Rhodes handed Virgo the backup intelligence and instructed, "Take this straight back to the Celestial Spirit Realm."
Not long after, the Guild Master arrived, holding a thick list in his hand.
"I made some inquiries through the Local Guild Alliance," Makarov said gravely. "It turns out that nearly every guild with Celestial Spirit Mages received the same request."
This type of "wide-net" commission was not unusual, it operated on a first come, first served basis. Whichever Magicians reached the client first would be the ones to accept the job.
However, if the client didn't mind, and the participants didn't object, multiple Magicians, or even entire teams, could perform the same task together. Whether they chose to compete or cooperate, both were permissible under guild law.
The fee might have to be divided, but the client evidently wasn't short on money, so no one could really complain.
Rhodes frowned. "When did all this start? Has anyone already accepted it?"
Makarov stroked his beard. "Similar to us, the others received it two days ago. A few accepted the same day, and the rest joined in yesterday."
He flipped through the list. "So far, there are thirteen Celestial Spirit Mages confirmed, and with their companions included, about thirty people total."
That was only within the Local Guild Alliance to which Fairy Tail belonged, thirteen Celestial Spirit Mages in one region was already a remarkable number.
No one knew exactly how many existed across Fiore. Perhaps not even a hundred. Maybe two hundred across the whole Ishgar continent.
Rhodes recalled Mr. Doru, the Celestial Spirit Mage they'd met previously; he might very well be among them.
Thankfully, there were many Celestial Spirits outside the twelve Zodiacs that could form contracts with multiple Mages. Otherwise, Celestial Spirit Magic would have remained an obscure, nearly forgotten art.
After running the numbers, Rhodes's brows knitted tighter. "If we extrapolate from that ratio, then across the continent, we might be talking about four hundred Magicians or more. Can the Pegrandi Kingdom really allow that many to enter their borders all at once?"
Makarov chuckled dryly. "You're forgetting, the Pegrandi Kingdom's a federal nation. The administration there is loose. Saintopia is a barren region, so the higher-ups might not even notice what's happening. And besides, quite a few of those Magicians are Pegrandi citizens themselves."
"Couldn't we at least contact the major guilds and recall them before it's too late?" Rhodes asked.
Makarov shook his head. "Impossible. Communication magic crystals are too expensive and bulky, so most Magicians don't bring them on jobs. And those who accepted yesterday have probably already arrived at Saintopia by now. We can't pull them back without evidence that the request is dangerous."
He sighed and added, "I did send someone to look into the client. He's a well-known astronomer in the Pegrandi Kingdom. Everything checks out, the commission is perfectly legal, and no one was forced to take it."
Rhodes exhaled sharply through his nose. "So everyone went completely of their own accord, huh? To put it bluntly… if something happens, they walked straight into it themselves."
"Mr. Rhodes…" Lucy's voice wavered slightly. Her personality made it impossible to simply stand by knowing others might be walking into danger. Even though fear tugged at her heart, this matter involved Celestial Spirits, she couldn't just ignore it.
Rhodes caught her expression and smiled faintly. "Don't look at me like that. Since I told you about this, that means I'm already prepared to go."
He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Besides, look at it this way, if we can get to the bottom of this now, we might prevent something worse later. Better to end the problem at its source."
Lucy's anxious face softened into one of gratitude. "Thank you, Rhodes."
"Alright," he said briskly, shifting back into a practical tone. "Check your keys, then head to the warehouse. Grab an Exploding Magic Crystal, a spellbook, or any other tool you might need. We're leaving as soon as you're ready."
"Here." Mira, who had been standing by, handed Lucy her key pouch.
"Got it!" Lucy said, dashing toward the warehouse with determined energy.
Rhodes didn't have much to pack himself. There were only a few words he needed to say before departing.
Mira followed him to the doorway and helped straighten his collar. "This trip sounds dangerous," she said softly. "Maybe I should come with you?"
