Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 205: Heartbeat

Honestly, it was hard to say whether that rusty sword had cursed its victims when it cut them. But at the very least, tetanus was basically guaranteed.

The real problem was that, despite how pitiful this guy looked, like he had been drained dry by the sword, a victim himself, Rhodes was not about to trust him at face value.

The whole story about coming here just to destroy the sword could easily be a lie.

There was no way to prove his motives either. Maybe some wizards specialized in interrogation magic that could detect lies, but Rhodes certainly was not one of them.

"We can't verify your story," Rhodes said evenly. "But what we do know is that you took up that sword, put on that armor, and injured over a dozen hunters and three wizards."

He glanced sideways at Erza, then added, "Not to mention, you damaged our weapons and armor, and stirred up panic across this whole region."

"As the wizards tasked with investigating this case, we're obligated to bring you back for questioning. Are you willing to cooperate?"

Without hesitation, Mansi nodded. "I... I'm willing to take responsibility for what I've done."

He was in no condition to resist anyway, and the two wizards in front of him did not seem like the unreasonable type.

Rhodes casually pulled out a piece of chocolate and popped it into Mansi's mouth to give him a little strength. But just to be safe, he still tied the guy's hands and feet without mercy.

Erza hesitated, frowning a little. "Isn't that going a bit far?"

"We don't have a choice," Rhodes replied, knotting the ropes firmly. "Strictly speaking, this guy's now a criminal suspect."

He paused, thinking aloud, "Will it cause trouble if we bring someone from the Seven Kingdoms back across the border?"

Cross-border arrests were not exactly covered in his training.

Erza shook her head confidently. "He injured citizens of the Kingdom of Fiore while inside Fiore's borders. Since we didn't cause much damage when subduing him, there won't be any diplomatic issues."

"Got it," Rhodes said, relieved.

He stretched out his hand, and with a flash of light, summoned a cloth bag from his Requip magic.

Erza blinked, surprised. "You're already that skilled at Requip?"

"There's still a few small accidents when changing clothes," Rhodes admitted, chuckling. "But for retrieving and storing stuff, I'm good."

He crouched down and began picking up scattered pieces of armor and fragments of the broken sword, carefully placing them into the bag.

Erza did the same, collecting pieces as evidence to prove they had completed the mission.

Rhodes also summoned one of his Krugs, using it to bury some leftover fragments deep underground, just in case, to prevent any trouble for the villagers later.

After tidying everything up, Rhodes called over the two surviving Scuttle Crabs. They gently picked up the still-weak Mansi, and the group began their slow journey back to the village.

By now, the sun had completely set, plunging the battlefield into darkness.

Thankfully, Erza had thought ahead. She lit a portable lantern she had brought along and even swapped into a miner's outfit, complete with a helmet that had a headlamp strapped on top.

The sight of Erza wearing it so seriously made Rhodes want to laugh, and honestly, he kind of wanted to try it too.

Sure, he could easily use his Solid Script Magic to summon light, but after everything that happened today, he really did not feel like spending any extra magic energy.

With the headlamp shining the way, they continued down the path.

"Rhodes," Erza said suddenly, swinging the beam toward a patch off the trail.

Rhodes followed the light.

Growing there, untouched by the devastation, was a cluster of delicate winter-blooming flowers, their fragrance gently drifting through the cold air.

"Wintersweet," Erza murmured.

"I didn't notice it on the way here," Rhodes said, taking a deep breath of the sweet scent. "It smells really nice."

Erza gazed at the flowers thoughtfully. "Even on a battlefield as cruel as this, flowers can bloom again after hundreds of years."

Rhodes stayed silent, simply admiring the small miracle.

Two hundred years ago, perhaps wintersweets bloomed all across this field too, until war trampled them into the dust.

But here they were now, quietly blooming once more.

Without saying anything to break the mood, Rhodes just smiled faintly and continued walking forward.

