform Dor about the Star Spirit matters and advise him to be more cautious these days.
After managing everything properly, Rhode announced the return trip.
Despite all the events during this mission, Lucy was inexplicably moved: "Mr. Rhode, the finishing work was done so meticulously."
"It's just a normal task process." Rhode had assisted the president before, so he knew how these things should be done.
Others might be sloppy once the task is completed.
But not Rhode.
Because if he skimped on it, Mira would have to take up the slack when they returned.
So, every step that Rhode took seriously was for the guild's reputation publicly, and privately to avoid making his wife work overtime.
Of course, outwardly only the former needs to be emphasized.
Carla looked at Lucy: "Are you so moved just because someone said you did a good job?"
"Of course not." Lucy covered her mouth, feeling bittersweet enough to cry. "You wouldn't understand."
Teaming up with Mr. Rhode wasn't just about his thorough wrap-up work.
More importantly, the tasks themselves went so smoothly. Even though there were some intelligence problems during battle, they were either resolved with a plan, or perfectly resolved with on-the-spot adaptability.
Then there was an extra bonus—absolutely nothing unnecessary was destroyed!
Looking at the village chief's attitude, if not for the poor conditions of the village and lack of understanding of the task's real difficulty, they might have even gotten a pay raise on the spot.
I've never fought such a well-funded battle!
However, Wendy and Carla exchanged a glance, no, we understand.
Calculating the reward they'll get, there's a long period ahead without worrying about rent and food. This is the deserved outcome of completing a high-difficulty task.
And not like some team-ups where you should get a couple of million in reward but after completing the task, you can only rest for two or three days before heading out again.
Teaming up with Rhode is amazing! At this moment, the two and a cat reached a consensus.
...
By the time they returned to Magnolia, it was nearing dusk, and the evening breeze was a bit chilly.
"Would you like to come over to our place?"
As he said this, Rhode's heart skipped a beat, suddenly recalling the dire consequences of inviting companions over for a visit.
However, looking at the people here—Lucy, Wendy, and Carla, hmm, no big issue.
Rhode's heart settled back.
But Lucy felt a bit guilty because she was part of the last house-dismantling event: "Why not... head to the guild first?"
Wendy quickly followed up: "I agree, Sister Mira might not have gone home yet, right?"
"True." Rhode nodded, meeting his wife was more important.
The group headed straight for the guild, with Lucy walking along the narrow riverbank like a regular girl, arms outstretched for balance, stepping one foot at a time.
In the river, a friendly boatman saw Lucy and cupped his hands to his mouth, calling out:
"Lucy~"
"Be careful!"
Lucy waved back with a smile, wobbled a little, then regained her balance.
On a whim, she summoned Pururu to follow her.
Wendy commented: "Miss Lucy seems very popular."
Lucy replied: "Because my home is nearby, I see them every day."
It seems they're always saying those two lines.
However, their address changed from 'little girl' to 'Miss Lucy,' and then to just 'Lucy.'
Thinking of this, Lucy unwittingly smiled; she had completely integrated into Magnolia, as if this were truly her home.
Thinking about how they address her, Lucy suddenly said: "Oh, Wendy, you shouldn't always call me 'Miss Lucy,' how about a more familiar address?"
"..." Wendy thought for a moment, tentatively asking, "Then... Sister Lucy?"
"Yes!" Lucy replied happily, adding, "Natsu and Gray might have similar thoughts, too."
Wendy pondered seriously; she had felt close to Natsu since their first meeting, but out of fear of being too forward, she had always used formal titles.
Gray and Erza were also nice, and they had become more familiar recently...
Wendy slowly thought: 'Could it be that besides Brother Rhode and Sister Mira, everyone has long considered me family?'
Scenes of daily laughter, disputes, fighting, and healing flashed through her mind.
While blaming herself for not realizing everyone's feelings earlier, Wendy felt a little thrilled inside.
She had long been a qualified member of Fairy Tail, already a part of this big family.
"I understand!" A happy smile spread across Wendy's face. She decided to start changing the way she addressed everyone, starting with those she was closest to.
She patted Carla on the head: "Let's do our best, Carla."
"What are you suddenly talking about?" Carla looked at her, puzzled.
Responding to her was a big, bright smile.