Chapter 6: Temporary Home
"There's no doubt about it. This is a high-quality magic item."
Makarov spoke with certainty. Magic power never lied—he could recognize a magic artifact at a glance.
Perhaps Rhodes had managed to survive that monster rampage because of this pendant, even if he himself had no idea how to use it.
Rhodes carefully removed the necklace, letting the thin metal chain coil into a small pile in his palm. The pendant rested at the center—golden lettering against a deep blue background, shimmering in the light like a miniature star.
He turned it over, examining every angle, but aside from looking incredibly well-crafted, he couldn't tell what made it so special.
"Tatsuya, you never gave me an instruction manual for this thing!" Rhodes blurted in his native language.
Makarov and Mirajane exchanged confused glances.
Realizing they didn't understand him, Rhodes sighed and handed the pendant to Makarov.
"Master, do you know how I'm supposed to use this?"
"You don't necessarily need to know magic to use a magic item," Makarov explained. "But once you can use it, you've already taken your first step into magic itself."
Taking the necklace into his hand, Makarov murmured something—his words flowing rapidly, almost like a tongue-twister.