Lucy thought for a moment and asked, "Are you talking about a mountain range?"
"Yes. It's surrounded by mountains, with countless peaks rising into the clouds," Rhodes replied.
"Of course I've heard of it!" Lucy said, her voice tinged with longing. "That's the birthplace of astronomy, it's even said to be the origin of Celestial Spirit Magic! I used to dream of going there when I was little."
"You could go anytime you wanted, couldn't you?" Rhodes asked. "How come I've never heard you mention it before?"
Lucy sighed. "Because it's too far. The area is desolate and crawling with dangerous Magical Beasts. Only professional astronomers or the truly passionate would hire Magicians to escort them there. Otherwise, it'd be reckless to go."
She hesitated for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Besides, I might be the only person in the guild who'd be interested in a place like that."
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked at him. "Why bring up Saintopia all of a sudden?"
"Because there's a mission headed there," Rhodes said, handing her a freshly copied request form.
The original commission had arrived by mail two days earlier, but no one had been at the guild to receive it. Rhodes and Mirajane had only discovered it that morning while sorting through the backlog of requests.
Lucy read the sheet carefully, murmuring under her breath, "Mystery-Solving and Treasure-Hunting Mission: Hidden within the Saintopia Mountains lies a secret left by the Celestial Spirit King for Magicians of the Human World.
'Find the temple within the mountains, unravel its mysteries, and you shall obtain either three million J, or an ancient magic tome containing the profound secrets of Celestial Spirit Magic, and a key that transcends the Zodiac.'"
Her eyes widened. She pushed the parchment away slightly and reread the last line aloud. "A key that transcends the Zodiac?! Are they serious?"
Though she found it hard to believe, excitement flickered in her voice.
Rhodes had been quietly observing her reaction. Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, he frowned. "Now I see why this request would tempt Celestial Spirit Mages. It's troublesome."
"Troublesome? What do you mean? Do you think it's fake?" Lucy asked, puzzled.
"Not necessarily," Rhodes said slowly. "The client's an astronomer from the Peglandi Kingdom. Astronomy and Celestial Spirit Magic are closely connected, it's normal for such requests to appear. The payment terms are plausible, too. But the timing… and that so-called 'unknown key'… those are what bother me."
He folded his arms. "I've heard of a Spirit said to surpass the Zodiac, the Ophiuchus. Even if we put aside whether that legend's true, that key already belongs to Yukino. You saw it yourself, the thirteenth Zodiac Spirit. There shouldn't be a second key."
"You're right…" Lucy admitted, her excitement fading into uncertainty. She had spent a week at the royal palace during the princess-assassination incident and had become close with Yukino. She clearly remembered that ominous-looking key.
Rhodes continued, "Aside from a few of us, most Celestial Spirit Mages don't know Ophiuchus is already contracted. If they see a mission like this, they'll misunderstand."
"I've asked the Guild Master to reach out to other guilds," he added. "If this request only came to us, fine. But if it was mailed to several guilds..."
Lucy's expression hardened. "Then it's probably bait… a trap aimed at Celestial Spirit Mages."
Rhodes nodded grimly. Everyone knew deceitful clients existed, though most Magicians never encountered them. Guilds rarely investigated deeply, they just confirmed that the client was real and that the job seemed legitimate.
That kind of lax process made it easy for traps to slip through.
And with a reward that extravagant, suspicion melted away. Lucy's reaction alone proved its power to entice. Even someone with ten golden keys like her had been tempted. So how could those with only silver keys hope to keep their reason?
"It's only natural that the birthplace of Celestial Spirit Magic would hide secrets left behind by the Celestial Spirit King, isn't it?"
Lucy's eyes gleamed with excitement. How could anyone pass up such an opportunity?
"But… what should we do?" she asked nervously. "Oh, right! We can just ask the Spirits about it, can't we?"
Rhodes shook his head slightly. "Most Spirits outside the Zodiac can't even speak. Communication with them is nearly impossible. And even if they could..."
He sighed, looking at the perpetually airheaded girl beside him. "How many Celestial Spirit Mages do you think can just casually ask the Celestial Spirit King questions like you do, or even call him 'Old Man Whiskers'?"
"…"
Lucy blinked, realizing how unusual that actually was. She hadn't thought about it before, but now that Rhodes mentioned it, she had to admit, she really was a bit special.
It probably had something to do with her mother, or perhaps some ancient favor granted to the Heartfilia family. It was the only reason the old man treated her with such fondness.
"So… what should I do then?" Lucy asked. "Should we take this mission and meet the client?"
"Let's not rush," Rhodes replied calmly. "Call Loke over and ask him first. Then we'll wait to hear from the Guild Master."
"Okay!" Lucy immediately pulled out Leo's key and held it high. "Open, Gate of the Lion-Leo!"
A burst of golden light flared, and when it faded, a pink-haired maid stood before her.
"Princess," the maid said, bowing gracefully, "is it time for training again?"
"'Again'? What do you mean again?" Lucy retorted instinctively.
Rhodes frowned. "Wait, wasn't that supposed to be Loke? Did you summon the wrong key?"
Lucy looked down in confusion, then realized something. "It is Leo's key! Virgo, why are you here?"
Virgo curtsied. "Brother went to see the Celestial Spirit King on some business. He asked me to fill in for him. So… will you punish me?"
"No way!" Lucy groaned, massaging her temples. The "Brother" thing was something Loke had insisted on after both Spirits made their contracts with her. She didn't even bother arguing anymore.
"Never mind," she said with a sigh. "If you're here, that works too. There's something I want to ask."
Lucy explained the situation about Saintopia, then asked, "Do you know if the Celestial Spirit King really left any treasures or relics in the Human World?"
Virgo thought for a moment before replying. "I haven't heard of such a thing, Princess. But if it truly is a secret, we Zodiac Spirits might not know either." She paused, then bowed again. "Would you like me to return and ask His Majesty directly?"