Fairy Tail: I Absolutely Refuse to Be the Guild Master

The Swift Canyon Crab was fast, had a wide field of vision, and could share its vision with Rhodes, making it the perfect choice for a scout.

Its only downside was its large size and bright green color, which made it difficult to conceal in winter.

Rhodes was considering getting some camouflage sheets for the crabs—snow camouflage, desert camouflage, and ocean camouflage, just to be prepared for different terrains.

But for now, they just had to make do.

The road to Poppi Town was very quiet. In over ten kilometers, they only encountered three people, all of whom were on the same carriage.

The three seemed to be delivering goods to Morninggroy Town, and when they spotted Rhodes, a lone stranger, they became very wary, even considering leaving the main road to avoid him.

Rhodes pretended to ask for directions, carefully sensing that there was no suspicious magic power on the carriage, and then took the initiative to move away from them.

At the entrance to Poppi Town, there were security patrols on the streets, and two guards were stationed at the town gate, checking people as they entered and exited.

It seemed they weren't completely inactive, just under-equipped.

Rhodes was among those checked, and to avoid complications, he showed them his request form while asking them not to spread the word.

Since he didn't trust them fully, Rhodes left a crab watching them from a distance before entering.

The atmosphere here was much tenser compared to Morninggroy. There weren't many people on the streets, but most were walking in pairs or small groups, with at least one person carrying a stick or something for protection.

Besides a few shops, most houses had their doors and windows tightly shut, indicating how on edge the townsfolk were.

Rhodes tried to avoid the patrol teams, summoned the Shadow Wolf, and leaned into a corner to blend into the shadows, quietly scouting the town.

He found the crime scene from yesterday and sent the wolf spirit over to sniff around. When he passed by houses suspected of having lost children, he sneaked inside and took a piece of clothing or two.

It was rather impolite, but the situation called for it.

Just as he was about to leave the town and release the Shadow Wolf for a wider search, Rhodes suddenly felt Vorm return to the Abyss of Wailing.

He immediately switched to the Deep Crimson Beak Bird and flew towards Manjusaka Town.

These cultists of dark magic were really brazen to start grabbing people in broad daylight? By the time he arrived, the battle was already over.

Three people in black robes lay on the ground, along with two broken staffs.

There was an exaggerated crack in the street, as if caused by some heavy impact.

Erza was standing with her foot on one of the cultists' chests, the tip of her sword pointing at his neck.

Behind her was a mother holding her child, looking fearfully at the fallen men.

Seeing the fight had ended, nearby neighbors came out of their homes to watch, with some running off to notify the security patrol.

Rhodes circled above the town twice, checking for any other suspicious figures in the vicinity.

Erza glanced up at him and continued her interrogation.

"Don't waste your breath! I won't say anything! Even in death, my body and soul will be offered to Lord Carnibro!"

Rhodes heard these words as soon as he landed.

Carnibro—a demon who fed on humans. It was said to devour not only people's flesh but also their souls.

It was especially fond of children's bodies and souls, which was why those attempting to summon Carnibro were kidnapping children.

Erza drove her sword into the ground, scraping the neck of the robed man and leaving a bloodstain. "I'll ask you one last time—where are the children?"

The pain didn't instill fear in the man, but instead drove him to madness. "Hahaha! They will become nourishment for Lord Carnibro! After tonight, you will all die as well!"

The other two robed figures shouted fanatically along with him: "For Lord Carnibro!"

"All hail Zeref!"

Even though they could barely stand, they were full of vigor when it came to shouting these things.

What kind of allure did Zeref have that made these people worship him to this extent? Or were they merely idolizing his immense power?

It was something Rhodes found difficult to understand.

He needed to learn more about Zeref when he got back.

"My child! Where is my child?"

A disheveled, weary-looking woman stumbled over, crying, "Give me back my child!"

Before she could break through the crowd and throw herself at the robed man, her husband grabbed her.

Even though he was equally anxious and hated these men in black, they were still dangerous even after being subdued—he couldn't let his wife do something foolish.

"Please, mages, we beg you…"

"Please find our children!"

More parents who had lost their children arrived one after another, pleading for Erza and Rhodes' help.

Erza declared resolutely, "We will find their hideout and bring the children back!"

"It's useless! After tonight, no one will be able to… mmph mmph…"

Rhodes stepped on the man's face, breaking half his teeth and cutting off his words.

He tried to maintain a gentle expression and tone. "Please go back and rest. We need some time and space to interrogate them. Is that okay?"

The residents gradually dispersed. Some of the parents were eager to interrogate the cultists themselves, but were finally persuaded by the security patrol to leave.

Erza didn't seem to mind Rhodes' rough interrogation methods at all; if anything, she seemed to want to be even harsher.

The kindness of Fairy Tail was reserved for those who deserved it.

…

The three cultists were tight-lipped, but during the back-and-forth exchange, Rhodes managed to extract some useful information.

For instance, their leader was codenamed "Shadow Ghost" and likely wielded a dark magic that could shatter all the bones in someone's body with a single strike.

Their ritual location was also highly secretive and heavily guarded.

Though they refused to reveal the exact location, Erza deduced, based on the soil and plant material on their shoes, that it was likely near the northern area where the mountains met the sea.

Additionally, the ritual was most likely set for tonight, which meant that, for now, the children were not in immediate danger.

Time was short. The two handed over the three exhausted cultists to the security patrol for temporary custody, then immediately headed north without rest.

Rhodes felt a bit uneasy.

So much for being low-key—they had caused quite a stir, rendering their earlier attempts at subtlety useless.

If someone managed to send a warning before they arrived, things could get messy.

Erza spoke apologetically, "Sorry, I couldn't control myself when I heard the children crying. I acted impulsively."

"In that situation, it would've been hard to just stand by and do nothing." Rhodes didn't think Erza had done anything wrong—he was just concerned her reaction had been too extreme.

"In any case, we should focus on finding them quickly and rescuing the children before the ritual starts."

"Yes." Erza's eyes were fierce. "Even if it means chasing the demon into hell, we will get them back."