In the distant sky, streaks of light flashed as the Council's Rune Force, following the magical fluctuations, rushed to the scene and quickly cordoned off the entire forest battlefield.
They soon took control of the scene, firmly binding the villainous leader—whose eyes were now clear after being beaten—and escorting him to the side of the broken train.
Riyao withdrew the golden-green light surrounding him, his physical strength receding slightly. Standing side-by-side with Gray and Cana, he clearly explained the sequence of events to the Rune Mage Officer: the Ghost Bone Cult had deliberately hijacked the train, sacrificed their companions to catalyze forbidden magic, and attempted to slaughter innocent passengers; the three of them were forced to fight back in self-defense.
As soon as he finished speaking, a crowd of passengers emerged from the rear carriages and gathered around, competing to testify for the three children. They spoke with immense gratitude, saying that if not for the kids' selfless protection, everyone would have perished in the wilderness.
Looking at the wrecked train and the destroyed forest, the Rune official initially intended to follow regulations and hold Fairy Tail responsible for the damages. However, faced with the passengers' unanimous defense and their collective outcry against the injustice toward the three youngsters, the official was forced to relent under pressure and ultimately ceased mentioning any compensation.
With that, the storm finally settled.
Meanwhile, back in Magnolia, inside the Fairy Tail guild...
Makarov had just received the first urgent report from the front lines. He only knew that the three little ones had encountered a powerful enemy during their mission, smashed a train, and destroyed a large forest; the subsequent news of their exoneration had not yet arrived.
The unease in his heart instantly peaked. His legs went weak, and he clutched his coin purse tightly, pacing back and forth in the guild with a miserable expression, sighing incessantly.
"It's over, it's over, completely over..."
"A destroyed train, ruined forest... this time we'll definitely have to pay a massive sum! My savings, the guild's funds—it's all going down the drain!"
The old man was solely focused on his heartache for his wallet, completely unaware that the three troublemakers were already being protected by the crowd and wouldn't have to pay a single cent.
After the commotion subsided, under the Council's arrangements, the three of them took a subsequent train and successfully arrived at the port city of Hargeon.
They had originally planned to return on the same day and had traveled light, not even bringing a change of clothes. After fighting all the way there, their clothes were torn and covered in dust and bone shards, leaving them in a sorry state. Thus, their first priority was to find a clothing store to buy new outfits.
Upon entering the shop, they realized that Gray's clothes were gone—only his boxers remained. He had no idea where he'd lost the rest and stood there alone, overwhelmed with embarrassment.
Riyao immediately turned his gaze elsewhere, his expression indifferent as if the person before him had nothing to do with him. Cana went even further, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh and tactfully turning away with a 'I don't know him' look, making Gray's cheeks burn with anger.
The three of them found a clean pool of water to wash off the dust and changed into fresh, sharp clothes, finally shedding their disheveled appearance.
Once they were ready, they followed the address to the client's manor. They truthfully explained to the guards at the gate how they had been intercepted by the Ghost Bone Cult, which had delayed their journey.
After confirming their identities, the guards immediately reported in. Not long after, a shiny Magical Four-Wheel-Drive vehicle actually drove out from the manor.
Looking at the courtyard that was right in front of him—a distance that clearly only took a few steps to walk—Riyao couldn't help but click his tongue and complain.
"This is too ridiculous! Even inside his own yard, he needs a special car? Is that really necessary?"
Gray frowned and snorted coldly. "Purely redundant. He's just pampered."
Cana curled her lip and added, "Just how big is this manor?"
The magical vehicle drove smoothly along the manor's tree-lined path. The neatly trimmed greenery on both sides receded rapidly, and the main building in the distance gradually became clear. It was a luxurious mansion with a gilded tiled roof and carved pillars—even more grand than they had imagined.
Ten minutes later, the car stopped steadily before the entrance. The butler bowed and led the way, stepping onto the mirror-polished marble floor. They passed through a long corridor hung with oil paintings and were finally led into a spacious study.
Incense curled in the study, and bookshelves reached the ceiling. However, the noble Eckel, sitting behind a mahogany desk, was completely out of place in this elegant atmosphere. His face was pale without a hint of color, heavy dark circles hung under his sunken eyes, and even sitting upright seemed to require an effort he couldn't quite muster. He looked as if all his energy had been drained away, the very picture of being 'hollowed out'.
The corner of Riyao's eye twitched uncontrollably, and he muttered to himself: What 'difficult and complicated illness' is this? Looking at this state and complexion, he's clearly suffering from extreme kidney deficiency and exhaustion!
He turned and gave Gray and Cana a look, lowering his voice: "You two wait outside first. I need to talk to Mr. Eckel alone."
Gray didn't ask questions and gave a concise "Okay" before turning to leave. Cana blinked curiously, wanting to join the fun, but was stopped by Riyao's "don't cause trouble" look. She curled her lip and reluctantly followed Gray out, closing the door behind her.
Eckel quickly shook his head and waved his hand: "You misunderstand... Sigh, whenever others see me like this, they all speculate the same way. It's not the first time."
He held his forehead, his voice weak and aggrieved: "I have always been upright and my daily routine is very stable. It is definitely not what you think. Everything started half a month ago."
Speaking of this, a heavy sense of helplessness surfaced in his eyes: "That morning, I got up as usual and suddenly felt weak all over. The magic and vitality in my body were silently flowing out. In just half a month, I've grown more haggard by the day, as if something is quietly sucking away my spirit. I've consulted all the famous doctors and royal Mages in the city, but no one can find the source. They just assume I've caught some nameless strange disease."
The playfulness in Riyao's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp look. He immediately realized something was wrong—this matched the Ghost Bone Cult's methods of absorbing life force.
He sat forward and asked solemnly:
"Think back carefully. Half a month ago, did you encounter any strange people or have any unknown Mages visit?"
"Or did your home acquire any antiques or accessories of unknown origin? Did you visit the outskirts or a graveyard—places with heavy Yin energy?"
"Your weakness came without warning; there must be an external force working in the shadows."
Eckel pondered deeply for a long while. Suddenly, his heart jolted, and a look of shock crossed his weak face:
"I remember now! Half a month ago, strange things started happening in a corner of the manor's backyard. Overnight, an entire patch of grass withered. I thought it was just a problem with the soil, and since I was feeling unwell at the time, I didn't have the energy to deal with it!"
He immediately led Riyao out of the study, called Gray and Cana who were waiting at the door, and together they walked toward the secluded backyard of the manor.
Passing through the carved tree-lined path, the group arrived at that area and immediately saw the abnormality—while the rest of the manor was lush and full of life, this single patch of land was barren. The soil was grayish-black and cracked, devoid of life and completely out of place with its surroundings.
Gray instantly caught a familiar cold scent and knit his brows; Cana also subconsciously gripped her cards, looking around warily.
Riyao stepped forward slowly, pressing his fingertips to the ground. A golden-green light quietly probed into the soil. Sensing the surging bone-attribute death energy beneath, he said nothing, bent down, and began digging with his bare hands, quickly excavating a deep pit.
At the bottom of the pit lay a set of pale white skeletal remains. The bones were wrapped in the exact same dark bone patterns as their previous enemies, with the lingering traces of a life-stealing seal.
Looking at the skeleton, Riyao understood. He curled his lip helplessly and muttered with a sigh:
"Heh, what a coincidence."