Mrs. Weiss opened the door, welcoming Rhodes and Elfman inside, and poured them some tea. The client's home didn't look particularly wealthy, but it wasn't in poverty either.
Of course, this was just a first impression—it's possible that the situation had changed too suddenly, and the signs hadn't yet fully manifested.
The person who needed the medicinal herb this time was Mr. Karut, who was lying in the bedroom, unable to get out of bed.
According to Mrs. Weiss, Mr. Karut was an ordinary coachman, but he preferred to take on long-distance freight and passenger jobs.
That way, he could earn more money with a single job and rest at home for a while without needing to look for work at the market or the commercial guild every day.
He had always done that, but ever since he came back home last week, he had fallen ill and never recovered.
To treat his illness, they not only spent all their savings but also sold their horse and carriage, yet his condition still hadn't improved.
It wasn't until yesterday that Mrs. Weiss brought back a well-known doctor from out of town, who diagnosed Mr. Karut with a rare epidemic.
His lungs were deteriorating, likely because he inhaled miasma or something similar while traveling.
To cure him, they needed Devotion Herb.
But this herb was rare due to its limited use and harsh growing conditions—it could only be found on the Galantos Snow Mountain.
And on that mountain lived ferocious beasts known as "Labon." Ordinary people trying to climb it would be like delivering themselves as a meal.
So, she had no choice but to seek help from the Wizards Guild.
"The current reward is all the money we have left at home. I know it's too little for such a dangerous request, but..." Mrs. Weiss bit her lip. "I'm willing to increase it as much as needed, but please allow me to owe... I promise to work hard to pay the rest off as soon as I can!"
Rhodes looked at Mrs. Weiss—her face was visibly weary, her fingers pale and wrinkled, likely from doing laundry or dishwashing.
But she hadn't changed her own stained clothes—maybe she didn't have time or she just couldn't bother with herself.
To have such a wife, Mr. Karut was incredibly fortunate.
Elfman was almost moved to tears, "Mrs. Weiss, you are a true man!"
Seeing Mrs. Weiss's surprised expression, Rhodes explained, "He's just used to complimenting people that way. Don't worry about it."
"As for the reward, we've already accepted the request, and unless there's something extreme, we won't raise the price. The mission is to find Devotion Herb as soon as possible, right?"
"Yes..."
"Please don't worry. We have experience with search missions, and we've already studied the herb—we won't mistake it."
Rhodes felt that at a time like this, the client needed some confidence. He calmly said, "Now then, we'll head out."
"Oh!" Elfman responded energetically—a qualified mood booster.
In Mrs. Weiss's eyes, one of them seemed stable and reliable, while the other was enthusiastic and energetic—and they both seemed capable in a fight. She felt much more at ease.
Watching Rhodes and Elfman walk out the gate, Mrs. Weiss leaned against the door frame, looking towards the bedroom where her husband lay, a faint smile appearing on her tired face.
As long as Karut got better, everything would be alright.
She perked up—it was time to make dinner. When the wizards returned, she would have to entertain them properly.
And Jimmy and Hunter should be back soon...
"Weiss! Weiss!"
An anxious shout from outside made Mrs. Weiss's heart nearly skip a beat. She stepped out to see what was happening.
Mrs. Naboor, their neighbor, was running over, panting. Rhodes and Elfman also paused when they heard someone calling the client's name.
"Mrs. Weiss, it's terrible! Someone saw Jimmy going up the mountain alone!"
Mrs. Naboor shouted as she arrived.
Mrs. Weiss nearly fainted, stepping back two paces and leaning against the wall to barely stand. "Jimmy... why would Jimmy..."
She didn't need an answer to know why—her daughter must've wanted to help find the medicinal herb for her father.
That was so... too...
But Mrs. Naboor had even worse news, "Hunter went after her too!"
Mrs. Weiss felt the world spinning around her, and her body slid weakly against the wall.
The sky was collapsing.
With her husband bedridden and now her two children in danger, coupled with days of exhaustion, this poor lady's eyes gradually lost their light.
No, they were not in danger yet. As long as they could be found...
"Bring them back..." Mrs. Weiss struggled to her feet, not even bothering to wipe the dust from her clothes. She stumbled toward the direction of the mountains.
"Weiss, don't do anything foolish! You'll die if you go there too!"
Mrs. Naboor shouted, but Mrs. Weiss didn't hear. Her mind was solely on getting her children back.
"Hey, Rhodes!" Elfman was anxious.
"I know." Rhodes stopped Mrs. Weiss, "I can find them."
Those were the words Mrs. Weiss most wanted to hear. She looked at the calm wizard with a face full of sorrow.
"Bring me some clothes they've worn, or anything with their scent," Rhodes said without wasting a word. He grabbed his pendant and called out, "Shadow Wolves!"
A large two-headed wolf and two regular Shadow Wolves suddenly appeared in the yard, startling Mrs. Naboor into trembling.
In contrast, Mrs. Weiss showed no fear—she just stared directly at Rhodes.
"Their noses are sensitive. They can find your children quickly." Rhodes patted the wolf's head and repeated his request, "I need some of their clothes, or anything with their scent."
His steady voice and the effective approach that could solve the problem quickly pulled Mrs. Weiss from her nightmare-like stupor. She awkwardly ran to the siblings' room, pulling out two bedsheets.
"Please... please..." Tears pooled in Mrs. Weiss's eyes, her voice choked up.
Rhodes let the Shadow Wolves sniff the scent from the sheets and waved them off to begin the search immediately.
"Trust in the abilities of the Fairy Tail wizards." Rhodes held his pendant again, "Canyon Swift Crab!"
Two large river crabs appeared. Elfman instinctively climbed onto one; thanks to his sister, he had ridden these many times.
Without waiting for Rhodes to say anything, Elfman urged his crab to head out.
Rhodes got onto the other crab and, just before leaving, turned back, speaking to Mrs. Naboor in as gentle a voice as he could manage:
"Sorry if we startled you. Since it's an urgent matter, please let us apologize properly once we return. Meanwhile, could I trouble you to take care of Mrs. Weiss?"
"Uh... sure," Mrs. Naboor nodded absentmindedly.
Rhodes gave Mrs. Weiss a reassuring smile, "It'd be a big help if you could also prepare some hot water. It's cold up in the mountains, and the kids might catch a chill."