Chapter 201: The Cursed Sword
Chapter 201: The Cursed Sword
"In short, the key to the mission is to find a sword, to either recover or destroy it."
"More specifically, it's a cursed sword, and the Four-Headed Hound Dogs will send an S-Rank Mage and an assistant to compete with us."
"If they get there first, we'll have wasted our trip, and it will tarnish the Guild's reputation."
Erza and Rod were discussing the details of the mission on the train.
Since both Guild Masters were boasting about their young Mages in the last meeting, they ended up in a heated debate over who would get to show off their abilities.
Gode proposed a one-on-one competition with the young S-Rank, while Makarov sly suggested adding another assistant below S-Rank to enhance team collaboration.
The contest's content would be the task Rod drew, with the loser getting nothing and the winner taking everything, including the Guild's honor and the Master's face.
At the next meeting, they would have to drink to see the results of this competition.
With two S-Rank Mages on the team, handling a mission that hasn't reached S-Rank, both Guild Masters weren't too worried about safety issues.
They were familiar with their own Mages, so even in competition, they wouldn't jeopardize the other's life and safety.
"The place we're going to is an ancient battlefield, where the Feyre Kingdom declared neutrality before becoming a permanent neutral country. It was the site of a three-country bloodbath."
"That cursed sword might have been born from the war, or it might have been forged for the war." Rod explained to Erza the information he had.
Erza, who had a bit of historical knowledge, added, "The Feyre Kingdom declared neutrality more than 160 years ago, right?"
"Right, from the time it was recognized by other countries to now, it's been 162 years. The declaration might have been even earlier."
"In this world, wars between kingdoms usually start with ordinary soldiers fighting each other."
"If the conflict persists for a while without a decisive victory, then Mages might be commissioned by the kingdom to intervene."
"At that point, the war's intensity naturally escalates."
"If an outstanding Mage or a powerful magical item appears, the situation could change drastically due to one person's power."
"The cursed sword we're looking for might be such an item."
"Legends say that whoever wields this sword gains the strength to withstand an army, and those killed by it cannot find peace in death, while those injured by it suffer endless torment."
"Recently, hunters near the ancient battlefield have been showing up with wounds that won't heal. Only when a Mage who knows how to lift the curse can they be saved."
"They say it's the spirits of the fallen soldiers returning, thinking they're invading their territory, so they attack anyone who comes near, making survival a matter of luck."
"If we don't do anything, the villages will live in constant fear, and they'll have to form an alliance to seek help from Mages."
"The Poison Fang had sent a three-person team to investigate, but they all came back injured."
"According to their report, once they entered the battlefield's atmosphere, they saw a dense fog rise, and attacks came from all directions."
"They couldn't even tell who the enemy was or how many there were."
"Based on the information we have now, I suspect someone might have found the sword and is still looking for other things."
"Perhaps to avoid disturbing or taking it, they're pretending to be spirits to scare people away."
Rod habitually made logical deductions, but Erza suggested another possibility:
"It could also be real spirits returning, not wanting to disturb anyone."
"About these feudal superstitions, Rod, in this world, they do exist, and even have corresponding magic."
Just like Chico from the guild can use the 'Urban Legend' magic to gather wandering spirits near Magnolia and command them to fight.
It's not unusual for a few powerful undead to appear on the site of an ancient battlefield, especially one where mages have been active.
Encountering undead doesn't require panic; they can be dealt with using ordinary attacks.
If ordinary attacks are ineffective against special undead, it usually means there is a 'vessel' sustaining their existence. Destroying the vessel will resolve the issue.
This is common knowledge in the magical world.
...
There were no significant troubles on the way. Erza had prepared plenty of food, and Rod happily followed, enjoying the free meals and drinks, which made the journey very relaxing.
By the time they reached the village where the client was located, it was around three in the afternoon.
Rod and Erza made some inquiries and easily found the village chief's house.
"Hello, we are mages from Fairy Tail, here to handle your request."
"Mages?" the village chief asked, puzzled. "But someone from the Four-Headed Hound Dogs came this morning and said they were mages too..."
Rod and Erza exchanged a glance.
They had moved quickly, but the Four-Headed Hound Dogs were closer to the village than Fairy Tail.
Addressing the client's confusion, Rod explained patiently, "Your request is a bit special, so both our guilds have sent mages.
This time, we are determined to resolve your problem. Could you please provide us with a detailed account of the situation?"
"Of course," the village chief replied. This was exactly what he wanted; the more mages, the better, as they only had to pay one fee.
Moreover, these two looked much more reliable than the previous pair.
"The problem started about half a month ago. Before that, nothing strange had ever happened, but now anyone who approaches that area gets attacked.
Just in our village, five people have been injured, and there are more in neighboring villages.
When I was a child, my grandfather told me a story his grandfather had passed down. It was about a brutal general from the Seven Kingdom who, in order to gather supplies, killed many innocent civilians, causing fear and panic in the area.
However, because he was a skilled warrior, able to fight a hundred men single-handedly and boost morale on the battlefield, the king never blamed him.
But some say his strength came from a sword, and his personality became increasingly irritable due to the sword's influence.
Later, not only civilians but even his own subordinates were killed for giving him unsatisfactory advice. This led to widespread discontent in the army, and they eventually ambushed him on the battlefield.
Others say the subordinates ambushed him to gain his power.
However, after that, the sword became tainted with more resentment, turning into a cursed sword. Whoever wields it becomes a monster that kills indiscriminately. If an undead gets hold of it, the consequences would be even more terrifying."
Erza asked, "Has anyone seen the undead themselves?"
The village chief replied, "During each attack, a mist appears, which can only be the work of the undead."
Rod asked for details about the locations of the attacks and the injuries sustained by the hunters.
Finally, he inquired about the mages from the Four-Headed Hound Dogs.
"One was drunk, and the other's attire and demeanor... didn't seem very mature."
The village chief was being diplomatic, but he actually meant they looked like hooligans. However, he didn't want to say that about mages.
Erza thought for a moment and said, "The drunk one is likely the S-Rank mage from the Four-Headed Hound Dogs, Drunken Hawk, Bargs."
(End of Chapter)
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