The Advisory Council's examination process was somewhat cumbersome. After everyone had been questioned once, they were called back several times.
Sometimes it was to corroborate with the testimonies of their companions, sometimes to verify with Ghost's testimonies, and other times it was because some message had come from the Council's headquarters, hoping to obtain necessary testimony.
Missing testimonies and evidence would be supplemented, and any discrepancies would be re-examined.
The repeated investigations and questioning went on for a full week.
Rhode felt it took a bit long, but seeing Lahar and their team working so diligently, he felt it wasn't appropriate to complain.
Fortunately, it's all over now.
Lahar announced that the investigation and evidence collection were complete, and all members of Fairy Tail could go home.
Only Makarov might need to go to the Advisory Council again in a few days for the final judgment to be formally delivered.
Compensation matters will also be announced at that time.
Joseph had already woken up three days ago, although his movement was still inconvenient. He would be directly taken back to the Council, and it would be difficult for him to come out again.
Rhode glanced at him from afar and felt that even if this person was released, he would have been ruined. Not because his injuries were too severe, but because his eyes had lost their spirit.
Being defeated by people he considered weaklings and ants might become a lifelong shadow. If he couldn't walk out from under it, his magic power might also decline.
Getting out of that shadow could be easy. He just needed to admit that Fairy Tail was strong and that he and his guild had taken the wrong path.
But for Joseph, this was almost an impossible task.
Besides Joseph, some stubborn ordinary members were also taken away, including Aliya and Sol of the Four Elements, and Iron Dragon Gajeel.
These people refused to admit their mistakes and showed no repentance, so they would be taken for education for a few days. If they behaved well, they would be released; if they were more aggressive, they would face short-term imprisonment.
The Master of Ghosts was indeed forcibly disbanded, and members from both the main guild and branches were dismissed.
Since Joseph bore most of the responsibility, as long as these ordinary members showed a good attitude of admitting their mistakes, they would not face much punishment.
The only loss was that they had to pay their medical expenses themselves and subsequently find new livelihoods.
Makarov generously stated that if anyone didn't know where to go, they were welcome to Fairy Tail.
But out of hundreds, no one was willing.
A small portion, after this incident, didn't even want to be mages anymore and planned to start small businesses instead.
The majority, however, had been beaten too badly, and although they were moved by Makarov's generosity, they couldn't immediately let go of their grievances.
Rather than joining Fairy Tail, they preferred to try some small guilds.
Originally, they had joined Ghost for the fame of being part of Fiore's top guild, but upon reflection, being in the top guild wasn't all it seemed.
The guild was full of monsters, and its enemies could be even more terrifying monsters. They felt that perhaps small guilds were more relaxed.
During this seven-day review period, news of the battle between Fairy Tail and Ghost had already spread nationwide.
The detailed process hadn't circulated yet, but rumors were everywhere. What people knew was that both guild headquarters were destroyed, and both presidents had fallen, without knowing the reason for the conflict.
Many civilians were uneasy about it. The Fiore Kingdom had been peaceful for a long time, and they didn't know if such a troubling event would affect their lives.
Once the Council's official verdict was delivered in a few days, this situation should ease.
However, before that, former Ghost members who had witnessed Joseph's downfall had started spreading the news.
Although it was a collaborative effort to defeat Joseph, Mira, Erza, Rhode, and Natsu, who initiated the final attack, gained quite a boost in reputation.
Once more detailed news spread, Rhode's name as the Fairy Tail Strategist became more widely known and acknowledged.
They themselves were less aware of these developments because, just after leaving the Council's camp, everyone immediately started preparing for the guild's reconstruction.
The first task was to organize and move important documents. This was led by the President, with Reby, Lucy, Laki, and other girls in charge (with Erza and Kana not included among the girls).
Erza was responsible for leading the dismantling of the old guild, sorting reusable materials, and discarding or selling those not needed.
Natsu, Gray, and Elfman were particularly enthusiastic about this task.
Mira and Rhode were naturally responsible for purchasing necessary building materials like stone and wood. Although Laki could provide some wood, it wasn't right to overburden her.
In addition, the two needed to hire reliable craftsmen and get professional input to adjust the new guild's design.
In the past few days, the President and Lidas had each drawn a set, but one was too abstract, the other too artistic, so they couldn't be used to guide construction.
Having juggled errands for half a day, Rhode paused and looked at the purchase list: "Just missing paint. It can be bought later... Hmm, didn't we just pass a hardware store?"
Mira shook her head. "That one is too expensive; let's buy it on West Street." She calculated and held up five fingers to Rhode, "We can save about this much."
Mira's thrifty nature was adorable, and Rhode grabbed the little hand waving in front of him.
It was a pale hand, with neatly trimmed nails, slender fingers, and no one would expect that these little hands could split mountains and crack rocks.
Rhode's fingertips gently brushed over a scab on her hand. "Does it still hurt?"
Mira smiled. "It stopped hurting a long time ago. It's been itchy these past two days." She seemed a little worried, "I wonder if it'll leave a scar."
"It's fine, even with a body full of scars, I like you," Rhode said, bringing her hand to his lips. He felt the hard surface of the scab, while the skin beside it remained smooth.
Mira withdrew her hand and gently slapped him. "You're the one with a body full of scars!"
"If you're really concerned, you can see Wendy. Her magic for removing scars is quite effective. Though, Carla might be disdainful..."
Rhode put on a resolute expression, "It's okay, I'll make the request. Worst case, I'll cling to her leg and beg her.
'Please, Wendy, Carla, as long as Mira can be healed, I'll do anything!' How does that sound? Or should I add something..."
Mira teased, "No need to add anything, it's not as exaggerated as you say."
She smiled, and any lingering worries in her heart completely disappeared.
Then Rhode hugged her: "Alright, now it's your turn to recharge me."
"Recharge?"
"It's akin to recharging a magic crystal with magic power." Rhode inhaled the scent of her hair, "I'm currently in need of 'Mira Energy' and urgently need a refill."
"Alright, alright~" Mira hugged him back.
After a while, she asked, "How long do you want to hug?"
"Let's start with a hundred years."