First the train, then the ship, Rhodes was already familiar with this route.
They had left around noon, and by the time they arrived in Hargeon, it was already late afternoon. A ferry was waiting, but it would be an overnight trip across the sea.
With time running short, they didn't dawdle. The two of them bought tickets and grabbed some food before boarding.
The skies were overcast, so thankfully there was no need for sunscreen.
While sitting in their cabin, they reviewed the mission again, going over every possible scenario that might unfold once they arrived.
"What if they use sleeping gas?" Mira asked.
"What if they try to knock us out with clubs?" Rhodes countered. "What if they try a murder-suicide?"
"Should we chop them up and feed them to the dogs?" Mira suggested sweetly.
"Or toss 'em to the sea for the fish," Rhodes added, grinning.
As if on cue, a splash cut through the waves.
The crab that Rhodes had summoned earlier to keep watch suddenly vanished.
Gone.
Swallowed whole.
A shadow passed beneath the boat, dark and massive, cloaked in natural camouflage. Rhodes couldn't even make out the full shape—but he knew it was big.
"That thing… might've been a big piranha," he muttered. "Better warn the captain—"
Before he could move, a harpoon whistled through the air, fired from the stern of the ferry.
A trailing rope whipped after it, taut and trembling as soon as the harpoon struck.
Blood sprayed across the water, and the entire ship gave a violent jolt.
Then came the voice of the captain, calm but firm over the loudspeaker:
"Attention passengers! Please remain calm. A large piranha has been spotted and struck by our crew. Slight vibrations may occur while we reel it in. I repeat—please remain calm."
He repeated it once more, just to be safe.
Naturally, the announcement drew a crowd.
Passengers flocked to the deck railings to watch, oohing and aahing as the sailors flexed their muscles and reeled the beast in with practiced effort.
Someone fired a second harpoon for good measure.
The sea was already turning red. The giant fish thrashed less and less with each passing second. The splashing of blood left even seasoned travelers feeling a bit nauseous.
Within minutes, the creature was dragged to the surface and lifted out of the water with pulleys.
A monster, ten meters long, jaws like a bear trap, fangs jagged as broken blades.
This was the real thing. A true open-sea piranha.
Sometimes, they'd been known to attack smaller fishing vessels. Just one bite could take off a limb, or a whole person.
Rhodes figured the captain was putting on a show, reeling the thing up to boast: "See? You're safe. Even when monsters show up, we've got it handled!"
Truthfully, though, each harpoon was embedded with magic crystals. Technically, the sailor who fired it qualified as a low-grade battle mage. Still, it was impressive.
As night fell, the excitement on deck faded. One by one, passengers wandered back to their cabins.
Rhodes and Mira returned to theirs and sat down to eat.
Technically, the ferry had its own little restaurant onboard, but Mira had refused to go.
"Too expensive," she said, "and it tastes bad. Might as well buy food from the market before we leave."
Wendy and Gray had said the same thing before.
In fact, Rhodes had never once actually tried the food served on these ships. For all he knew, the kitchen served the equivalent of a ten-jewel lunchbox, the kind that goes on sale for five right before the train leaves the station.
That said, the ship's accommodations weren't exactly luxurious either.
The "double room" Rhodes had booked turned out to be… a bunk bed.
Rhodes had no idea which "genius" came up with this.
It definitely wasn't like this the last time he traveled by ferry. But then again, last time they were with a larger group, and Erza had been the one buying tickets. She was rich and had gone for the best suite.
He'd gotten careless.
No wonder Mira didn't say anything when he bought the tickets, she must've known. And when they entered the cabin and saw the cramped bunk beds, Mira burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she watched Rhodes's expression twist in disbelief.
That night, they didn't even bother changing clothes. The sleep was mediocre at best. But when you're traveling, sometimes you just have to rough it.
By the time they disembarked the next morning, the sun was rising over the shore. After grabbing a light breakfast, they immediately headed toward their target: Violet Town.
Back in Magnolia, however, chaos had broken out in the guild.
Erza, who was temporarily handling Mira's responsibilities, had just made a startling discovery.
