Ben resumed his journey with Bella after burying Morgbitt next to his wife. He took everything Morgbitt created like he asked. He even took the failed creations, leaving nothing behind.
Right now, Ben and Bella head to the northern beach. They will explore the beach while heading west. There was a town that they can visit on their way there. It was the town they visited on their job to the newly discovered island.
They went to the town because they needed to restock their supplies. The needed supplies were seasonings, hygiene materials and most importantly, Bella's milk. Her milk supply was nearly empty now and she kept reminding Ben about it, so they need to fill it soon.
On their way to Port Town, they fought some wild creatures. Bella can defeat some low or mid-level creatures now, so she can help Ben fight. She used her gunslinger and even used her new sword sometimes.
Even though she rarely fought, Bella is still a capable combatant. Ben always trained her together with Wendy and Carla. She even trained more than both of them because she always joined Ben on his jobs.
Ben taught her mostly long-range attacks using her gunslinger. Her flight was a big advantage and she needs to use it. She's also strong enough to lift Ben and took him into the air for a short time.
They walk along the coastline while taking breaks every few hours. Bella will always play in the water while Ben swam or went fishing. The way to Port Town is very relaxing even though some creatures attack them once and a while.
Ben and Bella arrived in Port Town after 5 days and immediately head to the market. They bought everything they need before renting a room in a hotel. They won't stay here for too long and were going to resume their journey in 2 days.
"Mayor?" Bella asked while swimming in the hotel room's bathtub.
"No, we won't visit the mayor. I get the feeling she will ask us to do something if we go there. We can't turn her request down as she is very pushy." Ben pointed out while relaxing in the hot water.
"Want mayor's milk." Bella begged.
"Hey, that's very ambiguous. You need to say that you want the milk in the mayor's residence." Ben sweat dropped.
"Same." Bella said.
"It's not the same. Anyway, we can't go there because it's a inconvenience. I will buy a lot of milk from the farm tomorrow, alright? We can buy some flavor essences if you want to make the milk tastier." Ben said.
"Uh, kay." Bella sadly said.
"Thank you for your understanding." Ben said while rubbing her head.
The next morning, they head to a farm on the outskirts of town. It was the best place to buy a lot of fresh milk. Unfortunately, they ran into someone they wanted to avoid, the mayor's assistant, Marc.
"Oh, Ben Bella-chan, long time no see. Are you on a job?" Marc asked.
"No, we are just traveling." Ben answered with a resigned expression.
"You don't seem to be happy seeing me again after several months." Marc noted.
"Of course, I'm happy." Ben replied with a resigned expression.
"You don't look happy. But it is strange, you still look the same as before. A boy your age should've grown a lot, but you didn't change at all." Marc said, inspecting Ben.
"It's just your imagination. How much do you think a human can change anyway? I am not a caterpillar who can turn into a butterfly, you know." Ben stated.
"Hmm, maybe you're right. Anyway, you need to meet the mayor if you're not on a job. She must've wanted to see you guys after several months." Marc said.
"Can we skip that? We have things to do." Ben asked.
"Come on, it won't take too long. You must've come here to buy milk for Bella-chan, right? Too bad the mayor bought everything here for the residence's stock. So you can only get it by seeing the mayor directly." Marc told them the bad news.
Ben had a dark expression and it became even worse when Bella started to beg, tearing up. He can only sigh and agree to meet the mayor even though he didn't want to. His only hope is that the mayor won't ask him to do anything dangerous.
They went to the mayor's residence and met the stressed woman. It seems there was a big problem in Port Town and she can't resolve it. Ben wanted to run away immediately when he saw her, but the mayor calls out to him as soon as she sees him.
"Ah! Ben, you've come at the right time. You need to help me." The mayor said excitedly.
"Ugh, I-I have a job to do." Ben stammered, trying to get out of the residence.
"Eh? You said you were just traveling, so you shouldn't have a job." Marc tilted his head.
Ben cursed the guy internally while the mayor became excited.
"Really? Then you should have time to help me a little. Don't worry, I will pay you a sufficient reward as a S-Class mage." The mayor said in a hopeful tone.
Ben sighed and turned around. He gave up after hearing her say that. Bella also looked at him because they can obtain the milk she wanted there.
"What is it?" Ben asked.
"You'll help? That's great." The mayor was overjoyed to have his assistance.
"Wait! I haven't agreed to anything, it'll still depend on the job." Ben argued.
"It's okay, I know you can finish this job." The mayor told him.
The mayor then explained what she wanted Ben to do. She wants him to release a kid and some people that were captured by a dark guild. It is a high-priority job because the kid is a daughter of a high-ranked noble.
The authorities found the dark guild's whereabouts and have attempted to free the little girl. But the dark guild threatened to kill the hostages and will release them when their demand is met.
"What is their demand?" Ben asked.
"They want us to release their guild master. He was detained by the Magic Council and of course money, a lot of money." The mayor elaborated.
"The dark's guild master massacred the inhabitants of a village. They are one of many dark guilds that worship Zeref and want to awaken him. That's why the kingdom and Magic Council can't release their guild master, but the noble's daughter needs to be released."
"Why don't you ask for help from a big-name guild?" Ben asked.
"We've contacted the nearest big guild, Blue Pegasus. But their best mages aren't available at the moment. The other big guilds are too far away and it will take time to send their mages over. But we can't wait as the dark guild issued a time limit. We need to meet their demands in 2 days and this is the 2nd day already." The mayor explained.
"Where are they located?" Ben asked.
"You'll take the job?" The mayor asked back.
"Yeah, I'm not about to let people die if I can do something about it." Ben responded.
The mayor was overjoyed and ordered a soldier who knew about the location to guide him there. Ben left immediately with Bella and the guide to their destination. He was going to make the dark guild regret ruining his relaxation.