CHAPTER 748: FIRSTLY, IT’S DEFINITELY NOT RHODE’S FAULT.

Rhode’s schedule was disrupted once again the very next day, a summons from the Magic Council arrived before noon.

But Rhodes wasn’t flustered in the slightest.

After all, he was an innocent Saint Ten who’d merely been provoked and attacked. If anything, he’d already planned how to handle the aftermath long before the Council even sent for him.

The "innocent" Saint Ten stepped into the Fiore branch headquarters, where several Councilors’ Thought Bodies awaited in the conference chamber.

Mira was left outside, calmly sipping tea while her husband went in to face the higher-ups.

Rhodes entered, glancing over the group of venerable faces before him. They weren’t exactly familiar, but he recognized a few from old meetings. They’d all just... gotten grayer.

Before anyone could speak, Rhodes broke the silence.

"Good morning, everyone. Before we start, I have two questions."

The Councilors exchanged glances. Among those ever summoned to stand before them, this one was... unusual. Relaxed, almost casual.

Gran Doma sighed inwardly and gestured with dignified patience.

"Please speak."

Rhodes nodded solemnly. "First question: do Thought Bodies actually need to sit? I recall that whether they stand or sit, they consume the same amount of magic power."

"..."

The Councilors froze.

’Of all the things he could’ve opened with, this?’

Gran Doma cleared his throat, maintaining composure. "This is... standard meeting protocol."

He waved a hand to the frog-faced attendant by the door. "Bring our guest a chair."

The frog-man nodded and scurried off, returning moments later with a chair and setting it beside the table.

Rhodes sat down without hurry, utterly at ease. "Ah, much better. Since it’s a meeting, everyone should be comfortable. Let’s talk like civilized people."

Gran Doma’s temple twitched. "Very well. And your second question?"

Rhodes leaned back slightly, his tone still calm. "It’s been so many years, why are you few still in office? You all seem... rather aged. Are there really no younger, trustworthy candidates?"

"How dare you!" several Councilors thundered, slamming the table.

"Even as a Saint Ten, you will show respect to your elders!"

"Do you have any idea how much work it takes to maintain order in an ever-changing Magic World!?"

Org blinked rapidly. ’What is he doing?’

They had summoned him to account for a destroyed guild, and instead of smoothing things over, he was antagonizing them. Was he trying to get arrested?

Gran Doma lifted a hand, signaling for silence. He smiled thinly. "The issue of age is irrelevant. Every one of us here is willing to shed our last drop of blood for the Magic World."

"However," he continued, "it’s true that the Council lacks fresh talent. That’s why we would welcome promising young Magicians, such as you and your wife, to join us someday."

"And," he added smoothly, "I hear Fairy Tail has quite a few exceptional members. If they’re willing to serve stability and order, the Council would be most... accommodating."

Rhode’s face twitched. That tone, he knew a trap when he heard one.

Gran Doma didn’t wait for him to reply. He adjusted his glasses, his expression hardening.

"Now, to the main matter. Yesterday, in the city of Gazania, a dragon appeared before the Magician Guild Sabertooth."

He paused, letting the words hang heavy.

"The guild was subsequently... destroyed."

"Witnesses claim that you and Mirajane were seen entering Sabertooth shortly before the incident. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Yes," Rhodes said immediately.

He reached into his coat pocket and calmly placed two envelopes on the table.

"This one," he said, tapping the first, "is a report for the Council. It details how a Wizard Saint visited Sabertooth to meet a friend, and was then provoked and attacked."

He tapped the second envelope. "And this one was prepared for the King of Joya. It describes how a Duke was assassinated in a registered guild under the Fiore Kingdom."

The chamber fell utterly silent.

"..."

Gran Doma rubbed his temples. ’Why did this man have to be a Duke?’

Because, truth be told, even if Sabertooth had beaten up all of Fairy Tail, the Council would’ve probably ruled it as Fairy Tail’s fault.

That was simply the precedent.

But a Duke who was also a Saint Ten?

That was a diplomatic nightmare.

The Magic Council’s relationship with the various kingdoms of the Ishgar Continent was... peculiar, to say the least.

When it came to matters of black magic, forbidden arts, or Dark Guilds, the kingdoms would almost unconditionally defer to the Council’s judgment.

But when such matters weren’t involved, the Council absolutely did not dare to meddle in national affairs at will.

This "Duke’s assassination" case, for example, if handled poorly, it could easily escalate into a diplomatic incident.

Even the smallest misstep, arbitrary interference, a hasty verdict, could lead to all four kingdoms uniting in protest. If that happened, the Council’s authority across the entire continent would collapse overnight.

Of course, this didn’t mean nobles who happened to be Magicians could act above the law in other countries.

It simply meant that when the Council did intervene, it had to do so perfectly.

Fairly, justly, transparently, without leaving so much as a hair’s breadth of procedural flaw for anyone to question.

Troublesome indeed.

Even the Councilors who disliked Rhodes found themselves silently praying that he hadn’t lied, because if he had fabricated details or acted recklessly, this would become an even bigger nightmare.

Gran Doma finally broke the heavy silence. "May I read the letter addressed to the Council?"

"Please," Rhodes replied casually.

He gave the envelope a gentle flick, it spun smoothly across the table and landed neatly in front of the Chairman.

The document contained a clear, detailed account of the previous day’s events: how a Ten Wizard Saint visited a guild, how the confrontation began, which magic caused which damage, even which walls had collapsed and why.

Gran Doma read through the report quickly, his brows twitching once or twice, then handed it to the others.

Thought Bodies could indeed hold physical objects, it just looked comically awkward when they passed things around.

After a brief exchange of glances, Gran Doma spoke. "If the contents of this letter are accurate, Sabertooth should bear primary responsibility for the incident."

He adjusted his collar and continued, "Next, we will summon Master Jieman of Sabertooth and all involved parties. A trace-investigation team will also be dispatched to verify the scene. Would that arrangement be acceptable to you?"

"Perfectly acceptable," Rhodes said.

He was the last person afraid of an investigation, every line of his report was factual. At most, he’d end up paying for a few floorboards or a table leg.

The other Councilors nodded in quiet agreement. None of them wanted this to spiral into open conflict, neither between two major guilds, nor between the Fiore and Joya Kingdoms.

Privately, several made mental notes: they would have a long conversation with Sabertooth about "discipline and discretion."

Gran Doma cleared his throat again. "According to our preliminary inquiries, although there was extensive property damage, there were no casualties. Therefore, we conclude that this case falls under the category of provoked disturbance, not assassination."

His tone softened slightly, but his gaze lingered on the unopened envelope before Rhodes.

Rhodes smiled faintly and pushed it forward. "This one was meant for His Majesty Jun Danton Shagotte. He’s been terribly busy lately, so I haven’t decided whether to trouble him with such a minor affair.

"Why don’t you keep it with the Council? You can decide later whether or not to forward it."

That statement alone defused the entire room.

The Councilors’ expressions eased; even the few who’d been fuming earlier began to look at him with newfound appreciation.

Yes, he’d been blunt, a bit sharp-tongued, even impolite at first... but clearly, he knew how to act with restraint when it mattered.

Despite everything, he hadn’t pressed the issue, hadn’t flaunted his title or status, and most importantly, he’d shown consideration for the Council’s position.