The Advisory Council's camp was set up in the western suburbs of Magnolia, with as many as 30 large tents stretching out.
After all, they brought hundreds of people this time, equivalent to the number of two guilds combined, seemingly prepared to forcibly mediate.
However, the large group arrived too slowly, missing the chance to mediate.
The members of Fairy Tail and Ghost guilds were separately 'escorted' to tents far apart from each other.
The injured were also treated separately.
Jubia and Sol, the two captives, were likewise taken to the medical team near the Ghost camp.
The inquiry hadn't started yet. Lahar was directing his subordinates to prepare for various tasks. It seemed the investigation might last several days.
Rhode and Mira were assigned to the Fairy Tail - Injured Area - Minor Injuries Group.
Those with serious injuries were typically carried directly to doctors for surgery or even emergency treatment; Joseph was among those treated this way.
As a result, the inquiry work on the Ghost side couldn't proceed top-down but was reversed—they seemed to have more severely injured higher-ups.
As for the minor injuries group, they could choose to wait for medical staff to assist or take medicine and bandages for self-treatment.
Rhode and Mira, like many of their companions, didn't want to burden the medical personnel, so they opted to handle it themselves.
The two of them were given a small partition as a makeshift medical room.
Rhode sat on a small stool, half his bottom on it, and had already taken off his shirt.
Mira, behind him, carefully cleaned the area around his wounds with an alcohol swab and then brought a towel to wipe other areas before applying medicine and bandaging him.
In the past, she had helped Rhode apply medicine the same way. Mira noticed how much his physique had changed, having grown more robust compared to when he first arrived.
As she moved in front, Mira pressed her fingers on Rhode's chest and then on his abs. Feeling it might be inappropriate, she asked, "Is it hurt here? Does it hurt?"
"Not hurt, not sore." Rhode actually wanted to say it wouldn't hurt if she massaged more, but unfortunately, there was only a curtain separating them from other companions.
Once the top was treated, Mira stood still, holding a medicine bottle and cotton ball, staring at the half of Rhode hanging outside the stool.
That spot seemed to have been blasted by a Magic Crystal, and there must be wounds… Mira's face started to heat up, turning redder by the second.
Rhode watched her quietly, neither speaking nor moving, pretending not to know what was on her mind, trying hard not to laugh, holding back with great effort.
But such a small expression couldn't fool someone who knew him best. Mira wrinkled her nose, signaling her intention to quit: "You handle the rest yourself!"
Little expectations dashed, Rhode stood up: "Alright, then it's my turn to help you."
"Okay." Mira sat down without hesitation, taking off her shirt and tattered outerwear, leaving only a small piece of clothing on.
Although she was still a bit shy, this level was within her acceptable range.
Rhode mimicked Mira's earlier method, carefully cleaning her back and shoulders, gently applying medicine to her wounds and bruises.
When bandaging, that piece of clothing was in the way, so Mira let him undo the strap, holding it herself at the front.
When her shoulders were done, she slipped it back on.
Rhode remained calm, unbothered, personally ensuring everything was done...
He couldn't just do whatever he pleased.
He placed the shirt back on Mira, asking, "What about the clothes? Continue wearing mine? But yours seems almost torn."
Mira's suitcase was at Lucy's house; she didn't have Rhode bring it.
Continuing to wear yours is fine. Mira considered this but said, "I'll just borrow one from Erza later; we're about the same size, and she must have extras."
"Hmm? I remember Erza being slightly taller than you?"
"Yes, so what?"
"Hmm... nothing." Rhode replied, "That's good, that's good."
Mira thought for a moment, giving him an elbow jab.
Always focusing on strange things.
Rhode rubbed his chest, moved the small stool to Mira's side, lifted her leg onto his lap, and treated her wound, wrapping it carefully with a bandage.
When he and Mira left, they saw Erza, dressed in a nurse's outfit, coming out of a small partition. Rhode thought something was up.
Out of concern for his companions' safety, Rhode asked, "Erza, who are you paired with?"
"Natsu and Gray." Erza took out a syringe from somewhere and gestured with it, "They've already been treated. Do you need any help?"
"No, we're all done," Rhode exchanged a look with Mira and said, "Mira has something to talk to you about, so you two should chat first."
"Erza, come over here for a moment." Mira pulled Erza back into the previous partition.
Driven by humanitarian reasons, Rhode peeked into Erza's previous partition.
Sure enough, Natsu and Gray were tied back-to-back with a bunch of bandages, mouths tightly wrapped, looking as if they had been kidnapped.
The two struggled and, upon seeing Rhode, gave him looks as if he were a savior.
Rhode, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry, helped them untie the bandages: "Couldn't you guys just break them, or burn them off?"
Gray complained, "Who knew what bandage Erza used? It's too sturdy. She has no medical skills but insisted on pretending to be a nurse."
Natsu added, "Can't burn them off. Setting a fire in the Advisory Council's territory seems like a bad idea."
"Aye!" Even Hapi was there, squeezed between Natsu and Gray, practically a cat pancake.
"Why am I tied up too? I didn't get hurt, wuwuwu." Hapi shed tears of grievance.
"Ask Erza to treat you to fish later." Rhode sympathized with Hapi and summoned Warm to accompany him.
However, upon seeing Warm looking at him confusedly, with half an apple in its mouth, Rhode remembered he had left Warm with Granny Porlyusica.
Warm chomped down the half apple and crouched on the ground, back facing Rhode.
A little sulky.
Rhode patted Warm's head: "Advisory Council is providing dinner tonight, eat your fill from them."
"Whoo~~"
The little glutton... no, mid-sized glutton, was easy to coax.
...
The inquiry was conducted individually, with the guild president naturally being the first to speak.
A report lay before Lahar, detailing the participants and injuries on both sides.
"Unbelievable. If I hadn't investigated in both Magnolia and Og City, I'd almost think Ghost were the victims."
Makarov laughed heartily: "Hahaha... because our guild's kids are so capable, you know, I didn't even participate, and they already took Joseph down, hahahaha..."
A bead of sweat rolled down Lahar's forehead. He reminded, "Makarov, boasting about force in such a time doesn't benefit Fairy Tail."
Although Lahar was from the Org faction, which disliked Fairy Tail, previous events left him with some goodwill towards the guild.
"Is that so? Sorry, sorry, let me start over," Makarov's demeanor never serious, driven by overwhelming pride in his amazing children.
"Ahem, um... what was it again?" Makarov pondered for a few seconds, "Oh right."
"As one of the Ten Wizard Saints, my personal principle has always been to uphold the stability and prosperous development of the Magic Realm.
Additionally, it's widely known that Fairy Tail has always been a peace-loving guild.
Many years ago, our First Generation President contributed to defending the peace of Fiore Kingdom, also working on the 'Prohibition of Armed Conflict Treaty.'
Passed down to our generation, Fairy Tail's essence of peace-loving has never changed..."
Lahar: "..."
Is that so? Fairy Tail peace-loving?
Reflecting on it, although the historical events Makarov mentioned did occur, Lahar felt something wasn't quite right.
And the hint of reciting a script was very obvious.