"They're totally a couple~," Happy teased, grinning mischievously.
No one bothered to respond, except Carla, who gave him a single unimpressed sidelong glance.
Wendy, however, asked sincerely, "Are your injuries all healed now?"
Phil smiled and waved her hands quickly. "Ah, yes, yes! It's been months."
It had been early March back then, and now it was early June. With a Magician's physique, they had long since recovered.
Lucy chimed in next, "How's Lutes Village been? You haven't run into anything strange again, have you?"
Doru paused to think, then said, "Lutes Village has been doing fine lately. A few days ago, our guild even got a commission to repair the irrigation channels.
"As for strange things, after Fairy Tail's warning last time, we've been a lot more cautious when we go out for work. But once, we ran into a swarm of spiders and almost got in real trouble. Then, suddenly, Horologium of the Clock appeared and saved me, even though I don't have his key."
At that, Phil's face turned bright red.
That peculiar Clock Spirit had been powerful and very punctual in his rescue, but when he appeared, he had accidentally left his clothes behind.
In the chaos, she'd seen Doru, all of Doru, quite clearly. They were already teammates and fairly close, but after that incident, their relationship had advanced by leaps and bounds.
At least, Phil thought so. Doru, on the other hand, had been mortified for about a week and then seemed to forget the whole thing.
Completely unaware of Phil's flushed cheeks, Doru went on animatedly, "Horologium told me it was a one-time chance to summon a Zodiac Spirit. So I tried, and Sagittarius answered the call! You have no idea how strong he is! His arrows hit every time, dense volleys, rapid-fire shots, piercing arrows, he took care of that entire spider swarm in seconds! As expected of a Zodiac!"
Doru's eyes shone with admiration. His excitement and longing for the Zodiac Spirits were obvious.
But the others exchanged awkward looks. Natsu tilted his head toward Lucy. "That horse guy who's always saying weird stuff, is he really that strong? You've summoned him tons of times, right?"
Lucy puffed out her cheeks. "Sagittarius is really strong! He's a Zodiac Spirit, after all!"
But as soon as she said it, she hesitated. Something about Natsu's tone made it sound less like he was questioning Sagittarius and more like he was questioning her.
Rhodes had already figured it out.
Doru's magic power was a little stronger than Lucy's had been back when she first started out. And back then, Lucy often summoned her Spirits without thinking about terrain or strategy, sending Sagittarius into battles that didn't suit him.
Naturally, the divine archer's performance had seemed lackluster, and sometimes he'd been knocked out before firing a shot. That was how Natsu had formed his low opinion.
It should be different now, Rhodes thought. After all her recent training, Lucy's magic power and her battle sense had both improved considerably. Hopefully.
"Alright, let's leave that topic," Rhodes said, steering the conversation back on track. "Why did you two come all the way out here?"
Phil and Doru exchanged glances.
"We received a puzzle-solving commission," Doru explained. "I'm pretty confident in my Celestial Spirit knowledge, so I thought I'd give it a try. The client promised that whoever solves the mystery will obtain a key that surpasses the Zodiac," he hesitated, glancing between Rhodes and Lucy. "Wait, don't tell me you two are here for the same thing?"
The thought deflated him instantly. Competing with them? Impossible. One was a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, and the other a Celestial Spirit Mage with more Zodiac keys than anyone else. He couldn't compare at all.
Besides, he still owed them a favor, so it would be embarrassing to treat them as rivals.
Still, the thought of a key stronger than the Zodiac stirred something deep inside him. The memory of wielding Sagittarius's power burned in his mind. Once you'd experienced that strength, it was impossible to forget.
"No," Rhodes said firmly. "We're here because we suspect this mission is a trap. Almost every Celestial Spirit Mage across the continent has been drawn here. If this is a setup, we could lose all of them."
He didn't sugarcoat his words. If he could persuade even a few to leave, it would be worth it.
Phil's cheerful expression faltered. "By the way, Doru," she said, worry creeping into her tone, "I heard the situation in the Celestial Spirit Realm still isn't completely resolved, right?"
Doru's face darkened. "But the client is Mr. Miletus Stick. He wouldn't deceive us, would he?"
Miletus Stick, the renowned astronomer of the Pegrandi Kingdom, was a towering figure in the world of astronomy, respected across nations.
A man of such stature, with fame, wealth, and prestige, surely he wouldn't risk his reputation for something like this.
Rhodes sighed. "That's what makes it troublesome," he said. "Even though we have our suspicions, without solid evidence we can't just accuse him outright.
"What's worse is that he's acting from the client's standpoint, which puts us Magicians in an even more complicated position on top of everything else."
He could request a meeting with the astronomer, but given how late they had already set out, there was no telling how much more time it would waste if the man decided to stall.
"In short," Rhodes continued, "my advice to you two is to leave here as soon as possible. If you need an escort, we can see you partway. The choice is yours."
Phil hesitated. She wasn't a Celestial Spirit Mage, had no special reverence for astronomers, and wasn't particularly drawn by the promised reward.
Between trusting a famous stranger and believing someone she already knew and respected, the answer seemed obvious.
But this trip had been Doru's idea, so she turned to him. "Doru, what do you think?"
"I…" Doru looked torn. He really didn't want to give up such an incredible opportunity. For a brief moment, he wondered if Rhodes was just trying to trick him into leaving, but that didn't seem likely.
Then he remembered their last near-death encounter with the spider swarm, and the embarrassing bee incident before that. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to risk putting Phil in danger again over a slim chance at glory.
He took a deep breath. "Let's go, Phil."
Goodbye, potential keys and ultimate skills.
Seeing his disappointment, Phil reached out and gently took his hand. "It's alright," she said with a small smile. "When this is all over, I'll come with you to find stronger keys."
"Phil…"
"Doru…"
Rhodes and the others exchanged looks, suddenly feeling like unnecessary background characters.
"Summon, Rift Herald!" Rhodes called.
A massive purple creature materialized before them, its sudden appearance shaking the ground and completely ruining the moment.
Rhodes patted one of the Rift Herald's clawed feet. The beast lowered itself obediently and spread its wings, revealing the glowing "Herald's Eye" chamber at its back.
"Get in," Rhodes said. "It might be a little cramped for two people, but it's safe and fast."
"Thank you, Mr. Rhodes."
The two followed his instructions, stepping onto the Herald's Eye. A moment later, they sank into the glowing surface, vanishing into the creature's internal space where they found themselves sitting close together.
Phil blushed faintly. Somehow, she felt even more grateful now.
"Take them out of the foggy area, then about twenty kilometers farther," Rhodes ordered.
The Rift Herald let out a deep roar and began to run. The thick mist around them swirled violently, parting before its massive form but quickly closing again in its wake.
Rhodes shook his head. "It's this difficult just to convince a pair of acquaintances to leave. I doubt it'll be possible to persuade everyone else."
"We'll do what we can," Erza said firmly. "It's best if we can solve the puzzle ourselves and uncover the truth first."
Gray clapped Lucy on the shoulder. "Solving puzzles, that's your department."
Lucy smiled, her confidence returning. "I'll do my best!"
Natsu opened his mouth to say something but stopped midway, sniffing the air sharply. "Blood. I smell blood! That way!"
Before anyone could react, he was already sprinting into the fog.
"Idiot! Be more careful!" Gray shouted, but he dashed off after him anyway.