Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 292: July X784

Rhodes collapsed onto the ground.

It wasn't because he had been defeated, he simply ran out of magic power.

The consumption of the Mountain Dragon Soul was terrifying. Even with the Blue buff continuously replenishing his mana, it still wasn't enough.

In total, Rhodes and Mira had clashed for just over a minute before he hit his limit.

That said, when comparing their abilities, there was a clear difference. Mira's Satan Soul was an all-around enhancement, power, speed, magic.

Rhodes' Mountain Dragon Soul, by contrast, was heavily specialized for defense.

Even when he wasn't trying to defend, Mira's attacks barely fazed him. On the other hand, when Rhodes landed a hit, Mira would genuinely feel it.

Considering he was still new to using earth magic and fighting with the dragon's powers, this form was incredibly strong.

The only real downside was the absurd mana consumption.

Although, if the Mountain Dragon could hear his complaints, it would probably respond:

"That's your problem, not mine."

Right now, during their halftime break, Rhodes was lying on Mira's lap to recover. At the same time, he was gently rubbing Mira's back with one hand.

His excuse? "I hit you during our match. I feel bad. Let me help you feel better."

At first, Mira's cheeks flushed crimson. But after a while, she relaxed, finding the sensation surprisingly comforting.

In return, she reached out and began lightly massaging Rhodes' scalp.

Rhodes felt like he was in heaven, getting his mana back, being pampered, and enjoying the feel of her lap pillow all at once.

But a thought flashed through his mind: He really needed to work harder at training.

Otherwise, in the future, between magic battles and... "other" activities, his waist and legs might end up giving out first.

...

Their sparring match had taken place far from town, and by the time they finished and returned, it was already late evening.

Thanks to the mana boost from his Blue buff, Rhodes had just enough strength to escort Mira home.

Mira gave him a quick kiss at her doorstep, then ran inside before he could follow her.

Rhodes could only chuckle helplessly and head back to his place alone.

Fortunately, the broken window at his house had already been repaired.

Earlier that morning, his landlord, Goodman, had come by to ask about the damage.

Rhodes awkwardly apologized, explaining that he had gotten into a little argument with his girlfriend and accidentally broken the window.

Goodman gave him a knowing nod, as if suddenly enlightened, and patted him sympathetically on the shoulder.

He didn't seem upset at all. After all, in Magnolia, Fairy Tail wizards breaking a few windows here and there was considered extremely polite behavior compared to the usual disasters.

And as for Rhodes' girlfriend...

Although Mirajane looked sweet and gentle on the outside, anyone familiar with Fairy Tail knew the truth about her "other side."

Rhodes couldn't shake the feeling that Goodman's understanding smile hid a story of its own. Maybe he too had once been beaten up by his wife?

...

Of course, sparring like that wasn't something Rhodes could do every single day.

Most of the time, he focused on practicing his partial take over of the Mountain Dragon Soul.

Thanks to the solid foundation he had built training with other summons before, adapting to the dragon form went relatively smoothly.

Until his magic reserves grew larger, partial take over would be a crucial combat form for him.

There was also the Rift Herald.

Compared to the Mountain Dragon Soul's high consumption, the Rift Herald form could sustain longer fights.

That said, Rhodes secretly preferred riding inside the Rift Herald's "cockpit" instead of taking over its form directly.

Erza, after she finished her previous mission, she immediately took on a new one.

The reason? During her last mission, she had spotted a set of armor she wanted, but it was outrageously expensive. Plus, she'd suddenly gotten inspiration for a brand-new armor design, which meant she needed a hefty sum to pay for materials.

Rhodes had seen the rough sketches Erza drew, but... they were so abstract he couldn't make heads or tails of them.

Shockingly, Mira understood them instantly, and even gave Erza a few suggestions for improvements.

The two of them seemed to be chatting enthusiastically, leaving Rhodes to wonder if this was some kind of "secret language" shared only by abstract artists.

From what he could gather, they were trying to create a set of armor that was extremely elastic and flexible, to the point it was more like cloth than armor.

