Memory

Rhodes began his investigation with the guild's photo albums.

Since Mira had said that Mest had joined Fairy Tail a long time ago, even if there weren't individual portraits, he should at least show up in group photos, right?

Even Loke—who mostly showed up in magazines—was featured in a few, including a big group shot from the last Harvest Festival.

But after flipping all the way through to the last page, Rhodes didn't see a single trace of Mest.

He then checked the art collection Reedus kept in the guild library, which recorded guild moments in the form of illustrations. Still, no sign of Mest.

Was this guy really as mysterious as Mystogan?

Rhodes frowned. It seemed unlikely—but not impossible. After all, when he asked Mira, Cana, and Elfman about Mest, none of them gave him a clear answer. They all hesitated, as if struggling to recall any solid details.

If he wanted to learn more about Mest, his only remaining option was to check past mission records.

But...

Having helped Mira sort through those records before, Rhodes knew just how massive that archive was. The guild could log dozens of jobs in a single month—going back years would be like diving headfirst into an ocean of parchment.

He winced at the thought.

"I really need to borrow those enchanted glasses… too bad Levy isn't here today."

Levy had taken on several solo jobs recently. Even though she didn't seem confident in herself, she'd still wanted to give it a try during exam season.

There were few people like Rhodes who genuinely had no interest in the S-Class trials from the start.

"Wait—the member registry! That should help. At the very least, I can see when Mest joined the guild and narrow things down."

The list began, as expected, with the guildmaster: Makarov. Next was Porlyusica, then Gildarts, followed by Macao and Wakaba.

The list was sorted in the order of when each wizard joined the guild. Naturally, it didn't include those who had resigned or passed away—except for the legendary first master, Mavis.

Rhodes reasonably suspected there was another master list somewhere that included every Fairy Tail member since its founding, but this wasn't it.

He scanned the names from top to bottom, then flipped from the end back again. He saw his own name... but still no Mest.

To be sure, he read it through a third time.

Still nothing.

"What the heck is going on?"

Rhodes marched over to the master's office with the roster in hand, a heavy feeling in his chest.

He held the book out to Makarov, expression serious. "Master, what's going on with Mest? Isn't he supposed to be part of our guild?"

Makarov blinked. "Of course he is! Why do you ask?"

"Because he's not listed here in the registry. I also couldn't find him in any of the guild's photos or illustration albums," Rhodes replied, flipping to the final page. "Even my name is here—which means this book was updated recently. If Mest really joined years ago, how could his name not be here?"

Makarov let out a small groan. That… was a problem.

He had purposefully removed every photograph that included Mest, storing them away securely. As for the registry;

The guild roster was enchanted with a kind of living tracking magic. If a member's guild mark disappeared for any reason—resignation, death, or magical concealment—their name would vanish from the list automatically.

Mest's Fairy Tail mark had been temporarily erased to let him infiltrate the Magic Council. Naturally, his name disappeared as well.

It wasn't part of any high-level conspiracy; it was just thorough espionage work. That way, if the Council ever came to audit the roster, there'd be no risk of exposure.

The whole point of the registry was to simplify those kinds of reviews.

Makarov hadn't expected Rhodes to stumble across it like this.

He rubbed his temples. "Why did you suddenly start investigating Mest?"

"Because I'm Cana's partner for the S-Class exam," Rhodes said matter-of-factly. "Shouldn't I be researching potential opponents? You know how I operate."

"..."

Makarov could only nod helplessly.

Indeed, this kid had always made a habit of investigating the local situation thoroughly before accepting even minor missions outside Magnolia—let alone something as serious as the S-Class Promotion Exam.

Being cautious was, of course, a good thing. But at this moment... even Makarov hadn't considered such meticulous detail.

Should he temporarily restore Mest's guild emblem? But that guy might be reporting to the Magic Council at this very moment. Wouldn't that be selling out one of his own?

"Ahem..." Makarov cleared his throat and said, "I do have some photos of Mest. He rarely took any, so I set them aside for safekeeping. As for the roster... I must've missed him when I was updating it."

Rhodes gave him a look—one that practically said, "Do you think I'm that gullible?"

It wasn't hard to print a few extra photos. But to overlook something as important as the official member list?

"Then, could you at least retrieve some of Mest's mission logs?" Rhode asked. "I mean just the standard ones—nothing sensitive. There shouldn't be an issue with that, right?"

"At this time, even those ordinary-looking missions are considered classified," Makarov replied, starting to feel a little uneasy under Rhodes's unwavering gaze. Lying to his own guild member like this...

No. I wasn't lying.

"In any case, Mest is definitely a Fairy Tail wizard. That much is certain."

"Then..." Rhodes suddenly paused. "Wait a second."

He took a few steps back and glanced around the guild hall. "Erza, can you come over here for a moment?"

"Hm?" Erza approached. "What's going on?"

Mira, who wasn't far away, also walked over quickly, curious. She had a feeling she'd missed some juicy gossip while busy serving food.

"Erza, stand here and get ready for battle. Mira, step back just a little and stand over here." Rhode gently pulled Mira behind Erza for cover.

Erza looked confused. "Battle? Against who?"

Makarov frowned. "What are you up to now?"

Rhodes crouched down slightly and nudged Mira's head to duck lower.

Mira lightly slapped his hand away, but the playful look on his face made her laugh. She sensed something silly was coming and went along with it.

Then, Rhodes asked cautiously, "Master... is there any magic in the world that can control a person's mind?"

Veins bulged on Makarov's forehead. Was this kid seriously suspecting him of being under mind control?

He even called Erza over in case the "possessed" master suddenly lost control and attacked someone—and needed someone strong enough to stop him?

Makarov couldn't decide whether to be angry or impressed by how cautious Rhodes was… even at a time like this.

"Hahaha..." Mira clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably. She had no idea what led to this moment, but seeing Rhodes say all that with a straight face—and actually preparing for a possible outburst from the guild master—was just too much.

It was hilarious.

"The master's been brainwashed? Are you serious?" Erza asked as she summoned a longsword into her hand without hesitation. She was ready to shield both Mira and Rhodes the instant anything seemed off.

Makarov let out a long sigh. "Mental magic, by nature, becomes easy to resist once the victim becomes aware of the manipulation."

He looked at Rhodes and continued, "Unless the caster's magical power is vastly superior to mine—so much so that we're not even on the same level—it's not possible."

"..."

Erza silently dispelled her sword. That kind of threat wasn't just unlikely—it was basically a doomsday scenario.

If someone that powerful were scheming behind the scenes, there would be no point in resisting anyway.

Rhodes thought it over and then asked, "What about…"

Makarov cut him off with a sharp glance. "You're going to ask if memory magic is possible next, aren't you?"

Rhodes nodded.

"In theory," Makarov said, "memory-altering magic can affect individuals with much stronger magic power than the caster. But again, if the target becomes aware of the tampering, it becomes relatively easy to break free from it."

"I've already checked myself. I'm not under any kind of memory manipulation. That answer enough for you?"

He shot a glare at Rhodes, who was still crouching behind Erza, and seriously considered knocking the kid on the head.

At that moment, Mira and Erza blinked in realization, exchanging glances.

"Master, I…" they both started, but Makarov raised a hand to silence them.

He gave Rhodes one last exasperated look, then hopped down from the counter and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Come with me."