Chapter 307: Lullaby
The security at the Guild Masters' Conference was... nonexistent, to be honest.
Sure, most of the guild masters were powerful mages, especially Makarov, who was practically a one-man army when sober, but the man was currently riding a high from drinks and naps. That hardly inspired confidence.
So, Rhodes took it upon himself to play backup security.
He released extra summoned beasts to patrol the surrounding area. Since the meeting was being held in the forests outside Clover Town, wild creatures like wolves, birds, and even giant crabs wouldn't raise suspicion. They just blended in with the local environment.
And it was through the eyes of two summoned crabs that Rhodes spotted something alarming.
A man wrapped in bandages was speeding through the forest in a magic-powered vehicle. Behind him were Erza, Natsu, and Gray, in hot pursuit.
More importantly, the bandaged man bore the Eisenwald guild emblem, the same dark guild they'd discussed the day before.
"Master," Rhodes said quickly, "have you ever seen a weird staff that looks like a gnarled branch... with a three-eyed skull on it?"
Before Makarov could answer, Master Bob from Blue Pegasus nearly dropped his drink. "What did you say?"
Rhodes repeated, "A staff or wand with a three-eyed skull."
"That's not a wand," Bob said grimly. "That's a flute. And if your description is right, that's Lullaby, Zeref's cursed flute."