Chapter 535: Dragon cub
That evening, Mira, Wendy, and Laki escorted Kinana to the dormitory, while Rhodes, Lisanna, and a few of the guild’s bar staff stayed behind to handle the final cleaning duties.
Laki had initially insisted she could take Kinana by herself, but after that chaotic dinner discussion about hobbies, both Mira and Wendy felt it would be better if they all went together to help Kinana settle in properly.
Meanwhile, back in the guild...
"Why are you munching on the cutlery again?" Rhodes caught the repeat offender red-handed. "What? The stir-fried screws weren’t spicy enough? Or were the deep-fried nails not aromatic enough that you had to go and make your own ’cutlery salad’?"
Fairy Tail’s chef, Mr. Cook, truly had a unique talent. He could whip up flame-grilled dishes tailored for Natsu, and somehow also craft gourmet-grade iron platters specially for Gajeel.
Apparently, he could fry even the most ordinary nails until they were crispy and fragrant, at least, that’s what he claimed. But after Warm tried one, he immediately spat it out, completely breaking character... and Rhodes never dared to try them himself after that.
Still, Gajeel clearly enjoyed them. Even after finishing his meal, he often gnawed on the forks and spoons, or even the iron rings embedded in the wooden mugs, like a dessert course.
Panther Lily, in his small black Exceed form, crossed his arms and spoke with that overly mature tone that never quite matched his tiny body. "See? Didn’t I already warn you?"
"Shut it. I’ll pay for it," Gajeel grunted, brushing Lily off. He’d grudgingly admit: the guild chef had serious talent. It was rare to find iron that actually tasted good.
But still... old habits die hard. If he didn’t chew on some kind of iron after eating, he always felt strangely unsatisfied, like he hadn’t really eaten.
"Let it go," Rhodes said casually as he tossed a broken fork into a bin. "People in this guild are all a little weird."
Then his tone shifted: "Don’t wander off later. Come with me outside the city."
Gajeel’s ears perked. "For what?"
Rhodes grinned. "A fight."
"Ghihi~" Gajeel’s lips curled into a sharp-toothed smirk. "With you? Just so happens we’ve got a fight to finish."
Lately, he’d felt like he’d gotten a lot stronger. He wanted to test himself. He wanted a proper duel.
Rhodes smiled again. "Suit yourself. Just don’t cry about it later."
"Hah?! Don’t underestimate me!" Gajeel barked, thinking Rhodes was looking down on him.
Rhodes waved him off, not bothering to explain further, and continued wiping down the bar.
But Gajeel, entirely misreading the vibe, swaggered coolly over to the guild’s entrance and leaned against the wall in full tough-guy mode, waiting.
"I think you should be more cautious, Gajeel," Lily muttered. "Rhodes has high standing in the guild. He’s Mirajane’s fiancé. That alone should tell you something."
Lily still vividly remembered the time Mira flattened him with a single blow.
"How would I know if I don’t try?" Gajeel retorted, Iron Dragon pride glinting in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Lisanna, polishing a glass behind the counter, leaned over and whispered, "Onii sama... do you and Mira-nee always go out on romantic walks at night?"
Rhodes nearly dropped the mug. "It’s not a date. It’s training. Completely normal training. Sometimes Elfman tags along too."
"What about when Elfman doesn’t come along?" Lisanna pressed.
"Still training," Rhodes replied smoothly. "Haven’t you noticed how Mira’s gotten stronger lately?"
"I haven’t actually seen her fight lately. Don’t change the subject." Lisanna narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I meant... besides training?"
"Hmm... stargazing, moon-watching, talking about life and stuff like that?" Rhodes said innocently. "You could always ask her yourself."
"I did ask," Lisanna muttered. "She just blushed and changed the subject."
Clearly, she hadn’t gotten any real answers out of her sister. But that only made her more curious.
Something had to be going on between them. In fact, Lisanna was starting to suspect she might become an aunt sooner than expected.
That thought gave her pause, and maybe a twinge of guilt too. Had she been hogging Mira’s time too much these past couple of days?
