Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master

Before the intruders had time to react, a wave of blue-purple void creatures surged toward them like a living tide. The dark wizards of Black Unicorn had no choice but to fight back.

Rhodes watched calmly from a distance, arms crossed as he observed their performance like a teacher assessing students during an exam. Some of them used magic staves to launch fireballs, while others fired off dark-elemental magic bullets. A few were ability-type casters, their spells hitting more accurately and with more punch than the rest.

Several among them were close-range fighters, magic swordsmen, who instinctively took up positions on the frontline, coordinating with their comrades to push back the relentless swarm.

All in all, they were more organized than your average outlaw gang. They had real combat training and could work as a unit.

Rhodes narrowed his eyes, noting the standout individuals, two wind mages and about half a dozen sword-users. He paid close attention to their movements, wondering if any of them were connected to the recent murder case near the village.

So far, he hadn't sensed any powerful auras that screamed "elite" or "S-Class." Whoever was calling the shots didn't seem like a top-tier mage.

The initial barrage of spells finally died down. Rhodes could tell they were running low on magical stamina, most wizards outside of major guilds couldn't sustain combat-grade magic for long stretches.

Now came the melee phase.

The void creatures were no match for the frontline magic swordsmen in close combat. But even then, none of the sword users displayed the deadly finesse or advanced swordplay he was hoping to see.

Looks like it was time to switch tactics.

"If we can't find the killer, we'll just take those wind mages and whoever's barking orders back for questioning," Rhodes muttered.

The man shouting orders was clearly a commanding figure. If he wasn't the guild master, he was at least a key officer.

As the last of the worms were defeated, leaving just a dozen breathless mages staggering forward, Rhodes gave them a kind, almost cheerful smile.

"Summon: Rift Herald."

A vortex of dark purple energy cracked the earth as a massive, grotesque beast surged forth, letting out a thunderous roar that echoed across the plains. The towering Rift Herald glared at the Black Unicorn members with a glowing eye, oozing menace from every inch of its body.

"Wh-what the hell is that?!"

"That thing's gonna crush us!"

"Boss, what do we do now?!"

Their leader was at a loss. He'd never heard of a summoner who could control such terrifying creatures. Summoning magic that powerful usually meant fame, and this guy wasn't someone he recognized from any guild registry.

Sure, there were a few powerful summoners out there. He remembered one, nicknamed "The Great Tree", who served as a cornerstone of their dark guild. Another was some tame-looking guy from a legal guild who specialized in summoning wolves, crabs, and birds...

Wait.

Crabs?

That triggered a wave of alarm in his memory.

While they hesitated, Rhodes didn't. He gave his beast a simple command. "Knock them down, but try not to kill."

The Rift Herald gave an annoyed snort. The summoner was being picky again... but orders were orders.

It let out a bellow and charged forward. This time, there was no glowing energy trail behind it, just raw, brute force.

Despite its lumbering size, the Rift Herald moved with startling speed. Before the dark wizards could fully brace, over twenty of them were flung into the air like ragdolls, screaming as they crashed into the ground.

The few still standing tried to retaliate, hurling spells and attacks. Most didn't even scratch the beast's hide. A few attacks registered, barely.

Then came the tail sweep.

One wide arc of its massive tail flattened the remaining resistance.

Rhodes stood still for a few seconds. No one was jumping up for round two. Just groans and twitching limbs.

Satisfied, he gave a low whistle and summoned his wolves and crabs. "Time to clean up."

The summoned beasts moved in, scooping up the wounded and unconscious without complaint.

Back in the village, Mira noticed her connection to one of the wolves had vanished, Rhodes must've used it. Since the rest of the summoned beasts were still stationed around the perimeter, she knew the situation had likely been handled.

She politely informed the village chief's wife, left a few monsters behind to guard the townsfolk, and headed out to check the scene.

When Mira arrived, she found Rhodes calmly interrogating a few unlucky survivors, two wind mages and the apparent leader.

All three prisoners had received a bit of "special" treatment, after being roughed up, their faces were now swollen and hard to recognize.

The man leading the group, who went by the name Kron, stammered as he tried to explain, "It… it's because the Oración Seis suddenly increased the 'tribute' they demanded. We're a guild under their authority. We have no choice but to follow orders and come up with the money somehow…"

The Balam Alliance, a powerful dark guild network, was comprised of three major forces: Grimoire Heart, Tartaros, and Oración Seis. Smaller guilds like Black Unicorn operated under their control. In exchange for protection and affiliation, these minor guilds were expected to pay tribute and obey when summoned.

Earlier, Kron had foolishly tried to use Oración Seis's name to threaten Rhodes... only to be smacked in the face by a wolf's claw.

Rhodes remained seated as he asked lazily, "So your brilliant way to raise money… was to rob a village?"

