Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 210: Snowstorm

"I saw them on the way back after the mission," Rhodes said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"I thought they were beautiful, so I picked them. This wintersweet came from the Kingdom of Seven, and this butterfly flower from the Kingdom of Bosco. Pretty impressive to bring flowers back from two different countries in such a short time, right?"

Even though the two kingdoms bordered each other closely, the fact remained that the flowers truly came from different lands.

Mira knew that the battlefield they had traveled through was vast and treacherous, but none of that dulled the surprise blooming in her heart.

In such a harsh, ancient battlefield, he had taken the time to find flowers from both kingdoms. What could have possibly been running through his mind while working?

Mira's cheeks grew hot again. Was this guy seriously working hard out there?

It was infuriating.

'No, wait, he said he found them on the way back... so that means...'

Mira gently closed the notebook and hugged it close to her chest. "I love it. Thank you," she said softly.

"I'm really glad you like it," Rhodes smiled. "There wasn't much else worth bringing back as a souvenir from that place."

Mira shook her head slightly, her smile tender and shy. "This is the best gift."

If he had brought something expensive, it would have made her uncomfortable. If he had written something overly sweet inside, she would have felt pressured.

But this simple little surprise, delicate and thoughtful, was just right.

When she turned to the page with the flowers, even though no words were written, the message was loud and clear:

'He thought of me on his way back.'

Mira touched her warm cheeks again.

'What a cunning gift.'

Now the only problem was... how should she return the favor?

The weather had been gloomy since morning, and by evening, soft snow had begun to fall.

Compared to rainy days, a little snow didn't dampen the guild's spirits. Even Macao and Wakaba, known for their laziness, took on a mission today.

Rhodes counted on his fingers and realized it was already the 21st.

Ah, no wonder. The end of the month was close.

Even the laziest members were scrambling to meet their quotas.

Except for the familiar sight of Nab, still standing in front of the mission board, sketching endlessly.

The only downside was the muddy, wet footprints being tracked all over the guild's entrance.

"This is the worst part about snowy days," Rhodes muttered, grabbing a mop to clean the floor.

"You're actually willing to leave the counter?" Laki teased, laying down a mat inside the door and placing a rough wooden board outside to scrape the mud off boots.

Rhodes didn't even flinch. "Distance creates beauty, Laki. You wouldn't understand."

"Then maybe you should start keeping some distance from Mira, too," Laki grinned mischievously.

"No need," Rhodes shot back without missing a beat. "She's already beautiful enough."

"You're shameless," Laki said, laughing. "I've never seen you talk about Sister Mira so boldly."

"Feel free to tell her," Rhodes said calmly. "I'm just telling the truth. Not badmouthing her behind her back."

"You're hopeless," Laki chuckled, shaking his head. "Absolutely hopeless."

"And it's great being hopeless," Rhodes said cheerfully.

Just then, Mira called from the counter, "Can someone bring another heater over here?"

"Rhodes wants to go!" Laki immediately snatched the mop from Rhodes's hands and shoved him forward. "Go on. Sister Mira's already getting cold without you around."

Rhodes was pretty sure Mira didn't mean that quite so literally, but Laki's words sounded way too nice to correct.

/

'I should've looked around the old battlefield a bit more,' Rhodes thought, 'maybe I could have found something Laki would've liked too.'

He made his way to the warehouse to move the heater, the latest model they had bought just before winter. He and Mira had picked it out together.

Mira had asked for another heater because the wind outside had picked up. The falling snow was no longer just flurries, but thick, steady flakes.

The streets were already dusted white. If you opened a window now, you'd be greeted by a blast of cold wind straight to the face, slipping down your collar, and you'd be scolded by any poor soul standing near the window.

The wind outside was sharp and biting, but inside the guild hall it was as warm and lively as ever. People drank, laughed, fought, and the bodyguards kept the peace like always.

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Amid all the noise and commotion, the day passed by quickly.

Since anyone who dared open the door would immediately face a wall of freezing air, most people decided to stay put inside the guild, reluctant to leave.

Of course, this made Rhode's shift run longer than usual, but luckily, it wasn't too bad.

"It looks like I won't be able to train in the yard today," he said.

Mira cracked open the door to the backyard. The moment she did, a gust of icy wind rushed in, tossing her long hair into the air.

Heavy snow had been falling for hours now. In the faint glow of the outside lamps, you could see the training equipment buried under thick, puffy layers of snow.

Rhode took one look and nodded. "Yeah, definitely not a good idea. It's way too cold. You should head home early."

Indoor meditation and light training at home would have to do for today.

'Maybe the guild should really consider building a gym,' he thought half-jokingly.

The two of them bundled up in their coats. Mira helped Rhodes tie his scarf again, gently correcting his clumsy hands. Rhodes, determined to prove he had learned something, showed off his newly acquired scarf-tying skills in return.

But this time, he noticed something he hadn't before, girls with long hair had to tie their scarves a little differently.

It took a few tries, and Mira had to pull her hair slightly out of the way to help him.

Once they were both wrapped up snugly with scarves and hats, they double-checked each other to make sure they wouldn't catch a chill. Satisfied, they locked up the guild together and headed off into the snowy streets.

Several guild members who had left late and lingered behind happened to catch sight of them.

The snow outside the guild was crisscrossed with messy footprints leading in all directions. But as they walked farther along the quiet streets, the prints became fewer and fewer, until it was just the two of them, leaving fresh tracks in the untouched snow.

The two of them walked side by side through the quiet streets toward Mira's house. On a freezing night like this, hardly anyone was wandering around.

But here and there, behind the warm glow of windows, people leaned against the glass, watching the snowfall.

The Laki ones caught a glimpse of a young couple bundled up tightly against the cold, walking close together down the street, a round, fluffy creature waddling faithfully behind them.

Under the dim light of the streetlamps, you could just barely make out the girl's face. She looked a lot like Fairy Tail's famous poster girl.

'Miss Mirajane... does she have a boyfriend?!'

'No... maybe it's her brother? But, wait—her brother was supposed to be bigger than that...'

"What a strong wind—mph!" Rhodes tried to say, but the moment he opened his mouth, a gust of icy wind rushed in. He quickly ducked his face back into his scarf.

Mira didn't say anything. She simply reached out and grabbed onto the sleeve of Rhodes's coat with both hands, making it look as if they were walking arm in arm.

In truth, she was just worried about the slippery roads. The strong winds made it hard to keep balance, and grabbing his sleeve helped her stay steady.

The Demon Mirajane, feared by so many in the past, was now just a slightly clumsy girl trying to keep from slipping on the ice. Of course it was natural for her to grab onto Rhodes's sleeve.

Rhodes walked half a step ahead of her, shielding her as best he could from the gusts of wind and swirling snow coming from the side and front.

As for why he didn't summon any beasts to help them block the wind... Well, why would he?

If he weren't worried it would seem too obvious, even Warm wouldn't have been allowed to tag along right now.

Rhodes had to admit, the heavy coat he'd splurged on was worth every Jewel. Even in weather like this, he barely felt the cold.

Mira's scarf was just as good, thick and tightly knitted, it kept the wind firmly out.

Slowly, the three figures made their way through the snowy streets, leaving a line of footprints behind them, stretching all the way to Mira's front door.