Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 131: The Mastermind, the Evil Demon Mira Jane

"It's Dublin," Makarov said slowly.

"If you want to join the guild, that's fine. But if you want to be part of Levy's team, you'll have to talk to her, Jet, and Droy."

Rhodes eyed the man in front of Makarov. He had a scruffy buzz cut, unshaven beard, dull eyes, and no shoes—even though it was already late autumn.

He practically radiated the word "burnout."

Rhodes vaguely remembered seeing him around the tavern before. He seemed to be on familiar terms with Jet and the others.

Dublin scratched the back of his head and said, "I already asked Levy, but she turned me down."

Makarov raised a brow. "Why's that?"

"Because, I'm not a wizard."

Rhodes: "..."

A non-wizard wanting to tag along on a job-taking team? That's bold.

Still, remembering how he himself joined Fairy Tail, Rhodes tried to be more understanding. "Have you thought about learning magic?"

"You think I could?"

Makarov gave a gentle nod. He never turned away someone who genuinely wanted to learn. "What kind of magic are you interested in?"

"The same kind Levy uses!"

"Solid Script Magic, huh? Rhodes, you go ahead and explain it to him."

"Me?" Rhodes blinked. Wasn't this supposed to be Levy's area of expertise?

But Makarov insisted with a nod. "Just explain the basics."

"Alright." Rhodes began, "Solid Script Magic is a type of script-based magic where you construct words using magic energy, and then—"

"Yeah, forget it. Sounds like a pain."

Before Rhodes even finished one sentence, Dublin gave up faster than Jet after another failed confession.

"???"

Rhodes watched him walk away in disbelief. He couldn't tell if Dublin genuinely gave up, or if he was just hoping Levy herself would teach him.

"Don't mind him," Makarov said with a sigh. "That one always quits at the first sign of difficulty. Even if he did join the guild, I bet he'd end up like Nab—just sitting around doing nothing."

Rhodes narrowed his eyes. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

Mira, who had just walked over, answered with a teasing smile, "That's because for a while, the Master was worried you were going to turn into the second Nab."

Rhodes turned, slightly startled. "Mira, you're up?"

"Yep! Fully recharged!" Mira beamed and flexed an arm in mock strength.

Her hair was still a little damp from washing up, a few strands clinging gently to her face, giving her a playful look.

Makarov added, "Well, that was just a passing worry. You've been doing great, Rhodes."

Rhodes gave the old man a sideways look. So when I don't go out on missions, I'm Nab 2.0, but the moment I earn you some praise, suddenly I'm amazing? Hmph. Two-faced geezer.

Feeling awkward under Rhodes's stare, Makarov hopped down from the counter and muttered, "Well, I've got some errands to run. The guild's in your hands for now."

"Wait—Master." Rhodes called out. "Could you pass something on to Porlyusica when you get the chance? They're small gifts from me and Wendy."

That last line sounded, a little weird when said out loud.

In any case, it was a warm cloak Rhodes had picked out, a handmade sachet Wendy crafted herself, and a pouch of rare herb seeds that Wendy had gathered with help from the others at his suggestion.

Makarov accepted the items and departed with a nod.

Mira skimmed through the guild's ledgers and stamped forms. "You did a great job with this."

Rhodes grinned. "Naturally. Once I become an S-Class wizard, I'll steal your job too. Better worry about getting replaced, Miss Mira."

"Oh?" Mira tilted her head, playful. "Then maybe I should fire you now, take all your wages, and confiscate your last mission rewards."

Rhodes gasped in mock outrage. "Abuse of authority! Is there no justice in this guild?!"

"Justice? Oh yes," Mira said sweetly, sitting down and resting her chin in her hands. "I'm in charge of that too, Mr. Rhodes. Feel free to file a complaint."

Rhodes looked solemnly tragic. "Alas, the demonic claws of Mirajane have stretched into every corner of Fairy Tail. All power is now under her rule."

He clasped his hands dramatically and continued, "Even Fairy Tail's strongest newcomer—its future star, Rhodes—has been forced to bow his head, biding his time, waiting for the moment to resist her tyranny!"

"But beware!" he added in a lofty voice. "The power of the oppressed knows no bounds. The dark reign of Mirajane Strauss will not last forever!"

Mira burst out laughing. "You've gotten way more dramatic since you left. Don't turn into Max."

Rhodes kept the bit going. "And to make sure he never rises too high, the evil Mirajane even dares to interfere with the course of Rhodes' future growth—!"

Mira playfully raised a hand as if to smack him, and Rhodes chuckled, dropping the act.

Later, once the day's little tasks were out of the way, Rhodes stepped into the guild's backyard for a break. It was about time to ease back into training mode.

Their last mission had made something very clear—he had a long way to go.

Even with Gray backing him up, and help from the Council's Unit, it had taken serious effort to bring down a single dark guild. And Gray had ended up a bit injured too, though that was mostly his own fault.

Still, compared to Erza taking down an entire dark guild by herself just to get back in time for dessert, it really didn't feel all that cool.

He'd earned enough for at least half a month of living expenses, which meant—time to hit the grind again.

First up: Physical endurance and magic capacity. The core of all magic. No excuses. No slacking.

Next: Continue exploring the Summoner's Rift. If he could figure out how to get that blue buff, maybe he could offset his magic drain issues.

And finally, he needed to start developing a new Take Over form.

He had a lot to do.

When Rhodes clocked out that evening and headed to the backyard, he found Mira there, already dressed in workout clothes.

"You've been training at night lately?" he asked, watching her tie her hair up.

"Of course. Don't underestimate my commitment," she said confidently.

Rhodes thought there was something oddly captivating about a girl tying up her hair.

He snapped out of it. "Where's Elfman?"

"He left earlier this afternoon to take a job," Mira said with a sigh. "Said something about not being able to lose to you. He only just got back from the last one."

"Huh?" Rhodes blinked. "Lose to me? What's there to lose? Anyone who takes more than two jobs a month is already doing better than me."

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"More like working overtime to try and beat you," Mira said, rolling her eyes. "And you said you'd rest after the last mission. So what are you doing out here again?"

"This is rest," Rhodes replied with a grin. "Mental rest. Staying in the guild, training at my own pace. I'm relaxed."

Truthfully, being back in the guild made him feel at ease. Sure, group fights were still a bit nerve-wracking, but it was a different kind of tension—it didn't leave him feeling drained.

Mira thought for a moment. "Wanna team up with Elfman next time?"

"Sure. When?"

"When I think you've rested enough."

"I—"

"Nope," Mira interrupted, smiling slyly. "I'll be the judge of that."

Rhodes laughed. "Alright, alright."

The two of them chatted while warming up, then quietly went into their separate training routines.

They trained in silence after that, fully focused. Their regimens were different, and they didn't always stay within sight of each other—but knowing someone was nearby made it feel less lonely.

Train. Rest. Wipe off sweat. Apply some salve.

Then, walk her home.

For some reason;

Whenever Elfman wasn't around, Rhodes always seemed to be too low on magic to summon his Scuttle Crab for a ride.

Not that he didn't know the reason.

The autumn night air was crisp and cool as they walked side by side down the quiet street.

Mira hesitated for a moment, then softly asked, "Are you free tomorrow?"