Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 279: Idiot

Rhodes regretted it now. Deeply.

He should never have summoned Warm into the room in the first place. If he hadn't called the little guy over, Mira wouldn't have insisted it stay.

And if Warm hadn't stayed... there wouldn't be this soft, fuzzy, overly affectionate barrier snuggled right between him and Mira.

Five minutes ago, they'd been cuddled up, lost in the moment. Five minutes later, there was now a fluffy, squirmy third wheel parked between them like some impassable wall of fur.

Rhodes let out a sigh. "This is all Warm's fault."

"Hrruu?" Warm blinked up at him innocently, sensing that he was being accused of something.

Mira's voice drifted gently through the room. "Go to sleep, already. You've got work tomorrow."

She was right, of course. He'd been on his feet all day, rushed across the region, fought for hours last night, drained his magic to the brink, and still hadn't had proper rest.

"Oh, fine..." Rhodes mumbled. Really, Warm wasn't to blame. This was the village chief's house, after all. It wasn't like he could complain about the accommodations.

Still... if only the village had an inn. Or better yet, if only he'd picked a mission in a town with an inn.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again. He knew he needed rest, but how could anyone sleep in this situation?

On the same bed as Mira, separated only by a cuddly, blob-like companion who snored louder than a Murk Wolf.

Mira, of course, noticed his constant tossing and turning.

She sat up and turned to face him, her legs tucked neatly to one side as she leaned in slightly.

"If you can't sleep," she said with a mischievous little smile, "I can help you."

The neckline of her pajamas was slightly loose, but the room was too dim to see much of anything. Still, Rhodes could feel his pulse quicken.

"What's the plan? Gonna sing me a lullaby?" he asked teasingly.

Mira leaned forward and pressed a hand gently to his forehead. "Something easier."

He felt a familiar wave of magic rise from her fingers. Pink bubbles danced before his eyes. Then drowsiness settled over him like a blanket.

This was unmistakable a sleep magic.

"You can use... sleep magic too..." Rhodes murmured, already drifting off mid-sentence.

Mira smiled softly as his breathing slowed. "Only if the target's not on guard," she whispered.

She tugged gently at his cheek, watching his sleeping face. For someone so cautious during missions, Rhodes really did let his guard down around her. The difference made her grin.

Thinking about how vigilant he'd been with even the coachman earlier that day only made it funnier.

Her playful pinching softened into a gentle stroke as she leaned over and pressed her cheek against his.

"Good night," she whispered.

...

When Rhodes woke the next morning, he found himself hugging something soft.

His eyes blinked open to see a familiar face—and a long, drooling tongue already in motion.

"Warm... I told you, you're not a dog." Rhodes groaned and gently pushed him away, sitting up in bed.

Across the room, Mira was already up. She sat in front of the small mirror, tying her long silver hair into a braid. A black ribbon rested between her lips, ready to finish the look.

"Morning," she said warmly, giving him a bright smile through the mirror.

Rhodes had seen that kind of smile before*, —back when he first woke up in the Fairy Tail guild.

But this time, her eyes were different. Brighter. Softer.

That quiet happiness in Mira's gaze made something warm bloom in Rhodes' chest, and it quickly spread to his face.

"Good morning," he said, his voice unconsciously gentler than usual.

Then, as he sat up, a strange feeling of déjà vu washed over him.

Wait a second... this scene...

He suddenly gasped dramatically, clutching the quilt to his chest like a scandalized maiden. "You, what did you do to me?!"

Mira blinked, stunned for a moment. Her face flushed red, and she immediately turned away, glaring over her shoulder.

"You... You're not getting breakfast!"

"Ahh~" Rhodes groaned playfully. "So you did do something after all..."

A hair tie smacked him in the forehead.

Still grinning, he got up and stretched. "Want me to tie your hair for you?"

"No thanks!" Mira huffed, rummaging through the suitcase for another hair tie. With practiced ease, she gathered her hair into a stylish ponytail, dragon-whisker bangs perfectly framing her cheeks.

Rhodes watched the entire process with quiet admiration.

It was a lovely hairstyle, especially with the sunlight catching the white strands. The hair tie she just used... wasn't that the one he gave her?

His gaze lingered a little too long.

Mira, seeing his look in the mirror, felt both pleased and embarrassed. At least all that effort wasn't wasted... but still! Why did he have to look at her like that?

