Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 251: Lahar and Doranbolt

The enemy had finally retreated.

No one knew exactly why, but ever since a black flare burst into the sky, the attacks suddenly stopped. Not a single enemy had shown up to bother them since.

Mira had regained consciousness and was busy removing the rough bandages from Elfman and Rhodes, carefully treating their wounds with healing magic and a mother's touch. She even tended to Vina's injuries.

Rhodes, feeling a bit sheepish, didn't say much. He couldn't help but feel guilty. He'd only taken Elfman out for a "simple mission," and now his friend looked like he'd been mummified in battle bandages.

Natsu and Happy returned from scouting, dragging back a burning branch. Or rather, a stick still flickering with eerie black fire.

"Rhodes! Is this that God Slayer Magic you were talking about? Ugh, I can't eat it!" Natsu winced.

Cana raised a brow. "Wait, even you can't eat it?"

Rhodes nodded. "That's right. God Slayer Magic is like Dragon Slayer Magic. Both are Lost Magics. That guy claimed his was a step above dragons."

"Tch! What God Slayer Magic!" Natsu scowled. "I'll eat it anyway!"

"Do your best, Natsu!" Happy cheered, flapping beside him.

Natsu took a bite of the black flame. "Aaaagh—it's hot! Like, actually hot! It's been forever since fire burned me!"

Erza folded her arms and nodded with her usual stern expression. "That just proves how dangerous this magic is. Also... Natsu, your training clearly isn't enough."

"Like heck it isn't!" Natsu fumed, determined to prove her wrong. "I'll eat the whole thing! Watch me, ow ow ow hot!"

Rhodes couldn't help but smile. The tension from earlier had completely dissolved thanks to this familiar silliness.

Still, despite his fatigue, Rhodes remained vigilant. He summoned several of his monsters to stand guard, keeping an eye out for ambushes.

Not long after, the crab scout discovered what looked like the enemy's temporary camp. It was abandoned, black flames still smoldering like cursed coals.

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"They really packed up in a hurry," Rhodes murmured, watching the ghostly fire flicker in the wind. "They didn't even clean up."

"Probably ran off scared!" Natsu declared, puffing his chest. "That God Slayer guy knows we're too much for him!"

Cana, more grounded, added, "Feels like they got called away for something urgent."

Mira agreed, though her tone was more concerned than smug. "It's for the best. Vina still needs proper rest. And Rhodes and Elfman, too."

Erza tapped her chin. "There's a small town along the road back. Let's head there and regroup."

Rhodes hesitated. "We may not be able to leave just yet."

"Why not?" Elfman asked.

"I spotted a team from the Magic Council earlier," Rhodes replied.

...

Sure enough, they met up with the Council's task force near the edge of the abandoned camp.

Leading the team was a man named Laharl. He wore small glasses and had his hair tied up in a neat ponytail, giving him the look of a scholarly clerk rather than a frontline warrior.

But the moment Rhodes saw Lahar and his squad, he could tell they weren't the average enforcers from a local branch.

These guys were elite, soldiers from the Council's main headquarters.

The Council's search teams combed the forest, recovering wounded stragglers who had previously been defeated by Elfman, and retrieving a few corpses along the way.

They also worked on extinguishing lingering fires from the destruction of the Grimoire Heart camp.

Some members continued to sweep the area for any remaining threats, while others began investigating the scorched remains of the camp for clues.

Captain Lahar personally led a few officers to meet with the members of Fairy Tail.

His main objective was to gather a firsthand account from Rhodes, Elfman, and Mal.

"I want to return to the village," Mal said firmly, not wanting to answer many of the Council's questions. Now that Vina's condition had stabilized, he was eager to confirm the state of Monotropa for himself.

Rhodes added, "We only did a quick sweep of the village before we left. If you've got enough manpower, please help us search for any survivors."

Lahar nodded and gave a clear, crisp order. "Team Three, Team Four, escort Mr. Mal to Monotropa. Prioritize search and rescue. Keep him safe."

"Yes, sir!" the teams responded in unison.

"Thank you," Mal said, bowing deeply to both Rhodes and Elfman.

Mira stepped forward, offering a gentle smile. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of Miss Vina."

