Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 283: Small things

Something wonderful had happened.

Even now, Mira was still clinging tightly to Rhode's arm, the faint blush on her face slowly fading.

Her mood was clearly soaring. She nestled closer, practically pressing against him.

Compared to last time, the two of them were more in sync now, more natural and yet, Mira still felt her heart flutter uncontrollably.

'Hmph. So what consequences? That was just an excuse to take advantage.'

'No. I'm the one taking advantage here!'

She peeked up at Rhodes. Judging by the happiness radiating from his face, he clearly felt the same.

If both sides were happy, then it wasn't taking advantage at all.

Besides... seeing Rhodes get adorably jealous earlier had made Mira like him even more.

Meanwhile, Rhodes was savoring his own bliss.

He could clearly feel the soft warmth pressed against his arm.

It puzzled him a little, Mira had been so shy about hand-holding before, but now she didn't seem to mind much more intimate contact.

Still, he wasn't about to complain. It felt amazing.

Suddenly, Rhodes pulled his arm free, took two quick steps ahead, turned around, and blocked Mira's path.

She bumped straight into his chest.

Before she could react, he scooped her into a tight hug.

Mira looked up at him, surprised. "What's gotten into you?" she asked, blinking.

Rhodes leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Nothing. I just... wanted to hug you again."

He thought about telling her how happy it made him when she introduced him so proudly earlier as her boyfriend, but it felt a little too embarrassing to say aloud.

Some things were better simply felt.

...

Later, back at the village, Rhodes and Mira met with Jasper again.

"The rat plague is basically cleared out," Rhodes reported. "There are still dead rats everywhere in the fields, though. Make sure to organize a cleanup crew first thing tomorrow."

"And just to be safe," Mira added with a bright smile, "we'll stay for another day to monitor things. We'll only leave once we're sure the village is fully secure."

Rhodes had suggested it earlier, and Mira agreed wholeheartedly.

He also planned to send out the Murk Wolves and Krugs one last time, just to be thorough.

Jasper bowed deeply, gratitude shining in his eyes. "Thank you, truly. You've saved our whole village."

Mira simply smiled. "This is the job of a wizard."

Helping ordinary people in exchange for rewards, this was the foundation that had formed naturally over the hundred-year history of magic guilds.

It was a mutually supportive relationship: people entrusted wizards with their troubles, wizards lent their strength, and both sides made each other's lives better.

That mutual trust was the cornerstone of the guild system.

After Rhodes and Mira retired to their room for a well-deserved rest, Jasper's wife sat down beside him at the table.

She spoke hesitantly, "Dear... do you think we're paying them too little?"

"I've been asking around," she added. "Those two are famous. They appear in Sorcerer Weekly all the time."

Jasper sighed heavily. "I know. Just the aura of their magic alone tells you they're not ordinary wizards."

He paused, then shook his head.

"But the payment was agreed on before. And... well, you know the state the village is in. We can't exactly offer more right now."

His wife frowned thoughtfully. "Even if we can't pay more, we should still find a way to show our gratitude. Thanks to all that ash from the burned rats, we'll save a lot on fertilizer costs this year."

Jasper muttered. "I'll think of something."

...

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Mira asked suspiciously.

"Help you scrub your back," Rhodes said seriously.

Mira was standing in the bathroom, while Rhodes lingered just outside, the bathroom door half-open and half-closed between them.

Facing Rhode's shameless enthusiasm, Mira gave him a professional-grade fake smile.

"No need," she said sweetly.

Rhodes, however, wasn't so easily discouraged. He quickly stretched out a hand to block the door from closing and put on a pitiful look:

"Listen, Mira... trust between people is very important, especially between lovers! With trust, there's less suspicion, less misunderstanding. We can communicate more openly, build a deeper and more stable relationship..."

Mira stared at him, amused despite herself, though her expression stayed calm.

"Get to the point," she said flatly.