"Go wash your face already," she muttered, flustered.

"Alright, alright," Rhodes said, offering her the hair tie she'd tossed at him.

But instead of taking it, Mira grabbed his wrist and slipped the tie onto it like a bracelet. "There. You can wear it for now."

"Hey—"

"No time to talk! We've got work to do." Mira gave him a firm push, shoving him into the bathroom and slamming the door behind him.

The door creaked open again, just enough for Rhodes to poke his head out with a smirk.

"This hairstyle really suits you."

And with that, he closed the door before she could say a word.

Mira stood frozen for a second... then smiled, her voice soft.

"Idiot."

...

Of course, there hadn't been any breakfast punishment. Rhodes was only joking. The two of them had a hearty breakfast at the village chief's home before preparing to head out.

Mr. Jasper and his wife greeted them at the door, both wearing dark circles under their eyes, but they looked energized.

Rhodes asked, and Jasper explained that most of the village had worked late into the night, burning rat corpses and repairing fences.

It had been a long night, but the joy of finally turning the tide had kept everyone motivated. Even the horrible stench near the incinerator couldn't ruin the mood.

"We're heading out to search the surrounding area," Rhodes explained. "There are likely still stragglers hiding in burrows or among the fields. We'll do as much cleanup as possible, but it might cause some collateral damage. You saw what happened to the roads yesterday..."

Jasper waved a hand without hesitation. "Don't worry about it! Do whatever you need to. Honestly, we'd be grateful even if you flattened half the village as long as the rats are gone."

He laughed a little, but there was truth in his words.

Most of the crops had already been ruined. Right now, their top priority was extermination. Once the rats were gone, they could reseed, rebuild, and start again.

Even if the farmland ended up covered in pits and craters... well, that just meant the soil was getting turned.

Rhodes nodded. "Got it. Then let's begin."

Mira smiled warmly. "You should remember to rest too."

The two stepped out together. The sun was shining brightly today, white clouds drifting lazily across the sky. The morning breeze carried a scent that was... less than pleasant.

Given yesterday's events, it was only natural.

As they walked through the village, the tired yet cheerful villagers greeted them one after another. Children ran up to them, chirping out sweet greetings of "Big Brother!" and "Big Sister!"

They might not have remembered their names, but it wasn't hard to figure out who they were, after all, the only unfamiliar faces around were the two wizards from Fairy Tail.

The craters Mira had accidentally blown into the main road were mostly filled in, though some damage off to the sides still remained. Not far away, the smoke from several incinerators still curled upward. The old fence, gnawed and toppled during the battle, had yet to be repaired.

"Summon- Brambleback!"

Rhodes summoned his towering tree monster and gave it a friendly pat on the claw. He pointed to the boundary lines near the village and gave it instructions.

"Let's rebuild the perimeter. Follow the markings here. I want it about this wide, and about that high."

"Woooo..." The tree monster let out a low hum and lumbered along the village's edge. From its arms, thick vines grew and twisted, weaving themselves together into a sturdy lattice.

It wasn't just a replacement fence, it was practically a wooden fortress wall.

The villagers, though familiar by now with Rhodes' summons, couldn't help but gasp when they saw what the creature was doing.

"That's not a fence," someone whispered in awe. "That's a whole wall!"

Mira nudged Rhodes playfully. "Is this what you came up with after destroying part of the guild the other day?"

Rhodes chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "What can I say? After that little incident, the Magic Council suddenly started taking me a bit more seriously."

Taking his arm, Mira smiled. "Now I see why they're calling you the 'Fairy Strategist of the New Era.'"

Rhodes puffed out his chest and said dramatically, "Indeed, that's me. Though I'm but a humble servant of logic and long-term planning, doing my part to reduce the complaints about Fairy Tail. My achievements are trivial, really. Not worth mentioning."

Mira grinned and ruffled his hair gently, like calming a boastful child. "Yes, yes. The great Fairy Strategist is the strongest."

Rhodes leaned his head against hers in mock protest, lightly nudging her in response.

She laughed quietly. This time, the nudge was far softer than the headbutt she'd traded with Erza during their infamous arguments.

Once the Brambleback finished its work, wrapping the entire village in a new protective wall, the two climbed onto the Scuttle crab to begin their mission for the day.

...

Bonus Chapter @1600 PS