"In any case, the key to the mission is to find a sword, either recover it or destroy it."
"To be precise, it's a cursed sword, and the Four-headed Hound will also send an S-Class Mage and an assistant to compete with us.
If they get to it first, we'll have made the trip for nothing, and it'll also make the President lose face."
Erza and Rhode were discussing the details of the mission on the train.
Due to the Presidents arguing and boasting about their young mages at the regular meeting, the idea of a competition suddenly came up.
Goldman proposed comparing the young S-Class Mages, while Makarov slyly suggested adding an assistant below S-Class to compare team cooperation skills.
The competition was the task Rhode drew this time, where the winner takes all, along with betting the Guild's honor and the President's reputation.
The outcome will determine who pours wine for whom at the next meeting.
Since there are two S-Class Mages involved, handling a mission not up to S-Class, both Presidents weren't too worried about safety.
They knew their mages wouldn't disregard each other's safety, even in competition.
"The place we're going is an ancient battlefield, where a bloody war occurred between three nations before Fiore Kingdom became a permanently neutral nation.
That cursed sword might have been born of the war or forged for war," Rhode explained to Erza with the information he had.
Erza, having some historical knowledge, said, "Fiore Kingdom has declared neutrality for over 160 years now, right?"
"Yes, it's been 162 years since the recognition by other nations. The declaration might have been even earlier."
According to the wartime conventions between kingdoms in this world, wars usually start with skirmishes among ordinary soldiers.
If it drags on without a clear outcome, mages may be commissioned by the kingdom to intervene.
At that point, the war naturally escalates.
If an outstanding mage appears, or a powerful magic tool is involved, the situation might drastically change due to a single person's power.
The cursed sword we're looking for could be such a tool.
It's said that whoever possesses this sword will gain the power to stand against a thousand troops alone. The souls of those killed by the sword find no rest; those wounded by it suffer endless torment.
Recently, hunters near the ancient battlefield have been found wounded by the sword.
Their wounds take long to heal and they only recover after finding mages who understand curse lifting.
Hunters say the resurrected spirits attacked them for invading their territory, and it's pure luck they survived.
If left unchecked, people would be in constant fear when going out, so several villages united to seek mages' help.
The Poisonous Demon's Fang once sent a three-man team to investigate, but they all got injured.
According to their report, once they entered the battlefield's atmosphere, a mist rose, and attacks came from all directions.
They couldn't discern who their enemies were or how many there were.
"Based on the information we have now, I guess someone seeking power found that sword and is searching for other things.
To scare people off to avoid disturbance or theft, they pretend to be undead attackers," Rhode speculated based on logic, while Erza offered another perspective:
"It could genuinely be resurrected spirits unwilling to be disturbed."
Resurrected spirits? Rhode, usually skeptical of these superstitious beliefs, found it possible.
Since this world indeed has ghosts, spirits, and even corresponding magic.
Just like Qico's 'Urban Legend' magic used in the guild, which can mobilize wandering spirits around Magnolia for combat.
Strong undead appearing at ancient battlefield ruins, especially where mages were active, isn't surprising.
If you encounter undead, don't panic; just attack normally.
If normal attacks don't work on special undead, there's usually an 'anchor' object keeping them around—destroy that to resolve the matter.
This is common knowledge in the Magic Realm.
...
The journey was uneventful; Erza had prepared ample food this time, allowing Rhode to simply enjoy and relax.
By the time they reached the village of the client, it was around three in the afternoon.
Rhode and Erza made some inquiries and easily found the village chief's house.
"Hello, we are mages from Fairy Tail, here to handle your request."
"Mages?" The village chief asked in confusion, "But someone came this morning claiming to be mages from the Four-headed Hound…"
Rhode and Erza exchanged a glance.
They acted quickly, and being closer than Fairy Tail to the Four-headed Hound, it was no surprise.
Facing the client's doubts, Rhode patiently explained, "Your request is quite special, so both our guilds sent mages simultaneously.
We are determined to resolve your troubles, so could you please explain the situation in detail?"
"Of course." This kind of response delighted the village chief, as they only needed to pay one fee, the more mages, the better.
And these two seemed more serious and reliable than the previous ones.
"The situation started half a month ago. These strange attacks hadn't occurred before, but since then, anyone near that area gets attacked.
In our village alone, five people are injured; neighboring villages report even more.
As a child, I heard my grandfather say his grandfather told him of a great war there in the past.
At that time, Sai Wen Kingdom's violent general slaughtered many innocent civilians to gather military provisions, spreading fear among locals.
Because he was highly skilled in war, able to uplift morale by solo feats, the King never reprimanded him.
However, it's said that his power came from a sword, and the sword's influence made him increasingly irritable.
Eventually, not only civilians but even his subordinates were killed if he disliked their advice. Discontent grew within the ranks, leading to his eventual ambush on the battlefield.
Some say the subordinates attacked to seize the general's power.
After the sword was soaked in more resentment, it became an ominous cursed sword, turning anyone who obtains it into a senseless monster. It's horrifying if it falls into undead hands."
Erza asked, "Has anyone seen the undead in person?"
The village chief replied, "Everyone attacked saw a fog; it must be undead."
Rhode clarified the attack sites and the hunters' injuries.
Finally, he asked who were the people from the Four-headed Hound.
"One seemed drunk, the other immature in dress and demeanor," the village chief delicately described, meaning they looked like delinquents, which wasn't polite towards mages.
Erza thought for a moment and said, "The drunken one should be the Four-headed Hound's S-Class Mage, the Drunken Eagle, Baggs."