Gorge Swift Crabs, known for their speed and wide range of vision, can share sight with Rhode, making them the perfect choice for scouts.
The downside is they're a bit bulky, and their bright green color makes camouflage difficult in winter.
Rhode was considering getting some camo cloth for his River Crabs, like snow camo, desert camo, or ocean camo.
For now, he'd just have to make do.
The journey to Pepi Town was quiet, meeting only three people over a stretch of more than ten kilometers, all in the same carriage.
The three seemed to be delivering goods to Morning Glory and were very wary of Rhode, a lone traveler, even trying to take a detour around him.
Rhode pretended to ask for directions, subtly checking that there was nothing suspicious on the carriage, and then willingly avoided them.
In Pepi Town, not only were there patrols on the streets, but two guards were checking people at the town entrance.
It seemed they were just lacking in capability, not in effort.
Rhode was the one being checked, so to avoid trouble, he showed his warrant and advised them to keep quiet.
Due to his distrust, Rhode left a River Crab at a distance to keep an eye on them before entering.
The atmosphere here was much tenser compared to Morning Glory. Few people were on the street, and most who were walked in pairs or groups, with at least one carrying a stick for protection.
Nearly all homes were shut tight except for a few businesses, indicating the townsfolk were extremely uneasy.
Rhode tried to avoid the patrols, melded with the shadow by a wall after summoning a Shadow Wolf, and quietly scouted around the town.
Upon finding the crime scene from yesterday, he had the Wolf Spirit sniff around, discreetly entering the suspected missing child's home to take a piece or two of clothing.
It was quite impolite, but the urgency justified it.
Just as Rhode was planning to leave the town and set the Shadow Wolf for a broad search, he sensed that Warm had returned to the Wailing Abyss.
He immediately summoned the Deep Red Beaked Bird and flew towards Manjushaka Town.
To act so brazenly in broad daylight, already capturing people—this Black Magic Sect was indeed audacious. By the time he arrived, the battle had long ended.
Three figures in black robes lay on the ground, along with two broken magic staffs.
There was an exaggerated crack in the street, as if something heavy had struck it.
Erza had her foot on one person's chest, the tip of her sword pointed at his throat.
Behind her was a mother clutching her child, watching the fallen men with a look of lingering fear.
Neighbors, having seen the end of the battle, came outside to watch, some going to inform the guards.
Rhode circled twice above the town, checking for other suspicious figures.
Erza glanced up at him before continuing her interrogation.
"It's useless! I won't say anything! Even if I die, my body and soul will be dedicated to Canopus!"
Rhode had just landed when he heard the person under Erza's foot shout these words.
Canopus, a demon that feeds on humans, said to devour not just their bodies but their souls too.
Legends said it particularly favored the bodies and souls of children, which was why those attempting to summon Canopus abducted them.
Erza slid her sword's tip down the black-robed man's throat, leaving a bloody mark: "I'll ask you one last time, where are the children?"
Pain didn't invoke fear in the black-robed man; instead, it made him more deranged: "Hahaha! They will become fodder for Lord Canopus! After tonight, you'll all die too!"
The other two black-robed men echoed fanatically:
"For Lord Canopus!"
"Long live Zeref!"
Though they couldn't even stand, their shouting was full of vigor.
What exactly was Zeref's allure that made these people follow him so devoutly? Or were they merely worshiping great power?
This was something Rhode found hard to understand.
Going back, he needed to learn more about Zeref.
"My child! Where is my child?"
A woman, her hair somewhat disheveled and looking weary, stumbled forward, crying, "Give me back my child!"
Before she could push through the crowd and fall onto the black-robed men, her husband held her back.
Though he was anxious and hated these men dearly, he knew they were still dangerous even when defeated, preventing his wife from doing something foolish.
"Please, mage, please..."
"Help us find our children!"
One after another, other parents of missing children arrived, pleading for help from Erza and Rhode.
Erza declared firmly, "We'll find their lair and bring the children back!"
"It's no use! After tonight, not a single one of you can... ugh..."
Rhode stepped on the man's face, breaking half his teeth and swallowing back his unfinished taunt.
He tried maintaining a gentle expression and tone: "Please, everyone, go back and rest. We need some time and space to interrogate them, okay?"
The residents gradually dispersed, the distraught parents reluctantly leaving only after the guards arrived.
Erza seemed unfazed by Rhode's harsh interrogation methods, wanting to go even further.
Fairies' kindness is reserved for those who deserve it.
...
The three zealots were tight-lipped, but during his verbal battle with them, Rhode managed to glean some information.
For instance, their leader's code name was 'Ghost Shadow,' and he possibly wielded a Black Magic capable of shattering every bone in the body with a single strike.
Their ritual site was very hidden and heavily guarded.
Though they wouldn't reveal its exact location, Erza deduced from the dirt and foliage on their shoes that it might be near the northern shore where land meets sea.
Additionally, their summoning ritual was highly likely scheduled for tonight, meaning the children meant to be sacrifices were temporarily safe.
Time was tight. Rhode and Erza handed the three exhausted black-robed men to the guards and hurried north without delay.
Rhode felt a twinge of anxiety.
He thought they would handle things calmly, yet it escalated so much, nullifying any previous attempts at subtlety.
If word got ahead of them before they arrived, complications might arise.
Erza, feeling guilty, said, "I'm sorry. When I heard the children crying, I couldn't hold back. I acted rashly."
"In that situation, it was hard to just watch and do nothing," Rhode reassured her, not feeling Erza did anything particularly wrong, though her reaction was a bit intense.
"In any case, we need to find them and rescue the kids before the ritual begins."
"Yes," Erza's gaze was sharp, "Even if we chase the demon into Hell, we'll find them."