Chapter 551: Evil Fairy Tail, Don’t Try to Corrupt Me...
After work, Rhodes’s training continued as usual.
He figured that once his magic caught up to Master Makarov and Gildarts, he could finally start slacking off a bit, just a little.
That night, after seeing Wendy and Carla safely back to their dorms, Rhodes casually brought Mira back to his place.
Mira hesitated for a moment. She had already managed to slip by unnoticed last night, but if she didn’t return home again tonight, Elfman and Lisanna would definitely notice.
Still... she couldn’t bring herself to say no.
Her feet moved on their own, trailing after Rhodes without a word.
Let them find out then. It wasn’t like they could hide it forever.
Love had triumphed over shyness.
And so, that night, the two of them stayed up very late... discussing some profound philosophical questions.
As a result, the next morning, they overslept and missed breakfast again.
By the time they walked into the Fairy Tail guild hall, everyone was already up and about, and both Elfman and Lisanna took turns staring them down.
Rhodes, ever the shameless one, didn’t flinch at all.
Mira, on the other hand, gave him a pouty glare. That was enough to make him sigh, take the hint, and pull Elfman outside for a... friendly and cordial chat.
Meanwhile, Lisanna received "VIP treatment."
She and Mira sat together behind the bar, chatting quietly while things were calm in the tavern.
"You really stayed at brother-in-law’s place last night?" Lisanna asked in a whisper.
"Mm." Mira gave a tiny nod, her cheeks blushing red.
"And... the night before that too?"
"Mm." Another soft nod. Her whole face was glowing now.
It had felt wonderful at the time, natural, intimate, but being grilled like this by her little sister still left Mira feeling flustered.
Lisanna covered her mouth in mock shock. Her sister was so bold.
But then again... maybe that’s how it should be. Mira was getting married soon. And considering her personality, it would be weird if she stayed shy forever.
Still, it all felt so sudden.
Just a few days ago, Lisanna had been gossiping with Mira about Alzack and Bisca. Now she found herself being the gossip topic.
No wonder Mira had been wearing unfamiliar clothes lately. No wonder she was acting so out of it yesterday.
My sister is really getting married.
That thought finally sank in for Lisanna. And it brought on a swirl of complicated feelings.
Mira, noticing her sister’s dazed expression, narrowed her eyes a bit.
What kind of face was that? "My sister can actually get married"?! This child needs a lesson.
As if sensing Mira’s intent, Lisanna quickly grabbed her hand and whispered a few... personal questions into her ear.
The two sisters leaned in close, whispering back and forth, their faces growing redder by the second.
After what felt like enough blushing and giggling, Lisanna finally asked the more practical question:
"So... when is brother-in-law moving into our house?"
Mira paused. "Wouldn’t that be... a little awkward if he just moved in all of a sudden?"
Lisanna blinked.
What do you mean "moved in"? Which place is your home now?!
She crossed her arms. "Then... are you moving into brother-in-law’s house?"
"That doesn’t feel quite right either..." Mira murmured, eyes drifting off.
It had all happened so quickly. She hadn’t even thought about living arrangements yet.
"Hmmm~" Lisanna leaned forward across the table, propping up her chin with one hand and smiling mischievously. "What’s so hard about deciding? Wouldn’t it be better if we all just lived together?"
Mira didn’t reply.
Of course... living together wouldn’t exactly be convenient. Not unless they installed some serious soundproofing in the house.
...
Tables, chairs, and parasols were set up around the swimming pool in the guild’s backyard.
In warmer seasons, the Fairy Tail members treated it like a beach resort, some swimming, others lounging with drinks, and plenty just watching the chaos unfold.
But now it was winter.
The girls of Fairy Tail didn’t have a habit of polar plunges, so naturally, there were no spectators or splashing competitions going on today.
Out here in the quiet, Rhodes and Elfman sat across from each other at one of the tables, a bottle of wine between them and a pair of small glasses.
"Cheers."
Clink.
They downed their drinks in one gulp.
Rhodes refilled Elfman’s glass without a word.
There wasn’t much that needed to be said between the two.
