When the sun dipped below the horizon, the Council's detention squad finally arrived at the town to take all those who had disguised themselves as Fairy Tail Wizards into custody.
"After interrogation, it's basically confirmed."
"These people are remnants of the Dark Alliance who fled here to escape the Council's pursuit."
"On behalf of the Council, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude for the assistance of Fairy Tail!!"
Leading the team was an acquaintance of Weston's: Duke, the Captain of the Second Detention Squad.
"Too kind, too kind..."
Weston patted the other man's shoulder like a boss treating an employee: "This is merely what I should do as the Master of a Magic Guild."
"By the way, our guild has sent out quite a few Wizards for this 'cleanup operation.' If they cause any trouble, I'll need you to be patient with them!"
"Please rest assured regarding that, Master Weston. Councilor Zanke has already given the word!"
"All Fairy Tail operations in the near future are to be regarded as 'assisting the Council in apprehending Dark Alliance remnants.' The Council will take full responsibility for any damages caused during this period!"
Weston withdrew his palm with satisfaction: "Mm... that's good then, that's good!"
"One more thing. While Fairy Tail has indeed sent out many people, what we can achieve is ultimately limited. So, if your Council discovers anything, you can contact me immediately."
"Yes!"
Duke acted very respectfully toward Weston.
It wasn't surprising he had such an attitude. After all, what Fairy Tail was doing now was the work their Council should be doing—more specifically, it was Duke's work, and work that would affect his future promotions!
Thanks to Weston's intervention, he now effectively had thirty free and powerful assistants.
Compared to his other competitors, he had gained a massive advantage.
"Furthermore..."
Suddenly, Duke waved his hand to dismiss his subordinates. He led Weston to a secluded corner and reached into his coat.
What is this guy up to?
While Weston was feeling suspicious, he heard Duke continue: "These are items confiscated from those Wizards."
"Normally, according to the rules, they should be handed over to the Council. But I feel they should rightfully be your spoils of war, Master Weston!!"
Good grief!
This kid really has a bright future!
Weston now thought even more highly of this young man named Duke.
Although he didn't yet know what had been seized from those Wizards, with this kind of understanding of worldly wisdom and social favors, where in the Kingdom of Fiore could he not succeed?
When Duke's hand emerged from his coat, he was holding a ring of keys.
"Celestial Spirit Keys!"
Weston's eyes widened: "So among those people just now, there was actually a Celestial Spirit Wizard?"
Before this, Weston had assumed that since that group of outlaws didn't have much skill, the items on them wouldn't be very good either.
As for the money and supplies, they were gifts from the honest townsfolk and wouldn't be right to take, so he hadn't bothered looting the bodies.
Thinking back now, he really shouldn't have been so careless!
If it weren't for a discerning talent like Duke who knew how to read the situation, wouldn't he have missed out on a Gold Celestial Spirit Key?!
There weren't many keys on this ring, only three, but one of them was gold: a key to the Zodiac.
"Let me see..."
Weston took the keys, his gaze instantly locking onto the rune representing the corresponding spirit.
"This is... the key to Pisces!"
Duke immediately praised: "Master Weston is truly knowledgeable and experienced!"
"You are correct; this is a 'treasure' for Celestial Spirit Wizards, the Pisces key from the Zodiac!"
"Zodiac keys are different from Silver keys; each one is unique. Therefore, whether in terms of combat value or collection value, they are higher than ordinary magic items!"
"Only someone like you, Master Weston, is qualified to possess such a treasure!"
Weston looked at Duke with surprise.
He remembered when they dealt with the 'Fire Serpent's Eye.' Back then, although this kid was clever, he still had the aura of a hot-blooded, dense youth in his bones.
He hadn't expected that in just a few short months, he would undergo such a complete transformation!
Not only did he understand social graces, but his eloquence had also improved.
"Good, good, good..."
Weston said 'good' three times in a row, tucking the keys away with a face full of smiles: "It just so happens I have a hobby of collecting Zodiac keys. In that case, I won't stand on ceremony."
"Right, it hasn't been easy for you to lead a team out to clear the Dark Alliance remnants this time. Have you encountered any difficulties during the process?"
"Go ahead and tell me. I'll see if I can help you out!"
"This..."
Duke put on an expression of difficulty, as if there really was trouble, but he wasn't sure if he should speak for fear of inconveniencing Weston.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he spoke: "I have indeed run into a bit of a difficulty. Please listen first, Master Weston. If you have time later, I might have to trouble you."
He didn't say 'forget it if you can't do it'; instead, he used the phrase 'if you have time,' providing an easy way out first.
In this way, if Weston felt he couldn't handle it, he could use 'having no time' as an excuse to decline.
Weston naturally heard the underlying meaning and felt amused.
Since the other party had put it that way, no matter what difficulty he encountered, Weston would have to give him a hand!
"What exactly is the difficulty? Just say it!"
Duke cleared his throat and began to explain his trouble in detail: "It happened a few days ago. While we were sweeping for Dark Alliance remnants, we passed by a hidden valley."
"The vegetation around the outskirts of that valley is extremely dense; there's no normal path to walk on, and entering is fraught with difficulties. But with the mindset of 'leaving no stone unturned,' we still sent a small squad in to search."
"However, by the second day, not a single member of the squad we sent in had returned."
"I felt something was fishy, so I sent a second squad in to search, but they also didn't have a single person return."
"With no one returning twice in a row, it's clear there is something abnormal in that valley. It might even be where the Dark Alliance remnants are hiding."
"If I hadn't just received word from your side, I was planning to lead a team in to investigate personally!"
The Council's Mandatory Detention Squads were all battle-type Wizards chosen from among hundreds. By Fairy Tail standards, even if their rank wasn't B, they were definitely C. For two such squads to go missing, it was highly probable that the valley was indeed abnormal!
"To think such a thing happened..."
A mysterious valley?
Vanished investigators?
Weston seemed to catch the scent of adventure!
"Don't worry!"
"I'll head out personally this time. I'll definitely investigate that valley thoroughly for you!!"