Raizel had entertained such thoughts of hiring the Minotaurs because Cain wasn't truly evil at heart.
His robberies were merely for food, and he had never harmed humans.
Had they injured or killed people during their previous robberies, Raizel wouldn't have bothered with mediation—he'd have simply eliminated them all without hesitation.
"Of course, I guarantee it."
Kaine thumped his massive chest firmly as he assured Raizel. "We will follow the laws."
The Minotaur scout also nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! We don't hold any hatred toward humans. In fact, we've always been very curious about human towns. We just knew we couldn't enter and have always felt regretful about it."
President John clapped his hands together emphatically. "That's excellent! I have plenty of empty rooms in the warehouse complex where Cain and the others can stay. My only concern was whether the other townsfolk would be frightened."
John himself wasn't afraid of Cain and his group at all.
In fact, Minotaurs like Cain even matched John's aesthetic preferences—as he admired tall, brawny men like Brian. He'd always felt insecure about his own height and wished to be at least two meters tall.
If Raizel knew what President John was thinking, he'd probably say,
'As long as you're happy... You're already 1.9 meters tall and still think that's not enough?'
The ceilings in John's merchant guild were built high, and the doors were large to accommodate his and Brian's height and build, making it quite suitable for the Minotaurs to live in.
Raizel figured only Cain might feel slightly cramped, but it was better than a freezing cave.
"This man is yours to deal with." Raizel pointed at the hunched thief, tied up and gagged with a bandage nearby.
"I'll hand him over to the town mayor," John said after a moment of contemplation.
This was a decision he made after careful thought. Initially, he had been furious, but now that most of the goods had been recovered, his anger had subsided into pragmatism.
John decided to let the man spend some time in prison.
Perhaps he can learn a trade... like sewing uniforms for the guards he stole from.
"Good. I also need to discuss with the Mayor about Cain and the others entering the town. Let's go together."
After returning to the town center, the group headed straight to the Mayor's office. Relying on his reputation as a Mage of Fairy Tail and his status as a strong mage, Raizel finally convinced the Mayor to agree.
The Mayor was also swayed by John's influence, as the Merchant Guild was the town's major taxpayer.
Since John himself was willing to take responsibility for Cain and the others, the Mayor had no reason to refuse.
"When there are no merchant convoy tasks, if townspeople ask for your help, you can assist them in exchange for payment. Moving heavy loads, construction... there is always work for strong arms."
The values in this world emphasized paying for services, which was why there were so many official Guilds and numerous tasks.
The same principle applied even when seeking help from Minotaurs.
Kaine's eyes reddened, tears welling up as he nodded heavily. "Thank you. In the future, if you ever need our help, just notify us, and we'll do our utmost to assist."
"Good."
Raizel made a fist with his right hand and bumped it against Kaine's massive fist.
"This is the reward—a check for 10,000,000 Jewels. Please accept it."
President John took out a check and handed it to Raizel with both hands.
"Wasn't the reward supposed to be 8,000,000?" Raizel didn't take it immediately, looking at John with slight confusion.
After stuffing the check into Raizel's hand, John laughed heartily. "Consider the extra amount as my gratitude—for retrieving my stolen items and recommending such excellent guards. You saved my business!"
"Alright, we'll accept it without hesitation then." Raizel nodded.
The extra wasn't excessive for an S-Class job anyway, and John clearly had a generous nature—no need to stand on ceremony.
...
After sharing a celebratory lunch with President John and Cain, Raizel and the others prepared to depart.
John and Brian waved from the town gate, calling them out, "If you ever come back to Stull Town, be sure to visit our merchant guild! I'll treat you to a meal!"
"Definitely!" Raizel, Natsu, and Lucy all raised their right arms in response.
"Alright, the quest is complete. Time to head back to Magnolia. We'll cash the check and split the rewards in the next big town."
Raizel planned to divide the payment equally.
He didn't need the money much, Natsu and Lucy had contributed significantly to the combat and investigation, and Happy had helped with the distraction.
"WOOOH!!!" Natsu screamed at the sky.
He wasn't cheering for the money, but for completing an S-Class Quest.
Now he could show off back home, especially to Gray!
"Aye!" Happy's eyes sparkled like stars, already dreaming of how many premium fish he could buy with his share.
This was the first time he and Natsu would receive a full reward—most previous earnings had gone toward paying for property damage.
"I won't have to worry about rent for months! Sob sob ┭┮﹏┭┮." Lucy wept tears of joy.
She hadn't brought nearly this much money on her travels, and this windfall would finally let her face her parents with some dignity (or at least pay her landlord).
Raizel chuckled at Natsu's excitement and warned, "Don't celebrate too soon. You're doomed when we get back. Erza said she would 'discipline' you—and no one can stop her."
"EH NANIIIIIIIIIII?!!"
Natsu's scream pierced the clouds, scaring a flock of birds.
...
Magnolia—
"We're back!" Natsu shouted with squinting eyes and a broad grin as they walked down the main street of Magnolia.
"Aye, we're back!" Happy bounced beside him.
"Not a bad job at all—earning over 2 million in one go! How should I spend it? How many meals can that buy, Happy?"
"Who knows, aye. Maybe a million fish!" Happy shrugged and shook his head.
"Thanks to my help, the mission went so smoothly," Lucy said, proudly placing her hands on her hips.
"Did Lucy really help that much though?" Happy tilted his small head, teasing her.
"They're Mages from Fairy Tail..."
"Seems they don't know yet..."
Magnolia residents on the street watched Raizel's group pass by, whispering behind their hands.
The usual cheerful atmosphere of the town was gone, replaced by anxiety.
"Why is everyone staring at us?" Lucy, who was about to argue with Happy, noticed the townspeople's strange gaze and turned to look at them.
"I've got a bad feeling about this, aye," Happy added immediately, his ears flattening.
"Everyone seems... scared?" Natsu sensed fear in the residents' expressions as he stopped walking.
"Look—the Guild. It doesn't look right." Raizel was the first to react, gazing toward the Guild's location at the end of the street.
From this vantage point, they had a direct view of the Guild building.
Hearing Raizel spoke, Natsu and Lucy turned to look.
"Let's go, back to the Guild now!" Natsu's pupils contracted sharply before he sprinted toward the building.
When they arrived, they froze.
"What is this...?" Happy spread his wings and circled the Guild once. "It's badly damaged... Natsu."
Happy's spirits sank, his tail drooping listlessly.
"What on earth happened?" Lucy covered her mouth with an expression of disbelief.
The Guild Hall had been destroyed.
Massive metal pillars, dozens of centimeters in diameter, pierced through the structure from all angles, like giant nails driven into a coffin.
The walls were shattered, the roof caved in.
Even Ultear would struggle to repair this damages with her Arc of Time, as dealing with these massive metal pillars embedded in the foundation would be challanging.
Raizel clenched his fists as a rare fury bubbling in his chest.
He never expected Phantom Lord to dare attack Fairy Tail again.
Over the years, Phantom Lord had somewhat withdrawn from direct confrontation. Since becoming one of the Ten Wizard Saints, their master, Jose Porla, had repeatedly challenged Makarov politically but had suffered crushing defeats every time.
Now, it seemed, they had chosen war.
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