The mission to find the herbs was successfully completed.
The only regret was that they didn't take the reward but instead brought back an IOU.
Rhodes and Elfman both agreed that, considering Mr. Carrut's family's current situation and the fact that he still needed time to recover, if they took away the family's last bit of savings, their lives would become very difficult.
However, Mr. Carrut and Mrs. Weiss were insistent. Even though they could not repay them immediately, they could not fail to give even the basic reward to those who had saved their family twice in a row.
Though Rhodes had said that Jimmy found most of the herbs, without their help, could Jimmy have made it back at all?
In the end, Rhodes proposed a compromise—to write an IOU, without interest, to be repaid within a hundred years.
He also used the meat from the two Labons to cover the cost of food and lodging, and anything left over was to help Mr. Carrut recover.
The two of them departed early the next morning. Before leaving, they didn't forget to formally apologize to Mrs. Nepaul, their neighbor, and gave her a Labon leg as a token of apology.
The villagers were intrigued by the fierce beast that had attacked people and crowded around the Carrut family's home to purchase the meat.
Rhodes left it at that, hoping they could earn some initial money and start a new life.
Being able to save a family on the verge of breaking apart through his own abilities was an extremely fulfilling and rewarding experience.
Rhodes realized that as his strength grew, he had more means to make a living.
Even if he didn't work as a mage in the future, he could survive by hunting, selling meat, or selling fur.
Of course, this was only a last resort. If possible, he still hoped to continue living peacefully in the guild as he was now.
And maybe, find a gentle and beautiful wife someday.
In the carriage, Rhodes touched the fur that had already been partially processed, thinking that all he needed now was to find a suitable tailor.
Elfman held another piece of fur on his lap, folded neatly.
The skinner from the village had said that Elfman's piece was of better quality, so Rhodes gave it to him without hesitation.
Elfman's attention, however, wasn't on the fur. He seemed dazed.
Rhodes, the ever-thoughtful "sisterly" companion, decided to reach out: "Still thinking about that?"
"..." Elfman nodded. Rather than just thinking about the siblings, he was also reflecting on his own past. "Back then... did I do something wrong?"
Rhodes thought seriously before responding with a question: "Back then, did you do your best?"
"Of course! All three of us gave it our all! Otherwise, I wouldn't have..."
"Did you ever blame your sister? Blame her for taking on such a dangerous mission, blame her for not being strong enough, blame her for failing to protect..."
"How could I? The mishap wasn't Sis's fault! And both Lisanna and I were fully capable mages ourselves—how could we always rely on Sis to protect us?"
"Exactly." Rhodes looked at him. "Lisanna was also a capable mage. Even if you're her brother, don't underestimate her determination."
"But... but I didn't conquer the Beast King's consciousness. I... I hurt her with my own hands..." Elfman hugged his head in agony. Thinking of that day, the tough "manly man" was once again overcome with tears.
"No, it wasn't you—it was the Beast King's consciousness. Remember, you had already given it your all." Rhodes placed his hand on Elfman's shoulder.
"You, Lisanna, and your sister are all equally kind. I believe Lisanna would want you to be kind to yourself. She'd want you to remember that you gave it your all and accept who you are now.
"Feeling guilty and blaming yourself won't help you become the person you want to be, nor will it help you become the brother she looked up to."
In fact, Rhodes had been preparing these words for a long time. Ever since he decided to help Mira resolve her emotional burden, he'd been thinking about it.
If he said these words in an ordinary setting, they might have little effect and soon be forgotten—like when he tried to comfort Mira at the coffee shop.
But in the current situation, perhaps they would have a greater impact.
"Accept who I am now... the person Lisanna looked up to..."
"Elfman... please don't cry anymore."
It was a scene from when they were ostracized in the village.
"Just as our sister protected us with her strength, now it's our turn to protect her." It was a moment from when they had just learned Take-Over Magic.
"Elfman, do you think we... do we deserve to try and forgive ourselves?"
Those were words his sister had spoken to him just days before.
The memories played vividly in Elfman's mind. He wiped the tears from his face. It would be difficult, but he wanted to try once more.
"I won't cry anymore... I'm a man!"
But the tears still hadn't stopped... Rhodes sighed inwardly. Well, it was something, at least.
He thought for a moment; there was no need to say more today. "That's right, a real man."
"Don't tell anyone."
He meant about him crying.
Rhodes chuckled, "Sure."
After getting off the carriage, Rhodes and Elfman took the fur to a tailor for further processing.
When they found out they were Fairy Tail mages, the shop owner offered them a discount, explaining that Fairy Tail mages were frequent customers.
Especially one named Gray and another named Natsu. Even Erza occasionally ordered some special costumes.
"It was Natsu who recommended me this place," Rhodes said. "He said you could make clothes that won't get burned by fire."
"That's right, that's one of our proudest designs. Would you like to order one, sir?" the owner offered.
"How much?"
The owner gestured with his fingers. "Just this much."
"Then never mind," Rhodes declined. He didn't think he really needed a fireproof outfit.
...
Elfman composed himself before they returned to the guild. He and Rhodes pushed open the doors together.
Just as they stepped in, someone ran out in a hurry, mission sheet in hand.
The guild was quieter than usual, just like the previous days, with only those who didn't intend to participate in the S-Class exam staying behind.
The mission board had fewer postings, leaving more open space compared to usual.
Yet Nab still stood there, carefully reading each mission sheet word by word. When he was tired or finished, he'd sit down and order a drink.
"Oh~ isn't it Rhodes and Elfman?" Macao called out. "Are you guys preparing for the S-Class exam too?"
Rhodes waved his hand. "No, we just took on a regular mission to earn some pocket money."
And we didn't even earn it in the end.
Wakaba added, "What, I thought you were gonna try to break the record for 'fastest to become S-Class after joining the guild.'"
"What's that?" Rhodes wondered if it was just that these two old guys had no one else to chat with during these slow days.
"Welcome back, Elfman, Rhodes." And there it was—the ever-so-familiar smile that he could never grow tired of.
"I'm back, Sis."
"I'm back."