Chapter 445: The Three Guild Alliance!

Chapter 445: The Three Guild Alliance!

As soon as he returned to the guild, Rod was met with Lucy's resentful gaze, which followed him from the entrance all the way to the counter.

Mila, knowing the reason, smiled as she watched Rod's reaction.

Rod acted as if he knew nothing and greeted them casually, "Hey, you're back too. How was the task? Did you find out anything?"

Lucy was shocked, "How can you ask so nonchalantly when it was all a lie?"

"Why not? I helped you solve your rent crisis and made your boring task more interesting. I'm your savior," Rod said with a smile.

"Before you found out the identity of the restaurant owner, didn't you find the task interesting? And after you discovered the truth, didn't Natsu and Gray behave, allowing you to earn your rent smoothly?"

Lucy was speechless, but if she had to admit it, that was indeed the case.

Upon learning that the restaurant was owned by a former Elder Member, Natsu and Gray were stunned, and Lucy almost had a heart attack.

"But you lied to me! When I returned, the Guild Master said there was no investigation task, only a temporary job to hire mages as waiters! I thought I had worked for nothing!"

"Hmm... that's the Guild Master's fault," Rod explained, "He made a promise with Mr. Agima that once his restaurant opens, he would send the strongest team to help."

Lucy didn't believe him, "You're lying! How could that be true?"

Elusa stepped in to testify, "It's true. It was around the time of the Harvest Festival last year."

"Oh..." Did the Guild Master decide this a year ago? No, this is twisting the truth, right? But Elusa confirmed it... Lucy was confused.

Mila raised her hand with a mischievous smile, "I was there too."

She had also overheard some gossip between the Guild Master and Babaya Grandma, so she decided to fill Lucy in.

Lucy's attention was immediately diverted.

After chatting about the Guild Master's gossip for a while, Mila realized he wasn't there, "Oh, where's the Guild Master?"

"He left at noon to attend a routine meeting," Elusa replied, "We were going to wait for you, but you didn't show up."

Mila chuckled, "Oh dear, then the Guild Master must be having a tough time."

"Since you're back," Elusa said, "What about the work here..."

"Elusa, we need to go out for a bit," Mila clasped her hands together, "Can you continue to take care of things here?"

"Are there any other matters that need attention?"

"Well, we stumbled upon a clue..." Mila stayed to tell Elusa about the incident they encountered during the task.

Rod went to the back to use the Communication Magic Crystal.

Although he wasn't very familiar with it, he managed to 'dial' after some fiddling.

Robin Lu, the Guild Master, answered the call, and after a polite greeting, Rod asked to speak with Wendy.

Robin Lu promised to send someone to find Wendy immediately, but to Rod's surprise, Wendy and Sharuru arrived much faster than expected.

He wondered if Sharuru had flown Wendy over.

Wendy's smiling face appeared in the crystal ball, "Brother Rod, how are you?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you?" Rod smiled, "But you look full of energy. How's Sharuru?"

"She's doing great!" Wendy stepped back, revealing the white cat behind her, who was also in the frame.

Sharuru awkwardly greeted them and then inquired about Mira, Elusa, Natsu, Gray, and Worm.

She ignored Happy alone.

Since Happy was often overlooked when counting, Rod didn't mind, "Sorry, we left in such a hurry last time."

"It's okay. Sharuru and I heard that Fairy Tail was attacked, but everyone is safe, right?" Although she had already learned the outcome from the news, Wendy wanted to confirm it personally.

"We're fine. We sustained minor injuries, but they healed quickly. Let me tell you, that time..."

Rod suddenly felt the urge to confide in Wendy and shared their brave fight against the Phantom Lord, especially their united defeat of the Ten Great High Mages.

Wendy listened intently, her expression changing unconsciously with Rod's narration, shifting from worry to joy and admiration.

He always felt the need to be cautious when speaking with journalists or Council of Judges investigators, but with Wendy, he couldn't help but want to be straightforward.

"Amazing!"

After hearing Wendy's sincere praise and seeing her admiring gaze, Rod felt incredibly satisfied.

Sharuru suspected he was trying to run off with Wendy and interrupted his boasting, "Did you contact us just to talk about this?"

