Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 236: Magnolias are Really Beautiful

Golden petals and fresh green calyxes carried the crisp chill of spring through the air. Several varieties of yellow flowers painted the park in brilliant hues.

By late March, the winter jasmine in Magnolia's South Entrance Park had bloomed into a golden sea. Not far from there, white magnolias, true to the city's name, stood in full bloom, their petals wide and radiant. Purple magnolias were just beginning to bud, releasing a soft fragrance that gently stirred with the breeze.

Visitors from all around flocked to enjoy the seasonal beauty. Elderly couples strolled slowly, arm in arm. Middle-aged couples walked hand in hand, and children darted through the blossoms, laughing and chasing each other.

There were even young couples lounging on benches and beneath the magnolia trees, whispering affectionately to each other.

In comparison, Rhodes and Mira, who were simply walking through the blooms before laying out a picnic blanket, unpacking lunch, fruit, and snacks, and settling in for a quiet chat, blended right in.

Even so, when Rhodes finished arranging the food and was ready to sit down, he hesitated for a few seconds. Where should he sit?

Sitting across from Mira meant he could better appreciate her rare, dressy outfit. Sitting beside her meant feeling a little closer, sharing that warmth.

In that moment, he wished he had a clone spell. Or maybe a really big mirror.

Ultimately, he chose to sit across from her. Worst case, he could always scoot over later without making a sound.

Mira raised an eyebrow at his thoughtful expression. "You're definitely thinking something suspicious."

"Who, me? Never." Rhodes plopped down cross-legged, picked up a strawberry with a toothpick, and held it toward her lips. "Go on. Punish me, by letting me feed you."

Mira hesitated half a second, then tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and leaned forward to take the strawberry.

Then, picking up a small slice of pineapple herself, she caught the hopeful gleam in Rhodes' eyes from across the cloth.

She held the pineapple forward teasingly... then popped it into her own mouth before he could react.

As she chewed, she covered her mouth with her hand and smiled mischievously, her eyes curling into playful crescents.

They snacked and chatted beneath the spring sky, their conversation naturally drifting back to the guild.

"Chico's magic is pretty unique, but she doesn't really stand out much," Rhodes mused. "She's around Laxus' age, right?"

"Mhm. Chico is three years older than us. Laxus is four." Mira leaned in slightly and lowered her voice. "Between you and me, Chico seems to care about Laxus."

She leaned in and spoke so mysteriously, Rhodes naturally scooted closer. "Care?"

Mira's eyes sparkled. "I think she likes him."

Rhodes blinked. "With Laxus's personality? That's a hard guy to like."

"He wasn't always like that," Mira said, her voice softer now. "The old Laxus... he could be a bit blunt, but he got along with everyone."

She began sharing a few stories from the past, little things she hadn't mentioned when showing Rhodes the guild photo albums. Moments that painted a more well-rounded picture of the guild and its members in earlier days.

Rhodes tried to imagine it, but the only Laxus he'd encountered had been arrogant, distant, and painfully immature.

Maybe he'd just met him during his worst phase.

Would Laxus feel embarrassed someday, looking back at how he used to be?

"Oh yeah, I think I saw that green-haired guy yesterday, Fried, right?"

"Mhm. He hasn't been around much lately," Mira replied thoughtfully. "Fried, Bickslow, and Evergreen barely drop by these days. They usually show up once every few months, and honestly, they never had that many friends in the guild to begin with."

She chuckled. "Maybe they just haven't had the chance to get to know you yet."

"..."

Rhodes didn't know how to respond to that.

At this point, he was something of a minor celebrity in the guild. From starting out as a humble waiter, to helping Mira on jobs, to... everything else. Most of the guild knew him by now.

But the so-called Thunder God Tribe? He'd only crossed paths with them maybe twice.

Their group name sounded like something a teenager would come up with.

"Mira, mind passing me a slice of pizza?" Rhodes pointed to a lunch box that had somehow ended up just slightly out of reach.

"Sure," Mira said, reaching for it.

Then she paused.

'Wait, when did he scoot so close?!'

Without another word, she jammed the slice into his mouth with just a bit too much enthusiasm.

Rhodes choked slightly but managed to recover quickly.

This wasn't exactly how he imagined being fed, but hey, pizza was pizza.

They continued chatting, laughter and stories flowing easily between them.

And before they even realized it, they were sitting shoulder to shoulder, leaning comfortably into each other beneath the blooming trees.

Mira had been sitting in a relaxed mermaid pose, which made it easy for her to lean against the person beside her.

The spring breeze carried a gentle chill, but neither of them felt cold.

Rhodes caught sight of a few white magnolia petals drifting down in the wind and quietly pointed them out to Mira.

In that moment, he felt that the scene before him was as beautiful as the person by his side, or maybe it was the person who made everything around her feel more beautiful.

...

"We should head back," Mira said softly, though it wasn't clear how much time had passed.

"Yeah," Rhodes nodded and slowly released the arm he'd wrapped around her.

Neither of them wanted the moment to end, but they knew there'd be many more days ahead.

They packed up together, folding the tablecloth, organizing the dishes, and carefully checking to make sure they left no trash behind, before making their way toward the park exit.

Just as they were about to leave, Mira spotted a familiar figure. "Is that Levy?"

Under a large tree in the center of the park, Levy McGarden stood alone, pacing slightly and looking troubled.

"Looks like her," Rhodes confirmed. "Want to say hi?"

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"Nope," Mira grinned mischievously. "Let's hide and see who she's waiting for."

"You really love your gossip, huh..." Rhodes muttered as Mira grabbed his sleeve and dragged him away. Her grip was surprisingly strong.

But before they could find a good hiding spot, Levy had already spotted them.

"Mira! Rhodes!" Levy waved brightly.

Mira puffed out her cheeks and gave Rhodes a playful glare as if to say, 'This is your fault for walking too slow.'

Rhodes held up his hands in innocent surrender.

Since hiding was no longer an option, they walked over to greet her.

Levy's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "No wonder you weren't at the guild! You two are out on a date!"

"Yep," Mira replied without hesitation. "We planned this flower-viewing picnic a while ago."

"Ehhh~~" Levy drew out the sound, caught off guard by Mira's candidness.

Seeing the way the two of them stood close together, so at ease and smiling, Levy started to wonder, were they going to just casually announce their engagement next?

"Anyway," Rhodes said, trying to steer the topic, "enough about us. What are you doing here all alone?"

"What? Can't I enjoy flowers by myself?" Levy huffed, folding her arms. "The magnolias are beautiful this time of year, what's strange about that?"

"Absolutely," Mira said with a knowing smile. She looked up at the tree above them, its branches budding with fresh green leaves. "This magnolia really is gorgeous."

"Miraaaa~!" Levy whined, stomping her foot in frustration.

...

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