"Why not come along with us for a few days?" Rhodes offered, unaware of Lisanna’s inner spiral. "It’s been a while since you’ve used your magic in combat, hasn’t it? Might be a good time to shake off the rust."
He figured if he was training one person, he might as well herd a second. If Natsu were around, he’d have been dragged along too, to take a few hits, of course.
Lisanna hesitated for a second, then nodded. She really was curious what kind of "training" her sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law did together.
Once the guild chores were wrapped up, Rhodes left with Lisanna, Gajeel, and Lily.
Naturally, Rhodes and Gajeel couldn’t follow the girls inside the dorms. But Lisanna and Lily could go in to gather everyone.
The girls’ dorm didn’t ban male cats, especially not intelligent ones like Happy, who used to visit all the time. Lily, being equally refined (if a bit grumpy), had free access.
That said... Carla had recently begun campaigning for a rule change. Something about "no male intelligent beings allowed." And judging by her tone, she was serious.
Before long, Strauss sisters came out with Wendy and Carla, all three bundled in thick coats. Wendy even carried a warm-patch stamped with a little Carla emblem.
It was late November, and winter’s chill was settling over Magnolia. The night air bit at exposed skin and made coats feel like armor.
"I still say male cats shouldn’t be allowed in the dorms," Carla huffed, clearly directing her frustration at Lily. Then she spotted Gajeel and added with a sharp glare, "And what are you doing here?"
Gajeel didn’t flinch. "Came to fight him," he grunted, jerking his thumb at Rhodes.
Wendy blinked in confusion but greeted him politely, "Mr. Gajeel...?"
Mira’s eyes sharpened immediately. "Hmm?"
The weight of her stare made Gajeel’s spine stiffen. He stared stubbornly at the sky, pretending not to notice.
Fortunately, Mira quickly realized that Gajeel probably wasn’t looking for trouble, and her expression softened.
Just then, Rhodes reached out and gently patted Mira’s head, smoothing her soft white hair. To Lisanna, it looked like her brother-in-law effortlessly calming her slightly irked big sister.
Was this... the power of love?
Outside Magnolia, at the familiar training grounds.
Rhodes thought for a moment, then summoned the laziest of his dragons.
He figured since the Purgatory and the Cloud Dragon had already chosen their favorite dragon cubs, it was worth seeing whether Gajeel would be recognized by a dragon too.
The moment the Mountain Dragon appeared, Lisanna, Gajeel, and Lily all froze.
"Dragons, creatures of legend, do they really exist?" Lily knew Dragon Slayer Magic, but had always believed that dragons in Earth Land were extinct.
Lisanna hadn’t seen Rhodes summon a dragon back in Edolas either. When she felt that overwhelming magic surge just now, she assumed her brother-in-law was summoning some horrifying giant spider again.
Rhodes glanced over and asked, "You didn’t tell Lisanna about my magic?"
"There’s too much to explain," Mira said, smiling warmly. "We haven’t even gotten to the part about your magic yet. Besides..."
Her smile softened with affection. "Even if I wanted to tell Lisanna about it, I’d need your permission first."
Magic wasn’t like day-to-day matters in a relationship. It was deeply personal. Whether to share that kind of detail with someone else wasn’t Mira’s decision to make, it was Rhode’s.
Rhodes smiled and gently squeezed her hand, silently making a note to give her a little reward later for being so considerate.
The Mountain Dragon let out a deep, drowsy yawn. It seemed ready to mutter some sarcastic complaint as usual, but when it spotted the Dragon Slayer and a very cute little cat, it realized Rhodes must have summoned it with a reason.
"D... Dragon...?" Gajeel’s voice cracked slightly.
His reaction was almost identical to Natsu’s first time seeing the Mountain Dragon, completely stunned.
But as soon as Gajeel snapped out of it and realized the dragon wasn’t an enemy, his instincts kicked in and he took a bold step forward.
"Hey! Do you know Metalicana? The Iron Dragon, Metalicana!" he asked urgently, eyes blazing with hope.
...
Stones PLZZZ
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