Rhodes first glanced over the mission details:
Mission Type: Investigation - "Naked Bandage Men"
Reward: 240,000 J
Description: Recently, the Zat Brothers of the Dark Guild "Naked Bandage Men" have been frequently spotted in the Southern Mountains. Investigate their movements and objectives.
Client: The Fiore Division of the Council's Special Detention Force.
It's a mission from the Council!
Putting aside the weird guild name, Rhodes focused on the main point:
"A Dark Guild? And I'm the one to go? Master, did I make you angry recently?"
Makarov replied, "First of all, this is just an investigation, not an extermination. And it's just two members of a Dark Guild, not the entire guild."
Rhodes muttered, "The last time Natsu took on an investigation mission, it ended up being an extermination, didn't it?"
Makarov sighed, "That's why I'm sending you this time. It's an investigation, not an extermination. You have the right magic for this."
"..." Rhodes stayed silent. Did he really look that reliable? The magic that Master was referring to was probably his Swift Canyon Crabs.
So, the correct way to handle this investigation mission would be to stay as a guest at Cait Shelter for a few days while letting the crabs roam around the mountains?
Makarov added, "And the mission is just secondary. The main thing is that I want you to escort Wendy back home. It's a long journey, and with a Dark Guild possibly around, it might not be safe for Wendy and Carla alone. Besides, you seem to care about Wendy, don't you?"
He noticed that too, huh.
It's true that Rhodes was concerned. Wendy was the most vulnerable among the people he "recognized" so far. She was also such a sweet, polite, and lovable child that one couldn't help but want to look after her.
But, it had to be within his abilities.
After thinking for a moment, Rhodes asked, "Master, can I form a team?"
Makarov nodded, "Sure, who do you want to pick?"
"Erza."
"Erza has another mission."
"Then Mystogan or Laxus."
Despite wanting to beat them, Rhodes thought that with a significant threat present, personal grudges could be put aside.
Makarov nearly fell off the counter. "If Mira were still S-Class, would you have picked Mira too?"
Rhodes shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous a mission. I wouldn't drag Mira into it."
Oh, so Mira couldn't face danger, but others could?
Wait, almost got misled by this kid. Makarov said angrily, "I told you, it's just an investigation. If you are cautious, there's no real danger!"
That should be your specialty, right?
Rhodes wasn't implying others should face danger for him; he was mainly worried about being protected by Mira, which would be somewhat embarrassing.
It would've been perfect to investigate a small Dark Guild with an S-Class teammate.
Makarov pointed out a few names: "Cana, Gray, Natsu—pick one."
"Can I..."
Makarov looked at him without saying a word.
"Alright, I'll pick Gray."
Natsu's aftereffects still hadn't completely healed, and Cana was a versatile mage but didn't match Rhodes well. Gray seemed like a good fit, and besides, a guild called "Naked Bandage Men" suited Gray. He didn't have bandages, but he could still be the naked man.
"Then it's settled." Makarov shouted into the guild hall, "Gray!"
Laki patted Gray on the shoulder, "The Master is calling you."
"Huh?"
Gray walked over with Laki, who then went about her own business while Gray listened to the mission briefing.
"A group mission? No problem." Gray wasn't one to argue much. "When do we leave?"
Rhodes said, "Meet at the station tomorrow morning. When's the train to Hargeon again?"
Mira answered, "The first one is at 7:30 a.m. Wendy's taking that one."
Gray nodded. "Alright, see you in front of the station before then."
Laki chuckled quietly to herself. Rhodes... When going to the capital with Mira, he arranged to meet at the guild, not at the pier. When going out with Gray, he arranged to meet at the train station directly. Hilarious...
Gray quickly read through the mission details and left, while Rhodes continued studying them carefully.
"Naked Bandage Men" seemed to be a decent-sized Dark Guild, but the exact location of their guild was uncertain. Their members had been confirmed to have appeared in Oshibana, Gounuki, and Onibas—all of which were railway cities. It wasn't much to go on.
There's no ID required to buy train tickets, and there's barely any security screening. Be it ordinary people or terrorists, anyone could get on a train if they wanted to.
"Oh, Master, since we're going such a long way, shouldn't we bring a communication magic crystal? It'd be handy for staying in touch with the guild."
"..." Makarov sighed, "If you think you can manage that, go ahead."
Mira smiled playfully. "I'll take you to get one."
Rhodes followed Mira to the guild's storage room.
Mira pointed at three large communication magic crystals on the floor, smiling. "These are our spares—take whichever you want."
"...Aren't there any smaller ones?"
Rhodes gestured. These magic crystals, with their stands, were taller than the old man. And they were incredibly heavy—he'd probably have to check them in as luggage if he flew.
Mira laughed, "This is the smallest size we have right now. The smaller ones are still being developed. So, what do you think, wanna bring one?"
"..." Rhodes stayed silent. He casually grabbed two explosive magic crystals from a nearby shelf and stuffed them into his pocket, then took two magic books as well.
"I saw that."
"Mira~" Rhodes gave her a pleading look. He should've brought Worm with him to help beg.
Mira covered her mouth, smiling. "Alright, I approve."
"Thanks!" Unfortunately, he couldn't give her a hug to show his appreciation, so Rhodes quickly grabbed two more magic crystals.
Seeing them return, Makarov held back a laugh—Rhodes's reaction to seeing the communication magic crystal must've been hilarious.
But when he saw Rhodes's pockets bulging, his smile vanished.
"Mira..." Makarov wanted to tell her to rein him in a bit.
Mira, still smiling, said, "Don't worry, Master. Rhodes won't cause any trouble. It just makes him feel safer."
"Fine." Makarov waved him away. "You can go now."
"Goodbye, Master. Goodbye, Mira." Rhodes slipped away before the Master could change his mind.
Not long after, he sneaked back to the guild's library.
Makarov and Mira, guessing what Rhodes was up to, didn't stop him.
After all, there's nothing wrong with gathering more information.
"Levy? You're here?"
As soon as Rhodes entered, he saw Levy sitting on a rolling ladder, flipping through a large book.
"Rhodes?" Levy looked up. "Yeah, I'm looking up some ancient scripts. What about you?"
"I'm looking for information on the Southern Mountains—terrain, climate, wildlife, customs, stuff like that."
"That's specific. Got a mission?"
"Yeah, there's a job over there. Just wanted to get familiar with things beforehand."
"What kind of mission needs all that info?" Levy asked casually, not really expecting an answer.
She thought for a moment, then said, "I think there's a 'Fiore Geography' on Shelf 3, and 'Animal Atlas' should be..."
With Levy's help, the book-finding process was much quicker.
Rhodes patted his pocket, "Today, I'll teach you to write 'Art is Explosion.'"
"What's that?" Levy laughed, taking off her glasses. "You've got a lot to read. Want to borrow the Wind Whispering Glasses?"