After chatting for a while, Mira walked in and gestured 'ok' to Rhode, indicating that everything was fine on Erza's side.
"Sister Mira!" Wendy greeted her joyfully.
Rhode told them to chat among themselves for a bit as he had some matters to attend to.
Erza had taken Mira's usual spot, diligently organizing mission documents and registering tasks for everyone.
"Thanks for the hard work." Rhode came over to greet her.
"It's nothing big, you all take such good care of me usually, so it's nice to do some of this work once in a while." Erza didn't mind trying out different tasks.
"Then I'll leave this to you as well." Rhode handed his little notebook to Erza.
"What is this?"
"Some intel on the Oracion Seis that I happened to gather during a mission. Organize it and share it with everyone later; it's good to be prepared in case we run into them outside."
Just like with Rastillos last time, even if a hundred people went out, not even one might encounter them, but it's better to be prepared just in case.
Gathering more intel will always be safer.
"Oracion Seis? Oh right, Mira just mentioned you encountered the Black Unicorn under Oracion Seis."
"That's right, we got some information from them. Unfortunately, it's somewhat vague and possibly incomplete."
Erza glanced at the notebook: "This is already rare enough. I'll start organizing it immediately and compare it with existing data."
When Erza got serious, she was reliable, so Rhode confidently handed over the job and went to review Ailiger's information.
Though he believed he could handle Ailiger now, that individual was proficient in assassination, and he required extra caution.
"Oh, by the way, there's another matter." Rhode mentioned, "I've heard that the Advisory Council might soon be fully reorganized. It's hard to say when their normal functions will resume.
Remember to remind everyone not to act recklessly, or they might be used as negative examples to set an example."
"I understand, we also heard this news from Mr. Yajima. In the future, there might be no one in the council to speak for us." Erza frowned and added, "I will warn Natsu."
"..." Rhode kind of wanted to make a snide remark.
After Mira and Wendy finished their conversation, the two of them made a little preparation and then set off on their journey again.
If this trip succeeds, they wouldn't only have the money to buy a house but also save up a substantial amount of startup capital for their small family.
...
Because they set off a bit late, they had to spend the night on the ship.
Upon reaching the shores the next day, Rhode felt the ground was still shaking beneath his feet.
Fortunately, neither of them got seasick, and they quickly grabbed something to eat at a nearby dockside in the south before hurrying to the Cat Transformation Inn on a River Crab.
By this time, it was nearing noon, and in distant Magnolia, everyone was discussing the simple intel on Oracion Seis shared by Erza.
They chatted about Oracion Seis, then moved on to the Balram Alliance, and circled back to the recent unrest among the many Dark Guilds under Oracion Seis.
While the conversation was lively, Makarov unexpectedly returned to the guild earlier than usual.
"President?"
Everyone was surprised. Routine meetings typically lasted three days, and this was just the second day.
Counting the time, it should have been the morning train. Did they call an urgent meeting overnight and then adjourn right after?
"Could it be the president got into another fight?"
Macao and Wakaba, being long-time guild members, were aware of the president's old habits... well, not old, he won the fight back then, so it can't be counted as a bad record.
Makarov asked, "Did I just hear you all talking about Oracion Seis?"
The members were unsure what the president meant and nodded collectively.
Makarov stated seriously, "That Oracion Seis... we are tasked with their annihilation."
"!"
"What?"
"Annihilate Oracion Seis?!"
"Old man, did you draw a bad lot again?"
Everyone was stunned. Oracion Seis, one of the three major pillars of the Balram Alliance, rumored to have members capable of single-handedly destroying entire guilds...
And Fairy Tail is tasked with taking them down?
Fairy Tail may be the top guild in Fiore Kingdom, but Oracion Seis is ranked among the top three Dark Guilds across the entire continent.
If tasked with handling it all on their own, it would surely be overwhelming, especially if the other two dark factions lend their support to Oracion Seis...
That's a massive pressure.
Fortunately, Makarov continued, "To be precise, it's us along with Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale, forming a joint force to defeat them together."
Hearing about a battle got Natsu all excited. He punched the air, shouting, "Those guys, we can totally take them on by ourselves! I can defeat them single-handedly!"
Makarov didn't deny his guild's capability of dealing with Oracion Seis, but explained:
"They aren't the kind of enemies one can easily handle. Forming an alliance is also to consider the aftermath. In case our actions trigger revenge, the three major guilds can share the pressure together."
Natsu didn't care about any of that, only insisting on joining the battle until Erza punched him on the head, making him obediently listen.
Makarov also briefed them on the current situation, informing everyone that Oracion Seis was planning a very dangerous operation, so their immediate extermination was necessary.
While speaking, Makarov suddenly noticed something off. Glancing around, he asked, "Mira and Rhode aren't back yet?"
Erza replied, "They returned yesterday but left again shortly after, saying they received news about Ailiger and went to capture him."
"That Ailiger?!" Lucy's memory was vivid; she remembered him being very strong, with Natsu having a tough time defeating him.
Hapi raised a paw, "Aye! That guy who almost beat Natsu!"
If Natsu wasn't lying down at the moment, he would have jumped up to refute aggressively.
Gray frowned, "Isn't it a bit too much for just two people to capture Ailiger..."
He didn't verbalize his thought, as considering the duo's strength, it seemed more like 'making a mountain out of a molehill' to him.
Makarov asked, "Can we reach them?"
"They're probably still on the road," Erza replied, "but perhaps a bit later."
"I initially wanted them to lead the Thunder God Tribe, but at such a time..."
Makarov sighed, believing that with Ibarglin's Petrifying Eye, Biguslo's Styling Eye, and Fried's Technique, Rhode could handle Oracion Seis effortlessly.
Unfortunately, they weren't around, and neither was the Thunder God Tribe.
There's nothing they could do. Although the discussion on dealing with Oracion Seis had been ongoing, no one expected them to act suddenly now.
This resulted in a rushed response from the Guild Alliance, and the three major guilds could only select whoever was around for their forces.
Waiting any longer just wasn't an option.
"Since that's the case, leave it to us." Erza volunteered, shaking the papers in her hand, "Just in time, Rhode left something useful for us."
Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Hapi, four people and one cat, made the necessary preparations, hired a carriage, and set off to meet with members from the other two guilds.
Lucy vaguely followed everyone to Granny Porlyusica to request some antidotes, and also bought glasses—primarily as precaution against the codenamed 'Cobra' and 'Hot Eye'.
Once they were out of town in the carriage, Lucy suddenly broke down, clutching her head, "Why do I have to go too?! There are plenty of stronger people in the guild, right?"
"Because many people are absent, and team combat requires considering synergy." Erza calmly reassured Lucy, "Besides, your abilities are strong, do your best to meet the President's expectations."
Being praised by Erza, Lucy felt a bit proud; it also meant that her abilities were being recognized by the President, right?
However, Hapi, being a witty little cat, kindly told her, "Plus, Loki is strong. Bringing you along is like bringing Loki along."
Lucy glared at Hapi, "You don't have to say such things!"
"Aye~" Hapi chuckled.
Lucy argued, "Besides, the power of Star Spirits is my power!"
Hapi replied indifferently, "Aye~"
"You annoying cat!"
Lucy and Hapi started bickering playfully, nearly knocking Natsu out of the carriage.
Natsu lay weakly by the window, "Rhode… where are you~~ I need crabs…"