There was one more person slumped in the corner.
Wendy, being young and lacking sufficient magic power, collapsed after using her healing magic and then dizzily moved over to the corner.
Gray, Rhodes, and Wendy, the three of them sitting in a row, looked rather harmonious.
Rhodes pointed to the empty spot next to Wendy and asked Carla, "Do you want to come and sit here too?"
Carla looked at him like he was an idiot, "Why would I do that? And Wendy, I told you not to overexert yourself."
Wendy smiled happily. To her, being able to help others with her magic was something that made her really happy.
Deput's condition had stabilized, his breathing was even, and his face had regained some color.
Of course, the obvious external injuries still needed to be bandaged and allowed to recover naturally for some time.
If, over the next few days, they shamelessly kept asking Wendy to heal him, he might even recover without any scars left.
But they would surely be chased out by Carla with a broom.
Right now, sky magic still put too much strain on Wendy.
"Is sky magic really this effective?" Rhodes thought of Embers Crown. It would probably take a long time to achieve the same result Wendy had managed in just a short while.
Side effects simply couldn't compare with specialized healing magic.
Wendy said with embarrassment, "My magic power is too weak, I can't be as strong as Grandeeney."
Rhodes nodded sympathetically, "I can totally relate to not having enough magic power!"
Gray: "Haha."
If someone had summoned, forcibly unsummoned, and then resummoned like Rhodes did today, and even used Take Over magic...
Any normal summoning wizard would have been lying flat by now.
Oh, Rhodes was barely better than lying flat, but Gray believed that if any danger arose, this guy might still summon another crab to run away.
Not enough magic power? Nonsense!
The group rested for a while, and the only one with full mobility, Carla, helped clean and re-bandage Deput's wounds.
She also applied some medicine for frostbite.
Gray had also sustained some injury from taking Zat's shock head-on, but since he had managed to use his magic to defend himself in time, just resting a bit would do.
Carla made some simple food, specifically cooked some porridge for Deput, then pulled Wendy away to rest.
Rhodes and Gray ate a bit. Just as they were about to wash up, they heard Deput coughing.
"Cough, cough... where am I?"
"This is the official wizard guild, Cat Shelter." Rhodes rarely used a full guild name, but he thought it would be more reassuring.
Having a lot of experience being unconscious, he quickly told Deput everything he might want to know:
"The Naked Bandage Men have been dealt with. Many in your team were injured, but you were the only one who almost died.
Captain is fine too. They're probably still in the mountains detaining the criminals, but I don't know when they'll head back, and it's none of our business.
You've been unconscious for about seven to eight hours. A wizard from here saved you, but she's very tired and resting. You'll see her tomorrow.
Your people should be able to come and get you tomorrow too. Alright, if there's nothing else, have some porridge."
Gray helped Deput sit up, placing a pillow behind his back and then handed him the bowl of porridge.
"Huh? Oh." Deput held the warm bowl, his head feeling a bit fuzzy.
He wanted to ask about his companions, but that was already covered. He wanted to ask how long he had been unconscious—oh, that was covered too. He wanted to ask how Captain was doing...
After about ten seconds, he seemed to digest all the information Rhodes had just dumped on him—ah, everyone was safe, the mission was complete. That's great.
After two mouthfuls of delicious porridge, Deput suddenly responded, "Thank you."
Rhodes waved his hand, "You're welcome. Just rest up, and anything else can be discussed tomorrow."
That night, Rhodes could only make do by sleeping on the floor with Gray.
To be honest, sleeping so close to a naked guy was really stressful. It was the same as when they shared a tent, so he didn't even take off his clothes.
Early the next morning, Rhodes woke Gray up to get dressed, just in case Wendy came in to check on Deput and things got awkward.
Not only did Gray sleep without his clothes, but he also didn't cover himself properly, and his morning state was honestly an eyesore.
Whether Deput was still asleep or pretending to avoid embarrassment was unclear, but Rhodes didn't disturb him. He packed his bedding and went out to wash up.
...
"This kid healed me? But she... she's so young..." Deput was shocked. So young and already skilled in healing?
Wendy was a bit shy while talking to this stern-faced man, "It's because I use sky magic."
Deput was even more surprised, "Sky magic? Isn't that a lost magic? This child can use sky magic?"
Wendy lowered her head slightly and forced a smile, "It's hard to believe, isn't it..."
Carla, visibly annoyed, said, "Hey, why would we lie to you? Don't underestimate Wendy just because she's young."
"My apologies, it's just that it's quite astonishing," Deput replied. "Thank you all for your help. I'll make sure to repay you."
Carla found this man troublesome to deal with. It was much easier to get along with the people from Fairy Tail.
Then again, this man was just reacting normally. It was the people from Fairy Tail who were weird for trusting Wendy so easily.
But no, Wendy was someone worthy of trust from the start.
Carla frowned, unable to decide who was being weird. In any case, being with the Fairy Tail people was just more comfortable.
She looked at the two returning from morning training—perhaps idiots are just easier to get along with.
Carla looked at Gray. "Why did you come back with one less piece of clothing after your run?"
Rhodes looked guilty, "Sorry, I only managed to find his pants. I didn't notice when he lost his shirt."
Despite being usually alert, Rhodes had failed to notice this about Gray.
"...," Carla stared at him in disbelief. So this guy had not only lost his shirt but also nearly lost his pants while running?
Gray turned his head and stubbornly said, "It's normal to lose something now and then, right?"
Wendy covered her face. Gray was a good person, but his habits were just too... too...
Rhodes looked at Deput, who had a bandage wrapped around his head, "Can you already walk?"
"Yes, I can manage a bit," Deput said gratefully. "Thanks to Wendy's healing, and thanks to both of you for your help in all aspects yesterday."
"By the way, you're with the Council, right? Why are you here?" Carla asked the question she had been wanting to ask since yesterday. "And you were injured badly enough for them to bring you here."
"Well... it was due to fighting with dark guild wizards. But I'm sorry, due to Council regulations, I can't disclose more details."
Deput continued, "And please refrain from asking Rhodes and Gray about it either."