Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 237: Going outside the city again?

"Actually, someone asked me to meet them here. Said they had something important to tell me," Levy sighed. "They were being all mysterious about it, but I've been waiting forever, and no one's shown up."

Mira immediately chimed in, "I bet it was Jet."

"Nah, probably Droy," Rhodes added. "I'll bet my brain explodes."

"Deal," Mira grinned.

Both of them turned to look at Levy with mock-serious intensity.

"Don't make bets like that," Levy muttered. "It was Dubin."

"Dubin..." Rhodes raised an eyebrow. The name rang a bell.

He was the guy who always talked about wanting to join Team Shadow Gear, even though he didn't know any magic. Technically, he wasn't even a member of the guild.

Makarov had once told him he'd be welcome at Fairy Tail if he ever seriously started learning magic, but Dubin gave up before even beginning. Still, he stuck around, chatting with Jet and Droy like an unofficial mascot.

If Rhodes had to sum him up in two words, they'd be: scruffy and idle.

Looking at things now, it was pretty clear that all that talk about wanting to join Shadow Gear was less about the team and more about Levy.

Mira sighed dramatically. "Ugh, I knew we should've hidden! This is all your fault, Rhodes. No more desserts for you."

Then, with a teasing smile, she added, "Levy really is popular, huh."

Levy waved her hands quickly. "No way! If we're talking popularity, nobody in Fairy Tail comes close to you, Mira."

"Oh, don't exaggerate," Mira said with a blush. "So, how long have you been waiting here?"

The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on freёnovelkiss.com.

"We were supposed to meet at two. It's almost three now," Levy said, checking the nearby clock.

Calling someone out and showing up an hour late? That was pushing it.

Rhodes tried to be diplomatic. "Maybe something came up? Could've gotten delayed."

"Probably. I'll head back soon anyway," Levy replied, sounding half-hearted. Deep down, she already had a guess why Dubin had asked her out here.

Even if she could be a little oblivious at times, it wasn't hard to figure out, especially after seeing the knowing looks on Mira and Rhodes' faces.

She didn't have any special feelings for Dubin. If he showed up, she'd politely hear him out and clear the air. If he didn't, maybe it meant he gave up, and that would be easier in its own way.

"Alright, we're heading back to the guild then," Mira said with a wave.

Rhodes counted seven steps before he came up with the perfect plan to use his summoning magic to disguise a Krugs as decorative boulders and spy from a distance, if Mira wanted to keep watching.

But she didn't.

She didn't stop until they were completely out of sight from Levy's location.

Rhodes glanced over. "You're not curious anymore?"

"No need to spy. I already know how it'll end."

"Oh?"

"You'll see soon enough." Mira gave him a playful wink, her energy bouncing with that familiar mischief.

"You know it's not nice to keep people in suspense, right?"

"Mmm... then come closer."

Rhodes leaned in, only for Mira to flick him on the forehead with her finger.

"Oww..." Rhodes winced, rubbing the sore spot. It didn't feel like a flick, it felt like she'd tapped him with a tiny hammer.

Mira grinned mischievously. "That's the penalty for losing the bet earlier."

"But you didn't win either. Your turn, c'mon, lean in."

Mira thought for a moment, then suddenly broke into a sprint.

"So childish..." Rhodes muttered, before chasing after her.

...

It took everything the beast master had to finally catch up with the demon Mirajane, right at the guild entrance, where he tapped her shoulder.

Both of them were slightly out of breath, hearts pounding from the sprint.

Mira looked a little flustered, while Rhodes was buzzing with adrenaline.

At least they didn't get mistaken for a couple of lunatics during the chase. That was a win.

Mira covered her forehead with both hands and gave him a pleading look. "Can I owe it for now?"

"Fine," Rhodes sighed, defeated by her eyes.

Before stepping inside, Mira pulled a hair tie from her pocket and swept her bangs back into place.

Rhodes raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling she was trying to hide a possible red mark.

Inside the guild, no one seemed surprised to see them returning together. After all, they'd fallen asleep next to each other not long ago. Going out for a stroll together wasn't exactly shocking.

Laki greeted them with a theatrical sigh. "Finally! We were so busy at lunch, I thought we'd forget how to breathe."

"You mean you were so swamped you forgot to use your lungs?" Rhodes teased.

"Sorry, sorry," Mira said sweetly. "The park's scenery was just too beautiful. We couldn't help lingering."

"Uh-huh, just the scenery," Laki muttered, clearly unconvinced.

Instead of heading straight to work, Mira pointed something out to Rhodes.

"Wait... Dubin? Why is he at the guild?" Rhodes blinked in confusion.

Wasn't this the same guy who asked Levy out? And now he was just hanging out with Jet and Droy like nothing happened?

Poor Levy.

Mira seemed to have pieced it all together and walked over with Rhodes to have a word with Dubin.

"Well..." Dubin scratched his head, sending a small cloud of dandruff into the air. Rhodes winced.

"I originally asked Levy out to confess to her."

"What?!"

Jet and Droy slammed their glasses down on the table with a loud bang.

"You what?!"

"So what happened?!"

Both of them shot to their feet, fists clenched on the table, practically vibrating with anticipation.

But Dubin just shrugged. "I don't know... confessing sounded like a lot of trouble, so I didn't go."

Rhodes blinked, dumbfounded. "That's your definition of trouble?"

Mira smirked to herself. Just as she'd thought.

Jet and Droy initially looked relieved, but their tempers flared again.

"So you made Levy wait in the park for an hour, while you stayed here drinking?!"

"I didn't mean to," Dubin said sheepishly. "But then explaining it felt like a hassle too, so... I didn't."

"You absolute moron..." Jet gritted his teeth. But it was hard to stay mad.

That was just Dubin, he wasn't trying to be mean. He was just... perpetually lazy.

Jet let out a long sigh. "I'll go explain it to Levy."

Droy didn't argue. Instead, he gave Dubin a death glare. "You better apologize later. For real."

Sure enough, when Levy returned to the guild, Dubin did apologize, with Droy watching him like a hawk.

His apology was genuine enough, but everyone knew this guy probably wouldn't change.

Levy, being kind-hearted and already used to Dubin's quirks, forgave him easily.

If it were Rhodes, he'd either pick a fight with the guy, curse him out and be done with it, or never talk to him again. One or the other.

Maybe that was just how things worked. A good life needed a mix of calm and chaos.

Whatever the reason, Rhodes found that his training efficiency had improved a lot in the days that followed.

...

By early April, while exploring the Summoner's Rift, something new finally appeared in the Baron Pit.

It was purple, with two massive pincers, a long tail coiled behind it, a jagged horn on its head, and a giant purple eye gleaming from beneath its shell-like wings.

The Rift Herald.

Even if its appearance was slightly different from the versions Rhodes had seen before, there was no mistaking it.

Rhodes was getting increasingly curious, what kind of chaos would unfold once the Baron finally spawned?

The very next day, he rushed straight to the Master.

"Heading outside the city again?" Makarov asked, raising a brow. "Is it urgent?"

"It's not about size, it's about type," Rhodes explained. "The new one's different. Same family as those bug-creatures from last time. But this one's great at wrecking buildings..."

That caught Makarov's attention immediately.

"Say no more! Outside the city it is!"

...

Bonus Chapter

Next Bonus Chapter @1600 PS

You can read upto 30 Chapters ahead @patreon.com/Keepsmiling818