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"Oho—tell me, do you… like Roland?"
Shoved aside, Cana rubbed her chin and leaned in a bit, eyeing the petite blue-haired girl in front of her with open suspicion.
Side by side, one tall and… generously curved, the other short and flat as a board—the difference in figure could not have been more brutal.
He hadn't thought much of it before, but with such a stark comparison…
Roland pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and silently thought, Kind of feel bad for Levy now…
"L-like? No— I just didn't want Roland to misunderstand what you meant!"
Levy's cheeks went pink as she fumbled for an excuse for what she'd just done.
And with Cana's brash personality—plus what she'd just said—who wouldn't get the wrong idea?
"Misunderstand? Misunderstand what?"
Cana cocked a brow, then quickly realized what "misunderstanding" Levy meant.
So she thinks I was deliberately flirting?
After sorting it out, Cana's lips curled into a smile. She drawled, "I meant what I said. This newbie's looks are exactly my type."
Her "tear-of-love" beauty mark was putting in work today.
It wasn't just Levy; even Roland was thrown for a second by such blunt honesty.
This woman… does she have no shame!?
Once the daze passed, that thought popped up in Levy's head on instinct.
But the heavy sense of crisis that followed made her eyes sharpen at once.
This woman—drinking since thirteen, and a figure only Mira could match. Just on looks, she was obviously the kind of bad woman who could reel men in with ease.
Strange, though. With such an outstanding face and body, she'd never actually dated anyone.
Didn't matter. Levy still marked her as the greatest threat.
After all, that body—polar opposite of her own—was an absolute male magnet.
Maybe sensing Levy's stare, Cana lazily stretched, showing off every inch of her curves.
Levy's face darkened a few shades at the sight.
"Ahem, okay, that's enough—"
Seeing the atmosphere tilt the wrong way, Roland hurriedly cut in, rubbing his temple. "Sorry, I've got guild work this afternoon. I don't have much free time…"
"No biggie. We can go when you're free later." Cana wasn't bothered by the rejection in the least, her cheeks still flushed from drink. "Just don't turn me down next time."
Is she drunk?
Catching the thick reek of wine on her, Roland couldn't help shaking his head.
—
Inside the guild tavern.
As expected, Roland had won the challenge in overwhelming fashion. Macao and Wakaba, flush with winnings, had their arms slung over each other, faces lit with glee.
"Ha—ppy—"
Natsu, defeated, lay sprawled on the table; Happy beside him did the same.
Not only had they failed to learn anything about other Dragon Slayers, they'd even blown the last of their savings… couldn't afford lunch.
"Didn't they just get back from a job?"
Seated at the bar, Roland sipped a glass of red and asked, a bemused look on his face.
By rights, even if they lost a lot betting, it shouldn't be so bad they couldn't eat, right?
"That's because on the job, Natsu accidentally burned down a magic tool shop. All the commission went to compensation—he even had to pay extra on top," Mira explained, arms full of plates.
She smiled. "But you know, this kind of thing isn't rare. You get used to it."
In Fairy Tail, this happened all the time. Like when Erza, in trying to catch a criminal, accidentally leveled half the town.
You go out for a job and—forget making money—breaking even is a win.
"I see…"
Roland nodded, understanding.
After a moment's thought, he walked over to Natsu and pulled out the Gourmet Tablecloth he'd received yesterday.
"Lunch is on me today. What do you two want to eat?"
"OOOH!!—Is that smell Roland!?"
At the words "on me," Natsu and Happy perked up instantly, eyes shining, voices soaring.
"Thank you!"
"Aye! I knew Roland's a good guy!"
Happy drooled at the mouth and hurried to heap on the praise.
"Get me a plate of Fire Curry Rice!"
"Aye! I want fish!"
Not sure what "Fire Curry" was supposed to be, Roland still snapped his fingers and said lightly, "Then let's do a Devil-Spice Curry and a raw-fish banquet."
Devil-spice ought to feel like "fire," right?
He stroked his chin.
As the words fell, steam-wreathed curry and plates of sashimi appeared on the table, stunning Natsu and Happy.
"That's your magic too!?"
"Amazing! Can I learn it!?"
"Strictly speaking, it's a magic tool—not my magic," Roland corrected, then put in two honeydew parfaits for Levy and Mira as well.
Levy went without saying, and since joining, Mira had looked out for him too… Besides, he had an important task tied to her.
Levy, still discussing follow-up job details with her former teammates, hadn't come over yet, so after sending off the desserts, Roland returned to the bar.
"Mira-nee, take a breather."
Setting the parfait in front of the busy Mira, Roland took up the ballpoint pen and slid into her spot with a smile.
The Shadow Legion made serving much easier, sure, but the orders and the till still had to be handled by Mira—or him.
"Ah, thanks!"
Mira eyed the snow-white cream in the glass and the honeydew and chocolate tucked among it, accepting with curiosity.
She'd never seen this dessert, but just by the looks, the taste shouldn't be bad.
She took a small spoonful—sweetness bloomed with the light fragrance of fruit. Mira closed her eyes in contentment, her crescent lashes beautiful as a new moon.
"How is it?"
Roland handed his wine to a Shadow soldier and turned his head to ask.
He wasn't sure how tastes differed between worlds, but dessert ought to be close enough.
"The flavor and texture are both unique. If you opened a shop, it would definitely be a hot topic among the girls," Mira said with a slight tilt of her head and a smile.
Meanwhile—
On her way to the bar after finishing up, Levy paused beside a particularly round member.
She squinted at the sketchboard before him: a handsome man and a lovely woman, chatting with warm smiles, the air between them sweet as honey.
It was a flawless picture—expressions and background exquisitely done. The problem was… she knew that man very well.
They'd had a rather intense kiss just last night, after all…
"Reedus… what are you drawing?"
Levy's eyes dimmed, her voice turning cool.
"Roland and Mira—don't you think they look perfect together?" Reedus replied, focused, completely missing the blank look on the girl's face.
(End of Chapter)
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