With Wendy's help, Natsu experienced the joy of riding in a vehicle for the first time.
However, due to his over-excitement, jumping up and down and causing a commotion, he disrupted everyone's discussion.
Unable to bear it any longer, Erza gave him a hard punch.
On this day, Wendy's anti-motion sickness magic lost its meaning.
Nonetheless, the journey was long, as they were traveling almost from the southernmost end of the Fiore Kingdom to the North Coast, giving Natsu plenty of time to enjoy the ride.
During the journey, they would stop to cook when hungry, stay at inns if they encountered a town at night, or camp out if they didn't.
Everyone was well-prepared for the long trip, especially Erza, whose food supplies were quite abundant.
Surprisingly, Hapi also showed some cooking skills. According to Natsu, the two of them usually either eat at the guild or Hapi cooks.
'Were you Dragon Slayer Mages all raised by cats?'
Every time Rhode saw Hapi and Carla helping Erza with cooking, he wanted to ask this question.
With many companions, the journey hardly seemed lonely; whether it was playing cards, chatting, or discussing magic-related matters, the carriage was always lively.
Wendy seemed especially happy, as this was her second long trip. Going out with everyone felt great.
Rhode was honored to exceed Wendy in terms of travel experiences and knowledge. Congratulations were in order.
When they arrived at Pepi Town, it was already the third day since their departure from the Cat Transformation Inn.
The time was approaching evening, so they first went to the inn to book two rooms.
Wendy and Carla slept in one bed, sharing a room with Erza.
Natsu and Hapi slept in one bed, sharing a room with Rhode.
However, based on Rhode's understanding of Natsu, at night, either Natsu would roll onto the floor, or Hapi would be kicked off the bed by Natsu.
Before entering the town, Rhode had already let the River Crab run a couple of laps outside the town but didn't see anything strange.
After entering the town, they didn't sense anything off about the atmosphere.
Erza and Rhode breathed a slight sigh of relief, temporarily ruling out the possibility of the Black Magic Sect's remnants attacking directly, or demons causing chaos.
After putting away their luggage, they began to take action separately. Natsu, with his sharp nose and keen intuition, went around the town to see if there were any suspicious individuals.
Hapi and Carla were also responsible for aerial reconnaissance.
Erza and Rhode took Wendy to meet the client.
The client's house was not far from the central street of the town, a three-story building with a small garden at the entrance, though it was now bare with no flowers.
The door was answered by a man with a tired expression but a straight posture; he was Mr. Yopa, the client and Liss's father.
Mr. Yopa was a member of the Pepi Town security team, and could barely be considered a soldier.
Ever since Liss was abducted, he had been blaming himself for his lack of ability, unable to protect his own daughter.
After discovering Liss was ill, he took a long leave, traveling around to find doctors.
Erza started by briefly introducing the three of them:
"We are Mages from Fairy Tail. My name is Erza, this is Rhode, and this is Wendy, a Mage from the Cat Transformation Inn."
Mr. Yopa was a bit puzzled, "You are... from two guilds?"
Erza replied, "The situation is a bit complicated, let's say our two guilds are voluntarily cooperating. Wendy here is an expert in Healing Magic."
Mr. Yopa nodded, not caring how many people or guilds came, as long as they could heal Liss: "Please come in and let's talk."
The three of them followed Mr. Yopa to the reception room. Rhode took a quick look around and thought that Mr. Yopa's family seemed to be quite well-off, as the decor of the living room was quite exquisite.
This might be thanks to his wife, Mrs. Ivy.
Rhode recalled that the information briefly mentioned that Mrs. Ivy was the daughter of a wealthy merchant.
How the two met and got married was unclear.
However, when asking for directions, they heard from the townspeople that Mrs. Ivy used to run a clothing store, but it hadn't opened in quite some time.
Mr. Yopa invited the three to sit down, "Ivy, the Mages we've hired have arrived. Shanna, bring some tea."
A rush of footsteps sounded on the stairs, and Mrs. Ivy hurriedly came down, her eyes a bit red and swollen, possibly from recent crying.
Mr. Yopa introduced the three Mages to his wife, and they exchanged greetings.
A maid emerged from the kitchen, poured hot tea for the guests, and quietly returned to the kitchen.
"I remember now! Aren't you the Mages who busted that kidnapping ring?"
Mr. Yopa had vaguely heard the names Erza and Rhode before, and now recalled that the mayor had mentioned them.
One was called the Fairy Queen, and the other was known as the Beast Tamer because he herded a large group of animals to bring the children back.
Rhode still didn't understand how his awkward nickname originated from these two small towns.
Later, it became widely accepted when someone connected it to his performance at the Harvest Festival.
Because someone had seen his transforming through Receiving Magic, some areas later added the modifier 'Hundred Changes' to his nickname.
Mrs. Ivy became emotional, "So it's you, please, you have to save my daughter. She's only four years old, she's only four..."
Knowing that the two were powerful Mages, Mr. Yopa felt a little more at ease, "Calm down, Ivy, let's first hear what the Mages have to say."
Rhode said, "Please tell us about Liss's situation in detail, then let us see her."
Mr. Yopa recalled and slowly said, "Liss returned the day before you rescued all the children. She was barefoot, with messy hair, and looked lost and bewildered.
At that time, she could only say 'Mom and Dad', 'I want to go home', 'I'm scared.' We thought she was frightened, so we all stopped working to stay home with her.
But even after a few days, the girl remained dazed. If given something, she would eat it, otherwise, she wouldn't ask for food; if given a doll, she'd hold it, otherwise, she'd remain silent; when asked to sit, she'd sit, asked to stand, she'd stand. Moreover, she became anxious when she left us, crying that she was scared and wanted to go home once outside.
We took her to see a psychologist and a psychiatrist, who both said she was excessively frightened, recommending we spend more time with her.
Yet even after keeping her company for several more days, there was no improvement, and occasionally, she would suddenly faint. We invited many renowned doctors from out of town to our home, but none found anything abnormal.
A few days ago, a doctor suggested it might be due to some Curse Magic and recommended we bring in Mages for a look, hence our posting of this request."
Rhode asked, "Have the other kidnapped children shown similar symptoms?"
"We've inquired and found nothing; those children have long been running around the streets," Mrs. Ivy softly sobbed, Yopa's account stirring her grief, "Why is it only Liss..."
Although her words were somewhat inappropriate, everyone could understand her feelings as a mother.
Erza asked, "Wendy, do you have any clues?"
Wendy gently shook her head, "I'd like to see Miss Liss."