https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-186-With-Our-Flesh-Blood-and-Souls-We-Offer-/12810467/
Chapter 187: Mission Accomplished
Chapter 187: Mission Accomplished
Rod immediately took the children to the hospital in Manzusaka Town.
Erza, on the other hand, took Phantom and went to contact the local Council branch.
The doctors prepared some suitable food for the children, examined their bodies, and bandaged their wounds.
Out of the 14 children, 8 showed signs of fever, and two—those siblings who had tried to escape but were caught—had high fevers. The other four were relatively fine.
After a flurry of activity, it was already dark.
However, the parents of the children quickly arrived upon hearing the news.
Even the parents from Poppi Town, who had lost their children, rushed over with lanterns, trudging through the snow to reclaim their kids.
Rod slipped away when the first batch of parents arrived, crouching alone in a corner outside the hospital—afraid of what he might face.
From the children, he had learned that a girl named Lis had been taken away by the black-robed men and never returned.
Considering the blood-drawn magic circle on the altar...
Rod was terrified to meet Lis's parents.
He knew it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't bear to see that look of sorrow in their eyes.
Rod had seen enough of the grief-stricken faces of those who had lost loved ones.
"Why are you crouching here?"
Erza, having finished her business, had changed into a purple down jacket, her hands in the pockets, fitting the winter atmosphere.
However, her legs were bare, which seemed a bit odd with her long boots.
"How did it go with the Council?"
"The Phantom and the three we captured earlier have been imprisoned. The Council will send people to apprehend the others in the mountains tonight."
"What about the fact that we went a bit overboard this time?"
"It's fine. The Black Magic Cult's actions were too dangerous, and what they did to the children is intolerable. The Council won't hold us accountable for being a bit harsh. At most, they'll send someone to ask about the situation later."
"That's a relief," Rod said, looking up at the dark sky. "At least the Master won't get in trouble."
Erza crouched down next to Rod, leaning against the wall and hugging her knees.
"The weather's not good tonight; not a single star is visible." Erza exhaled a white puff of breath, which stood out in the dim light.
Rod replied, "Yeah."
"Are you thinking about Lis, or... the person who was killed yesterday?"
"Both, I guess. I keep wondering if we had arrived earlier, could we have saved them? But there's no 'what if.' We didn't even know about this place earlier. I know that, but I can't help but feel regret and overthink it."
"That's called kindness," Erza said. "Feeling sorrow for the loss of life and sympathy for others' misfortunes. Remember this feeling and use it to walk more resolutely, so such things don't happen again in front of you. It's one of the reasons we strive to become stronger."
Compared to Rod, who could be considered to have grown up in a sheltered environment, Erza had seen and even experienced more hardships.
In this aspect, she was much more mature. Although she felt the same sorrow and regret, she could still find the mental space to consider and comfort Rod.
Erza suddenly realized that the Master's advice to "take care of Rod" might not have been about battles, but about the things outside them.
"Want to come over and lean on me?" Erza opened her arms, not minding the idea of comforting Rod with a hug.
"Thanks, but I'll pass," Rod said, standing up and slapping his face. "Let's go. There are people here who are even more upset, and we should at least face them."
...
Rod and Erza didn't get to meet Lis's parents, but they did meet the mayors of Manzusaka Town and Poppi Town.
"Thank you both for everything you've done. On behalf of all the rescued children, their parents, and all the residents of Poppy Town, I express my deepest gratitude!"
"Please don't mention it. We were just following the mission to eliminate the criminal gang and rescue the children," Erza said in a formal tone. "Additionally, regarding the child named Lis and the resident of Poppy Town who was cruelly murdered... we apologize for arriving too late."
"The resident's fate is indeed tragic, but it's not something that can be blamed on you. However, about Lis..." The mayor of Poppy Town paused, then continued, "Lis has already returned home."
Rod and Erza were both taken aback. "What do you mean? Lis has already returned home?"
"Yes, just yesterday. She was the only child who managed to escape on her own," the mayor explained. "We visited her personally and intended to ask where she had been held, but the child was too frightened to provide any clear answers."
Rod pressed on, "Are you sure this isn't a joke?"
"Of course not. I swear on my position as the mayor," the mayor replied firmly.
Seeing the mayor's earnest expression and the absence of Lis's family, Rod and Erza both let out a sigh of relief.
It's a relief, a great relief.
The two stayed at the hospital a while longer, watching as the children with no serious injuries were been taken away by their parents, and children who were also recovering from the fever. Only then did they leave.
The parents' heartfelt thanks and the children's choruses of "Thank you, big brother" and "Thank you, big sister" were more than enough reward.
The mayor also mentioned that the town's security force had failed in their duty, so the family of the deceased resident would receive compensation and assistance in finding a means of livelihood.
With that, Rod and Erza's mission came to a close.
The reward for their mission would be processed by the Council and delivered to the guild later, along with possible inquiries about the details.
They politely declined the mayor's invitation to stay and returned to the inn in Morningside Town, where Erza had made reservations.
Rod picked up his suitcase. "Where's the key to my room?"
"Key? Here." Erza tossed a key to Rod.
"Isn't this the key you just used to open this room?"
Erza looked puzzled. "Isn't this the key you wanted?"
"I meant my room..." The two stared at each other, and Rod had a bad feeling. "So, you only booked your room?"
"It's our room."
"..."
"Anyway, there are two beds. When on a mission and traveling together, it's not uncommon for teammates to share a room, though I don't have much experience with it..."
Erza suddenly had an idea. "Would you like to try it out? We could push the beds together. Come to think of it, we should have shared a tent last night, just in case something happened, so we could look out for each other."
"No, thanks. I'm not used to that. This is fine." Despite her reasonable-sounding suggestion, Rod was still getting used to it. "It's late. I'll just wash up and go to bed."
Erza looked disappointed, perhaps because sharing a bed with a teammate seemed like a lot of fun to her, just like how everyone sprawled out all over the guild during celebrations.
"Alright." She watched as Rod walked into the bathroom room. "Do you need help with your back?"
Rod nearly fell over, fumbling to lock the bathroom door. "No, thanks! I'm just taking a quick shower!"
Erza really didn't treat him like an outsider.
Rod stared at the showerhead, questioning his own thoughts. Am I overthinking this? Is it just me being weird?
The illustration at the end of the chapter didn't pass the review, so check the comments section for Erza and Natsu giving each other back rubs.
(End of Chapter)
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