Rhodes couldn't figure out the point.

Was it so Erza wouldn't need to refit her armor if she gained weight...?

Regardless, to finance her new armor sets, Erza accepted a mission with a 3 million Jewel reward.

The task? Defeat a powerful horned monster, one not only skilled in combat but also highly adept at running away. It was considered a pretty tough job.

Even for Erza, it would probably take quite a bit of time to handle alone.

"Why don't the three of us team up and go together?" Rhodes suggested, half seriously.

He was a little jealous of the reward, and honestly, it wasn't just to flatter her.

For a monster like this, which was slippery and evasive, teaming up would make catching it much easier. Less time wasted, more efficiency.

It was just good strategy.

Erza looked tempted. Teaming up with Rhodes had been a smooth experience before.

But Mira shook her head and objected: "No way. It's the end of the month, and the Master said we can't take long-distance missions right now."

Reluctantly, Erza accepted and left.

Rhodes sighed. There went his shot at an easy million Jewel.

Mira bumped his shoulder playfully: "If you're that eager to make money, we can just pick some nearby jobs. The kind we can finish and come back from in a day."

Rhodes grinned: "Sounds perfect."

Why not combine making money with a date? It had been a while since they'd gone questing together, he missed it.

...

A new month rolled in amidst their busy days.

At the start of the month, Rhodes and Mira worked together to tally up the guild's supplies, then went out to shop for replenishments.

While they were walking through the marketplace, Mira suddenly asked:

"Hey, do you remember what's happening the day after tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow?" Rhode's first reaction was her birthday, but that was wrong, Mira's birthday was in August.

Mira smiled warmly: "It's the first anniversary of when you officially joined Fairy Tail."

Rhodes thought for a moment and said with a touch of emotion, "Has it really been a year already?"

"Yep. In just one year, Rhode, the strongest newcomer has become a reliable Fairy Tail wizard," Mira said brightly.

"How about we go celebrate?"

"Of course." Rhodes smiled, then shifted the bag he was carrying to his right hand and reached out with his left to gently hold hers.

"But I think today is important too," he added.

Before Mira could ask, Rhodes continued with a teasing grin,

"Today's the anniversary of when we first met, Mira...Jane?"

He deliberately mimicked the awkward, hesitant pronunciation he had used the first time he ever spoke her name.

Mira paused, then followed his lead, imitating his clumsy first attempt at her name:

"Rho...Des?"

The two of them burst out laughing.

Thinking back to that day, neither could have imagined they would end up like this.

Just then, they overheard a noisy quarrel nearby—

"What kind of wizard is that? He's just a drunkard who smells like booze!"

"Don't talk about my father like that!"

"But it's true! He stinks of alcohol. Wizards aren't supposed to be like that at all!"

"We're gonna be knights when we grow up, not wizards!"

The sounds of bickering drew Rhodes' and Mira's attention.

It was a group of children arguing, and the one being teased seemed to be Romeo, Macao's son.

The other kids, seeing two adults nearby, and recognizing them as Fairy Tail wizards, immediately scattered like frightened animals.

If it had been adults badmouthing Fairy Tail, Rhodes and Mira might've given them a good beating. But kids arguing... well, that wasn't something you could seriously hold against them.

And truth be told, what they said wasn't exactly wrong.

Still, it was rude to mock someone's father right in front of them.

"Sister Mira, Brother Rhodes..." Romeo greeted them politely, though his eyes were brimming with tears.

Mira handed everything she was carrying to Rhodes and gently ruffled Romeo's hair.

"Don't listen to what they say," she said softly. "Your father is a wonderful wizard."

"But I'm gonna prove it! I'm gonna show them my dad's stronger than all of theirs!" Romeo cried, and then ran off, determination burning in his little heart.

Rhodes and Mira exchanged a glance but didn't stop him. It was normal for kids to want to defend their families, after all.

Still... Rhodes quietly hoped Uncle Macao would spend a little less time chasing after his girlfriend, and a little more time being there for Romeo.

...

When they returned to the guild after finishing their errands, they found Macao waiting for them, with a mission request in hand.

