"What?" Rhode was first surprised, then quickly realized Mira needed to prepare the exam site ahead of time.
He thought for a moment and said in code to Mira, "Well... before you leave, spend some more time training with me for the next couple of days."
"No wonder you two keep getting stronger when you're always training," Erza said approvingly, looking at Rhode and Mira.
"Ah." Rhode responded absentmindedly, his gaze wandering to the ceiling.
"Y-yes." Mira's cheeks turned slightly red.
Although Erza was somewhat right, she was also not.
Someone suddenly shouted, "Hey, it's snowing outside!"
"Really?" Lucy and Wendy rushed to the doorway to see the snow.
In the blink of an eye, Erza changed into a mismatched outfit of a down jacket, short skirt, snow boots, and cotton gloves. Not only did she go to see the snow, but she was also ready to lead everyone in playing in it.
Mira just glared at Rhode.
Rhode tried to change the subject, "This person gets overly excited about any activity she participates in, no matter what it is."
Mira didn't reply and just punched him in the chest.
A fierce snowball fight broke out on the street in front of the guild in the afternoon.
Macao brought his son Romeo along, demonstrating a dad's dedication by bravely shielding his son from snowballs.
It was really going all out, as these mages threw snowballs hard enough to send people flying.
Actually, if Macao didn't block them, others wouldn't throw so hard at a six-year-old kid.
Wakaba, surprisingly, also brought his daughter to the guild.
She was an adorable little girl with shoulder-length short hair and straight bangs, wearing a big hat that made her look incredibly cute.
Rhode found it hard to believe this was Wakaba's daughter but recalled that Wakaba looked quite dashing in his younger photos, and his wife was a beauty before gaining weight.
The little girl looked at these rambunctious weirdos with disdain, also looking disapprovingly at her father, who was fighting like a child.
What's so great about this rowdy guild? Was her dad always away from home and smoking uncontrollably because he joined here?
Until Wendy invited her to build a snowman; until she saw Erza create a mini guild out of snow.
—That couldn't even be called a snowman anymore; it was a finely detailed snow sculpture resembling a work of art.
Turns out this guild has such adorable young ladies, and such impressive big sisters!
She developed a fondness for Fairy Tail for the second time.
The first time was when she was rescued from Edolas.
When Warm, acting as a moving obstacle, ran around the street and approached her, its fluffy, soft feel instantly captured her.
Perhaps joining this guild when she grows up wouldn't be bad?
...
After work, Rhode and Wendy only did basic training in the guild gym and chatted about the exam.
Though Mira accompanied them the whole time, she just listened quietly without revealing any exam content.
She knew that the guild president would give some clues for the final exam question this time, which involved some word puzzles, something Rhode was not good at.
Yes, even though Rhode was proficient in the common language now, he still couldn't match those who had been exposed to language games since childhood.
In contrast, this level was more favorable to Reby and Lucy, which was a bit of balance from the president when creating the exam.
However, Mira thought Rhode might pass the exam without relying on the clues.
Rhode checked the time, "That's about enough for today."
The three of them and the cat stretched in unison, grabbed their coats, and headed out.
Considering today's weather, Rhode didn't summon a River Crab but directly called Warm over, asking everyone to ride it together.
The cute pet Warm ultimately couldn't escape becoming a mount; despite its round appearance, it really had strength.
It carried them, trudging slowly along, showing no hints of straining.
Moreover, with three people sitting on its back, it didn't seem cramped at all. Most importantly, it was warm, so they didn't feel the cold at all while riding it.
After dropping Wendy and Carla back at their dorm, Rhode held Mira close as they strolled back to his place.
Mira cupped Rhode's hands in her palm, gently blowing and closing them together—she felt like his hands always seemed to be colder than hers.
Rhode quietly enjoyed Mira's warmth, chatting with her about things around the guild, future life, and even what to eat for breakfast the next morning.
...
Time passed ordinarily, calm as if nothing had happened.
If not for the fact that the usual boisterous group wasn't in the guild, and the mission registration was now handled by Macao, people might have forgotten that the S-Class exams were about to start.
Mira, Erza, and Kildas had already headed for Celestial Wolf Island, taking the Fairy Battleship without hesitation.
Yet, the president and the examinees could only run to the harbor to rent a ship.
The wealthy Makarov directly hired a sailing ship, even daringly painting the guild's emblem on its sails.
Whether the ship owners agreed or not—if asked, just give them more money.
After all, they made a hefty sum earlier, and for such a significant event as the S-Class exam, they must ensure the atmosphere, right?
Since the announcement of the list, it was the first time the examinees gathered so completely.
The candidates and their partner choices remained the same, except...
Lucy curiously asked, "Kana, where's your partner?"
Kana casually pointed, "Isn't it over there?"
Lucy turned her head, only to see a small punk chewing screws noisily and occasionally taking a sip of alcohol.
"Gajeel? Did you take Reby's partner?"
Kana waved her hand, "Not him, the one next to him."
"Next to... Li Li?"
"What else? Why do you think Li Li is on the ship?"
Lucy said, "I thought he came with Gajeel just like Carla came with Wendy."
"Sorry Kana, I habitually sat next to Gajeel," the small black cat dragging a longsword taller than himself walked over.
"No problem, it hasn't started yet." Kana shook her wine bottle, "Want a drink?"
Li Li declined, "No, during preparation, we shouldn't drink."
Lucy couldn't help but say, "How serious."
Li Li smiled, "I was once a soldier after all."
The cute little black cat showing a mature, reliable smile was a huge contrast.
While Lucy glanced at her partner, that guy seemed to have his eyes on the screws Gajeel was eating.
"Who's taking the exam exactly..." Lucy felt exasperated, as she didn't recall being someone who worried too much.
"I... I feel sick..." Natsu's face turned pale, "Wen... Wendy, help me..."
"Sorry, Brother Rhode said to conserve magic power before the exam as much as possible."
"Rhode... help..."