"Miss Mira, why does the President say no one is allowed on the second floor?" Lucy curiously asked about the guild's rules.
Mira replied, "Because the S-Class tasks are posted on the second floor, which are far more difficult than the tasks on the first floor."
Lucy showed an expression of longing, "Wow, only S-Class Mages can take those, right?"
"That's right, although the rewards are generous, even for an S-Class Mage, the tasks can be life-threatening," Mira warned, "For Lucy, it's better not to aim for S-Class for now."
"Even if Miss Mira doesn't say so, I wouldn't dare..." Lucy smiled wryly. She didn't have the power like Erza and Miss Mira, so how could she possibly dare to take on S-Class tasks?
"Mira, shall we choose this one?" Rhode put a task sheet on the counter.
Mira was surprised, "Decided so quickly?"
Rhode said seriously, "Because it's a task I must do."
"Violet Town, the case of the missing girl..." Mira could see why Rhode said that right away.
It seemed that incident still left a knot in Rhode's heart.
She nodded, picked up the task sheet, "I'll go talk to the President, and then we can depart immediately."
"Huh? Miss Mira and Mr. Rhode are really teaming up to go out?" Lucy seemed a bit surprised, "Then what about the guild? Who do we talk to if we want to take a task?"
"Speaking like that is a bit disrespectful to the President," Rhode looked at her helplessly, this girl seemed a bit clueless, "Shouldn't this kind of thing be handled by the President?"
Lucy suddenly realized, "Ah, I forgot that's the President's duty!"
Normally, when the President goes out, they should tell everyone to find Mira and Rhode for tasks, not the other way around.
Hapi took a moment to tease Lucy, "Lucy is an idiot, her memory is as bad as a fish's."
After saying that, he took a bite of the fish in his paw.
"Don't bite the fish's head right after saying something like that, you stupid cat!" Lucy really wanted to hit him.
Rhode registered the task himself with a pen.
By the time he finished writing, Mira had returned, "Let's go home and pack up first."
"I always carry what I need when I go out, just pack up and prepare some food," Rhode had started carrying spare clothes, blankets, and common medicines ever since being financially stable and learning Requip Magic, so he wouldn't panic in case of urgent tasks.
"Then let's head directly to my place," Mira quickly informed Elfman that she was going out.
Rhode also informed Warm to go back home after it had enough fun.
The two of them bought some food on the way to Mira's house, and what wasn't enough could be taken from the refrigerator.
Rhode had been to Mira's house many times. After entering, he poured himself a glass of water to drink, preparing to wait for Mira to pack up.
Mira went upstairs, hesitated for a few seconds at the top of the stairs, then stomped her foot, "Don't just stand there, come and help me pack."
"...Sure." Rhode dashed up the stairs.
This was the first time he'd been in Mira's room, and it was as clean and tidy as he imagined, even with a slight fragrance that was very much like Mira's scent.
The style was surprisingly girlish, either unexpectedly or predictably so.
The curtains were a layer of pink blackout curtain and a layer of white sheer curtain.
Pink sheets and pillows, with a soft off-white quilt decorated with cute animal patterns, and a large cushion on the bed that looked a bit like Warm.
A glass vase on the bedside table held flowers, judging by the stems, they had been changed within the last couple of days, or maybe just trimmed.
For some reason, seeing those well-maintained flowers made Rhode feel she was living well, and that made him very happy.
The whole room wasn't so tidy that it lacked any imperfections, though.
For example, there were some jars on the dresser that Rhode couldn't tell apart that weren't completely organized.
For instance, a nightdress was casually draped over the back of a chair, with its hem touching the floor.
And there, by the window, a black bra was hanging upside down and along with a triangular piece of lingerie, also black and lacey.
In moments like these, Mira's speed and reflexes as an S-Class Mage became apparent.
Rhode only saw a flicker of her figure, and the drying rod was left with just two empty hangers swinging back and forth.
Mira, holding the items, turned her back on Rhode, grumbling fiercely, "Don't look around!"
These things often left too deep an impression, hard to shake off. Rhode looked up at the beautiful magic chandelier on the ceiling, "Oh, what should I help you pack?"
"Just pick a few outfits you like," Mira's face was flushed, extending a hand, "Choose from that wardrobe, you can't look in this one."
Does this mean I'll decide what she'll wear for the next few days? Or is she just being lazy and doesn't want to think about how to match outfits?
Either way, it's a win, so Rhode readily agreed, "Leave it to me."
Rhode tried hard to drive the memory of those pretty garments out of his mind, focusing on the wardrobe.
Mira usually wore more dresses in the guild, but her wardrobe was surprisingly diverse. Her clothes ranged from gentle and conservative styles to cheerful and sporty, and even to sexy and sizzling styles, there was a bit of everything.
It was only when he opened the wardrobe did he realize why it was so large.
This was even after the winter clothes had already been put away.
For Mages who often had to trek through rugged terrain or engage in intense battles, wearing ordinary long dresses was inconvenient, even high-slit ones could easily get damaged.
So Rhode tended to select a combination of T-shirts paired with shorts or skirts.
Mira cautiously sorted out her clothes that she didn't want Rhode to see, occasionally glancing at him.
From the styles Rhode picked, she gleaned an important bit of information—this person seemed to like seeing legs, maybe even waists.
Have I been wearing too many dresses? Mira reflected on her usual fashion choices, contemplating whether to try out different styles from before.
After selecting a few nice-looking sets, Rhode finally began to think rationally, muttering, "Better prepare a couple of long-sleeve jackets and pants too, just in case we need to go into a forest or something..."
Mira showed a satisfied smile, considering it a pass for him.
Having nearly finished selecting clothes, Rhode decided to remind her about an important thing, "Mira, um..."
Mira looked puzzled, "What?"
Rhode thought for a few seconds and then blurted out, "Those kinds of clothes definitely need to be dry."
Mira was momentarily stunned and then annoyed, "I know!"
"They seem to need plenty of sunlight, or at least good ventilation, otherwise they might..."
"Stop talking!" Mira threw the small bag she had just packed at his face but immediately snatched it back.
"Why do you know so much about this kind of thing!"