The Murk Wolves were the first to be dispatched under Rhode's orders.
With their keen sense of smell, they were perfect for searching the wide mountain range for survivors or remains.
Of course, Natsu was also sent out. His nose was even sharper than the wolves', and Rhodes figured it was a good chance to let him build some goodwill with the Council, just in case, someday, the inevitable happened and he did end up behind bars. A few favors owed might mean gentler treatment.
Wendy's sense of smell wasn't bad either, but Rhodes decided to keep her at the camp. Running around the mountains was exhausting, and someone needed to stay to treat injuries.
That left eight people and two cats at camp, just enough to split into two groups for a few rounds of card games.
The whole process really did feel like the Phantom Lord incident all over again.
Those not called for questioning could only wait, eat, and kill time.
During the day, the Pegrande Kingdom's army did arrive. They looked a bit overwhelmed when they saw the devastation.
Lahar handled the negotiations. With the mountain area far too vast for the Council's limited manpower, he formally requested the army's cooperation in the Council's name.
Since the Council's headquarters were actually located in Pegrande, communication between both sides went surprisingly smoothly.
"I finally won!" Erza exclaimed triumphantly, slamming her last card onto the table. She reached for a paper strip and gleefully prepared to slap it onto Rhode's face.
"Mr. Rhodes, please come here for a moment."
"Coming!"
Rhodes immediately put down his cards, offering a very quick, very apologetic smile, then turned and walked away before the paper strip could strike.
Erza froze mid-movement.
The several paper strips already dangling from her nose fluttered in the breeze, but the fury radiating off her was anything but gentle.
"E-Erza… sis?" Wendy asked nervously from the same team.
Erza turned her head with a slow, ominous creak. "What is it?"
"Mirto, has been arrested," Lahar reported as Rhodes arrived. "This is his confession."
He handed over a thick document.
Rhodes took it, flipped through a few pages, and then immediately closed it.
"The case isn't closed yet, is it? Is it appropriate for me to be reading this?"
Lahar shook his head. "This comes with the Councilors' authorization. The questions I'll be asking you relate directly to what's inside."
"Understood."
Rhodes reopened the file, this time reading carefully.
The confession painted a pitiful, twisted picture.
Mirto's request had indeed been issued in collusion with the rebellious Celestial Spirits, its contents provided directly by them.
His motive, in the end, was tragically simple:
He wanted to become the greatest astronomer in history.
He was already a celebrated scholar, one of the most respected astronomers of his generation, but in his own eyes, that wasn't enough.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never stand beside the ancient masters who had discovered new stars, or named new constellations.
He had devoted decades to his craft, yet in this age, astronomy and Celestial Spirit studies were already so advanced that there were no new celestial bodies left to find, no constellations left unclaimed.
His dream had long since become an impossible one.
Until, one day, an impossibly handsome young man approached him and offered a temptation he could not resist.
The stranger promised him a future rewritten by the stars:
"Overthrow the current Star Spirit Realm, reshape the constellations themselves, and even the heavens will change.
When that happens, you will chart a brand-new sky.
You will be the first to record the new map of the stars, the founder of a new astronomical era."
Mirto, in that moment, had believed him completely.
If he helped destroy the old order, the "new" Celestial Spirits would aid him, granting knowledge, secrets, and insights that no human could possess.
He would become not just famous, but legendary: the omniscient astronomer, the man who redrew the heavens.
He could no longer resist such a promise.
So, after roughly estimating the power of those abandoned Spirits, Mirto agreed to cooperate.
He began executing their plan, issuing requests to lure Celestial Spirit Mages into traps.
To disguise their intent, he even published several normal requests first, ensuring many Celestial Spirit Mages would obtain keys safely and trust his name.
In reality, those "newly found" keys had never been new at all.They were keys lost in previous assassinations of Celestial Spirit Mages, carefully reclaimed and repurposed.
It was Pylos who had arranged for those keys to "vanish" in the first place, disguising the thefts so neatly that they appeared to be accidents or wartime losses.
Rhodes drew a sharp breath through his teeth. He suddenly recalled something he'd heard a few days ago: Blue Pegasus had reportedly acquired a 'Pegasus Key', and there had been similar rumors in other guilds too.
"So they weren't just quietly lying low last month…" he murmured. "They've been executing their plan this entire time."
Lahar nodded grimly. "Not exactly according to plan, though. Based on Mirto's confession, the reminders you issued through the Local Guild Alliance and the Council network actually disrupted their initial strategy.
"They were forced to change tactics, and their switch to this plan was rushed and incomplete."
He glanced down at his notes. "According to their original plan, they meant to assassinate nearly all Celestial Spirit Mages across the continent, leaving only a handful of 'lucky survivors' to witness today's rebellion."
Rhodes frowned, tapping a finger against the edge of the confession folder. "That… explains the scattered attacks last month." He skimmed the last few pages, then stopped at a particular line, reading it twice before looking up.
"So Mirto wasn't the one supplying them with intel?"
"Correct." Lahar adjusted his glasses. "During the earlier assassination operations, he had not yet formed an agreement with the rebellious Celestial Spirits.
"However, according to his testimony, there exists a Celestial Spirit of the 'Northern Cross' constellation. Its ability allows it to access contract data from the Star Spirit Realm, specifically, to identify which humans hold which keys."
He paused. "But this Spirit cannot track Celestial Spirit Mages' movements in the Human World. It can only confirm identities, not locations."
Rhodes crossed his arms, thinking aloud.
"Yet the assassins always found their targets with pinpoint accuracy. Ordinary mages were ambushed during missions; stronger ones were intercepted on their way home.
"And in the most extreme case… they infiltrated the Fiore Royal Palace itself, and nearly succeeded in killing one there, just to frame Lucy."
His voice turned low. "That kind of precision means someone else was helping them. Someone, or something, was supplying real-time location data."
He lifted his gaze, sharp and deliberate. "Tell me, Lahar… doesn't that sound like a capability the Council might already have?"
The air went taut.
Rhodes continued calmly, "The Council has always held massive data archives on Magicians, doesn't it? Not to mention your Magic Cannon Force, a weapon that can precisely strike any target on the continent. For that, you'd need an incredibly accurate tracking system."
His tone was light, but his eyes were piercing. "It's not unreasonable to assume the Council can locate anyone if they truly wish to. They simply… don't use it openly."
He shrugged. "It's not as though such magic is unheard of. Even Warren from Fairy Tail can pinpoint every person within an entire town. The Council likely has something far beyond that, a super-enhanced, magnified version of Warren's telepathic magic."
Lahar's shoulders tensed. He could feel Rhode's gaze weighing on him, and forced himself to answer steadily.
"We've reached a similar conclusion," he admitted at last. "There's definitely another party aiding the rebellious Celestial Spirits.
"But Mirto doesn't know who they are, and no evidence ties them directly to the Council."
He exhaled, his tone lowering to something closer to weary sincerity."This matter will need deeper investigation. If you discover any leads, especially if the Star Spirit Realm can provide further information, the Council would be… extremely grateful."