"Mr. Rhode..." Yukino's emotions were complex. She wanted to say something, but Rhode was trying to help her.
Lucy, however, had no such reservations: "How could you come up with such a scary plan so quickly?"
Natsu surprisingly chimed in: "How crafty, no, how despicable!"
Rhode shot Natsu a sideways glance: "Weren't you the one who suggested it first? I just made it into a truly feasible plan."
"..." Natsu fell silent.
Lucy thought about it carefully and actually felt there was some feasibility to it. She shook her head vigorously; it had to be a joke.
Rhode, however, said, "I'm not joking. If it's necessary, I would really do it."
When pushed to that point, creating a little danger for the kingdom and then resolving it isn't out of the question.
Natsu suddenly burst out laughing: "Ahahaha, if that's the case, I want to help too."
"You'd only make things worse." Lucy quipped, but she laughed as well.
So this is how Fairy Tail operates, able to go this far for their companions. It's completely different from Sabertooth.
Yukino no longer found it absurd; instead, she was a bit touched: "Thank you, Mr. Rhode, Mr. Natsu, Miss Lucy."
Her feelings were understood, but she still couldn't accept such a bold plan, and Yukino felt Princess Jade was a good person, and she didn't want to deceive her.
The conversation moved on, and they chatted about star spirits for a while until Princess Jade returned with the king's orders.
"Father has agreed to proceed with the plan we've proposed. Additionally, the matter of the abandoned star spirit must be thoroughly investigated."
Lucy said happily, "If you can help with the investigation, that would be great, of course."
Rhode said, "In that case, you should send a letter to the Council, asking them to notify all the guilds in Ishujal to be especially careful if there are any Star Spirit Mages."
Princess Jade smiled: "This was also mentioned by President Makarov, and Father is already writing a letter himself."
If anyone targeted Dragon Slayer Mages, Molding Mages, or any other mage, the king might not take it so seriously.
But not when it comes to Star Spirit Mages.
Because his daughter is a Star Spirit Mage.
This is what Rhode believed.
Lucy was more concerned: "Did the President contact His Majesty directly?"
"The old man?" Natsu was suddenly a bit nervous.
Because he had realized that if he hadn't acted recklessly, all the guild needed to do was find a way to save Lucy.
But thanks to his efforts, it seemed like he had successfully caused trouble for the guild.
Rhode chuckled, sensing that no one would blame Natsu for this.
But once they got back, he'd definitely be laughed at—how embarrassing to get caught so easily.
Especially Gray, Rhode could already imagine Gray's expression.
Princess Jade said: "It wasn't a direct contact with Father but through Minister Danton, perhaps fearing that Father might be angry.
"But I've heard President Makarov's attitude was quite determined, and he's willing to vouch for Miss Lucy with his own reputation."
"President..." Lucy was moved.
Yukino's heart was also deeply touched.
This was a suspect in an assassination attempt on the princess, and yet President Makarov was willing to vouch for her without hesitation.
Just think, Mr. Natsu also directly fought the Knight Order for Miss Lucy, and Mr. Rhode boarded the flying ship for their sake...
What a reckless guild.
What a wonderful guild.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
All the data on the recent attacks on Star Spirit Mages by abandoned star spirits was finally sorted, and Lucy was released without charge.
But Natsu was still undergoing his 'punishment' as agreed.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't much of a punishment; it was more like Rhode used his mischievous ways to let Natsu undergo a few days of devilish training.
Natsu went from being utterly exhausted to gradually enjoying it.
Some of the knights he had slugged went to see that terrifyingly strong kid once their injuries had mostly healed.
They initially wanted a rematch.
But when they tried out Natsu's custom-made barbell, they were immediately convinced.
That weight, they had to wear power-boosting magic tools to lift it.
That kid... is he really human?
Rhode had also stayed there all those days.
To prevent possible attacks, he only returned through the Hex Flying Gate each day for a brief chat with his wife and to check on the guild's situation.
And after Lucy was released, she didn't rush to leave but insisted on waiting for Natsu to return together.
During that time, she didn't sit idly by but tagged along with Princess Jade and Yukino to the royal library, helping organize quite a bit of material to be submitted to the Council and shared among the guilds.
The relationship between the three women improved significantly; Jade and Yukino became increasingly impressed with Lucy's vast knowledge of Celestial Spirit Science.
Yukino even had a thought: perhaps the keys to Libra and Pisces should be entrusted to an outstanding Star Spirit Mage like Miss Lucy.
The king's letter to the Council received significant attention.
The Council's duty is to maintain stability in the Magic Realm, and the actions of these abandoned star spirits had clearly disrupted the peace.
Moreover, it was still unclear what their plot against Star Spirit Mages was.
After discussion, the evaluators decided to first notify all the guilds and then invite some Star Spirit Mages to assist in their investigation.
Naturally, the first to be invited was Lucy, who possessed ten Golden Keys.
Lucy was a bit uncertain: "Mr. Rhode, should I go?"
Rhode shook his head: "No need. We'll investigate in our way, and anyway, we have to wait for news from the Star Spirit Realm. Once the Star Spirit King makes a decision, we'll share the intelligence with them."
Lucy nodded, after thinking for a while, she said: "How about letting Yukino report?"
"Are you sure?" Rhode looked at Lucy, "It's about Star Spirit Mages across the whole continent, and if you perform outstandingly, your reputation could skyrocket."
"..." As an exemplary mage of Fairy Tail, spreading her fame across the continent was Lucy's wish.
Now, thanks to Rhode's words, she realized what a great opportunity was at hand.
But faced with such a temptation, Lucy still smiled: "Yukino needs this kind of credit more, right? I can feel her longing for family. As for my wish... as long as I keep working hard, I'll achieve it one day!"
Rhode chuckled: "Alright then, it's up to you. It's not like I'm a Star Spirit Mage."
"...998, 999, 1000!" Natsu lifted the barbell over his head, exclaiming excitedly, "Finished! Finally, I can go back to the guild!"
He dropped the barbell with a bang, cracking the floor of the guest room, and his face froze.
Lucy covered her mouth, gloating: "Natsu, you broke something in the royal palace. This kind of flooring is really expensive~"
"I... I didn't mean to!" Natsu was sweating profusely.