"You're finally back... I'm so glad you're all right, truly glad you're safe," the village chief said, breathing a visible sigh of relief.

When the two wizards hadn't returned after so long, he had begun to fear the worst.

"Not only are we fine," Erza said, stepping forward and handing over the cloth bag, "we've completed the mission as well."

Inside, the fragments of rusty iron clinked with a harsh, metallic sound.

"Completed?" the village chief repeated, a little stunned.

"That's right," Erza confirmed with a nod. "The cursed sword and the set of armor were destroyed by us."

She then pointed to Mansi, who was slumped on the back of the Scuttle Crab.

"And we've also captured the person responsible for these incidents."

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"Who is he...?" the village chief asked, blinking in confusion.

Rhodes spoke up calmly. "The situation is a bit complicated. We'll explain everything properly."

"Yes, yes, I see. Please, come inside first. Have the two of you eaten yet?"

The village chief hurriedly ushered them into his home and called for the children to prepare food.

Even Mansi received a portion. After all, a suspect still needed to eat.

Over a simple but hearty meal, Rhodes and Erza patiently explained the entire series of events.

The village chief listened carefully. Though he was quite happy to hand over the promised reward money, he looked troubled about how to deal with Mansi afterward.

After some hesitation, he realized there was no need for him, a small village chief, to worry about such matters. He could simply hand Mansi over to the mayor in the morning.

That night, the village chief "thoughtfully" arranged for Rhodes and Erza to stay in the same room.

Rhodes immediately dragged their suitcases over to form a wall between their two beds.

As he lay back, staring at the ceiling, he found himself wondering whether he should take fewer long-distance missions with Erza in the future.

But honestly, partnering with Erza was easy. He mostly needed to play support, which saved a lot of brainpower compared to teaming up with others.

Plus, the money came fast.

Team missions like this were really not bad at all.

Lost in his thoughts, Rhodes quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, the two of them agreed to escort Mansi to the city as the village chief requested.

However, Rhodes asked Erza to delay their departure a little.

Erza, thinking he was simply tired from yesterday's battle and wanted a bit more rest, didn't mind at all.

...

Since they set off late and had to handle the formalities surrounding Mansi on the way, it was already evening by the time they finally boarded the train back to Magnolia.

Rhodes glanced at the time. "Is the guild closed by now?"

Erza nodded. "Yeah, it is. We can report the mission tomorrow."

"Then, should we split up here?" Rhodes asked. "Is the girls' dorm closed too?"

"Of course not," Erza said, giving a small laugh as she pulled her luggage cart along. "See you tomorrow. It was a pleasure working with you."

"Same here. See you tomorrow."

Erza clearly didn't need him to walk her back.

So, Rhodes summoned Warm and headed toward home with the little guy trailing behind.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Rhodes noticed something odd.

The lights in his apartment were on.

"I'm pretty sure I turned them off before leaving," he muttered, suspicion rising. Without wasting a second, he bolted up the stairs, leaving Warm confused behind him.

"Woo?" Warm tilted its head, puzzled. Was Rhodes chasing a thief?

Rhodes fished out his key, took a deep breath, and quietly unlocked the door.

The door swung open, and the sight that greeted him made him freeze.

A familiar figure stood in the living room, wearing a dark apron and a scarf tied neatly around her hair. A small feather duster was in her hand as she stood on tiptoe, reaching up to wipe the dust from a picture frame.

She must have heard the door open because she turned around, blinking in surprise.

Then a bright, gentle smile lit up her face. Without even thinking, she said warmly,

"Welcome home."

Rhodes stood rooted to the spot, unable to find his voice.

He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his chest. Was it because he had sprinted up the stairs?

No... he knew it wasn't.

It was because of the girl standing right there in his living room.

The way she turned around, the way she smiled at him under the warm light, it was like time itself had frozen around her.

Rhodes thought, deep down, that he would remember this scene forever.