"There's something going on~" Hapi said.
But except for Carla giving him a side glance, no one paid attention.
Wendy expressed some concern about their injuries, but since it was March then and now it was early June, with the constitution of mages, they had long since healed.
Lucy asked again about how things were in Lutus Village and whether there had been any more strange occurrences.
Dor organized his thoughts and replied, "Lutus Village has been doing well recently. A few days ago, the guild even received a task to help with canal irrigation.
"Strange events... Ever since Fairy Tail's warning, we've been much more cautious when going out for work.
"But once, we encountered a swarm of spiders, almost got in trouble, and then... the Horologium suddenly showed up to save me, and I didn't even have the Horologium key."
As he spoke of this, Phil's face suddenly flushed.
That awkward Horologium Spirit was amazing, and the emergency rescue was timely, but... but when saving me, it left its clothes at the scene.
So she ended up seeing Dor's entire body clearly...
Originally, they were just teammates, very familiar with each other, but this incident brought them much closer.
However, Phil thought their relationship had progressed significantly, while Dor simply felt awkward for a bit but then didn't mind.
Dor, not noticing Phil's expression, continued to recount his experience: "Horologium told me that only this once could I have the opportunity to summon a Zodiac Spirit.
"Then I summoned Sagittarius, Sajidarius! Did you know? Sajidarius is incredibly strong, hits every target, and even has skills like Dense Arrow, Rapid-Fire Arrow, and Penetrating Arrow...
"There were so many spiders, but they were all taken care of in an instant. Indeed, worthy of the Zodiac!"
Dor praised Sajidarius's power with great enthusiasm, his desire for the Zodiac Spirit evident.
However, others found it somewhat strange. Natsu tilted his head, looking at Lucy in confusion, "Is that fake centaur really that amazing? Lucy's summoned him so many times, right?"
Lucy immediately replied, "Sajidarius is naturally strong! After all, he's a Zodiac Spirit."
After responding, Lucy also felt something was off, sensing that Natsu's words were not doubting Sajidarius but her.
Rhode glanced at Dor and understood.
The other's Magic Power was a bit stronger than Lucy's used to be.
Plus, Lucy often chose Spirits without much thought, leading to Sajidarius frequently appearing in unsuitable battlefields.
This resulted in the Divine Archer having poor attack outcomes or getting immediately defeated, creating an impression for Natsu that he wasn't very strong.
Things should be better now, with all that special training, Lucy's Magic Power had significantly improved, and surely her battle intelligence should have increased some.
"Let's not talk about that." Rhode changed the subject, "Why are you here?"
"Because we received a puzzle-solving task, and I have some confidence in my knowledge of Celestial Spirit Science. If we complete this task, we could gain something that surpasses the Yellow..."
Dor paused, looked at Rhode and Lucy, "Could it be that you're here for..."
If it's them, there's no way to compete.
One is a Great Mage of the Ten Wizard Saints, and the other is an excellent Star Spirit Mage with numerous Zodiac Spirits, seemingly unmatched in every aspect.
Also, he still owes them a favor, so competing feels embarrassing.
But the key that surpasses the Zodiac... after experiencing it once, it's hard to forget the feeling of having such a powerful Spirit.
"No, we're here because we suspect this task might be a trap. Nearly all the Star Spirit Mages on the continent have gathered here.
"If it's a conspiracy, then Star Spirit Mages might disappear," Rhode didn't hide his purpose, willing to persuade as many away as possible.
Phil, a bit worried, said, "By the way, Dor, I heard that the matter with the Star Spirit Realm isn't over yet?"
Dor's face changed a bit, "But the client is Mr. Millerdo Stick, and he shouldn't deceive us, right?"
Pegrandi Kingdom's astronomer Millerdo Stick, has a significant status in the current astronomical community.
A big figure like him lacks neither reputation, nor money, nor social standing, so logically, he wouldn't easily ruin his own reputation.
Rhode sighed, "That's exactly what makes it troublesome." He said, "Even if we have doubts, without solid evidence, we can't just defame him.
"Moreover, he's in the client role, which adds another layer of trouble for us mages."
Rhode could request to meet him, but they were already late to set off. If the other party pulls a stalling tactic, there's no telling how much time would be wasted.
"My advice is to leave here as soon as possible; if needed, I can escort you for a bit. It's up to you to decide what you'll do."
Phil was already wavering, not being a Star Spirit Mage, she didn't hold astronomers in as high esteem and wasn't as interested in the rewards.
Instead of trusting a stranger of renown, she preferred to trust the remarkable person she already knew.
However, this time she had come specifically to accompany Dor, so she asked, "Dor, what do you think?"
"I..." Dor didn't want to give up such a good opportunity. He considered the possibility that Rhode was trying to trick him away... but it seemed unnecessary.
Thinking of the danger from the last spider encounter and the mess from the previous bee swarm incident, Dor was inclined to trust Rhode.
Moreover, he couldn't let Phil go through such dangers again for a slim chance.
Dor made up his mind, "Let's go, Phil."
Goodbye, to the possibly existing keys and secrets.
Noticing Dor's disappointment, Phil boldly took hold of his hand, gently comforting him, "It's okay. Once this is all over, I'll go with you to find more powerful keys."
"Phil..."
"Dor..."
Rhode and the others felt a bit out of place.
"Summoning, Canyon Vanguard!"
A massive purple figure suddenly appeared, slightly breaking the mood.
Rhode patted the Canyon Vanguard's foot, and the Canyon Vanguard voluntarily spread its wings, revealing the 'cockpit' of the Vanguard Eye.
"Get in. It might be a bit cramped for two people, but it's secure and swift."
"Thank you, Mr. Rhode." The two thanked him and followed Rhode's instruction to step onto the Vanguard Eye on the Canyon Vanguard's back.
Then they were both enveloped, entering the interior space, squeezed together.
Phil now felt even more grateful.
"Once you leave the Mist Zone, keep going about twenty kilometers further away."
Upon Rhode's order, the Canyon Vanguard began to run.
The dense fog seemed to part for it, yet the surrounding moisture quickly filled in, creating a swirling mist scene.
Rhode shook his head, "It's this troublesome to persuade acquaintances to leave; attempting to persuade everyone away is impractical."
"We can only do our best." Erza said, "Of course, the best outcome would be to solve the puzzle and uncover the truth first."
Gray patted Lucy's shoulder, "This puzzle-solving is up to you."
Lucy confidently declared, "I'll do my best!"
Natsu was about to say something, but suddenly sniffed the air intensely, "I smell blood! Over there!"
As he spoke, he had already dashed forward.
"Idiot, be a bit more cautious!" Gray said, but he quickly followed suit.