Kron flinched. "W-we were originally planning to target a merchant convoy… or maybe a bank! But those are too heavily guarded. A village celebrating a festival, on the other hand, looked like easy pickings. We figured the chaos would make it easier to get in and out without much resistance."

Seeing Rhodes's expression darken, Kron quickly added, "We...we didn't plan to hurt anyone! Just steal some goods and money! That's all!"

Rhodes narrowed his eyes. "Then what about the murder that happened here a few days ago?"

That made all three men freeze.

"Murder?" Kron blinked. "What murder?"

Rhodes studied them carefully. Their shocked reactions felt genuine. Hard to say for sure since their faces were so swollen, but their confusion didn't seem faked.

Mira stepped in quietly. She could tell Rhodes was trying to hold back his frustration and offered a gentle touch on his arm, silently asking if he needed help.

She examined the three men with a practiced eye. "They don't seem to be lying," she murmured.

She asked Rhodes, "What about those sword-wielders you had? The ones I saw in the fight."

"Too weak," he replied flatly. "They don't have the strength or technique to make the cuts we saw at the crime scene."

Mira turned her attention to a few of the prisoners who were still moaning the loudest from their wounds. She casually cast a spell at them, and they immediately went limp, falling into magical sleep.

The three being interrogated were terrified. They thought they were next to be silenced.

Rhodes stared them down. "I'll ask one more time. A murder occurred near here just a few days ago. You sure none of you know anything about it?"

Suddenly, one of the wind mages panicked and blurted out, "Wait—yes! Yes, now that you mention it, there was someone suspicious! If anyone around here did that, it had to be him! He's the one who told us about this village's festival in the first place!"

Rhodes leaned in. "Him?"

The other two turned to the wind mage in surprise.

Rhodes didn't have the patience to listen to their speculation.

"Who?" he asked bluntly.

Kron hesitated, eyes flicking nervously toward the ground, then finally whispered, "The Reaper… Erigor."

Mira's expression shifted in surprise. "Erigor? The ace of Eisenwald?"

Rhodes raised an eyebrow. "Five million walki... no, I mean Erigor? You're still in contact with him?"

Kron's heart sank. He had heard the bounty on Erigor was five million Jewels, and now the man standing in front of him, who'd just flattened his entire team, sounded eager to collect that bounty.

This guy's terrifying… No, Kron glanced up at Mira beside him, she's terrifying too.

He swallowed hard and confessed, "Eisenwald was one of the dark guilds under Oración Seis. Aside from the 'Bandaged Madman,' they were probably the strongest affiliate."

"But then," Kron said, his voice trembling slightly, "they were suddenly destroyed… by Fairy Tail."

As he finished, he suddenly froze. His eyes widened in dawning realization.

"Wait, you're from Fairy Tail?!"

It finally clicked. The devastating strength, the overwhelming magic, the complete lack of mercy, it all made sense now.

Mira gave Rhode a sideways glance, her tone lightly teasing. "You took down the Bandaged Madman with Gray and the Magic Council's support. Erza and her team took out Eisenwald and Erigor's entire operation… And now we've just wiped out another dark guild."

She crossed her arms and smirked. "Seems like Fairy Tail and the Balam Alliance are destined to be enemies."

Rhodes chuckled. "Yeah. Every time we try to mind our own business, we end up cleaning up their mess anyway."

The tension lightened for a moment, but Rhode's thoughts turned serious again.

The Balam Alliance's third pillar, Oración Seis, was a mystery to him. He only knew that its six members were powerful enough to be considered one of the three major dark forces, despite their small number. That alone was enough to make them dangerous.

Still, these grunts might know something useful.

"Let's talk more about Erigor."

"Yes, of course!" Kron nodded like a frightened bird. Now that he knew who he was dealing with, he didn't dare hold back.

There were plenty of rumors about Fairy Tail in the underworld. They might have been a legal guild, but their reputation was anything but gentle. Destruction of towns, chaos in cities, guild members with wild personalities, the dark guilds often joked that Fairy Tail was more dangerous than their own kind.

Some even whispered that if Fairy Tail ever stopped holding back, they could become the fourth pillar of the dark world.

So Kron spilled everything, fast and in full.

"You're saying you were desperate for money, and Erigor just happened to mention there'd be a festival in this village?"

"Yes," Kron confirmed quickly. "We figured it'd be an easy target."

"Then why was he here? What was he doing in the area?" Rhode asked.

"We're not sure," Kron replied. "We only know he accepted an assassination request, some normal dark guild job, nothing special. But…"

"But?"

"He asked us about the location of the Weiss Sea of Trees."

"Weiss Sea of Trees?" Mira echoed thoughtfully. "That name sounds familiar."

Rhodes furrowed his brow. "It's that massive forest in the southern mountains, near the Cait Shelter."