"The point is," Rhodes said earnestly, "even if you don't want to take a bath with me, you should at least invite me. Let me feel your trust! I can refuse, but you should offer!"

"Oh?" Mira's eyes glinted with mischief. "Then tell me, Rhodes... would you like to take a bath with me?"

Rhode's hands rubbed together eagerly, his smile spreading out like ripples across a pond.

"It would be rude to refuse such a kind invitation!"

Bang!

The bathroom door slammed shut with a thud, missing Rhode's nose by a hair's breadth.

Rhodes stood there blinking at the closed door, sighing dramatically.

As expected, he still wasn't getting in.

If Mira were as thick-skinned about these things as Erza...

Rhodes shuddered at the thought. Nope. Better not imagine that. Things were good the way they were.

Deciding to behave for once, he chose not to summon Warm for company tonight. Instead, he sat down and entered a quiet meditation while Mira bathed.

His mind wandered to the yellow markings he'd seen earlier at the dragon pit, if he remembered right, it was the symbol of the Mountain Dragon.

If he could just accumulate a little more magic power, he'd soon be able to attempt summoning it.

But summoning something that big definitely couldn't happen inside a town. No way.

Still, thinking about it stirred a small excitement in him.

Time in meditation always passed quickly.

Soon enough, Mira emerged, her long hair freshly washed and cascading down her shoulders.

Rhodes took the hairdryer and naturally took over the task of drying Mira's hair.

This time, he was much more practiced. He gently and steadily dried her hair, his movements smooth and careful.

When he finished, Rhodes lightly ran his fingers through her soft, snowy-white strands and sighed contentedly.

"I think we got the order wrong," he said with a smile. "Next time, I should wash first, and then I can help you from the very beginning."

Mira, meeting his eyes in the mirror, smiled with the gentlest look imaginable.

"Okay," she said warmly.

She really wouldn't mind if life stayed like this forever.

"It's your turn," Mira said, standing up and motioning for Rhodes to sit down. She tilted her head in thought.

"Looks like I should blow-dry your hair first too."

"Maybe," Rhodes agreed, chuckling. "Though I think you might find it uncomfortable."

"It's not that bad," Mira said, smiling.

The two of them kept chatting, about the order of who should bathe and dry hair first, so seriously and sincerely that it took a while before they both realized how trivial it actually was.

They looked at each other and laughed softly.

But neither of them minded.

Because this was exactly the kind of future they were imagining, living together, thinking about even the smallest things, sharing each day.

After lingering together for a long while, they finally got ready for bed.

"Where's Warm?" Mira asked, looking around.

Rhodes, lying through his teeth without even blinking, answered,

"It got scared today and decided not to come until we return to the guild. Just sleep like this, I promise I won't do anything."

Mira gave him a suspicious side glance.

"The trust between people is gone," she said flatly.

She didn't believe a word of it. Rhodes had a habit, he always liked hugging something when he slept.

She looked around and finally pulled her suitcase closer to use it as a "wall" between them.

"Don't use that thing!" Rhodes protested immediately. "It's too hard. I'll call Wsrm back instead."

He really didn't want to wake up with bruises from colliding with a heavy suitcase in the middle of the night.

"Hmph~" Mira snorted. "Didn't you say it was scared?"

"It's fine now," Rhodes said shamelessly.

Soon after, the fluffy high wall known as Wsrm materialized between them.

Rhodes laid down comfortably. Mira reached out toward him again across Wsrm.

Rhodes caught her hand gently and brought it to his lips. "Don't use that sleep magic again," he said softly. "Just... a goodnight kiss is enough."

"Okay," Mira answered with a sweet smile.

She brushed her hair to one side, leaned over Warm, and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

After Mira lay back down, Rhodes stared at the ceiling, feeling something gnawing at him.

Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore.

He sat up, leaned over Warm's soft, squishy body, and tilted down toward Mira, and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

...

Bonus Chapter