After leaving the guild, Rudra began his journey toward the merchant guild Love and Lucky.
Since the guild was located near Magnolia, he decided to travel on foot rather than take the train, opting to enjoy the scenic route at his own pace.
As he walked along the dirt path, the cool breeze brushing against his face, Rudra found himself lost in thought. He casually checked the reward he had received from slaying the demon—a reward that was still marked as "???".
Seeing this, he let out a sigh. It's been over a month, and this thing still hasn't revealed its secrets. He wondered if it was a skill or an artifact that required some sort of trigger or condition to activate.
Shaking off his thoughts, Rudra refocused on the road ahead. The merchant guild wasn't too far now. Despite the mystery surrounding his reward
By noon, Rudra arrived at the merchant guild Love and Lucky. The guild hall was bustling with activity, merchants chatting and scribes shuffling paperwork. Walking straight to the reception counter, Rudra caught the attention of the lady stationed there.
"Excuse me, miss," he said, his tone polite yet direct.
The receptionist looked up, her professional smile brightening her face. "Welcome to Love and Lucky. How may I assist you today, sir?"
Rudra pulled out the quest flyer from his pouch and placed it on the counter. "I'm here on behalf of Fairy Tail regarding this quest you posted."
The lady's eyes lit up with relief. "Finally! Thank you for coming."
Rudra arched an eyebrow at her response, his curiosity piqued. "It sounds like you've been waiting a while. What's the situation?"
Her expression turned serious as she leaned forward slightly. "About a month ago, people in the town began vanishing without a trace. After some searching, we discovered several bodies near the sewer system."
Rudra frowned, absorbing the information. "And you've already sent people to investigate?"
The receptionist nodded grimly. "We did… but none of them came back."
"I see," Rudra said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "So, you need someone to find out what's going on down there."
"That's right," she replied, her voice steady but her eyes betraying a hint of worry.
"Then let's make it official," Rudra said, his tone decisive. "Approve the quest."
The receptionist hesitated for a moment, her gaze assessing him. "Excuse me for asking… but are you planning to do this alone?"
Rudra met her eyes confidently. "Yeah. Is that going to be a problem?"
The lady shook her head, masking her unease with a faint smile. "Not at all. If you're confident, we'll trust you."
She slid the formally approved quest document across the counter. "Please investigate the sewer system as quickly as you can."
Rudra accepted the document, giving her a small nod. "Consider it done." With that, he turned and walked toward the exit, his steps steady and unwavering.
As the door swung shut behind him, another receptionist approached, watching Rudra leave with a skeptical frown. "Another mage heading to their death?" she muttered under her breath.
The first receptionist sighed heavily, crossing her arms. "What choice do we have? We've got to trust someone to solve this before it gets worse."
The second receptionist grimaced, her voice low and tense. "Especially since the guild's reputation is riding on this. If we lose more people…"
"I know," the first replied, her tone somber. "But this one… he seemed different. Let's hope he is."
The two exchanged a fleeting glance of weary hope before returning to their work.
After leaving the guild, Rudra wandered around town, stopping at taverns, markets, and quiet street corners to gather information about the recent disappearances.
The townspeople spoke in hushed tones, recounting eerie stories of loved ones vanishing and shadows lurking near the sewer.
The pieces fit together in Rudra's mind, and he began to see a pattern. The timeline of the disappearances matched when he had slain the demon Cavaliere Angelo.
A nagging suspicion tugged at him—this couldn't be a coincidence.
Determined to investigate the locations where people had vanished, he stopped and sighed, sensing a presence that had been following him since he left the merchant guild.
Without hesitation, his figure blurred, reappearing in a narrow alley. In one fluid motion, he pressed a kunai to the neck of the person trailing him.
"How long are you going to follow me, miss?" Rudra asked coldly.
The person stiffened before responding in a husky voice, "What do you mean, miss? I'm a man."
Rudra's eyes narrowed as his Sharingan activated. "If you think your illusion is fooling me, you're dead wrong," he said sharply.