"Oh, I do have something important to discuss.

"Rod, we received some intelligence that a dangerous individual might head your way, so we're warning you to be extra cautious these days." Mira and I are on the trail of this person, so we'll be bothering you again soon."

"Really? When?" Wendy immediately leaned in, her face close to Sharuru's camera.

The mention of a dangerous individual was quickly forgotten by her.

"I'll just wrap up some guild matters and set off shortly. If all goes well, we should arrive at the Cat's Inn tomorrow afternoon."

Wendy's face lit up with excitement. "That's great! I'll start preparing right away!"

"There's no need to prepare anything special... And the first half of my sentence was the important part. Be cautious of any dangerous individuals in the area."

"Yes, I understand!"

Wendy was an obedient child, which put Rod at ease.

After chatting for a while, Mira entered and gave Rod an 'OK' sign, indicating that everything was fine with Erza.

"Sister Mira!" Wendy greeted her happily.

Rod suggested they chat while he attended to some matters.

Erza had taken Mira's usual spot, diligently organizing quest information and registering quests for everyone.

"You're working hard," Rod greeted her.

"It's no trouble. I'm grateful for your support, and it's nice to experience different types of work occasionally." Erza was open to trying various jobs.

"In that case, I'll leave this with you too." Rod handed her his notebook.

"What is it?"

"Some intelligence we gathered about the Six Demon Generals during our quest. I'll organize it later for everyone to see. It's better to be prepared in case we encounter them unexpectedly."

Just like with Lastiros, even with a hundred people, it's unlikely anyone would encounter him. But if they did, a lack of information could lead to trouble.

Having more intelligence was always safer.

"The Six Demon Generals? By the way, Mira mentioned you encountered the Black Unicorn, one of the Six Demon Generals' subordinates."

"Yes, we extracted that information from them, but it's somewhat vague and possibly incomplete."

Erza flipped through the notebook, "This is already valuable information. I'll start organizing it and cross-reference it with existing data."

When Erza was serious, she was reliable. Rod trusted her to handle the task while he reviewed his notes on Erigor.

Although Rod believed he could now fight Erigor, the assassin's specialty required extra caution.

"Oh, and there's one more thing," Rod added. "I heard the Council of Judges is almost done restructuring. I wonder when they'll resume their regular functions.

Remember to remind everyone to stay out of trouble recently. Otherwise, they might be used as negative examples for punishment."

"I understand. We also heard about this from Mr. Agima. It seems like there won't be anyone in the Council to speak for us in the future." Erza furrowed her brows in thought, then said, "I'll warn Natsu."

Rod felt a bit speechless.

After Mira and Wendy finished their call, they made some quick preparations and embarked on their journey.

If this trip was successful, they would not only have the money for a house but also a substantial startup fund for their small family.

...

Having set off late, they had to spend the night on the boat.

The next day, when they disembarked, Rod felt the ground beneath his feet still swaying.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "Unbelievable!"

Fortunately, neither of them suffered from seasickness. They grabbed a quick bite at a nearby port in the south and headed straight for the Cat's Inn on the Hexie.

It was already close to noon. In the distant Magnolia, everyone was discussing the simple intelligence about the Six Demon Generals that Erza had shared.

The conversation shifted from the Six Demon Generals to the Balam Alliance and then back to the recent unrest among the many dark guilds affiliated with the Six Demon Generals.

Just as the discussion was at its peak, Makarov unexpectedly returned to the guild earlier than usual.

"Master?"

Everyone was surprised. The regular meetings usually lasted three days, and it was only the second day.

Calculating the time, it seemed like he had taken the morning train. Did they have an emergency meeting and then disperse?

"Is Master Makarov involved in another fight?"

Macao and Wakaba, the guild elders, were aware of the Master's past... Or rather, it couldn't be considered his past since he had won those fights.

Makarov asked, "I just heard you discussing the Six Demon Generals?"

The members nodded, unsure of the Master's intention.

Makarov spoke solemnly, "The Six Demon Generals... We are responsible for their subjugation.

"!"

"What?"

"Raid the Six Demon Generals?!"

