Flare didn't lift her head. Only her eyes moved, shifting between Rhodes and Natsu.
She knew the pink-haired boy, though not personally. His name had appeared many times in Ivan's battle plans against Fairy Tail.
Natsu Dragneel, Fire Dragon Slayer. Impulsive, reckless, easily angered, and weak to transportation.
There had even been two strategies designed specifically to deal with him, though Raven Tail never had the chance to use them.
They had also prepared plans for Rhodes, detailed and extensive ones. Every single one of them had failed spectacularly.
"I don't know you, pink-haired one," Flare finally said. Her voice was soft and unstable, like a flickering flame that could go out at any moment.
After a short pause, she added quietly, "I don't know the blonde one either. Only the black-haired man. This is the second time we've met today."
"Really?" Natsu leaned closer, his fists sparking faintly. "Then take another look! If we're comrades, I'll break you out right now!"
The two frog-men froze in shock, gripping their staffs.
"Idiot Natsu!" Happy scolded. "You can't talk about breaking someone out while standing in a prison!"
Lucy quickly bowed to the guards, smiling nervously. "Please don't take him seriously! He's just... like that."
Rhodes sighed, his expression weary. "Apologies. They speak before they think."
The frog-men exchanged glances, then nodded stiffly. "Please remember, visiting time is limited, even for you, Saint Rhodes."
"Of course," Rhodes replied calmly.
Natsu and Flare stared at each other for a while longer, neither finding any recognition.
Seeing that it was going nowhere, Rhodes redirected the conversation. "Then let's talk about something else. The mark on your chest, what is it?"
Flare hesitated, then loosened her collar slightly and pulled it aside. "This?"
"Don't look!" Lucy shouted, covering Natsu's eyes.
When she realized Flare hadn't exposed anything inappropriate, she sighed and lowered her hands.
Rhodes studied the round emblem revealed on Flare's chest. It was a spiral surrounded by a ring of tiny triangles, resembling a sun. He was sure he had seen that pattern somewhere before, but he couldn't recall where.
"This is the crest of my village," Flare said softly. "After Raven Tail was disbanded, their mark was replaced with this one."
So it wasn't a personal choice. Some sort of magical rebranding or curse seal, perhaps.
Rhodes considered asking to inspect it more closely but decided not to risk it. Instead, he asked, "Which village?"
"I don't want to say."
Immediately, one of the frog-men raised his staff. "How dare you refuse to answer Rhodes, one of the Saint Ten!"
Flare flinched and pressed herself against the wall, fear flashing across her face.
Rhodes quickly reached out and pushed the staff down. "That's enough. This isn't an interrogation. It's a visit."
Lucy stepped in gently. "It's fine if you don't want to say. We were just curious. You don't have to be afraid."
Flare blinked, surprised by Lucy's tone.
After a long silence, she whispered, "I... ran away from home."
Rhodes and Lucy exchanged a glance.
"I brought shame to my village," Flare murmured, curling her fingers tightly together. "So I don't want to talk about it."
The phrase ran away from home struck Lucy deeply. She immediately thought of herself, standing outside her father's mansion years ago, clutching her suitcase before running away to start a new life.
If she had chosen Phantom Lord instead of Fairy Tail, she might have ended up exactly like this girl.
Lucy's voice softened. "It must've been hard, right?"
Flare's eyes widened slightly. "What?"
"Leaving your family and venturing out on your own, it must have been very difficult, especially in a guild like that." Lucy's tone carried quiet sympathy. She always had a way of feeling other people's pain as if it were her own.
Flare lifted her gaze and met Lucy's eyes. Her chest tightened. The memories she had tried so hard to suppress came rushing back, the loneliness after leaving the village, the fear, the guilt, and even that moment when a dragon's shadow had pinned her to the ground.
For a heartbeat, she longed for home again, for the warmth of the adults who used to look after her. Her eyes grew moist.
One of the frog-men hesitated before quietly reminding, "Saint Rhodes, the visiting time is over."
Rhodes gave a nod. "Understood. We'll come again later."
Lucy smiled gently at Flare. "If you don't want to go back to your village yet, and you don't have anywhere else to go, you can come to Fairy Tail."
Flare watched them leave, her lips trembling slightly. Only when the sound of their footsteps faded did she whisper under her breath, "But… I don't want to go to Fairy Tail."
Maybe going home really was the best option.
Before leaving, Rhodes reminded the two frog jailers, "Please don't treat her harshly." Then, remembering the old saying that it's easier to reason with the King of Hell than with his servants, he slipped them two bottles of fine wine from the Joya Kingdom as a token of thanks for their help.
Once again, the so-called righteous mage of Fairy Tail was quietly corrupting the moral fabric of society.
When Rhodes came out after signing the visitation log, Natsu and Lucy were still quarreling about Flare.
"I don't dislike her scent," Natsu said simply.
"Pervert!" Lucy snapped.
Natsu frowned. "I meant yours too."
Lucy hugged her arms and backed away. "Even more perverted!"
"I don't dislike the smell of fish either," Natsu added.
"Don't compare fish to me!"
"Fish tastes better," Happy chimed in helpfully.
"You stinky cat!"
Their bickering echoed all the way to the courtyard.
Then a sharp mechanical hiss cut through the air. A small airship descended from the clouds and landed right at the Council's entrance.
The four of them turned to look. On the bow of the ship was a carved tiger's head, the emblem of Sabertooth.
"Enemies meet on a narrow road, huh?" Rhodes murmured with a small smile. "That must be Master Jieman getting summoned."
Sure enough, once the airship settled, a ramp extended smoothly from its side. It was an unnecessary flourish, the kind of feature added purely for dramatic effect, but Sabertooth was nothing if not theatrical.
Two figures emerged.
The first was a massive man dressed like a warrior monk, a string of prayer beads as large as fists hanging around his neck, his expression heavy and grim. The other was a tall, elegant woman in a blue high-slit cheongsam, twin buns framing her face, dark eyeshadow and lipstick giving her a sharp, regal air. A white fur stole rested around her shoulders like a crown.
Master Jieman and his daughter, Minerva.
Jieman's face was dark with restrained anger, while Minerva wore a calm, confident smile, eyes gleaming with amusement.
They approached the Council's gate, but when they spotted Rhodes standing there, both stopped.
Their gazes hardened, and the air between them turned cold.
...
Bonus@1200 ps
Stones PLzz