"Thank you." Mal bowed again before leaving with the two Council units.

Lahar then turned his attention to Rhodes and Elfman, asking them to walk him through everything that had happened.

Rhodes recounted the events clearly and concisely, starting from when he and Elfman accepted the mission, all the way through the encounter with Grimoire Heart.

Once he finished, he waited for follow-up questions.

This was, to Lahar's surprise, one of the most efficient debriefs he'd ever conducted. Normally, he had to dig for answers or untangle conflicting testimonies. But this time? Everything was smooth.

Honestly, Rhodes just wanted to wrap things up quickly and finally get some rest.

"Did you get all that?" Lahar asked.

The officer recording the statement gave a nod.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Lahar said politely. Then, his gaze sharpened slightly. "Now, let me confirm one last thing, do you know the purpose behind Grimoire Heart's presence here?"

"Not exactly sure," Rhodes replied. "From what we saw, they were after the 'Tears of Chris,' and trying to capture Mal and Vina seemed more like a secondary objective.

"But if you think about it... even that could've just been a pretense. Maybe their real goal was to destroy the village. Or maybe something else entirely."

He frowned slightly, recalling his earlier encounter. Rustyrose had said something odd, something like "Fighting you barely makes my heart tremble."

Rhodes wasn't sure what to make of it. That guy was like a walking middle school drama script.

Lahar nodded. "What do you know about the Tears of Chris?"

"Only bits and pieces, local legends. I've never seen them myself. And Mr. Peter never said anything about them before he passed. You might want to ask Mal and Vina when we meet up again."

Lahar flipped open his notebook. "Any more information on the Seven Kin of Purgatory?"

"I've already told you the basics," Rhodes said. "Once I'm back at the guild, I'll compile a full report with more details, portraits, descriptions of their magic, personality traits, and strategies to counter them. I'll send a copy to the Council."

In fact, Rhodes already had a plan.

He was going to put up wanted posters at the guild, with everything he knew about those maniacs. Magic breakdowns. Weaknesses. Escape tactics. Even their favorite phrases.

He wanted every guild member to either be ready to fight or smart enough to run the moment they saw one of those lunatics.

You dare beat me and Elfman bloody?

Rhodes grinned coldly.

He'd make extra copies and have Master Makarov take them to the Magic Council meeting. Then maybe distribute them across all major guilds in Fiore. Call it a little insurance policy.

"Thanks for your cooperation and everything you've done," Lahar said sincerely.

"We're just grateful the Council arrived when you did," Rhodes replied.

Of course, part of him suspected that Grimoire Heart had actually noticed the Council's approach, probably the massive magic disturbance they caused on arrival, and decided to withdraw rather than risk a full confrontation.

Whatever the reason, it had worked out for them.

"Oh, and if you see Mr. Mal, let him know we're taking Vina to the nearest town to recover. He can meet us there."

"I see. Would you consider letting us take Miss Vina into our care?" Lahar offered. "We've brought professional medics with us."

"Thanks, but we can't," Rhodes declined politely. "We gave our word to protect her. If Mal agrees, then fine. But until then, we'll look after her."

Lahar didn't push further and simply watched them depart.

Just then, a young man with a buzzcut walked over. "You're getting soft, Lahar. I thought for sure you'd try to detain them or something."

"Don't be ridiculous, Doranbolt," Lahar replied with a sigh. "Even if I have my doubts, I don't abuse my authority. They're not criminals, not even suspects."

He looked sideways at the other man. "And you. Haven't you already wiped your memory? Still hiding from Fairy Tail?"

"It's a habit," Doranbolt muttered. "Can't be too careful in my line of work."

He crossed his arms, grumbling, "It's just frustrating. I didn't find any dirt on them last time, and now I missed my chance to encounter Grimoire Heart directly. At this rate, how am I ever supposed to earn enough credit for a promotion?"

"You don't even try to hide your motives anymore," Lahar remarked, half-amused.

He wasn't fond of political ladder-climbers. But someone who chased results, like Doranbolt, wasn't all bad in his book.

"You want in on the interrogations? We captured a good number of Grimoire Heart operatives. We're going to be knee-deep in reports and questioning for a while."

....

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