When Rhodes brought his carefully assembled secretarial team to report to Hyberion, the interim Chairman raised the same concern Mira had.
Rhodes answered without hesitation. "When a client requests confidentiality, not a single word of mission content can be disclosed. That's basic professional ethics for any mage. These are guild mages. Discretion is part of the job."
Hyberion didn't belong to a guild himself, but he was well aware of the rule.
The real issue wasn't trust. It was optics.
Having a single guild produce two Council members had already generated some negative commentary in the press. Hyberion trusted Rhodes and his people completely, but explaining this to the public was another matter.
If it weren't for the fact that Warrod had been retired for so many years that few people even remembered his connection to Fairy Tail, the quiet criticism would have been even louder.
Still, these were extraordinary times. Everyone involved was a Wizard Saint of proven character. There was no need to be overly cautious about appearances.
Besides, if they were going to worry about representation, more than half the seven Council members came from the Kingdom of Fiore. By that logic, every other nation on the continent had grounds to protest.
So... make another exception?
Seeing him hesitate, Rhodes nudged him along. "If you'd rather refuse, that's fine. But you'll need to assign me equivalent manpower instead."
He held up a hand. "To be modest, each of my companions is worth three ordinary clerks. If the Chairman can spare me fifteen additional staff, I'll send them home right now."
Hyberion's expression went flat.
Fifteen ordinary soldiers? He could reassign those without blinking. But qualified clerical staff with the skills to handle classified documents, cross-reference archives, and draft official correspondence? Every department was already short-staffed. Where exactly was he supposed to find fifteen of those?
He also privately dismissed Rhodes's claim that one person could do the work of three as transparent exaggeration meant to force the issue.
He nodded reluctantly. "Then how do you plan to arrange their positions?"
"Two options." Rhodes held up one finger. "First, I can issue a formal request to Fairy Tail in my name or the Council's, designating these individuals to assist with Council operations. Once the backlog in the archive tent is resolved, the mission is considered complete." He paused. "Given the difficulty, the reward can't be set too low."
Hyberion acknowledged the logic but winced at the implied budget. He also wasn't sure of the team's actual capabilities. "And the second option?"
"Hire them as temporary workers. Pay based on hours and efficiency." Rhodes shrugged. "We'd still notify the guild master, but that's a formality. During employment, the Council retains the right to terminate anyone for violations or negligence. After the crisis period, if performance reviews are positive, we can discuss contract renewals based on mutual interest."
Hyberion considered for a moment. "The second option."
Temporary hires carried far less institutional risk than direct outsourcing. Any issues could be addressed in real time. From the Council's perspective, it was the most prudent approach.
"Good." Rhodes agreed readily.
On the surface, it looked like everyone on his team could be fired at any moment. In practice, their direct supervisor was Rhodes himself. As long as nobody set the documents on fire, things would never escalate to termination.
And the person responsible for approving their salaries was Warrod. As long as the work was done well, the gentle old man wasn't going to make life difficult for a group of hardworking juniors.
His companions wouldn't lose out. The Council's money would be well spent. Everyone won.
With the paperwork complete, Rhodes collected five ID cards and led his team out of Hyberion's tent.
Levy's gaze immediately drifted to a certain giant figure hauling steel beams at the distant construction site. She watched for a moment, then turned her attention to the surrounding ruins with wide, curious eyes.
"The destruction here is even worse than what the newspapers showed."
Mira, who had visited a few days ago with Rhodes, explained. "Probably the camera angles. And I think they've demolished some of the more unstable sections since then."
Lucy clasped her hands together, looking genuinely delighted. "Isn't the important part that Rhodes said each of us can outperform three people?"
Evergreen snapped open her small fan and laughed behind it. "You actually believed him just because he said so? That's purely adorable."
After saying it, Evergreen regretted it slightly. She stole a cautious glance at Rhodes and quietly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he hadn't reacted.
Freed spoke up. "I'm confident I wouldn't lose to anyone in this kind of work. But regarding what just happened in there, I also believe it was a negotiating tactic."
"No, I genuinely think all of you are exceptional." Rhodes smiled. "Now we just have to prove it. Show them that Fairy Tail mages aren't only good at fighting."
"YEAH!" Levy and Lucy threw their fists in the air with genuine enthusiasm. Mira joined in a beat later, raising her own fist with a cheerful laugh.
Freed and Evergreen's reactions were more restrained. But the faint satisfaction on their faces said enough. Being recognized for something other than combat meant more to them than they'd admit out loud.
The group arrived at the Temporary Archives, flashed their new IDs to the guards, and entered the tent.
Inside was still a disaster. Mountains of unsorted paper. Boxes stacked at odd angles. The only sign of progress was a small section of shelving where Rhodes's work from yesterday sat in neat, labeled rows.
The three seconded staff members, two men and one woman, were already at their desks, deep in work. They looked up briefly to greet Rhodes when he entered.
"Thanks for your hard work yesterday. These are the new additions to the team. Let's do our best together from here on."
"Hello! Please take care of us." The group offered polite greetings.
The three staff members responded in turn. One of them, a man in his thirties, glanced past the others and froze.
His eyes locked onto Mira.
"Are you... Miss Mira?!"
Mira smiled and nodded.
The man shot to his feet. "Hello, Miss Mira! I've been a fan of yours since eight years ago! Since before Tenrou Island!"
The words came tumbling out. "It's so wonderful that you all came back! Your performance at the Grand Magic Games was incredible too! It's such a shame you didn't get more screen time!"
He leaned forward, barely containing himself. "Is it true you're expecting? Can I get an autograph? Ah, I didn't bring my magazine!"
Mira handled the sudden ambush with the practiced grace of someone who had dealt with enthusiastic fans before. "Thank you for your constant support. It really means a lot."
She tilted her head with a warm smile. "I'll be working here for a while, so you can have that autograph anytime. How about we focus on doing good work today first?"
"Absolutely! Today I'm doing the work of TEN people!" The man dropped back into his chair and attacked his stack of documents with the intensity of someone who had just been handed a lifetime supply of motivation.
Rhodes watched this transformation with quiet amazement. "I spent all of yesterday giving encouraging speeches, and the effect wasn't half as good as you just standing here."
"Does that count as me pulling my weight?" Mira asked innocently. "Should we ask the other two if they happen to be fans of Erza or Laxus?"
Freed went still.
The other two staff members snapped their heads up from their desks. The looks on their faces answered the question before anyone spoke.
Rhodes stared at them for a long moment.
So they really are. Maybe I should bring Erza and Laxus around for a visit one of these days. Morale would go through the roof.
He filed the thought away and clapped his hands. "Alright. Let's get started." He led the group toward the mountain of documents.
"Yesterday I went through almost every type of file in here. I'll demonstrate the handling procedures one by one."
...
STONES PLZZZZ
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