Riyao's eyes sharpened as his gold and green magic erupted. He brought his palm down, crushing the skeleton at the bottom of the pit—the one etched with the Life-Absorbing Curse Mark—into dust. The lingering Bone-attribute Death Energy was instantly purified by the power of life and vanished without a trace, its source completely severed.
With the hidden danger cleared, he turned to the pale-faced Eckel, a soft and warm Healing Magic glow spreading from his palm. The Life Magic, which had absorbed the Forest Source, flowed gently into Eckel's body, bit by bit replenishing the vitality that had been stealthily drained over the past half-month and restoring his depleted magic power.
Amidst the swirling green light, Eckel's sallow complexion gradually regained its color, his vacant eyes refocused, and his weak, limp body slowly regained its strength. The fatigue and frailty of the past few days were swept away. Gray and Cana, standing nearby, breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the filth beneath the ground being purged.
By the time the Healing Magic was finished, night had already blanketed the entire manor. The stars and moon hung high, and the evening breeze was cool.
His spirits restored, Eckel was filled with gratitude and thanked the three repeatedly. Knowing they had spent much effort on their journey and during the battle, he immediately extended a warm invitation: "Thank you, three Mages, for coming to my rescue! It is late and the road is difficult. Please rest at the manor tonight and set off for your guild tomorrow morning."
He immediately instructed the butler to prepare three elegant and comfortable guest rooms, served dinner, and saw the three of them settled in properly.
Gray looked at the extremely luxurious room with an indifferent expression; Cana was happy for the leisure, finally able to take a good rest; Riyao gazed at the night sky outside the window, letting down his guard and temporarily staying at ease in this manor far from conflict.
The night was gentle, and the open-air hot spring on the mountain behind the manor was shrouded in white mist. The warm water in the bluestone pool spread out, washing away the fatigue after the battle.
Riyao simply hooked his arm around Gray's shoulder, and the two of them slid into the hot spring one after the other, sinking comfortably into the water. On the white jade stone platform by the pool, sweet fresh fruits and iced drinks were laid out, easily within reach—it was incredibly pleasant.
Warmth flowed through their limbs and throughout their bodies, and the tension from the entire day completely relaxed.
Riyao narrowed his eyes and leaned against the pool wall, sighing with a look of enjoyment:
"Tsk, this life is too comfortable... A grand manor like this with a private hot spring, it must be worth at least tens of millions of Jewel, right?"
The usually cold Gray had also dropped all his defenses at this moment, his eyes tinged with lazy satisfaction. He nodded slightly and murmured at the steam:
"It would be great if a hot spring could be built in the Fairy Tail guild too."
"It would be perfect to take a soak every time we come back from a mission."
The spring water gurgled, and the evening breeze blew gently. The two boys soaked in the warmth, temporarily forgetting about the Dark Guild and the bone-attribute curse, only enjoying this rare moment of peace.
Suddenly, Cana's huffy voice came from not far away: "Well, look at you two! Sneaking off to the hot spring without calling me!"
In the dense white mist of the hot spring, the two of them instantly froze. Their expressions changed drastically as they hurriedly shrank into the deep water, only daring to show their heads.
Riyao waved his hands and shouted in a panic, his face tense: "Don't come over! This is the Men's Bath! Girls should go to the separate pool next door!"
A touch of embarrassment appeared on Gray's usually cold face, his ears turning slightly red. He rarely lost his composure and hurriedly joined in the protest:
"That's right! Men and women are separate, you're not allowed to come over!"
The two of them huddled together in the water, looking completely flustered. The pleasantness of the bath from moments ago had vanished instantly, and they only hoped that Cana wouldn't barge in.
The next morning, the morning light spilled into the guest room through the carved window frames.
"Knock knock knock—!" A crisp knocking sound suddenly rang out, and Cana's voice came from outside: "Wake up! If you don't get up now, you won't make it back on time!"
Inside the room, Gray was the first to be woken up. He opened his eyes dizzily, only to see Riyao sleeping sprawled out, with one foot unceremoniously resting on his face. His brow twitched, and without hesitation, he raised his hand and shoved the annoying foot away.
The two of them rubbed their sleepy eyes, packed up simply, and walked out of the room to meet Cana, heading together to the manor's dining room.
The large dining room was elegant and magnificent. The long table was filled with a dazzling array of exquisite dishes: smoked meat, freshly baked bread, fresh fruit platters, creamy soup, and crystal desserts were all available, their aroma filling the air.
Eckel, whose complexion had completely recovered and who was now full of energy, was already waiting there. Having experienced life-threatening frailty, he was now radiant and enthusiastically invited the three to take their seats.
"It's all thanks to your help that I was able to recover. Please enjoy yourselves as a small token of my gratitude."
The three of them didn't hold back and feasted on the incredibly hearty and luxurious breakfast. Filled with warmth, the fatigue of the night vanished. After eating and drinking their fill, they prepared to bid farewell to their client and set off back to the Fairy Tail guild in Magnolia.
Riyao kicked open the guild's door. "We're back!" Cana shouted first, waving the bag of mission rewards in her hand. "The mission was a complete success, and we earned quite a lot of Jewel!"
These words instantly attracted everyone's attention. Makarov looked up sharply, and seeing the three little ones unharmed, he was stunned for a moment before rushing in front of them, his hands tightly grabbing Riyao's arm: "The mission? What about the compensation? The losses for the train and the forest! My wallet!"
"Don't worry, don't worry~" Riyao patted his hand away and quickly explained the sequence of events with a grin. "It was the work of the remnants of the Ghost Bone Cult. We acted in self-defense. The passengers and the Council have all testified. We don't have to pay a single cent!"
Gray added: "We also took care of the Soul-Absorbing Skeleton under the manor, and the client gave us double the reward."
Makarov's expression instantly changed from gloom to a broad smile.
Riyao leaned back in his chair, watching the noisy and lively atmosphere in the guild, and couldn't help but smile—this was Fairy Tail. No matter how much danger they faced outside, there were always warm companions and a sense of belonging when they returned.
Makarov couldn't stop grinning, completely forgetting his previous worries. He even announced a special meal tonight to celebrate Riyao's first successful long-distance mission.
"Extra food for everyone tonight! Roast meat, soup, and desserts are all you can eat—specifically to celebrate the complete success of Riyao's first long-distance mission!"
"Oh~ that's great! A celebration for Riyao! Give me a bowl of pork cutlet rice, extra red bean sauce!"
"Awesome! Celebration! I want to hear the story of how you smashed a mountain with one punch! Give me a bowl of pork cutlet rice, extra mayonnaise!"
"It was a mountain of bones, not a real mountain."
"It's the same thing! Anyway, it was super impressive! Give me a bowl of deluxe ramen!"
"Give me a barrel of ale!"
"You did well, taking down a Dark Guild on your first long-distance mission and protecting all the passengers."
The laughter, rowdiness, and clinking of glasses in the guild intertwined. The sunlight spilled through the window, falling warmly on everyone. A thrilling mission had finally come to a perfect conclusion amidst the lively, everyday atmosphere.