Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 182: For Lord Carniber

Scuttle Crabs, which are fast runners, have a wide field of vision and can share their sight with Rhodes, making them the best choice for scouts.

The downside is that they're a bit large, and their green color makes them hard to hide during winter.

Rhodes made a mental note to get a few pieces of camouflage cloth for the Scuttle Crabs in the future, maybe snow camouflage, desert camouflage, ocean camouflage, so he could adapt them to different environments.

For now, he'd just have to make do.

The road to Poppy Town was eerily quiet. Over more than ten kilometers, he only encountered three people, all riding together in a single carriage.

They seemed to be merchants headed to Morninggroy to deliver goods. The moment they spotted Rhodes, a lone stranger, they grew wary and even tried to steer their carriage off the main road to avoid him.

Rhodes casually asked them for directions, carefully checking for any suspicious magic. Sensing none, he took the initiative to move aside and give them space.

The streets of Poppy Town weren't empty, security patrols were visible, and there were even two guards stationed at the entrance checking everyone who came and went.

It seemed they weren't entirely useless, just... not very effective.

Rhodes was stopped and questioned at the gate. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he showed a fabricated commission and warned them not to stir up a fuss.

Still distrustful, Rhodes discreetly left a Scuttle Crab to watch them from a distance before heading into town.

The atmosphere inside was tense. There were few pedestrians, and most walked in groups of two or three, clutching sticks or tools for protection.

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Aside from a few shops, almost every house was shuttered tightly. The whole town radiated unease and fear.

Rhodes avoided the patrols, dismissed his Murk Wolves, and blended into the shadows of the alleyways, quietly surveying the area.

He found yesterday's crime scene and sent a wolf to pick up the lingering scent. Passing by a house that had clearly lost a child, he slipped inside and quietly took a piece of clothing.

It was rude, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Just as he was about to leave the town and let the Murk Wolves start a broader search, Rhodes suddenly felt Warm return to the Howling Abyss.

Something had happened.

Rhodes immediately summoned his Raptor and took off, flying full-speed toward Manjusaka Town.

...

'Attacking in broad daylight? Was this black magic cult really that arrogant?'

When he arrived, the battle was already over.

Three black-robed figures lay sprawled in the street, two broken staffs lying nearby.

The cobblestone road had a massive crack, as if it had been smashed by a heavy blow.

Erza stood tall, her boot pressed against one cultist's chest, her sword pointed at another's throat.

Behind her, a mother clutched her child tightly, fear written all over her face as she stared at the fallen enemies.

The townspeople, sensing the danger had passed, trickled out of their homes, gathering to watch. Some quickly ran to summon the town's security team.

Rhodes circled overhead a few times, keeping an eye out for suspicious movement.

Erza barely glanced up, then returned to her interrogation.

"You can save your breath!" the man under her foot screamed. "Even if I die, my body and soul will be dedicated to Lord Carniber!"

Rhodes landed just in time to hear this lunatic shouting.

Carniber, a demon who devoured humans, not just their flesh but their souls as well.

Legend said Carniber particularly loved consuming the bodies and souls of children, which explained why cults trying to summon him kidnapped children for their rituals.

Erza's blade scraped against the cultist's neck, drawing a thin line of blood before stabbing into the ground beside him.

"I'll ask you one more time," Erza said coldly. "Where are the children?"

The cultist only laughed harder, the blood on his neck trickling down.

"Hahahaha! They will become nourishment for Lord Carniber! By tomorrow, you'll all be dead!"

The two other black-robed men also cried out fanatically: "For Lord Carniber!"

"Glory to Zeref!"

Even though they were too injured to stand, they still shouted with wild, unwavering devotion.

'What kind of power did Zeref hold to make people worship him with such blind fervor? Or was it simply the allure of strength itself?'

Rhodes couldn't understand it, at least, not yet. He made a mental note to study more about Zeref once he returned home.

Suddenly, a disheveled woman burst through the crowd, her face stricken with exhaustion and panic.

"My child! Where is my child?!"

Before she could throw herself at the black-robed man, her husband rushed up behind her and restrained her tightly.

Despite the fury and desperation burning in his eyes, he knew better, even defeated, these cultists were still dangerous.

One after another, more parents gathered, their voices trembling with hope and heartbreak:

"Master Wizards, please..."

"Please save our children!"

Erza stood tall, her voice firm and unwavering:

"We will find their lair and bring your children back safely!"

The black-robed man at her feet sneered, his voice full of venom:

"It's useless! After tonight, none of you—"

Before he could finish, Rhodes calmly stomped on his face, knocking out half his teeth and silencing him with a sickening crunch.

Wearing his usual mild smile, Rhodes addressed the crowd politely: "Please, go home and rest. We'll need a little time and space to question them properly, alright?"

The parents, still hesitant and worried, slowly backed away. A few had to be pulled away by the security team, who had finally arrived and were doing their best to calm the scene.

Erza didn't seem bothered by Rhodes' "interrogation technique" at all.

If anything, she looked ready to get even rougher.

Kindness, after all, was something Fairy Tail reserved for those who truly deserved it.

...

The three cultists were stubborn to the end, spouting fanatical nonsense between screams. Still, during the "negotiations," Rhodes managed to extract a few crucial pieces of information.

Their leader went by the codename "Ghost", a black mage rumored to wield magic strong enough to shatter a person's bones with a single blow.

From what they gathered, the location of the cult's ceremony was extremely well-hidden and heavily guarded.

Although the cultists refused to reveal the exact location, Erza, sharp-eyed as ever, deduced from the mud and bits of grass stuck to their shoes that it was likely somewhere near the northern coastline, where the mountains met the sea.

What's more, the summoning ritual was probably scheduled for tonight. Until then, the children who were to be used as sacrifices would likely remain alive.

Time was running out.

Without wasting a moment, Erza and Rhodes handed over the three incapacitated cultists, now too weak even to chant slogans, to the local security team for safekeeping.

Then they immediately rushed north.

Rhodes couldn't help but feel tense.

He had told himself he would act calmly and keep a low profile, but so much for that plan. After causing such a scene, any hopes of staying under the radar had pretty much gone up in smoke.

If the cult had already gotten wind of what happened, things could get messy very quickly.

Erza, running alongside him, looked remorseful: "I'm sorry. I lost control. I acted on impulse."

Rhodes shook his head. "It's hard not to react in a situation like that," he said honestly. He didn't think Erza had done anything wrong, though even by her standards, her reaction had been especially fierce.

"Either way," he continued, "we need to find them as soon as possible, before the ceremony starts."

Erza's eyes flashed with determination: "Even if we have to chase the devil into hell itself, we will bring those children back!"