Following Fairy Tail's unspoken tradition, most problems could be solved with a good fight.
Even though Precht and Warrod had left the guild more than a century ago, they were still Fairy Tail mages at heart.
So after punching each other across the desert and having a long, honest talk, they mostly let go of their old grudges.
Their paths would likely continue to diverge, but they would never forget where they came from.
For a while afterward, Precht, temporarily without direction, stayed in the desert planting trees.
But since he had always been one of the more serious members of Fairy Tail, he quickly grew intolerant of Warrod's habit of saying "just a joke , just a joke" after every outrageous comment. Eventually, Precht simply "ran away from home."
In the years that followed, he wandered across the continent.
For reasons he refused to admit out loud, he spent a great deal of that time investigating any clues related to Zeref or the Black Dragon, contemplating ways they might be defeated.
At the same time, he searched for news about his former subordinates and handled each case as he saw fit.
Occasionally, he also observed Fairy Tail from afar, the guild that had lost its entire Tenrou Team. (This was a detail he chose not to reveal to Rhodes.)
In short, the Second Master's "retirement" had been busier than most people's careers.
—
Three years ago, by chance, Precht attended the Grand Magic Games once and sensed a faint aura, one disturbingly similar to Zeref's.
He had paid close attention to the event ever since.
Unfortunately, the Games grew more magnificent each year. More powerful mages participated, the Council sent official representatives, and the organizers constantly invited celebrities and high-ranking mages as guests.
Even for someone as accomplished as Precht, sneaking into such a place had become a nightmare.
He had spent the last two years refining his stealth and disguise magic, but infiltrating the Games was still too troublesome.
Coincidentally, this year Ultear and Meredy had formed their independent guild, so Precht sought them out, and assigned them some homework while he was at it.
After all, their ultimate goal was to eliminate all darkness, including Zeref.
Naturally, both Ultear and Meredy were interested in anything involving Zeref.
But infiltrating the Games was difficult even for their guild master, Hades, and the two of them had no good solution.
Then, news broke that two Wizard Saints would be participating this year, making the event more popular and crowded than ever before.
That made things even worse.
After much discussion, they finally gave up on infiltration entirely and decided to go straight to Fairy Tail.
Fairy Tail was probably the only legal guild they could openly approach, and the most likely to cooperate.
It was also a guild with a high probability of reaching the finals, maybe even winning the whole thing, which would make the investigation far more convenient.
Most importantly, Fairy Tail's interest in Zeref was unquestionable.
Hearing such a straightforward assessment, Rhodes felt a wave of melancholy.
"Sigh… I wonder how long we'll remain a 'legitimate' guild."
Precht chuckled without answering. Ultear, remembering the mountain of apology letters Fairy Tail had submitted over the years, couldn't help smiling knowingly.
Suddenly, a gentle voice came from behind Rhodes.
"So the Second Master has been doing all that all these years."
Everyone turned in surprise as a dark-skinned Mira stepped out of Rhodes's shadow.
Once her feet touched the ground, the Shadow Form dissolved, and she returned to her ordinary appearance.
"It's you," Precht said, his expression stiffening. He remembered Mira vividly, the little girl who had almost driven him insane back then.
Rhodes gestured toward her. "Allow me to make a proper introduction. This is Mirajane, my wife." Then he turned to her. "And didn't I tell you to keep your distance and follow from behind?"
Ultear, Meredy, and even Precht all showed the same deadpan expression:
Of course Rhodes brought reinforcements. Even when they were basically still in Fairy Tail's backyard.
"Because," Mira said with a wounded expression, "how could I just sit and watch while my husband went on a date with two beautiful women?"
Ultear and Meredy gave her stiff, awkward greetings.
Rhodes gently patted Mira's head. "So you're sure you're not here because you were eavesdropping?"
Mira raised her hand and pinched her fingers together. "Well… maybe just a tiny bit. I heard the Second Master saying something interesting and wanted to listen."
Then, with a mischievous smile, she added, "I heard that among the Dark Guilds Master Precht dealt with over the years, a few of them had ties to the Oración Seis… and once tried to retaliate against Fairy Tail."
Precht stood there with his arms crossed and a completely blank expression.
"I know nothing about that."
An old tsundere, the type who secretly protects the guild but absolutely refuses to admit it.
Rhodes kindly decided to help preserve the century-old man's pride. "So, are there any additional details about that strange magic power?"
Precht's tone turned serious. "It can only be described as unsettling. Anyone who has encountered Zeref, or studied his magic, would definitely recognize it."
"If I were to guess, there's a high chance someone intends to use Zeref's magic… or summon one of his demons."
"The likely goal is to wipe out a large number of talented mages from Fiore while they're gathered in one place. Similar to the plan targeting Celestial Spirit Mages a few days ago."
Rhodes had many thoughts about that.
On the surface, the similarities were undeniable, both situations gathered massive numbers of mages and were accompanied by ominous signs.
But the Grand Magic Games were hosted by the Fiore royal family, Princess Hisui and her kin.
They couldn't be foolish enough to plan the annihilation of their own country's mages… right?
Had they been staying "neutral" for so long they actually wanted to be overthrown?
Precht continued, "There is also a very small chance that Zeref himself entered the venue."
"How could that be?!"
"Impossible!"
Ultear and Meredy were visibly shaken. Apparently, Hades had never shared that particular theory with them.
Rhodes followed Precht's reasoning. "So he might be interested in something inside the venue… or perhaps someone participating?"
"It could also be that he wants to gauge Fiore's magical strength." Precht looked straight at Rhodes. "After all… this country possesses something he desires."
Fairy Heart?
Rhodes immediately understood the implication. "Are you saying..."
"Exactly. I see Makarov told you." Precht's smile deepened. "So when are you planning to succeed him as Guild Master?"
"I'm not," Rhodes said instantly.
But under Precht's knowing gaze, he exhaled helplessly. "Fine… I'll postpone it as long as I possibly can."
Ultear and Meredy exchanged uncertain looks. They clearly had no idea what this mysterious "thing" was.
Precht didn't elaborate. "In any case, I'll leave this matter to you. I'll continue tracking other sources of information."
"Mm." Rhodes nodded, expression shifting into professional mode. "We accept the commission. So, what about the payment?"
Precht burst into laughter. "I, the dignified Second Master of Fairy Tail, personally ask you to investigate something, and it's a matter you're already interested in, and I even handed you the intelligence upfront. And you still want compensation?"
Rhodes couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching.
This man really was perfect Guild Master material.