Rhodes grinned. "No need. You just keep an eye on the guild—and make sure the bed's warm when I get back tonight."
Mira rolled her eyes, half amused and half exasperated. "It's almost summer, and you're still talking about warming the bed."
Rhodes chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Don't worry. I'm fast at running away these days. Worst case, I'll call in the whole guild. Just relax and wait for good news."
By the time Lucy returned with her supplies, four familiar figures, and two small companions, appeared at the guild's entrance.
Erza, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Happy, and Carla stood lined up, looking entirely too eager.
"Everyone?" Lucy blinked in surprise.
Natsu grinned and flexed his arm. "My training's been going great lately, so I figured I'd get some exercise. I heard we're heading to a no-man's-land, right?"
"Aye!" Happy cheered, puffing out his little chest. "Natsu's totally different from before!"
Lucy sighed. "Even if it's a no-man's-land, it's also a sacred site for astronomy and Celestial Spirit Magic. It's not exactly a playground…"
Erza, clad in her usual armor, stood proudly with her hands on her hips and smiled. "Speaking of which, it's been quite a while since our team's gone on a mission together."
Lucy scratched her cheek guiltily. "Ahaha… yeah. Everyone's been busy lately with… various things."
Gray, one hand shoved in his pocket (and for once actually wearing pants), scratched the back of his head with the other. "I've been chained down with too many jobs recently. I need to get out before I suffocate."
Lucy frowned. "You know, that sounded kind of scummy. You'll be chased down when we get back."
Wendy lifted the small white Exceed in her arms. "Carla says she wants to come too. Her ability will definitely help."
Carla huffed, flicking her tail. "What I said was that you're clearly worried someone might get hurt."
Lucy couldn't help but laugh softly. They were all teasing each other, but she could feel the warmth behind it, everyone was worried about her.
"Thank you, everyone," she said sincerely, her voice full of emotion. "Really, thank you!"
The mood instantly brightened, a comfortable harmony settling over the group. Lucy felt her spirits lift. As long as she was with them, she believed everything would turn out fine.
She turned toward the man standing beside her. "Mr. Rhodes, let's go!" she said with a confident smile.
Rhodes blinked, his face suddenly twisting into an expression of regret. "Hmm… actually, I kind of want to say no now."
Lucy froze. "What?! Why?!"
Rhodes sighed heavily. "I didn't think much of it before, but now that all of you are coming… it's gotten so sentimental that I just know things are going to get complicated."
Gray scowled. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean, you jerk? We're not always the cause of trouble!"
"I've been causing way less trouble lately!" Natsu protested, a little too quickly.
Lucy pressed a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Less trouble, huh? This was the same guy who'd just said he wanted to "get some exercise."
Wendy and Carla exchanged a look and silently decided not to get involved.
"I'll make sure they behave this time," Erza declared confidently. She immediately grabbed both Natsu and Gray by the neck, dragging them close enough that their foreheads clanged against her breastplate.
"Hey! Ow! Erza, wait!"
Rhodes watched the squirming pair and sighed inwardly. 'That's not what I'm worried about… it's your collective protagonist aura.'
Still, he couldn't help but smile. Trouble or not, it was better to face it together.
"Never mind," he said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Let's go."
He led the group toward the guild's backyard and called out, "Cloud Dragon!"
A swirl of mist and magic rippled through the air, and a magnificent wyvern materialized, her scales a glimmering blend of white and pale blue. The creature lowered her long neck and blinked her crystal-blue eyes at the group, pausing on Natsu for two whole seconds before offering Wendy a warm smile.
"Hello, Big Sister Cloud!" Wendy greeted sweetly, waving a hand.
The Dragon dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Hello, little one." Her gaze turned toward Rhodes. "So? Are we fighting or heading out?"
"Heading out," Rhodes said. "It's nearly halfway across the continent, diagonally."
The Dragon chuckled, her voice a soft rumble. "No problem. Hop on." She extended one gleaming wing to the ground, creating a ramp for everyone to climb aboard.