CHAPTER 763: WENDY’S GROWTH

The Cloud Dragon’s flight speed was steady and reliable. Along the way, it even crossed paths with a passing airship, startling the people aboard before darting past them in a blur of wind.

The three travelers and their feline companion heard only the whistle of the wind rushing by their ears, and before they realized it, they had already overshot their destination.

Rhodes instructed the Cloud Dragon to descend in an uninhabited clearing, then switched mounts to the Crab for the return trip.

Lutes Village lay nestled between mountains on the west and north, with a clear river flowing along its eastern edge. Clusters of yellow daylilies bloomed on the banks, their petals swaying prettily among the grass.

Lucy and Wendy smoothed down their wind-tossed hair as they chatted about having a picnic by the river once their mission was done.

The group entered the village through a small southern path.

The enormous purple Crab instantly drew attention. Villagers near the entrance froze in alarm, taking defensive stances.

Lucy quickly raised her hand, revealing the pink Fairy Tail emblem on the back of it.

"We’re wizards from Fairy Tail," she announced, "here on commission to deal with the poisonous bees and to help gather medicinal herbs."

Wendy turned slightly, showing her own emblem on her left shoulder.

Rhodes and Carla didn’t move, he wasn’t about to roll up his sleeve, and she certainly wasn’t about to take off her clothes just to show the mark on her back.

Between Lucy and Wendy’s guild symbols and the official commission letter, the villagers were quickly convinced.

"Thank goodness, they’re real wizards!"

"Did they already accept the job?"

"Please, come this way!"

Though the blonde girl, the blue-haired child, and the talking white cat didn’t seem especially intimidating, the gleaming Ten Saints

insignia pinned to Rhodes’s chest inspired immediate trust.

Before entering, Rhodes ordered two of his Crabs to patrol the village perimeter for safety.

Soon, the group reached a small clinic. Inside, four patients lay unconscious on two narrow beds.

IV tubes dripped slowly beside them; their lips were purple, their faces and arms badly swollen.

Their families kept vigil at the bedside, eyes red and anxious.

A middle-aged man tried to console them. "Please, just wait a bit longer. Someone’s already taken the commission. As soon as they bring back the herbs or buy some from outside, everything will be fine."

Beside him, the village doctor frowned. He knew too well, if the patients weren’t treated for the poison by tomorrow, their lives would be in danger.

"Village Chief! The Fairy Tail mages are here!"

"Where!?"

All heads turned toward the doorway, faces lit with hope. The middle-aged man’s expression brightened immediately as he hurried forward to greet them.

The villager who’d led the way stepped aside. Lucy offered a polite smile.

"Hello, may I ask..."

But the Village Chief strode right past her and grasped Rhodes’s hand with obvious relief.

"You’ve finally arrived! I’ll leave everything to you!"

Lucy’s smile froze. ’Why is it that no one ever notices the pretty girl first!?’

Rhodes said calmly, "You must be Mr. Ussop. Let’s skip the pleasantries for now, please, let us examine the patients."

"Ah, yes, of course," the Chief said quickly. "The serious cases are all here, but some with lighter symptoms are still at home. Our doctor says we’re missing a crucial herb, but every time someone goes to collect it."

Wendy’s anxious voice cut in. "Brother Rhodes! We need to detoxify them immediately!"

"You can neutralize this kind of poison directly?"

"No problem!"

Without hesitation, Wendy began to weave her healing magic. Rhodes extended his hand and invoked the buff, augmenting her spell.

"This... this is..." The Chief and the doctor stared in amazement.

Carla lifted her chin proudly. "Don’t worry. If Wendy says she can handle it, then she can handle it."

Before their eyes, color returned to the patient’s cheeks; the swelling subsided, and their breathing steadied.

The families gasped with joy, momentarily forgetting that the cat beside them had just spoken aloud.

"Unbelievable, their breathing and heart rate have completely stabilized, and the poison symptoms are gone," the old doctor exclaimed, excitement edging his voice. "Is this healing-type magic? I’ve heard such magic is incredibly rare!"

The patient’s family bowed repeatedly in gratitude, while the other families looked on anxiously, wanting to speak but too nervous to interrupt.

Wendy didn’t need prompting. She immediately moved on to the next patient, magic already swirling around her palms.

Rhodes asked quietly, "Can your magic power hold out?"

Wendy nodded firmly. "Mm!"

Carla said with pride, "Don’t underestimate Wendy. She’s been training hard lately."

Lucy blinked in curiosity. "Mr. Rhodes, aren’t you also...?"

"I don’t possess magic specialized for detoxification," Rhodes said, shaking his head. "At best, I can heighten my own resistance to toxins. Even with the Alchemy Dragon Soul, I can’t draw poison out of others the way Mira can."

So, this part of the work still fell entirely on Wendy’s shoulders.

Under everyone’s hopeful gazes, Wendy treated all four patients in one stretch, then dabbed the fine sheen of sweat from her forehead.

Throughout it all, Carla never once said her usual "Don’t push yourself," which spoke volumes about how much Wendy had improved.

After re-examining the patients, the old doctor muttered in awe, "What incredible magic... Once this glucose drip finishes, they should regain consciousness."

The families broke into joyous chatter, crowding around Wendy with endless thanks and praise.

"T-thank you, but..." Wendy spoke up shyly. "There are still more patients, right? Where are their homes?"

"I’ll send someone to bring them here! Please, rest for now!" said Village Chief Ussop, already turning to leave.

Rhodes stopped him. "May I ask how many people are affected in total?"

The Chief hesitated, but the old doctor answered directly. "Nineteen villagers in all. And two mages from Phantom Wing have already been taken away by their companions."

Rhodes nodded thoughtfully. "Then have the villagers come in groups, five people per batch, about an hour apart."

Wendy immediately protested, "It doesn’t need to be that long! Ten minutes is enough."

Carla shook her head. "That would exhaust you too quickly. Follow his plan."

Rhodes compromised. "Half an hour per batch, then."

No one objected, and the Village Chief hurried off to organize the first group.

While they waited, Rhodes turned to the old doctor. "Tell me more about these poisonous bees."

The doctor shivered slightly. "They’re terrifying," he admitted before catching himself and speaking more formally. "They appeared suddenly near the village. Black and yellow in color, resembling wasps, but at least the size of a fist.

"The two mages from Phantom Wing said they encountered ones nearly a foot long. One of them was stung and paralyzed instantly. They barely escaped alive."

Rhodes gave Lucy a slight nod, signaling her to continue the questioning.

Lucy tilted her head in thought. "What about their numbers?"

"We’re not sure," the doctor said. "Some villagers only ran into one or two, while others faced entire swarms. We still haven’t found their hive."

Lucy asked again, "And where were these encounters?"

"Some by the small river fetching water, others up north in the mountains while hunting or collecting herbs."

More villagers had been hurt during their first attempt to exterminate the bees, but the attack sites all seemed roughly the same.

Lucy traced the locations on the map in her mind. "There’s no clear pattern?"

The old doctor pondered, then snapped his fingers. "Daylilies. Everyone mentioned seeing yellow daylilies nearby. Those bees seem strangely drawn to them."

Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly. "Daylilies, huh?"

"Yes," the doctor continued, nodding. "Coincidentally, that flower also happens to have detoxifying properties, it’s often used in medicine."