"Haa…" Natsu flopped back onto the bed and resumed snoring almost instantly.
Erza turned to Jehfrit. "What do you think?"
"What do I think?" Jehfrit pointed at Natsu, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Let's hope nothing troublesome gets tangled up with us—or rather, him. Otherwise…"
He chuckled softly. "This beautiful commercial town might just cease to exist."
Lucy suddenly shivered. Jehfrit wasn't exaggerating. If someone were foolish enough to provoke Natsu and the others, the ensuing chaos would level the entire place—this small town wouldn't stand a chance. It was barely half the size of Magnolia!
And if that happened…
Well, unless her father stepped in personally, there'd be no way to cover the damages.
Gray paused thoughtfully before declaring firmly, "Sleep."
"Sleep," Erza echoed, looking directly at Jehfrit.
"Got it." Jehfrit understood Erza's unspoken message: don't go looking for trouble, but stay alert.
---
At the Aharnita Family Estate:
In the grand hall, people lined up on either side of a red carpet like courtiers awaiting judgment. Most kept their heads bowed, faces etched with fear or unease. At the far end sat an elderly man in a wheelchair—John Aharnita, patriarch of the Aharnita family and mayor of the town. His expression was grim.
"Master!" One old man dropped to his knees, pleading desperately. "The ledgers and documents were stolen—it wasn't my fault! The culprit was incredibly powerful; those mages failed to protect them!"
"Their incompetence is their own problem," John snapped coldly. "But yours is unforgivable. Drag him away—feed him to the dogs!"
"Master, spare me!" the old man begged as he was hauled out, his cries fading into the distance.
"At least the town is sealed off. That thief won't escape!" John growled. "When we catch him, I'll tear him apart limb by limb!"
"Grandfather…" A young man stepped forward hesitantly. "Could this have been orchestrated by Edward? You're about to step down, and he's set to take over. He's cunning and likely fears he won't be able to control Aharnita Town once he takes charge. Maybe… he wants to cripple us first?"
"It's possible," John muttered darkly.
"Frank, how much longer until the Eternal Life Experiment is complete?" John asked, turning to a balding middle-aged man in a lab coat—clearly a scientist.
Frank hesitated. "Mr. John, it may still take some time."
"How much time?!" John roared.
"Another… possibly twenty days."
"Do you think we have twenty days right now?!" John bellowed. "You've got one week!"
"But Mr. John, one week isn't nearly enough!" Frank stammered.
"Get out of my sight!" John barked.
---
Morning came, and the group noticed the streets under heavy lockdown. Shops remained closed, and travelers stayed indoors. Evidently, after an entire night, the thief had yet to be caught.
The usually bustling commercial district now felt eerily deserted. People hid inside their homes, peeking cautiously through windows, too afraid to venture outside.
*Thud thud thud.*
Patrolling soldiers sprinted past nervously, taking shifts with palpable tension.
"A barrier…" Erza murmured, gazing upward.
Not only had the town been sealed off, but a massive magical barrier now enveloped it, cutting off all entry and exit points. Maintaining such a barrier required immense resources—a clear indication that whatever the thief stole must be extraordinarily valuable.
"It seems the stolen item is quite significant," Gray remarked.
"Jehfrit, why don't you investigate?" Erza suggested.
"Alright." As soon as Jehfrit nodded, he felt a vibration in his pocket. Pulling out a card—the counterpart to the one he'd given Ikuto—he flicked it open, transforming it into a communication crystal. The link connected successfully.
But the person on the other end wasn't Ikuto.
"Rade?" Jehfrit recognized the boy immediately.
"Big Brother Jehfrit!" Rade wiped away tears and snot, struggling to compose himself. "Please save us!"
"What's going on?" Jehfrit asked urgently.
"We…"
"Run, Rade! They're coming again!" another child interrupted frantically.
"Rade, where are you—" Jehfrit started, but the connection cut off abruptly.
"Are the children in trouble?!" Erza asked sharply.
On their way here, Jehfrit had already briefed everyone about the stark contrast between East Town and West Town, as well as Rade and the other children's plight. They'd agreed to visit the children later and offer assistance if needed—but they hadn't expected trouble to arise so soon.
"Yes," Jehfrit confirmed.
"Let's go check it out!" Erza declared without hesitation.
The Fairy Tail guild was known for its compassion. Seeing innocent children in danger was something none of them could ignore.
"I'll scout ahead first," Jehfrit said. "It's not wise to cause a scene right now. My magic allows me to investigate discreetly."
"Understood," Erza nodded.
With that, Jehfrit set off.
The border between East Town and West Town had always been heavily guarded, but now it was practically impenetrable. Soldiers clad in gleaming silver armor stood ready, weapons drawn, as though preparing to storm East Town.
Jehfrit crossed the boundary with ease, unnoticed by anyone.
East Town was eerily silent, its residents gripped by fear of the sudden upheaval. As Jehfrit passed through a narrow alleyway, he froze.
Ahead lay signs of battle.
Over a dozen corpses lay scattered, each bearing gruesome wounds. All were mages.
And the attacker's signature was unmistakable—deep gashes carved into walls and the ground. Combined with the location, Jehfrit could only think of one person: Ikuto.
Such battlefields weren't isolated incidents. It seemed Ikuto had faced relentless ambushes, fighting her way through wave after wave of enemies.
Every so often, Jehfrit encountered more traces of combat until he reached the small courtyard where the children used to live. The area—and much of the surrounding buildings—had been obliterated by magic. There were clear signs of Ikuto's involvement, but Jehfrit found neither the children nor Ikuto's body.
Analyzing the situation: Ikuto and the children had been separated during the attack, and both groups were now being hunted. Unfortunately, Jehfrit couldn't establish contact with Rade via the communication crystal.
Just as he finished piecing together these thoughts, the crystal buzzed back to life.
Apparently, Rade and the others had temporarily escaped danger.
The moment the connection stabilized, Rade wasted no time. "Big Brother Jehfrit, we're hiding in the sewers beneath East Town. The tunnels are complicated, and we can hold out for two more days. Please hurry and save us!"
Thankfully, this time their conversation wasn't interrupted, giving Rade a chance to explain further.
Here's what happened:
After Ikuto left, Rade and the others were captured by a group of mages. Only a girl named Ana managed to evade capture because she wasn't home at the time. The rest were imprisoned in an underground dungeon, subjected daily to horrific experiments. Strange magical devices pumped them full of magic power, which was then extracted along with their blood. Days blurred together; they lost track of how long they'd been held captive.
Finally, two days ago, Ikuto broke into the facility and freed everyone. However, they were immediately ambushed by numerous mages. Protecting the children, Ikuto fled into the sewers, but the relentless pursuit forced her to fight multiple battles. Despite her efforts, many children were recaptured.
Realizing the futility of continuing like this—knowing the children would eventually be captured and she'd die—Ikuto made a desperate decision. She handed over the communication crystal she'd sworn never to use to Rade, then lured the pursuers away from the children.