According to the Advisory Council's previous request, matters concerning the Black Magic Sect and demons must be kept confidential.
But at times like this, the Advisory Council can go to hell.
At the very least, Liss's parents have the right to know what's happened to their daughter.
Mr. Yopa silently smoked two cigarettes, placing a third in his mouth without lighting it.
He rasped, "What... can be done to set Liss free?"
Speaking from personal feelings, he wished Liss could always be by his side, even in the form of a soul.
But he couldn't do that, not under the current circumstances, as Liss is suffering too, isn't she?
Moreover, according to the mages, Liss's soul is extremely unique, and maybe one day she'll be targeted by some demon or Black Mage...
If that happens, Liss might endure even more misery.
The best course now is to let Liss be liberated as simply as possible.
Erza admired his quick decision; as a father, it's a difficult choice that must be made:
"There are two conditions for her liberation: First, for mom and dad to be by her side. Second, to tell her the truth, making her realize that she has already..."
Yopa discarded the unlit cigarette directly and ascended the stairs heavily.
Minutes later, cries from Mrs. Ivy and sounds of the couple arguing were heard by everyone.
After a long while, Mr. Yopa came back downstairs, "Apologies, for the following matters, could I ask you all to help witness?"
Witness is secondary; safeguarding is foremost.
Liss has suffered enough, and Yopa doesn't want the final moments to go awry.
None refused the request.
Mrs. Ivy was wiping Liss's face with a towel, seemingly unaware of others coming upstairs.
Mr. Yopa apologized for his wife's impoliteness, but no one really cared about manners at this point.
The couple held Liss's hand and spoke for a long time, and after a long silence, decided to proceed.
"Liss, actually, you have already..."
Mr. Yopa's voice quivered somewhat, while Mrs. Ivy was utterly sobbing.
"Oh, is that so, I am already dead." Liss's face showed a look of sudden realization, her body glowing faintly.
"Liss..." Mrs. Ivy covered her mouth, tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks.
For the first time in two months, Liss spoke beyond her usual lines.
"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry. Liss was a naughty girl who didn't listen to Mom's words, sneaked out alone to play, and got caught by bad people."
Liss's body gradually became somewhat ethereal, with her voice sounding more ethereal.
"It's not Liss's fault; it's Mom's fault for not keeping an eye on you!"
"It's Dad's fault, for not finding you all this time."
"Mom, don't cry, Dad too, Liss loves you both the most; being your child... is very happy."
Liss floated up from the bed, looked at her own body, and with a smile said,
"Liss seems to be heading to the Celestial Kingdom; Mom and Dad must take good care of themselves~ Also, thank you for the care all along..."
"Liss!"
"Liss!"
Liss's soul turned into starlight, flew out the window, and ascended into the sky.
A warm 'I love you' dissipated in the wind.
Mr. Yopa and Mrs. Ivy chased out to the balcony, but under the cover of sunlight, that wisp of glow was hard to see anymore.
Mrs. Ivy kneeled on the ground, sobbing softly, Mr. Yopa hugged her, tears also rolled down his cheeks.
...
The group stayed in Pepi Town for two more days to prevent the grief-stricken parents from doing something foolish.
Only after the couple held a funeral for Liss and promised to take care of themselves did the group feel at ease to depart.
Mr. Yopa had mentioned the commission fee, expressing thanks for helping to uncover the truth and punish the evil and the demon who harmed Liss.
But no one wanted to accept it.
'The commission was to heal Miss Liss; we did not complete the task.'
Erza said this, and no one else had objections.
The matter of the mission thus came to an end, and everyone embarked on the road back to the guild.
"Sorry Wendy, for inviting you without permission, and you encountered such things."
Wendy gently shook her head, "It wasn't Mr. Rhode's fault."
Fairy Tail and Cat Transformation Inn are in different directions, after traveling together for a while, they must part ways.
Rhode expressed the desire to escort Wendy and Carla back.
However, Carla refused, "Don't underestimate us. After all, we are qualified mages too."
Hapi was still somewhat reluctant, "Carla…"
Carla glanced at Hapi, "And male cat, stop leaning over all the time."
"Aye…" Hapi drooped and dejected.
They arranged to visit Wendy when possible and offered help whenever needed; one group headed south, and the other southeast.
The distances for both sides were about the same, but returning to Fairy Tail required more detouring, so Wendy and Carla reached Cat Transformation Inn first.
The village was as peaceful as usual, and Wendy and Carla's return was met with a warm welcome.
In the task period, the sadness and weariness of the journey were somewhat alleviated.
Until... Wendy once more practiced Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Milky Way.
"Carla…"
Wendy was knocked to the ground, eyes vacant, as if severely impacted.
That day, Wendy cried all night long.
...
Meanwhile, the small Fairy Tail team also encountered some minor trouble.
"Wendy… come back soon… ugh!"
As expected, Natsu still couldn't enjoy the convenience of transportation, without Wendy's 'Troya' he quickly reverted.
But at this moment, Erza, Rhode, and Hapi were in low spirits and paid him little attention.
After a long journey, as dusk approached, the carriage came to a halt.
"It stopped!" Natsu regained a bit of spirit, "Are we back in Magnolia already?"
"Um… sorry!" The driver called out, "There are people blocking the road ahead, looks like trouble."
"Blocking the road?"
Erza and Rhode were both puzzled, having hung the guild flag outside the carriage to avoid trouble, who would knowingly provoke Fairy Tail?
"Who is it?!" Natsu jumped out of the carriage eagerly, he quite hoped someone was there to cause trouble.
Rhode and Erza got out to investigate, finding about thirty people road-blocking, diverse in attire but each bearing the same emblem.
"Master of Ghosts?"
The group wondered why Ghost's people would be here; Ghost's people also looked uneasy.
"Hey, are you sure it's him?"
"Yes, it's definitely him, Beast Tamer Rhode, he really screwed us over."
"But why is the Fairy Queen with him?"
"No worries, it's just three people, and each one is injured!"
Seeing the three wrapped in bandages, they decided to press forward aggressively.
Rhode noticed two familiar faces in the crowd, confirming they were indeed trouble seekers:
"My past troubles seem to have manifested."
Erza curiously asked, "You also cause trouble?"
"It's when Mira and I went to the Royal Capital… actually, it was their own doing, they ambushed us on the way, but ended up getting taught a lesson by us."
Rhode speculated that after appearing in a magazine, River Crab might have been recognized.
Natsu clenched his fists, "So they're enemies, right? Can I hit them?"
Erza and Rhode did not oppose, so hit them it is, as their mood was poor.