Rhodes sent the children straight to the hospital in Manjusaka Town.
Meanwhile, Erza carried the captured Ghost to contact the local Council branch.
The doctors quickly prepared warm food for the children, treated their external injuries, and bandaged them up carefully.
Out of the fourteen children, eight showed symptoms of fever. Two of them, the brother and sister who had tried to escape but were caught, had particularly high fevers. The other four were not seriously ill, but still needed care.
After a flurry of treatment, it was already dark outside.
Even so, the children's parents rushed over as soon as they heard the news.
Parents from Poppy Town, even those who had lost their children, came carrying oil lamps, trudging through the snow to the hospital.
When the first group of parents arrived, Rhodes quietly slipped away and crouched alone in a dark corner outside the building. He was feeling afraid.
On the way back, he had learned from the children that a girl named Liz had been taken away by the black-robed cultists and never returned.
Thinking of the blood-drawn magic circle at the altar filled him with dread.
Rhodes could not bring himself to face Liz's parents.
He knew it was not truly his fault, but he did not want to see that look. He had seen enough grief to last a lifetime.
"Why are you squatting here?"
Erza appeared, finished with her tasks. She had changed into a thick purple down jacket, hands tucked into the pockets, matching the wintery night.
Only, she was still wearing boots with bare legs, which looked a little strange.
"How did it go with the Council?" Rhodes asked.
"They've imprisoned Ghost and the three others we caught earlier. The Council is dispatching a team to sweep the mountains overnight," Erza replied.
"And what about us being a little heavy-handed this time?" Rhodes asked cautiously.
"It's fine. The Black Magic Cult's crimes were too severe. The Council cannot condone what they did to the children. They will not hold us accountable for using excessive force. At most, they will send someone later to ask a few questions."
"That's a relief." Rhodes tilted his head back and looked at the dark night sky. "At least Master Makarov will not get scolded because of us."
Erza squatted down next to him, leaning against the wall and hugging her knees.
"The sky's no good tonight. Not a single star in sight," she said, her breath forming a soft white cloud in the cold air.
"Yeah," Rhodes replied quietly.
"Are you thinking about Liz?" Erza asked gently. "Or maybe the person who died yesterday?"
"Both," Rhodes admitted. "I keep wondering if we could have saved them if we had arrived sooner. But there is no 'what if.' We did not even know what was happening back then. I understand that, but I still cannot help feeling regret."
Erza rested her chin on her knees, her voice calm but steady. "That is called kindness. Feeling sadness for lives lost and regret for the misfortune of others."
She turned slightly to look at him. "Remember this feeling. Carry it with you. Let it drive you to move forward, stronger and more determined. So next time, you can stop it before it happens. That is one of the reasons we work so hard to become stronger."
Compared to Rhodes, who had grown up relatively sheltered, Erza had seen and lived through far harsher realities.
Because of that, she carried the same sadness and regrets, but could still find the strength to comfort Rhodes with a steady heart.
Erza suddenly realized that when Master Makarov told her to "take good care of Rhodes," he might not have meant just during battle, but outside of it as well.
"Would you like to come over and lean on me?" Erza opened her arms warmly, not minding offering a hug to comfort him.
"Thanks for the thought, but I'll pass," Rhodes said, shaking his head. He wasn't thick-skinned enough for that. Standing up, he patted his cheeks lightly and said, "Let's go. There are people here who have it much worse than us. We should check on them."
...
Rhodes and Erza did not end up meeting Liz's parents, but they did meet the mayors of Manjusaka and Poppy Town.
"Thank you for everything you've done," the mayor of Manjusaka said solemnly. "On behalf of all the rescued children, their parents, and every resident of these towns, we extend our deepest gratitude."
"There's no need to be so formal. We were simply completing the mission to eliminate the criminal group and rescue the children," Erza replied in her usual serious tone.
"However, regarding the child named Liz and the resident from Poppy Town who was tragically killed... we are sorry we arrived too late," she added sincerely.
"We also deeply regret what happened to that resident," the mayor of Poppy Town said. "But none of this was your fault. As for Liz..." He paused thoughtfully before continuing, "Liz has already returned home."
Rhodes and Erza blinked in surprise. "What did you say? Liz has returned home?" they asked almost at the same time.
"Yes," the mayor confirmed. "She managed to escape and returned by herself yesterday. She's the only one who made it back on her own. We visited her family to check on her. We tried asking where she had been held, but the poor girl was so traumatized she couldn't speak clearly."
Rhodes narrowed his eyes. "You're not joking, right?"
"I swear in my name as mayor," the man said earnestly.
Seeing the mayor's firm attitude and noticing Liz's family members weren't among the ones waiting at the hospital, Rhodes and Erza finally relaxed.
It's good that she's safe. Really, it's wonderful that she's safe.
They stayed at the hospital a while longer, watching as the healthier children were joyfully reunited with their parents. Even the two children who had been running high fevers showed signs of recovery.
When it was time to leave, they were sent off with endless thanks from the grateful parents and cheerful farewells from the children.
"Thank you, big brother!"
"Thank you, big sister!"
As for the resident of Poppy Town who died, the mayor said it was due to negligence by the local security team, and compensation would be given to the family, along with help finding a means of livelihood.
With that, Rhode and Erza's mission came to an official end.
The reward would be sent to the guild after the Council finished their paperwork, and they might be asked a few follow-up questions about the mission details later.
The two politely declined the mayors' invitations to stay longer and returned to the hotel Erza had booked earlier in Morninggroy Town.
Rhode picked up his suitcase and asked, "Where's the key to my room?"
"The key? Here," Erza said casually, tossing a key over to him.
Rhode caught it but frowned. "Wait a minute. Isn't this the key you just used to open this room?"
Erza looked genuinely confused. "Isn't this the key you wanted?"
"I mean... my room's key..." Rhode stared at her, a sinking feeling creeping in. "Don't tell me... you only booked one room?"
"It's our room."
"..."
"There are two beds anyway," Erza said reasonably. "When we're on a mission and traveling together, sharing a room is normal. I haven't done it often, but…" She suddenly brightened as if thinking of something fun. "Want to push the beds together? It'll be like camping. If anything happens, we can take care of each other quickly."
"No thanks! I'm good!" Rhode quickly refused. It sounded logical the way she said it, but emotionally, he wasn't ready to deal with that.
"It's late. Let's just get some sleep," he said hurriedly.
Erza looked a little disappointed. To her, squeezing together with companions was just like those warm, chaotic nights after a guild party when everyone collapsed together on the floor.
"Okay," she said cheerfully.
As Rhode headed toward the bathroom, Erza called out, "Hey, do you want me to help scrub your back?"
Rhode almost tripped over his own feet. He slammed the bathroom door shut and locked it with a click.
"No thanks!" he shouted from inside.
Erza shrugged casually. She really didn't think much of it.
Meanwhile, Rhode stood under the shower, staring blankly at the showerhead, questioning his entire existence.
'Am I overthinking it? Am I the weird one here?'
...
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