All the punches that had needed throwing had been thrown back when Rhodes and Mira first started dating. Fists had flown, trees had fallen, maybe a table or two had been broken...
Since then, their understanding had already been forged in the flames of brotherly combat.
So, while Elfman had glared at Rhodes a few times this morning on reflex, he wasn’t actually upset.
If anything weighed on his heart, it was the thought of Mira eventually moving out. Or... worse, the idea of him and Lisanna moving out to make space.
But that was life.
Even if Mira didn’t get married, someday he or Lisanna would find someone and move on. The family wouldn’t stay under the same roof forever.
After a long moment of reflection, Elfman nodded solemnly and muttered:
"It’s all in the wine."
Gulp gulp gulp.
Rhodes watched as Elfman knocked back glass after glass like a man on a mission.
"Are you sure you’re not mad?" Rhodes asked, a little baffled. "You’re drinking faster than me."
This didn’t look like someone brooding over his sister’s relationship. If anything, Elfman seemed kinda happy.
Worried, Rhodes reached over and tried to steady him.
"Oi, don’t just chug. How are you doing?"
"Huh?" Elfman blinked, dazed. "I’m totally ready! This S-Class Exam? I’m gonna blow everyone away!"
"That’s not what I meant," Rhodes said with a smirk. "I meant, Evergreen."
"Ev... Evergreen...?" Elfman mumbled.
There was a noticeable delay as his alcohol-soaked brain processed the name.
"N-Nothing happened," he finally said, eyes wide and slightly panicked.
Pfft.
Rhodes barely held in a laugh.
’Nothing, huh?’
Back in Edolas, Evergreen had looked at Rhodes like he was some sort of wild beast, but the second she spotted Elfman, she lit up like she’d spotted a knight in shining armor.
And ever since they got back, during the last big banquet, even though Evergreen mostly stuck with her Thunder God Tribe teammates, Rhodes definitely noticed how she always looked over whenever Elfman yelled "Manly Man!"
’Coincidence? Hardly.’
"Alright then," Rhodes said, raising his glass again with a grin. "Cheers."
"MANLY MAN!"
By the end, Elfman was half-carried, half-dragged back into the guild by Rhodes.
Mira rushed over, immediately worried. "Elfman? Are you okay?"
"Let’s take him to the infirmary to lie down," Lisanna suggested calmly. "It’s fine, he wasn’t planning to head out for work today anyway."
Rhodes glanced at her.
Somehow, her focus seemed a little off.
But it was also quite reasonable.
After all, even when someone like Cana drank herself under the table, hardly anyone worried about her health, only about the trouble she might cause outside the guild while drunk.
The three of them brought Elfman to the infirmary. Lisanna stayed behind to take care of him, while Rhodes and Mira returned to their usual spots at the front desk.
Today, a lot of people came in to submit completed quests, but very few showed interest in picking up new ones.
Instead, a small crowd had gathered around the job request board, whispering and craning their necks.
Most of them had missed the medal ceremony the day before and were now eager to see it with their own eyes.
In typical dramatic fashion, Master Makarov had hung both medals in the most conspicuous place on the bulletin board, front and center, so that nobody could possibly overlook them.
But even seeing them in person wasn’t enough for some.
For those who hadn’t witnessed the actual moment the medal was awarded, it was still hard to believe that such an incredible honor had been won by one of their own.
But once they heard the full story of Rhodes’s feats, the guild naturally erupted with noise and excitement once again.
Laughter, boasting, and arguments about who trained with Rhodes the most filled the air.
Tomorrow was the official announcement of the S-Class Exam candidates, and like Elfman, many mages who had just returned from missions weren’t planning on heading back out again.
Even Mest showed up to make sure people remembered he existed.
Of course, being the ever-suspicious infiltrator he was, Mest didn’t hang around the crowd too long.
After all, every opportunity to observe Fairy Tail up close was valuable. Even if it was pure madness in here, there might still be some important secret hidden under the surface.
Probably.
Maybe.
Okay, probably not.
Still, observation was important.
Even if the longer he sat there, the more relaxed he felt. And not just relaxed, strangely at peace.
’This was dangerous.’