"That means Erigor's likely headed there," he said grimly. "Either to hide out... or that's where his next mission is."

Mira's eyes narrowed with concern. "Wendy and Carla…"

The area's most notable landmark was Cait Shelter. If Erigor was moving in that direction, could he be targeting them?

Rhodes clenched his jaw. He didn't want to believe that, but it was a possibility he couldn't ignore. Fortunately, Wendy had Roubaul watching over her. That geezer might seem eccentric, but he was more than capable in a pinch.

Still, after this mission, Rhodes decided he'd pay them a visit, just in case. If Erigor showed up, he'd deal with him personally… and maybe earn a tidy bounty in the process.

"Do you know anything else about Erigor?" Rhodes asked, his voice low and cold. "You'd better think carefully before you answer. If I find out later you left anything out, I'll feed you to the wolves."

"No more, I swear! That's everything I know!" Kron yelped, face pale.

"Good." Rhodes pulled out a small notebook. "Then let's move on. Oración Seis, tell me what you know. Names, appearance, gender, age, magic type… everything. I want it all."

Kron blinked. Was this guy secretly from the Magic Council's interrogation squad? This line of questioning felt intense enough.

But with the wolves looming close, he didn't dare hold anything back.

Rhodes jotted everything down, though he quickly realized Kron's intel was sketchy at best. He didn't even know their real names, only codenames:

Cubellios, Racer, Cobra, Hoteye, Angel, and Midnight.

Descriptions of their magic were vague. Most he couldn't describe properly. The only one that stood out was Angel, a white-haired woman who used summoning magic and could "peer into people's hearts."

That last bit made Rhodes and Mira exchange glances.

They had once seen a cloaked woman who used Celestial Spirit Magic… and had summoned Gemini to extract someone's inner thoughts.

But… would a member of the infamous Oración Seis rescue kidnapped children?

That didn't add up.

They shook off the idea. Still, Rhodes scribbled a note, then crossed it out for now, something to revisit later when organizing the gathered intelligence.

As for the Oración Seis strength, Kron didn't know their exact power levels, only that each one could destroy a guild like his without effort. That was why even dark guilds paid them protection money.

Rhodes did his best to extract every bit of information from Kron's mind. When he was done, Mira stepped in and used a light hypnotic spell to confirm the facts with the others.

Once satisfied the testimonies matched, the two bound the entire group, cast a sleeping spell, and left them under the watch of summoned creatures. After the festival, they would hand the prisoners over to the kingdom's military or the local enforcement squad.

With Erigor's whereabouts narrowed down and the village saved from an ambush, Rhodes finally felt a measure of relief.

"Now there's just one thing left," he muttered, "Why was the village chief so hesitant to speak?"

Mira tilted her head. "Maybe there's a hidden treasure in the village? He could be afraid that if he tells us, someone will try to steal it."

"Maybe… But if he went as far as requesting a designated mission, it means he doesn't trust us that much," Rhode muttered. "If there really is something precious in the village and he refuses to tell us, then he can't blame us if something happens."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Mira gently took Rhode's arm. "Come on, let's check out how the festival's going."

When the two returned to the village center, the solemn part of the harvest ritual had already passed. Now it was time for the celebration.

The villagers had prepared a few simple performances and were taking turns entertaining the crowd.

Most of the acts weren't rehearsed or polished. Some people forgot their lines or tripped over their props, but the whole audience burst into laughter and clapped anyway. It was the kind of cheerful, familiar mess that made these moments special.

The atmosphere was warm and nostalgic, much like a classroom New Year's party, where even the goofiest performances by familiar faces brought genuine joy.

As the celebration continued, someone in the crowd started shouting good-naturedly. Soon, cheers erupted as the villagers encouraged Rhodes and Mira to take the stage and show off some magic.

Not wanting to spoil the mood, Rhodes stepped forward with a grin.

He began with a summoning a fluffy, bouncing Poro. The kids in the crowd squealed with delight. Next, he waved his hand and cast beautiful glowing text spells into the air, forming shimmering words and floating symbols that danced above the stage.

Every spell drew louder cheers, especially from the children, who now had new ideas for the wizard roleplay games they loved to play.

Mira took her turn next.

She opened with a few cute animal transformations, an adorable kitten, a tiny sheep, but then ramped things up.

With a mischievous sparkle in her eye, she performed her special trick: "Only the Head is Rhode!", followed by "Only the Head is Elfman!" and "Only the Head is Gajeel!"

The crowd erupted in laughter, especially the younger villagers who had been eagerly hoping for a performance from the famous Fairy Tail model.

Mira flashed a triumphant grin.

She had wanted to do this exact routine during the Miss Fairy Tail contest back in Magnolia, but at the time, she'd held back, focused on winning the prize money for her family.

...

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