Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 31: A Little Gossip

After flipping through a couple of magazines, Rhodes took off his glasses, stretching his arms as he prepared to start his daily physical training.

"I told you not to crawl under the bed."

Rhodes lifted Warm by the scruff of his neck. The little creature hung there limply, his four tiny legs dangling in the air, tongue slightly sticking out, and little horns drooping pitifully as if pleading to be spared from scolding.

"Actually, this works out perfectly," Rhodes said, placing Warm down before heading to the laundry room to grab a basin of water and a rag.

Warm sat obediently on the floor, assuming Rhodes was about to clean his fur.

Instead, Rhodes tossed the rag to him. "You're already covered in dust anyway, so help me clean under the bed. It's too much of a hassle for me."

Warm: "???"

"If you get it done before I get back, I'll buy you some cookies tomorrow. Good luck!"

Warm hesitated before reluctantly gripping the rag with his tiny paws.

With that settled, Rhodes shut the door behind him and jogged downstairs.

Today's route was slightly adjusted—now that he understood his limits, he planned his turning points better, ensuring he'd be completely exhausted just as he reached home.

At the start of the run, he was still thinking about his training plan and whether he should buy a sandbag to practice his punches.

By the second half of the run, his only thought was: One more step. Just one more step.

Still, this kind of training was proving effective—at least Rhodes had become increasingly proficient at applying cold compresses and treating minor injuries.

Dragging his legs, which now felt like they were made of lead, he finally reached his apartment. Using the handrail for support, he climbed the stairs, only to be greeted by the sight of a "little gray dog" squatting at his door.

"You actually cleaned it? That's impressive," Rhodes praised.

Too exhausted to stand any longer, he staggered toward the bed and collapsed onto it. The first thought that popped into his head was: Great. I'm drenched in sweat. Now I have to change the sheets.

Warm tilted his head, tongue hanging out, seemingly pondering something. Then, he hopped onto the chair, leaped onto the table, and skillfully grabbed the medicine bottle Rhodes had used the night before. With another nimble jump, he landed on the bed and presented it to him.

"Thanks." Rhodes mustered the strength to prop himself up and take the bottle, but as he did, his eyes immediately locked onto the gray smudge left by Warm on the sheets.

"..."

Warm looked guilty under Rhodes' gaze. He slowly stepped back, then leaped off the bed—only to leave a few more dusty footprints in his wake.

Rhodes sighed. "Alright, let's get you cleaned up first."

The summer dawn arrived early, filling the room with soft, golden light. When Rhodes opened his eyes, the sun was already up.

As expected, Warm, who had been curled up beside his pillow the night before, had vanished once again.

Rhodes still hadn't figured out whether this was due to his magic supply cutting off while he slept or if his summoned creatures simply had a time limit before they returned to their original space.

Stretching his sore limbs, he slipped on his slippers and let out a satisfied sigh. His legs ached from yesterday's training, but the distinct increase in his magic power made it all feel worthwhile.

Maybe it was because his magical reserves were still relatively small, but every bit of progress felt significant. As long as he kept working hard, the results were immediate.

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"Ding! MP Limit +10!"

Rhodes silently narrated in his mind, pretending he had a leveling system like in a game.

The boost in magic was exciting, but what truly thrilled him was what he had discovered last night while meditating.

When he tried to connect with the Scuttle Crab through his necklace, he not only "saw" the one he had summoned diving underwater, but also glimpsed the entire river channel it lived in—and another Scuttle Crab patrolling leisurely downstream.

It was as if the second one was keeping watch over its territory.

Rhodes felt confident that he could summon this second crab whenever he wanted.

And when the first one fully recovered from its injuries, would that mean he could summon two at the same time?

He checked his magic reserves.

Yeah, still need a few more days of training for that.

With his next goal set, he washed up, changed into fresh clothes, and stepped outside.

As usual, he greeted Goodman, then held up his pendant and channeled his magic.

"Come on out, Warm."

On his way to the guild, Rhodes didn't forget to pick up a pack of biscuits for Warm.

