Elfman came over, pushing a wheelchair.
Under Mirajane's direction, he helped Rhode into the wheelchair and pushed him around the guild.
Rhode actually felt he could walk; his left leg was just a little sore.
However, since it was their kind intention, he accepted it gracefully.
And the first place Elfman took him to was—the restroom.
Rhode felt a bit awkward but had to thank him for being so considerate; he indeed needed to take care of a small matter.
Restrooms, bathrooms, infirmary, library, kitchen—all necessary facilities were available in the guild, making it perfectly fine to live there if needed.
Following the corridor outside, Elfman pushed Rhode to the main activity area for guild members—the Mission Hall, which also served as a tavern.
Twenty-some long tables were placed in the center of the hall, with round tables along the edges, and a dozen stools at the counter, easily accommodating a hundred people drinking together.
As it was already late, the lively tavern from the daytime had quieted down, with only a purple-haired, red-bowed, spectacled girl arranging tables and chairs.
Mirajane waved to her: "You worked hard, Laki, has everyone left?"
"Everyone went home. Today was super busy, but thankfully, there wasn't much fighting."
Laki continued her movements, pushing chairs under tables, "I'm also going home soon to use cool water to remove dust."
Elfman said, "She means she's going home to take a bath, right?"
Mirajane was already used to Laki's way of speaking: "Sorry, today there was something the Master asked me to do, so I left the tavern matters to you all."
"It's okay… Is that the thing the Master asked you to do? He seems quite handsome. Who exactly is he?"
"I don't know either," Mirajane glanced at Rhode, smiling apologetically, "We're still in the stage of teaching him the common language."
"Oh~~ That sounds like a lot of trouble." Laki stopped asking, placed the last chair, "Well then, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
People generally didn't stay in the guild at night, but Rhode's situation clearly meant he had to stay there.
However, leaving him alone wasn't appropriate, so Mirajane decided to stay with Elfman tonight.
After a simple tour of the guild, Rhode attended an evening lesson with Mirajane for a while.
Rhode noticed there didn't seem to be many electrical appliances here; the lamps on the tables and hanging on the walls were all oil lamps or candles.
However, he thought he had seen a ceiling fan in the tavern earlier, but he didn't know what kind of energy it used.
During the lesson, Elfman went back for a bit, probably to get things needed for an overnight stay.
At night, Rhode slept alone in the infirmary, while Mirajane and Elfman found other rooms to rest.
"Good night, I'm right next door, feel free to call my name if you need anything." Mirajane managed to make Rhode understand this sentence through words combined with gestures.
"Thank you." This was one of the few phrases Rhode had learned, and he had said it countless times today.
The lights had been extinguished, and the light of a crescent moon in the sky streamed through the window.
Rhode leaned against the headboard, turning his head to look out the window; there were no sudden car headlights, no roaring engines, and no annoying hum of air conditioner outdoor units.
Many things he used to hate were gone, but he couldn't feel happy.
Outside… was a completely unfamiliar world.
When people are idle, it's easy for their minds to wander, with curiosity and fear of the unfamiliar world, and anticipation and unease about the strange environment…
During the day, with Mirajane, Liddas, Elfman, and others accompanying him, he didn't feel anything particular.
But at night, with the lights out, being alone in the darkness, all sorts of thoughts uncontrollably surged forth.
Would he be able to go back, or would he stay here forever?
What would his future life be like?—
"Good morning! Did you sleep well last night?"
"Good… morning."
Rhode, of course, hadn't slept well, but facing the person who came to check on him early in the morning, he could only force himself to be energetic.
However, his answer wasn't important, because the answer was already written on his face.
"Are you feeling a bit unaccustomed, as expected?" Mirajane noticed the weariness on his face and encouraged him,
"You can almost get up and move around today, Elfman, will you take Rhode to wash up?"
Elfman flexed his muscles: "If you're a Manly Man, hurry up and cheer up!"
Rhode recoiled slightly. Arm wrestle? My injury isn't fully healed yet.
"Elfman~"
"I know, big sister."
Today's schedule was similar to yesterday's: eating, drinking, learning, and attempting to communicate.
The only difference was that Rhode could move around today; although his left leg was still a bit stiff, he could already walk by himself to the tavern in front and sit by the counter, watching the few tavern staff busy themselves.
As the sun slowly rose, the guild gradually became lively.
Some people ordered breakfast and chatted with familiar friends, while others went to the bulletin board to read the papers posted there.
Occasionally, someone would tear off a paper to register with Mirajane, then leave in a hurry.
Some people just stood there and watched.
Liddas, whom Rhode had seen yesterday, also arrived at the guild early, set up his easel, mixed his colors, and began to paint.
Mirajane, with a sunny smile, went about her work—serving dishes, wiping tables, registering quests. Sometimes she would also chat with people for a few words.
When she had free time, she would come to teach Rhode a few words.
Rhode curiously observed each person entering the guild, trying hard to listen to everyone's conversations, hoping to find someone he knew or catch a word he could understand.
However, most of the time, he felt like he was watching a foreign film without subtitles; although the language sounded more and more familiar, it was still difficult to extract parts he could understand.
And although many of the people who came in had distinct characteristics, Rhode didn't recognize any of them.
Until a pink-haired boy kicked open the door, shouting loudly: "Old Man! Where's the dragon? Where's the person attacked by a dragon?"
"Natsu, don't be so loud first thing in the morning!"
"Shut up, Macao!" Natsu said to the purple-haired, short-haired middle-aged man, "Quickly tell me, where's the Old Man, where's the person attacked by a dragon?"
A small blue cat followed Natsu in, jumped onto a table, and explained to a middle-aged man with a pompadour and a pipe in his mouth:
"Aye! Natsu heard outside that the Master saved someone who was attacked by a dragon, so he rushed over."
"A dragon? Is that true?" Wakaba exhaled a smoke ring, "I did hear about a beast running wild in the eastern forest, destroying a large area of trees."
"That's it!" Natsu leaned forward, hands on the tabletop, asking urgently, "And then, did a dragon appear? Did the Old Man fight the dragon?"
"How would I know." Wakaba spread his hands, "The Master went to the regular meeting yesterday, and he didn't look like he had been in a fight."
"However, the Master did bring someone back." Macao took over, pointing his thumb at Rhode at the counter, "That's him. He seemed very injured yesterday… Hey…"
Natsu had already dashed to the counter.
Rhode was staring at Natsu: pink hair, a checkered scarf, a black jacket—this must be Natsu.
Confirming his location once again, Rhode didn't know whether to be happy or unhappy.
He was happy because he remembered Da Ye mentioning that Fairy Tail had a happy ending, and there was also the meme about "no one can defeat me in my BGM."
So, as long as he stayed here, he shouldn't have to worry too much about safety.
The unhappiness, of course, was the complete confirmation that he was in another world. Although there were a few people here whose names he knew, in reality… there wasn't a single familiar person.
At this moment, Natsu had rushed over and was staring at him: "@#%*…"
Although Rhode could see the urgency on the other person's face, he truly didn't understand what he was shouting, so he could only look to Mirajane for help.
Mirajane stood next to Rhode: "Natsu, calm down. Rhode still has a hard time understanding our language."
Natsu was stunned: "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
Mirajane said: "Perhaps the language and writing of his hometown are completely different from ours. He's already working hard to learn now."
"…" Natsu clenched his fists, very unwilling, "I finally got some information about a dragon, what a joke?!"
"Natsu, your expression is too fierce." Mirajane gestured for Natsu to be gentler, not to scare him,
"Try asking Liddas for help, otherwise, we'll just have to wait for the Master to come back, or wait for Levy to come back and try."