Mira casually found an excuse to shoo away Laki and the others who were causing a commotion.
She whispered to Rhode, "If you're treating, what about the rent?"
She hadn't forgotten why Rhode wanted to take on a mission before.
Rhode pulled a face, "I'll take on another mission in the next couple of days... Please help keep an eye out for me, and I'll also ask around if anyone wants to team up."
Mira laughed, "Alright~"
Rhode is always moving forward, so the President doesn't need to worry too much.
There was still plenty of time before the guild closed, so Rhode went to the backyard to practice some ironwork and punching. It felt strange not to have had a good workout in the past couple of days.
He trained for a while before stopping, then used the guild's shower to freshen up, and returned to the tavern to chat with Marcus and the others.
Today, there were enough people around, so Rhode only needed to lend a hand occasionally.
With Rhode there, the conversation naturally drifted to his and Mira's outing together.
However, Rhode's main purpose was to remind everyone to be more careful when working outside, so he worked hard to steer the topic back to the Ghost incident.
"The Ghost guild actually did such a thing!" Alzack was a bit angry, then a bit envious,
"But protecting the person you want to protect perfectly during a team-up, isn't that cool?"
He wanted to invite Bisca to team up and protect her well, so if that happened...
Rhode looked at Alzack's expression and secretly reflected on whether he'd ever shown such a dumb expression.
"The Ghost guys really are annoying," Nabu accused Ghost but then consoled,
"However, this should be considered a rare incident, and the chances of mages from different guilds meeting aren't high."
Rhode glanced at the person speaking and cautiously said, "Nabu, hearing that from you is hard to believe."
Nabu was startled, "Huh?"
Marcus laughed heartily, "Exactly, Nabu, you need at least one or two missions under your belt to say something like that!"
"Rhode, this is for you," Lidas suddenly handed Rhode a piece of paper.
Rhode took it, and it depicted the scene when he and Mira went out together.
At that time, smiling, they waved at the people's backs, and the tavern was bustling. Laki and a few others were huddled together, covering their mouths with laughter, while others watched the doorway in surprise or envy.
Rhode and Mira were stepping out of the guild door, turning to look at each other, saying something.
Their smiles and the morning sun were equally radiant.
Lidas said, "I sketched it because the scene was beautiful at that moment; consider it a memento of your first mission outing."
"It's wonderful, Lidas!" Rhode exclaimed with delight, "I'll treasure it!"
Lidas was also very pleased; Rhode's expression upon seeing the drawing was the best compliment he could get.
Nabu was still arguing with Marcus, saying he wasn't avoiding work but was searching for a job only he could do.
But upon seeing such a beautiful drawing, he immediately halted the argument:
"Lidas, I'm in and out the door every day; why don't I have a drawing?"
Lidas adjusted his hat brim and unhurriedly said, "If you decide to head out for work, I can draw as many as you want."
Nabu slapped the table, "You're underestimating me! I'm going to check the bulletin board right now!"
Rhode couldn't help but remind, "Don't be impulsive; think it through before choosing!"
Lidas said, "No need to worry; I bet Nabu will be back in ten minutes."
Marcus chuckled, "No, there are plenty of tasks on the board today, maybe twenty minutes."
Famous scene in Fairy Tail: Nabu looking at the bulletin board.
Nonexistent scene in Fairy Tail: Nabu going to work.
"..." Rhode still couldn't understand what psychological issue Nabu had. After all, Nabu was quite capable.
His Celestial Spirit Magic·Bear Spirit allows Nabu to gain the power of a bear, and when he punches, it packs a punch.
Rhode would have to summon several wild monsters to gang up on him to win.
Though it had been less than two days, everything felt comforting after a trip away.
Not just the guild, but even at home.
The familiar tables and chairs, the familiar bed, the familiar sandbags...
Seeing the sandbags, Rhode again pounded out a set of punches.
Exercising and meditating couldn't be neglected, nor could exploring Summoner's Rift.
According to the previous progress, in a few days, there might be a red or blue one, not far from a young dragon.
...
The next morning, as usual, Rhode went to the guild for work.
After finishing a pile of chores, he went to the bulletin board for a look.
The highest-reward missions generally involve hunting massive monsters or capturing dangerous criminals, with many offering rewards in the millions.
But these missions were nearing S-Class difficulty; even if Rhode dared to take them, Mira would probably dismiss the idea.
The lower-reward tasks appeared scattered, mostly within Magnolia or nearby towns.
Things like field irrigation, collecting rare flowers and herbs, catching perverts, finding lost items...
From things that affect a town's livelihood to small tasks like resolving teenagers' puberty issues.
Rhode went through them one by one; either they weren't his area of expertise, or the pay wasn't enough for the time spent.
He wasn't the only one; many found similar annoyances in searching for suitable tasks.
Engrossed, a hand wearing a ring reached out, tearing off a 'catching perverts' task.
Rhode turned to see a handsome guy, "Loki?"
"Hmm? You... Hello?" Before he finished the greeting, Loki had retreated five meters back.
Rhode wasn't pleased, feeling just like being avoided like something dirty wasn't pleasant at all:
"I mean, you should realize by now, my magic is different from Celestial Spirit Magic."
"Hmm, uh, sorry, force of habit." Loki, holding the task slip, walked stiffly towards the counter.
"Want to team up? I'm good at searching..."
Whoosh—Loki seemed to hit fast forward, appearing before Mira in no time, "Single-person task, capturing the suspicious person stalking and harassing the client."
Mira glanced at the task, and as soon as she nodded, Loki dashed out of the guild like the wind.
Rhode: "..."
Oh well, such mental knots aren't untangled easily, although what his mental knot was is still unclear.
Rhode decided to go to the backyard to practice magic for a bit and see if any new tasks came in.
Oh, better let Warm sneak into the kitchen for some food and drink first.
...
In the afternoon, the guild remained lively.
Natsu had just boasted about a special flame meal, leaning against a table satisfied.
Gray wasn't around today, how odd, he wanted to punch him a couple of times.
Hapi had devoured two grilled fish, sprawled on the table with a round belly: "Natsu, I think we're running low on money."
"Huh?" Natsu opened his wallet, emptied it onto the table, and a few coins clanked down with two fluttering bills.
Together, they totaled less than 10,000 J, enough for him and Hapi's meals for two or three days.
"No choice, let's work!" Natsu stood up, pounding his left hand with his right fist, "We need a task where I can have a good fight!"
Hapi raised a paw, "Aye!"