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As he watched Warm happily roll its tongue and swallow a biscuit whole, Rhodes began contemplating a feeding plan.

In League of Legends, Poros needed special treats—Poro Snax—to grow stronger. They looked like biscuits, but what exactly were they made of?

Should I try different ingredients and see if Warm can tell which ones are good?

That seemed like a reasonable approach.

Lost in thought, Rhodes soon arrived at the Fairy Tail guild.

He handled his usual cleaning duties before heading to the backyard with Max, who he had arranged to spar with the previous day.

Rhodes had already done some digging on Max's abilities. He wielded Sand Magic—great for defense, but not particularly strong in terms of offense.

As for his overall strength;

Mira had tactfully put it as, "Not very impressive compared to Erza." That was her polite way of saving face for Max.

But after thinking it over, Rhodes realized she likely meant that Max wasn't all that impressive compared to the entire guild.

Then, as expected, Rhodes lost again.

Unlike Natsu, Max couldn't take down the Scuttle Crab with a single strike, but he could stop its charge.

When the summoned crab slammed into a sturdy sand wall, the impact sent a dull thud echoing across the backyard. Before it could recover, several sand tendrils shot out, wrapping tightly around its legs and restricting its movement.

"It looks like this guy is more of a utility summon than a real combat monster," Rhodes admitted to himself, finally solidifying the crab's role in his strategy.

Max dusted off his hands and stepped toward Rhodes. "Want to go another round?"

Rhodes adjusted his stance, exhaled, and nodded.

...

There was no way he could win.

Two fights—how could that possibly compare to people who had been brawling on a regular basis for years?

Even someone like Max, who wasn't exactly a powerhouse in the guild, could still easily defeat Rhodes.

The only saving grace was that Max was considerate enough to hold back during their sparring session, making sure not to leave any bruises or lasting injuries.

In his own words: "I don't want a friend I just made to avoid me the next day."

For someone as talkative as Max, having an audience was important.

Rhodes figured that since Max liked chatting, he might as well indulge him for ten minutes before starting work. It wasn't a bad deal—after all, getting more information and improving his Common Language skills through conversation was something he needed anyway.

"A way to increase magic power quickly?" Max repeated, rubbing his chin. "Nope, there's no such thing. The only way to grow your magic is through hard work and practice."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Oh, well, I guess as you get older, your magic power will naturally increase too. Take me, for example—I'm sixteen now. In another seven or eight years, I'll definitely be super strong!"

Rhodes nodded absentmindedly before Max suddenly asked, "Hey, how old are you, Rhodes?"

"Almost nineteen..."

Rhodes paused. Wait... how should I even calculate my age and birthday in this world?

Max, meanwhile, seemed to be doing some quick mental math. "Eighteen, huh? So you're the same age as Erza, Mira, Bisca, and Alzack."

He then patted Rhodes' shoulder in what seemed to be a reassuring gesture. "Keep working hard."

"..." That wasn't reassuring at all.

Max, however, was still going. "Speaking of which, Bisca hasn't been using magic for that long, and she's already holding her own. So there's no need to worry too much. Just keep working hard, and you'll get there."

Rhodes wasn't paying full attention to Max anymore. His gaze had shifted to a green-haired girl chatting with Erza.

That was Bisca.

Though they hadn't officially introduced themselves, Laki had pointed her out to Rhodes before.

Bisca was good friends with Erza and also used Requip Magic, but unlike Erza's armored combat style, she specialized in summoning firearms.

And then there was Mira's "helpful" (more like gossipy) input:

Bisca started learning Requip Magic because she idolized Erza. Also, she has a thing for Alzack, the guy who specializes in Gun Magic.

According to Mira's observations, Alzack sometimes stared at Bisca's back a little too long, lost in thought.

She's convinced they'll end up together sooner or later.

At Mira's words, Rhodes had instinctively scanned the room and—sure enough—he spotted Alzack not far from Bisca.

The guy had a cowboy-esque look about him—fit the whole "gunman" aesthetic.

That was when another thought hit Rhodes.

Not only does my guild have a bunch of weirdos but it's also filled with ridiculously good-looking people.

...

$tonks