Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 23: Weekly Sorcerer

"Thank you." Rhodes nodded at Mira, appreciating her kindness. "Now I understand why Laki said no one has ever seen Mystogan's real face."

Mira still seemed a little concerned but followed along with his words. "Well, he's always been mysterious. He probably has his own reasons."

Rhodes scanned the guild and noticed the chaos left behind by Mystogan's magic. "Even Erza was knocked out? Does that mean Mystogan is stronger than her?"

Mira shook her head. "Strength isn't something you can compare that easily," she explained. "If they fought head-on, Erza would have ways to counter his sleep magic. You can't determine who's stronger unless they truly go all out against each other."

"I see." Rhodes nodded thoughtfully.

Mira claims she's not much of a fighter, but she always seems to have a solid understanding of battles.

Is it because she knows her guildmates well? Or has she just watched too many fights?

Around them, the guild members were reacting in their own ways. Some simply shrugged and went about their business, unfazed by Mystogan's actions. Others were proud that such a powerful wizard was part of Fairy Tail, openly expressing their admiration. A few, however, were clearly annoyed and shouted about getting revenge on him one day.

This was how Fairy Tail functioned. Everyone had their own personalities, and they accepted each other—flaws and all.

And if they couldn't tolerate something?

They fought.

And if the fight didn't settle things?

They fought again.

At the end of the day, they were still family.

"Alright, I hate Mystogan now. In the future, I'm going to beat him up with multiple hands and feet," Rhodes said.

It was the kind of statement that perfectly matched Fairy Tail's style—bold, passionate, and direct.

The only problem? Actually pulling it off.

Mira chuckled. "Well... you've got a long way to go."

She paused for a moment, then gave him a playful smile. "Also, I think you just used the phrase 'seven hands and eight feet' incorrectly."

"Did I?" Rhodes grinned. "My magic is meant for brawls. When I fight him, there'll definitely be way more than seven hands and eight feet involved."

Mira sighed, shaking her head in amusement.

"Alright, alright!" Makarov's voice cut through the chatter. "Mystogan has his reasons for doing this. I'll explain it to you later. But first..."

He cast a quick glance in Rhodes' direction. Seeing Mira talking to him so naturally, the guild master let out a small sigh of relief.

Then his eyes narrowed, and he turned his full attention to another troublemaker.

"GRAY!"

"Yes!" Gray instinctively stood at attention as soon as his name was called.

"You really outdid yourself this time! Thanks to you, I got another earful from the Magic Council!"

"S-Sorry!" Gray averted his gaze, clearly guilty, unable to meet the guild master's eyes.

At that moment, Natsu stormed back into the guild, grumbling in frustration after failing to catch up to Mystogan. But the second he spotted Gray's distressed expression, his irritation vanished, replaced by a wide, smug grin.

Bursts of laughter erupted from his throat—laughter so fiery it looked like he was about to breathe actual flames.

"Ahahaha! Gray, you got chewed out again!"

"Tch..." Gray clenched his teeth. "Damn you, Natsu..."

As much as he disliked being scolded by Makarov, being mocked by Natsu was far worse.

"You too, Natsu!" Makarov's booming voice cut through the noise, his anger shifting targets.

Natsu blinked. "Huh? Me?"

"Would you care to explain why a simple mission to capture a wild boar ended with several acres of farmland being burned down?! You even dried up the water in the rice fields!"

Natsu and Gray now stood side by side, cold sweat dripping down their faces.

"You moron! You did more damage than the wild boar itself!"

For the next several minutes, Makarov unleashed his full wrath upon them. His magic kicked in, causing his head to enlarge until it practically filled the room. His gaping mouth—big enough to swallow them whole—bellowed so loudly that Natsu and Gray nearly got blasted off their feet.

Yet, despite all the yelling, Makarov never actually told them to change their ways.

Nor did he hand out any real punishment.

Once he'd vented enough frustration, the guild master simply huffed and went back to writing his self-criticism for the Council.

Meanwhile, Natsu coughed up the money for the farmland damages right then and there, so that problem was settled on the spot.

Gray, for his part, sincerely apologized to the client... though the phrase "I promise it won't happen again" was, predictably, a lie.

But at the very least, the guild made a mental note:

Next time there's an escort mission involving noblewomen... DO NOT assign Gray.

Makarov caught sight of a familiar face lounging on the stairs, casually entertaining two women at once.

Loke.

He was definitely off the escort mission roster as well.

Last time, he flirted with the lead actress of the performing arts company that issued the request, resulting in yet another formal complaint.

Makarov sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.

"One after another... these kids are going to be the death of me."

But as he gazed across the guild, watching the lively chaos, the endless noise, the boundless energy—he couldn't help but smile.

Yes, they were troublesome... but they were happy troubles.

Just then, Mira arrived at the counter, carrying a tray with tea and snacks, perfectly timed as always.

Makarov's mood improved instantly.

"If you're going this far, might as well swap the tea for some wine," he suggested, grinning.

Mira planted both hands on her hips and shot him a stern look.

"Absolutely not, Master! You drank enough yesterday. You need to cut back!"

Makarov wilted.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.

"Yes, ma'am..."

For all his wisdom and power, he was often the one giving the guild headaches.

...

During the afternoon break, Rhode flipped through the pages of a magazine as Laki retrieved something from behind the counter.

"Of course, there are magazines," Laki said, handing him a book.

"This is Sorcerer Weekly, the most popular wizarding magazine right now. I bought this copy a few weeks ago and totally forgot to bring it home."

Rhodes examined the cover.

It featured three strikingly handsome men posing dramatically.

One of them, Rhode recognized immediately—Hibiki, the wizard who had helped him install the language package.

The other two had their own unique charms, but something about the way the trio posed together made Rhodes think of... Team Rocket?

"They're all from Blue Pegasus, right?" Rhodes asked, raising an eyebrow.

Laki nodded. "Yep, this issue's theme is Blue Pegasus—a guild known for its abundance of handsome men."

Rhodes had reason to suspect that the only reason Laki had left it at the guild was because she had been too distracted admiring the photos and had forgotten to take it home.

Flipping open the magazine, he found the first page dedicated to Hibiki, complete with details about his age, magic, hobbies, and even his relationship status.

The next two profiles followed the same format, introducing his teammates from the same guild.

Together, Hibiki "Hundred Nights" Lates, Eve "Holy Night" Tearm, and Ren "Sky Night" Akatsuki formed the famous Trimens of Blue Pegasus.

A few pages later, the interview section mentioned that they were guided by an incredibly powerful wizard, someone they deeply respected as both a leader and mentor.

All three of them expressed admiration for this man, describing him as a true gentleman and a paragon of masculinity.

That man was none other than Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki—the strongest wizard in Blue Pegasus.

However, the article noted that when Ichiya learned the magazine had limited space, he graciously chose to let his younger teammates take the spotlight instead, a truly selfless act that moved many to tears.

Rhodes paused and murmured, "Seems like a good guy."

Turning the page, he was immediately greeted by an advertisement.

'The featured product for this issue?'

"Magic Mosquito Repellent Elixir"—A Single Spray Keeps the Bugs Away!

According to the description, this potion far outperformed traditional mosquito coils or floral-scented insect repellents.

The merchant had clearly invested heavily in this advertisement—so much so that when Rhodes lingered on the page for long enough, the magazine activated a built-in magical projection.

A shimmering 3D hologram appeared in midair, displaying a model gracefully spraying the potion and demonstrating its effects in real-time.

The professional narration and polished advertising slogans were so convincing that even Rhodes—who wasn't exactly swimming in cash—felt tempted to buy a bottle.