Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 227: Rhodes’ Incident

According to the Magic Council's most recent directive, the affairs concerning the Dark Magic cult and the demon needed to remain confidential.

But right now, the Magic Council could just go to hell.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

At the very least, Liz's parents deserved to know what happened to their daughter.

Mr. Jopa smoked two cigarettes silently and placed a third between his lips without lighting it. His voice trembled slightly as he asked, "How... how can Liz be set free?"

Deep down, selfishly, he wished Liz could stay with him forever, even as a wandering spirit.

Yet, he knew he couldn't let that happen. Liz would surely suffer if she remained trapped like this. According to the guild mages, Liz was now an extraordinarily special soul, vulnerable to being targeted by dark mages or demons in the future. That would only lead her to more suffering.

The kindest choice now was to let Liz find peace and move on naturally.

Erza admired Jopa for his quick decision-making. For a father, this was a painfully difficult decision but absolutely necessary.

"There are two conditions for her liberation," Erza said gently. "Firstly, her parents must be present. Secondly, you need to tell her the truth, allowing her to understand that she has already passed on."

Mr. Jopa threw away the unlit cigarette and walked upstairs heavily.

A few minutes later, everyone downstairs heard Mrs. Ivy burst into sobs, followed by muffled arguments between the couple.

After a long while, Mr. Jopa returned downstairs and quietly requested, "Please, could you all witness what happens next?"

"Witness" was simply a polite term. What he really wanted was their support to ensure nothing went wrong, to guarantee peace for Liz who had already suffered far too much.

Of course, no one refused.

Upstairs, Mrs. Ivy was gently wiping Liz's face with a towel, seemingly oblivious to the arrival of the visitors.

Mr. Jopa softly apologized for his wife's apparent rudeness, though nobody minded in the slightest.

The couple took Liz's hands, whispering tender words to her before falling into a painful silence. Eventually, they gathered enough courage to continue.

"Liz, the truth is..." Mr. Jopa's voice quivered, struggling to finish his sentence. Mrs. Ivy's tears were already uncontrollable.

"I see. I'm already gone," Liz spoke softly, realization dawning on her young face. Her body began glowing gently with a soft, ethereal light.

"Liz..." Mrs. Ivy covered her mouth, tears cascading freely down her cheeks. This was the first time in two months Liz had spoken beyond those repetitive, empty phrases.

"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. Liz was a naughty girl. She didn't listen to Mom, went out alone to play, and got taken by those bad people." Her form grew increasingly translucent, her voice becoming distant like a whisper carried by the breeze.

"No, Liz, it's not your fault," Mrs. Ivy cried. "It's my fault! I didn't watch you carefully enough!"

"It's my fault too," Mr. Jopa added, voice breaking. "I didn't find you in time."

"Please don't cry, Mom, Dad. Liz loves you both so much. Being your daughter... it's made Liz so very happy."

Liz gently rose from the bed, gazing tenderly at her physical form one last time.

"Looks like Liz is going to heaven now. Mom, Dad, promise to take good care of each other. And thank you... thank you for everything."

"Liz!"

"Liz!"

Liz's spirit transformed into tiny, sparkling lights resembling stardust. They drifted gently through the open window, rising gracefully toward the bright, welcoming sky.

A faint whisper echoed softly in the air, "I love you."

Mr. Jopa and Mrs. Ivy rushed to the balcony, but the radiant sparks of Liz's spirit had already blended with the sunlight, becoming invisible against the sky's brilliance.

Mrs. Ivy collapsed to her knees, sobbing softly, while Mr. Jopa held her close, tears streaming silently down his face.

...

The Fairy Tail members stayed in Poppy Town for two additional days to ensure Liz's heartbroken parents wouldn't do anything drastic.

Finally, the grieving couple held a peaceful funeral for Liz, vowing they would honor their daughter's final wish and take good care of each other. Only after hearing their promise did everyone feel reassured enough to depart.

Mr. Jopa brought up the commission money, sincerely thanking them for uncovering the truth and punishing the dark mages and demons responsible for hurting Liz.

However, no one was willing to accept the reward.

"The commission specifically requested us to cure Liz. We failed to accomplish that," Erza gently explained, and everyone silently agreed.

With the mission completed as best they could, the group began their journey back to Fairy Tail.

"I'm sorry, Wendy. I brought you along without asking, and now you had to face such a tragedy," Rhodes apologized softly.

Wendy shook her head gently, offering a small smile. "It's not your fault, Mr. Rhodes."

Fairy Tail and Cait Shelter lay in opposite directions, meaning the group would part ways after traveling together briefly.

Rhodes offered to escort Wendy and Carla back, but Carla politely declined. "Please, we're perfectly capable wizards ourselves, don't underestimate us."

"Carla..." Happy whimpered.

Carla gave him a sidelong glance. "And you, tomcat, don't even think about tagging along!"

"Aye..." Happy replied gloomily.

Still, Rhodes promised Wendy he'd visit soon, offering to help whenever needed. Eventually, the groups parted, one heading south, the other southeast.

Although the distances were similar, Fairy Tail's path required a slight detour, allowing Wendy and Carla to reach Cait Shelter first.

The village greeted their return warmly, the cheerful welcome easing the lingering sorrow and fatigue from their journey.

All seemed well until Wendy resumed practicing her Sky Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Galaxy.

"Carla..." Wendy dropped to the ground, eyes wide and hollow, as if she'd suffered a devastating blow.

That night, Wendy cried herself to sleep.

...

Meanwhile, the Fairy Tail team had run into minor trouble of their own.

"Wendy... hurry back soon... ugh!"

Natsu, unable to handle any form of transportation without Wendy's "Troia," had reverted to his usual motion sickness. However, Erza, Rhodes, and Happy were all too gloomy to pay him much attention.

As dusk fell, the carriage abruptly halted.

Natsu perked up slightly. "Have we arrived at Magnolia?"

"Um... sorry!" called the driver's anxious voice. "There's someone blocking the road ahead. It looks like trouble."

"Trouble?" Erza and Rhodes exchanged puzzled glances. They'd clearly displayed Fairy Tail's guild emblem on the carriage to avoid unnecessary confrontations. Who would dare pick a fight with Fairy Tail?

"Who dares block us?!" Natsu leaped out eagerly, hoping for a chance to let off steam.

Erza and Rhodes followed to find around thirty people standing menacingly in their path. Their clothes varied, but each bore the same distinctive emblem.

"Phantom Lord?" Erza murmured suspiciously. Why were Phantom Lord members here?

The group ahead seemed hesitant, whispering nervously among themselves.

"You sure that's the guy?"

"Absolutely. Beastmaster Rhodes. He really caused us trouble."

"But isn't that the Fairy Queen with him?"

"Doesn't matter! There's only three of them, and they're injured. We have the advantage!"

Gathering their courage, the thirty stepped forward aggressively.

Rhodes recognized two familiar faces in the group, realizing they were here for revenge.

"This is my fault," Rhodes admitted sheepishly.

Erza raised an eyebrow. "You caused trouble?"

"It was back when Mira and I traveled to the capital. Actually, they ambushed us, so we defended ourselves," Rhodes explained. He guessed they recognized him after his recent appearance in Sorcerer Weekly.

Natsu grinned fiercely, cracking his knuckles. "So they're enemies, right? Then we can definitely beat them up!"

Erza and Rhodes exchanged glances and nodded.