Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 121: Gray Is Multi-Talented

The next morning, Rhodes woke up early.

Ever since arriving in this world, daily work had straightened out his bad habit of sleeping in. No more snoozing until noon.

Sharing a room with Gray had turned out fine. The guy didn't have any weird quirks—except that he slept poorly, and naked.

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Still, it was better than bunking with Natsu. That one not only slept in bizarre poses and snored like a beast, but sometimes even snored out flames.

Sleeping near him always came with the fear he might have a nightmare and accidentally burn the place down.

Gray got up around the same time, throwing off the covers and standing up as he rubbed his eyes and headed for the door.

"Don't move!" Rhodes shouted, bolting to the door and grabbing the handle before Gray could reach it.

Gray blinked, still half-asleep. "Rhodes, do you need the bathroom too?"

"For the love of Gods—put on some clothes first!"

Gray looked down, blinked, and replied, "Ah. Almost forgot."

Disaster narrowly averted first thing in the morning.

After taking care of the basics, the two went out for a light morning workout.

By the time they got back, Wendy was already up, full of energy, holding a thick magic tome and reading intently. Carla was in the kitchen making breakfast.

Rhodes blinked. Wait, is Carla the one who usually does the cooking at Wendy's place?

"Good morning, Mr. Gray, Mr. Rhodes," Wendy greeted sweetly.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Wendy," Rhodes replied. "Starting your day with magic study already? Don't forget what Porlyusica said—you can't push yourself too hard."

"I know, I remember," Wendy said with a nod. "But this is the magic Grandeeney left behind for me. I want to learn it before I meet her—at least enough to understand it."

The hopeful smile on her face glowed even brighter in the morning sunlight.

Maybe, deep down, she was hoping that by mastering these spells, she'd be one step closer to seeing Grandeeney again.

"Do your best."

"It's time to eat!" Carla called, emerging from the kitchen to summon them to the table. She didn't look like she'd gotten much rest.

"Didn't sleep well?" Rhodes asked, feeling a little strange asking their host about her sleep as a guest.

"Just a nightmare," Carla muttered, shooting a glare at Gray.

Yikes

Rhodes thought. Is she really going to tell us she couldn't sleep because she was worried some pervert might sneak into her room?

Gray blinked in confusion. "What's with that look? All I said yesterday was cats don't like hot food."

Carla was a little vindictive, it seemed.

"Thank you for the meal," Rhodes said politely. "It was delicious."

"Hmph. I didn't make it especially for you."

"Even so, I appreciate it. We'll be heading out. See you in a few days."

Rhodes picked up his bag and suitcase. Gray also slung on his pack and hoisted the tent Carla had lent them.

"Thanks for everything."

He paused after a few steps, then turned back and said sincerely, "Also... thanks for the tent, and breakfast was really good."

Carla froze for a moment, her expression twisting into flustered indignation.

"W-What's with the sudden praise? Annoying!"

Wendy giggled softly. "Carla's cooking is really yummy."

"Wendy!"

Rhodes turned just in time to see Carla's ears twitching furiously, face flushed.

With tsunderes, you've gotta hit 'em with the truth straight on.

Gray, that guy—his Ice-Make magic might be cold, but his heart was warm as ever.

Rhodes and Gray left the small village, riding atop a Scuttle Crab as they made their way toward the mountains.

From this day forward, they would be advancing deeper into the range, scouting by day and camping in the wild at night.

They soon encountered a patrol unit from the Magic Council and decided to check in with them.

As usual, Rhodes deployed his Scuttle Crabs and Murk Wolves to scout ahead. Once they were out of sight, he discreetly released even more summoned creatures to cover a wider search radius.

Rhodes was in a curious state of mind—working hard, yet slacking off at the same time. Such was the luxury of being a summoner.

When things quieted down, he and Gray sparred for fun. Gray had learned a variety of martial arts techniques—punches, kicks, grapples, and even the use of various weapons like swords and spears. He claimed these were meant to help with his Ice-Make Magic.

Rhodes couldn't help but think, "People who can conjure their own weapons are too spoiled."

Thanks to the number of Council personnel present, the search progressed much faster than Rhodes had originally expected.

Although they didn't uncover anything on the first day, the grilled meat they had for dinner made up for it.

Using Solid Script Magic to light fires was incredibly convenient, and with Gray around, they didn't have to worry about accidentally starting a forest fire.

That night, they set up camp in the middle of the Council unit, accepting the invitation from Captain Kewpie himself.

"Stake that down. Hold this. Tie the knot here..."

Rhodes had no idea how to pitch a tent and had to rely on Gray to guide him. Still, it was a new skill learned.

Mountain camping required awareness of potential hazards like snakes, bugs, and rodents, but the Council came prepared. They had even brought the latest insect repellent, which Rhodes had seen advertised in Sorcerer Weekly during the summer but never bought.

This time, he could mooch a little for free. Gray even got to keep his own stash for later use.

This routine continued until the morning of the third day.

Rhodes used his solid script magic to conjure water so he and Gray could wash up.

After that, they joined Captain Kewpie for some breakfast bread and prepared for another day of scouting.

Just like before, Rhodes summoned his scouting units and then settled into a routine of card games, training, and quiet meditation.

Around midday, one of the Murk Wolves suddenly returned to the Summoner's Rift on its own—a signal that it had spotted something unusual.

Unlike the Scuttle Crabs, Murk Wolves couldn't share visual data. This was their only way to silently communicate an alert.

Rhodes quickly summoned the Murk Wolf again. "How many targets did you see?"

The Murk Wolf scratched the ground with its claw—ten.

"Where are they?"

After a series of directional scratches and gestures, it became clear the group was still some distance away.

"Let's report in and wrap this up," Rhodes said.

He recalled the rest of his summons, re-summoned a Scuttle Crab, and called Gray over to go find Captain Kewpie.

They left any non-essential luggage behind in the previous night's camp. Rhodes carried only a small pack.

On the way, he pulled out a spellbook and two explosive lacrima, stuffing them into Gray's pockets. "You should be able to use these, right?"

Gray looked alarmed. "You always carry this bag around, and you keep this stuff inside?!"

"Of course. You never know when you'll need it."

Gray, unimpressed, grumbled, "I'm not as cooperative as Mira. I can't use these."

"Fine, your call." Rhodes packed the items away again. It wasn't like they were going to be on the front lines anyway.

After hearing the report, Kewpie quickly rallied his team and asked Rhodes to lead them.

"Only ten people have been spotted so far," he warned his unit. "But there could be more. The Zat Brothers might have brought their entire Dark Guild. Stay sharp."

Rhodes left a Murk Wolf to act as a guide while sending a Scuttle Crab ahead to gather more intel.

"Are you sure you don't need our help in the fight?" Rhodes asked.

"No," Kewpie replied firmly. "Once we confirm their location, even if the entire Naked Bandage Men Guild is present, we can handle it."

He glanced sternly at Rhodes. "But make sure you follow our two standing conditions. Otherwise, the consequences won't just be about losing your reward."

"I promise not to interfere," Rhodes said. He had no interest in causing unnecessary trouble.