"Master, one of the S-Class mission slips from the second floor is missing," she said gravely. "Did Mira or Rhodes accept an S-Class job?"
Master Makarov nearly spat his tea. "What?! No, Mira and Rhodes accepted a standard commission, a one-million Jewel reward. Mystogan didn't visit the board yesterday either. Which mission is missing?"
"It's the one for Karna Island," Erza replied. "The reward was seven million Jewels… plus a Zodiac Celestial Spirit Key."
There weren't many S-Class jobs to begin with. Erza remembered each one clearly.
"Karna Island... the island of the cursed demon," Makarov muttered, his brows furrowed. He didn't know the full details of that mission, but anything involving a 'demon curse' was never simple.
And the Celestial Spirit Key. His heart sank.
"Could Lucy have gone up there without realizing the rules?"
From the second-floor railing, a familiar, smug voice cut in. "Actually, I saw a certain thieving cat sneak off with a mission slip last night. You know, the one with wings."
Gasps spread throughout the hall.
"Happy?! Then… Natsu must be behind this!"
Laxus leaned casually against the railing, watching the guild like it was a stage. "This is a serious offense, Gramps. Taking an S-Class job without permission? That's grounds for expulsion, isn't it?"
Makarov was silent. Laxus didn't miss a beat, he emphasized the word expulsion deliberately, clearly still holding a grudge over Makarov expelling his father Ivan from the guild.
"Though maybe we won't even need to go that far," Laxus added with a dark chuckle. "With their level of power, they probably won't survive that mission anyway."
Erza's tone turned sharp. "Then why didn't you stop them?"
Laxus shrugged. "I just saw the cat scurrying away with a piece of paper in its mouth. How was I supposed to know they'd actually go through with it? I mean, come on. How stupid can you get?"
"Enough," Makarov said. His voice was low but resolute. "Bring them back immediately."
Laxus snorted. "Don't look at me. I've already picked my own mission."
He tilted his head toward Erza, his grin oozing arrogance. "That's your job, right? You may not be as strong as me, but at least you're better than the rest of the trash."
"Master, this is my fault," Erza said seriously, ignoring Laxus's mockery entirely. "Mira specifically entrusted me with watching the request board. I failed to stop this."
"I'll go and bring them back immediately!"
"Hold up!" Gray slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "I'm not gonna sit here and let that jerk talk like that! I'll go after Natsu myself!"
Meanwhile, far from the rising tension back at the guild, Rhodes and Mira had arrived in Violet Town.
Just as its name suggested, the place was a vision of springtime beauty, lush with vibrant violet blossoms that stretched across cobblestone streets and wrapped around charming wooden balconies.
But neither of them had the heart to admire the scenery.
They had just met with the client, and the news was grim: the missing girl hadn't been seen for three days.
"I'm heading out," Mira said quietly.
Rhodes gave her a small nod. "Be careful."
In an instant, Mira's appearance changed.
Her long white hair faded into a soft, sky-blue hue, tied loosely behind her ears. She shrank in height and stature, her posture shifting into something more childlike. The spell transformed her into an innocent-looking, small girl, one that closely resembled a younger version of Levy McGarden, but with subtle tweaks to avoid drawing suspicion.
This was the form they had finally settled on after careful discussion.
Mira was too well-known. Even out here in Violet Town, there was a risk, however slim that someone might recognize her. They couldn't afford that.
Now disguised as a wandering child, Mira limped slowly through the streets. Her clothes were rumpled, her hair unkempt, and after a few steps, she deliberately stumbled and fell onto the cobblestones.
Tears welled up in her wide eyes, and her bottom lip trembled as she pushed herself up again, glancing around as if utterly lost.
She was the perfect picture of a scared little girl who'd run away from home and couldn't find her way back.
Watching from a discreet distance, Rhodes felt an unexpected tightness in his chest.
She looked so vulnerable it hurt to watch.
And her movements, especially that dramatic little trip and fall, seemed strangely familiar.
Rhodes narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
'Was that Wendy's choreography…?'