"Old man, did you draw the worst luck again?"

Everyone was shocked. The Six Demon Generals, one of the three pillars of the Balam Alliance, were rumored to have the power to single-handedly destroy a guild...

And now, the Fairy Tail Guild was tasked with their raid?

Fairy Tail was indeed the top-ranked guild in the Fiore Kingdom, but the Six Demon Generals were among the top three dark guilds on the entire continent.

It would be an incredibly challenging task for them alone, and if the other two major dark forces came to the aid of the Six Demon Generals...

The pressure was overwhelming.

Fortunately, Makarov continued, "To be precise, it's a joint operation between us, Blue Pegasus, and Mermaid Heel. Together, we'll take them down."

Natsu, always eager for a fight, waved his fists and shouted, "Those guys are no match for us alone! I can take them down single-handedly and make them cry for their mothers!"

Makarov didn't deny that their guild had the capability to handle the Six Demon Generals, but instead explained, "They're not an easy opponent. Forming an alliance is also considering the aftermath. If our raid incurs retaliation, the pressure will be shared among the three major guilds."

Natsu paid no heed to these words and only insisted on joining the mission. It wasn't until Erza punched him on the head that he calmed down and listened quietly.

Makarov took the opportunity to update everyone on the current situation, informing them that the Six Demon Generals were about to launch a highly dangerous operation, which left them no choice but to raid them immediately.

As Makarov spoke, he suddenly felt something was amiss. He looked around and asked, "Are Mira and Laxus not back yet?"

Erza replied, "They returned yesterday but left immediately, saying they had news of Erik and were going to capture him."

"That Erik?!" Lucy recalled him vividly, remembering how powerful he was and how much effort Natsu had to exert to defeat him.

Happy raised his hand, "Aye! The guy who almost beat Natsu!"

It was a good thing Natsu was lying down; otherwise, he would have jumped up to refute him.

Gray furrowed his brows, "Are two people enough to capture Erik...?"

He didn't finish his sentence, thinking about the strength of those two people. He almost wanted to rephrase it as 'Is it a bit of an overkill?'

Makarov asked, "Can we contact them?"

"They're probably still on their way," Erza said, "but we should be able to reach them later."

"I was hoping to have them lead the Odin's Assembly, but it's unfortunate that it's at a time like this..."

Makarov sighed. He believed that with Eba Gurin's petrifying eye, Big Kuroro's fashion eye, and Fried's magic, Laxus could easily defeat the Six Demon Generals.

Unfortunately, they weren't around, and neither was the Odin's Assembly at the guild.

There was nothing they could do about it. Although they had been discussing countermeasures against the Six Demon Generals, no one expected them to suddenly take action at this time.

As a result, the guild alliance's response was somewhat rushed, and the three major guilds could only choose whoever was available.

Waiting any longer would be too late.

"In that case, leave it to us," Erza volunteered, shaking the papers in her hand, "Coincidentally, Laxus left us with something good."

Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy, the four humans and one cat, made the necessary preparations, rented a carriage, and set off to meet up with the other two guilds.

Lucy, feeling a bit dazed, followed the group to Babaya Grandma's place to obtain several antidotes and buy glasses—mainly to counter the two individuals with the codenames 'Snake' and 'Hot Eye.'

As they left the town in the carriage, Lucy suddenly covered her head in despair, "Why do I have to go too?! Aren't there stronger members in the guild?"

"Many members are absent, and team operations also consider the level of coordination," Erza calmly reassured Lucy, "and your abilities are powerful. Live up to the guild master's expectations."

Lucy felt a bit proud of Erza's praise, which meant her abilities were recognized by the guild master as well.

However, Happy, being a talking cat, kindly said to Lucy, "And Loki is strong, so having you is like having Loki with us."

Lucy glared at Happy, "You didn't have to say that!"

"Aye~" Happy smirked.

Lucy argued, "And the power of the Celestial Spirits is my power!"

Happy brushed her off, "Aye~"

"You annoying cat!"

Lucy and Happy started bickering, almost knocking Natsu out of the carriage.

Natsu groaned and lay against the window, "Laxus... where are you~~ I want crab..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end