The person sighed and dropped their illusion, revealing none other than Ultear Milkovich. "You got me," she admitted, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Now, can you lower the weapon from my neck?"
Rudra lowered his kunai. "Do you have a fetish for stalking people and spying on them through that glass orb of yours?" he asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.
Ultear's cheeks flushed crimson as she stammered, "N-No, I don't!"
Rudra smirked, tilting his head slightly. "Then why are you following me again?"
"I'm not stalking you!" Ultear shot back, her voice defensive and louder than intended.
Rudra's raised eyebrow and silence spoke volumes, his skeptical gaze unrelenting.
Under the weight of his intense stare, Ultear hastily replied, "I just… noticed you in town, followed you, and thought you might be investigating the same thing as me."
Rudra thought to himself, That's exactly what people call stalking, but refrained from saying it out loud. Instead, he changed the subject. "Why are you here?"
Ultear crossed her arms and replied, "People have been going missing, so I came to investigate."
Rudra nodded and turned to leave. "Good luck with your investigation, Miss," he said over his shoulder.
"My name is Ultear Milkovich," she called after him, her tone slightly exasperated. "And since you're also investigating the sewer, let me join you."
Rudra paused briefly before replying, "Suit yourself." He walked out of the alleyway, Ultear following close behind, her appearance shifting as she changed her form to blend in better with the crowd.
As Rudra and Ultear walked together, her frequent glances didn't escape his sharp awareness. After a few moments, he sighed, breaking the silence. "If you've got something to say, just say it. Stop staring—it's getting annoying."
Ultear blinked, caught off guard by his bluntness. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to feign innocence.
"I'm talking about how you've been looking at me," Rudra said flatly. His sharp gaze flicked to her briefly. "And considering you're still disguised as a man, it feels weird being stared at like that."
Ultear faltered, her steps momentarily slowing. "Oh…" she mumbled, not knowing how to respond.
Rudra raised an eyebrow, his tone growing more pointed. "Well? What do you want to ask?"
Ultear hesitated, then finally spoke up, her voice softer than before. "I don't know your name."
"Rudra," he said simply, his tone as steady as his stride.
"Rudra…" Ultear repeated under her breath, almost as if she were savoring the sound. Her expression softened, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face.
Rudra glanced at her, unimpressed. "What? Is my name supposed to mean something to you?"
Ultear quickly shook her head, regaining her composure. "No, it's just… unique."
Rudra gave a slight shrug, indifferent. "Now you know it. Anything else, or are you just going to keep staring?"
Ultear's lips twitched into the faintest of smirks. "No, that's all... for now."
Rudra rolled his eyes but said nothing more as they continued toward their destination.
The two eventually arrived at their destination. The area was desolate, not a soul in sight. Ultear dropped her disguise, her natural form returning as she glanced around uneasily. "This place gives me the creeps," she muttered.
Rudra, however, seemed unfazed. "Let's go," he said, walking forward into the sewer system without hesitation.
Ultear followed closely behind, her expression uneasy. As they moved deeper into the sewer, everything initially appeared normal.
But the deeper they ventured, the more unsettling the environment became. The walls were covered in a strange, dark substance, and the air grew heavy with the stench of decay.
Floating in the sewer water were the bloated, lifeless bodies of those who had gone missing.
Rudra didn't say a word, his face unreadable as he pressed onward. Ultear followed, her usual confidence replaced with quiet unease, remaining silent in the grim atmosphere.
After several minutes, they reached the heart of the sewer system, where all the lines converged.
At the center of the chamber stood a massive, pulsating cocoon surrounded by countless smaller cocoons attached to the walls.
The room reeked of death, the air thick with an ominous energy.
Ultear's voice broke the silence, filled with disgust and confusion. "What is this…?"
Rudra's eyes narrowed as he studied the grotesque sight before them. "That's the question," he replied, his tone calm but laced with tension.