"I want to take this job," Macao said firmly.

Today, he looked different. He didn't have the usual lazy, decadent aura about him. Instead, he looked, serious.

"Hakobe Snow Mountain... to fight Vulcan?" Rhodes read the request aloud, frowning.

He had never seen Vulcan himself, but he'd heard the rumors, It was a dangerous beast, extremely powerful.

Was Uncle Macao crazy?!

Mira, clearly worried, asked,

"Is it because of Romeo?"

Macao looked surprised, then gave a small, sheepish smile.

"So you know, huh?"

Rhodes said, "We bumped into Romeo earlier. He was just having a spat with some other kids. You don't have to push yourself too hard, Uncle."

Macao said seriously, "As a father, there are some things you just have to protect."

Rhodes didn't entirely agree. Kids argue for pride all the time, and most forget about it in a few days. Was it really something worth fighting over?

Macao glanced at him with a teasing smile: "When you and Mira have a kid, you'll understand. Trust me."

Bang!

Mira stamped the mission request so hard that the desk cracked.

"Be careful out there~ Uncle," Mira said sweetly, smiling with a frighteningly gentle look.

The shock woke up Makarov, who had been dozing behind the counter with his legs crossed.

Macao flinched but still winked mischievously at Rhodes.

Rhodes ignored him and went through the usual paperwork, handing over the necessary information along with a reminder:

"Watch out for avalanches on Hakobe Mountain. If the situation turns bad, don't be stubborn—run."

"Bah! Who do you think you're talking to?!" Macao scoffed. "When I was already a wizard, you weren't even born yet! A few Vulcans are child's play to me!"

With a casual wave, Macao strutted out the door.

Rhodes turned to Makarov, concerned. "Will he be alright?"

The old master shook his head and chuckled. "Just like he said, three or five Vulcans won't be a problem for him."

"Good."

Rhodes reached for Mira's hand and gently brushed her palm. "Still, you hit that desk pretty hard... did it hurt?"

Before Mira could answer, the guild door slammed open.

"I'm back! Mission complete!" Natsu shouted proudly.

"Aye, sir!" Happy added, "And this time we only burned down one church!"

Crash!

Makarov fell right off the counter.

"Natsu!!!"

Although he got a stern scolding, it wasn't too heavy—after all, only one building was destroyed this time. That was practically restrained for Natsu. Still, Makarov made him write a full self-criticism.

Gray also returned that afternoon. Apparently, he'd successfully cracked the smuggling ring and hadn't ended up walking naked through the streets this time.So, technically, mission accomplished.

Still, Makarov couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

According to the mission board schedule, a few more problem children would be returning to the guild in the next few days.

The poor Master sighed and trudged up the stairs, utterly exhausted.

The guild was relatively peaceful, for about five minutes.

Then Natsu and Gray started fighting again, for reasons nobody could remember.

The whole guild cheered and gathered around.

It wasn't until Krov rushed in from outside that Natsu froze.

"Natsu! I just heard, there's a fire dragon spotted in Hargeon!"

Boom!

Gray was floored in a sneak attack as Natsu knocked him aside.

"What did you say?!" Natsu rushed over to Krov, eyes sparkling.

"Where?!"

"H-Hargeon... that's what I heard!"

"Happy, let's go!"

Without a second thought, Natsu grabbed his bag, barely even setting foot inside the guild before rushing out again.

"Wait for me, Natsu!" Happy flapped after him, turning back at the door and shouting:

"Rhodes, the grilled fish we ordered, give it to Warm!"

"Sure..." Rhodes waved, but something felt off. "Wait, you haven't paid yet!"

"It's fine!" Mira giggled, holding up a wallet. "He forgot this."

Rhodes breathed a sigh of relief. "Perfect."

Inside, the wallet probably contained their last mission's reward. Rhodes certainly wasn't shy about claiming it for their tab.

Behind him, Gray staggered back to his feet, covering his bruised face.

"Damn it, Natsu!!!"

"You sneaky bastard, just wait till you get back!"

...

Bonus @800

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