Chapter 685: Bridesmaids


Everyone carefully checked the invitations, confirmed the date, and excitedly discussed them for a while before gradually dispersing.


They had to figure out how to rearrange their schedules and what kind of wedding gifts to prepare.


Those who were a little short on money lately immediately decided they'd take on one or two quick jobs, there was no way they'd miss a Fairy Tail wedding. It was guaranteed to be an event worth remembering.


"Mira-nee, have you already decided on your bridesmaids?" Laki asked with anticipation.


Lisanna quickly answered, "Of course I'll be a bridesmaid! And Elfman will be one of the groomsmen."


But Mira turned to Laki and Kinana with a warm smile. "You two can join if you'd like."


"Really?!"


At those words, not only did Laki and Kinana light up, but Lucy, Levy, and even Wendy immediately wanted to be part of the bridesmaid team.


Juvia also shyly spoke up, saying she wanted to participate, and then, of course, made sure to add that Gray-sama absolutely had to be on the groomsmen list.


"Of course it's true," Mira reassured them. She glanced at Rhodes, since the two had already discussed all this at home.


Rhodes nodded. "No problem. We've got plenty of guys in the guild, so we can pull together a groomsman team too. It's just that compared to the young and dazzling bridesmaid team… well, the groomsmen might be called… distinctive."


That "distinctive" comment earned him a round of laughter, and the girls turned into a chorus of chatter, already crowding around Lisanna with questions about the bridesmaid dresses.


Seeing Wendy's eyes sparkling with excitement, Rhodes hesitated. He had originally planned to ask Wendy and Romeo to be the flower children.


But looking at how pitiful Wendy had already been today, the kindhearted Rhodes decided to switch to Asuka instead.


And if that didn't work out, well… Happy and Carla would make perfectly good flower children too.


Still, that wasn't the main issue right now.


Mira caught Rhode's eye, and together they sat down on either side of Erza, gently shaking her awake.


"Ah…" Erza blinked herself back to consciousness, immediately clutching the invitation in her hands. She trembled as she carefully read through it again.


Her face turned bright crimson. Then she bent forward, holding the invitation with both hands, and in a flustered voice declared, "Please, please, please, you must come to the wedding!"


Rhode's face darkened. 'That's our wedding. Of course we'll be there!'


Mira covered her mouth to hide a laugh. Erza was just too adorable like this.


Indeed, no bill, no scolding, and no "gate of punishment" could ever compare to the impact of this moment.


Mira gently rested a hand on Erza's shoulder and gave her a little shake. "Wake up, Erza. This invitation is for you… to attend our wedding, mine and Rhode's."


Erza's eyes spun into dizzy spirals, and she stammered, "M-Mm… ah… th-thank you for your blessings!"


Rhodes chuckled. 'What was all that nonsense supposed to mean?'


Mira only smiled brighter, clearly delighted, and leaned closer to chat with Erza, gently coaxing out a whole pile of amusing little "bride quotes."


Eventually, Erza regained some composure and solemnly declared that she would definitely attend the wedding on time.


Mira clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture. "My bridesmaid team is still missing one person. May I ask you to be a bridesmaid?"


"B-Brides...brides...bridesmaid?!"


Whatever image popped into Erza's mind, three smoke rings puffed out of the top of her head with a bang.


Rhodes was baffled.


'This buddy acts so calm when organizing mixed baths, so why is she shyer than Wendy right now?'


The guild itself was buzzing with festivity. The ever-growing bridesmaid team had already begun planning how to decorate the guild.


Though the main ceremony would be held at Cardia Cathedral, everyone knew the real celebration afterward would be back at Fairy Tail.


Voices overlapped in a lively discussion, where to place flowers, how to hang balloons, whether to add streamers or enchanted lanterns.


Yukino stood nearby, watching the bustle with thinly veiled envy. But as an outsider, she couldn't join in, and pride as a Sabertooth mage kept her expression composed.


Rhodes hadn't forgotten the mission, though. He handed the reward to Yukino and signed off the paperwork to formally close it.


As she was about to leave, Rhodes quickly filled out a blank invitation and offered it to her. "Miss Yukino, would you have time to attend? Mira and Lisanna would be very happy if you came."


"I…" Yukino hesitated, clearly tempted, but after a moment she shook her head. "I'm sorry. Our guild has activities during the New Year. But… I sincerely wish you both happiness."


"Ah, I was being presumptuous." Rhodes smiled, bowing slightly. "Thank you for your kind wishes."


Together, he and Mira escorted Yukino out of the guild. But as they returned, a thought lingered.


'If this were another guild, even if they refused politely, they'd at least say something like 'come visit our guild when you have time.' But Yukino seemed… hesitant. Is Sabertooth not the most approachable guild after all?'


Rhodes silently resolved, 'I'll have to see this 'strongest guild' with my own eyes one day.'


Back inside, Mira resumed her conversation with Erza, and the more they talked, the livelier it became. She kept Erza engaged all the way until noon.


Rhodes glanced at Erza's face, now redder than her scarlet hair, and wondered if she might actually overheat.


That afternoon, invitations for non–guild members were dispatched. Fortunately, Fiore's magic-based courier network was well-developed; most letters could be delivered within the day, and urgent ones even faster.


The only one sulking was Mira's old friend, Mickey's magic bird, Little blue. Once upon a time, it had been unmatched at delivering letters, but now it was practically obsolete.


Mira, despite her busy schedule, crouched down and comforted the poor bird with a quick offering of nuts, cheering it up in just three seconds.


Of course, there were some invitations that had to be delivered in person, like the one to Porlyusica, who lived out in the forest beyond Magnolia.


Porlyusica muttered her usual lines,"I don't like humans" and "I hate crowded places."


But when she looked at the two young people standing earnestly before her, she finally sighed and said, "I'll go."


She made it clear, however, that she wouldn't sit beside Makarov as an elder of the guild. Instead, she intended to watch quietly from the back and slip away afterward. Rhodes felt a pang of regret at that, but at least she agreed to attend.


They also hadn't been able to track down Goodman's family address, so no invitation could be sent there either, another small regret.


In the days that followed, the usually lazy Fairy Tail guild transformed into a hive of activity.


Everyone was either bustling about for the wedding or rushing to complete jobs quickly, all the while carefully avoiding any kind of trouble.


The sight of such a proactive Fairy Tail nearly convinced the residents of Magnolia that the end of the world was coming.


Fortunately, word spread quickly through Magnolia's grapevine, and once people understood what was happening, panic gave way to excitement.


Many began looking forward to the big day.


Rumors spread that this wedding would be no ordinary ceremony. Fairy Tail, which hadn't held a Magic Parade in years, was preparing to turn the celebration into a full-blown festival.


Makarov even went so far as to personally report the plans to the mayor, making it official.


Meanwhile, Rhodes and Mira, as the stars of the wedding, handled something equally important.


They put on formal outfits, visited Magnolia's city hall, posed for photos, and officially registered their marriage, a step that some couples in Fiore might skip.


That evening, the two of them curled up together, gazing at the not-so-official-looking copy of the registration book.


"Ms. Mirajane Strauss?" Rhodes read aloud with a grin.


Mira's eyes curved into crescents as she hummed, "Mm."


"Mrs. Mirajane?" Rhodes tried again.


"Yes~" Mira's reply was as sweet as honey.


"Mrs. Rhodes?" Rhode's smile grew wider, threatening to break into laughter.


"I'm here." Mira wound her arms around his neck, staring at him without blinking, her voice overflowing with tenderness. "My dear."


Rhodes lowered his forehead against hers, smiling softly.


...


Read chapters ahead @