Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 133: Secrets and Mysteries

Mira wore a white, one-shoulder knit sweater adorned with a simple yet elegant pattern.

She paired it with dark blue wide-leg jeans and white flats.

The outfit was minimalist but graceful—an effortless mix of charm and confidence.

However, the sleeves were so long they covered half her hands, while her bare shoulders and delicate collarbones were exposed. Rhodes couldn't help but wonder if the outfit was meant for staying warm or keeping cool.

After some serious contemplation, he came to a conclusion: The real purpose of this outfit is simply to look good.

As promised, the two of them went out just before noon, leaving the tavern in the care of Laki, Sally, and Izzy.

After receiving Rhodes's gift a few days ago, even if they wanted to grumble, the others couldn't find it in them anymore.

Naturally, the envious stares were unavoidable—but at least no one transformed into geese to block their path.

"Are you cold?" Rhodes asked, fully aware that it was a bit blunt, but he just couldn't help himself.

"It's warm in the guild, and it's midday now, so I'm fine." Mira paused, casually brushing her hair behind her ear. "Why? Doesn't it look good?"

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

Rhodes was caught off guard—he didn't expect Mira to ask that.

He pointed to his own eyes. "I figured you'd be able to read the word 'beautiful' directly from my gaze."

"Oh? Let me get a closer look." Mira giggled and stepped in front of him, gazing playfully into his eyes.

Rhodes stopped walking. He found himself lost—staring into her gentle, sea-blue eyes, her long lashes fluttering slightly, and the way she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear.

The mood between them suddenly shifted, the air tinged with a shy, uncertain tension.

Rhodes could feel the heat rise to his face.

Definitely not a good idea to stare at a girl you like when nothing's official yet.

Both of them looked away awkwardly, neither sure whether to keep walking or stay still.

"Sister Mira! Brother Rhodes!"

Perfect timing.

Both of them silently let out a breath of relief.

"Romeo?" Mira recognized the familiar voice—it was the little boy who often played around the guild. "Out on your own today?"

Rhodes knew him too. Romeo was Macao's son—just five years old—and always eager to tag along with Natsu and Happy.

Back when Rhodes had briefly been the guild's "strongest newcomer," Romeo looked up to him a bit, though not nearly as much as he admired Natsu.

"Yup," Romeo nodded. "Hey, is Natsu at the guild?"

"Natsu and Happy are out on a job," Mira replied gently. "They'll probably be back tomorrow or the day after."

Seeing the boy's disappointed look, she added, "But your dad's at the guild. Why not go hang out with him?"

Romeo shook his head. "Dad's busy. I don't want to bother him too much. I'm gonna find some other friends to play with. Bye, Sister Mira! Bye, Brother Rhodes!"

"Bye-bye." Rhodes and Mira waved as he trotted off.

Neither of them had the heart to tell him Macao was probably just drinking at the guild again.

Then again, Romeo likely knew what his father was like. Maybe in his young eyes, that's just what adults did.

"Romeo seems proud to have a wizard for a dad," Rhodes mused.

"Yeah. He's the opposite of Wakaba's daughter," Mira added, remembering a complaint Wakaba had voiced recently. "Apparently she's been really upset with him lately, and things have been tense with his wife too."

"He's not exactly winning Father of the Year," Rhodes chuckled. He remembered he and Mira had once stepped in to calm things down between them.

They continued chatting idly about guild gossip as they walked, and before long, they arrived at the restaurant Mira had mentioned.

And just as she'd said, the variety of cuisine was impressive—once again reminding Rhodes of how much of the world he still had left to experience.

The two of them ordered a hearty meal—chestnut-braised chicken, cumin mushrooms, pine nut corn, steamed clams, stir-fried pork with green peppers, and a savory lotus root and pork rib soup.

Since they usually ate at the guild, Mira had become quite familiar with Rhodes' preferences and taste in food.

No wonder she'd said he might like this place.

"What's wrong?" Mira smiled, amused by Rhodes' surprised expression. It was quite a rare and charming look on him.

Rhodes looked at her, a little stunned. "Just surprised. Hm, thank you."

"Aha, so I was right after all." Mira gave him a playful wink with her left eye, light dancing in her expression.

Rhodes thought to himself that this kind of flirting was unfair and probably against some sort of rulebook—but he wasn't about to complain.

It was late autumn, and the two had also ordered some fresh seasonal vegetable soup, which turned out to be surprisingly flavorful.

Not only was the chef excellent, but Rhodes' mood was also light and lifted—he ended up enjoying the meal more than he expected.

"Slow down, I'm not going to steal your food," Mira teased, gently pouring a small bowl of soup and sliding it over to him. She was already used to how focused Rhodes became when he ate something he liked.

These dishes didn't seem too complicated to learn. Maybe... maybe next time she could try cooking them herself?

After a while, they both put down their chopsticks and continued chatting leisurely over their bowls of soup.

Just then, a cloaked figure with a mask and a staff passed by the front of the restaurant. The moment he noticed the two inside, he tossed his cloak in a dramatic flourish—then vanished like a phantom into thin air.

Rhodes blinked, soup bowl paused midair. "Was that—?"

"It was Mystogan," Mira said calmly, as if she were used to this sort of thing.

Rhodes couldn't help but complain, "He goes around so covered up, yet every time he comes to the guild, he just puts everyone to sleep. What's the point of the disguise?"

That guy was a mystery wrapped in cloth. Headscarf, mask, bandaged arms and legs—he looked like he'd just escaped from a hospital ward.

"To be safe," Mira said with a soft blink. "I thought you, of all people, would understand that."

"How would I—? Wait, are you saying you've lumped me in with the weirdos now?"

"It's not me," Mira said sweetly. "It's everyone." She gave him a teasing smile. "Still, even if you're a weirdo, you're a reliable one."

"Are we still talking about me, or Misterg—er, Mystogan?" Rhodes rubbed the back of his neck. "He always takes high-difficulty missions, doesn't he?"

Rhodes knew Mira had never personally handled one of Mystogan's commissions, but as the one who helped run the guild's request board, she definitely saw the task logs—and she loved a good mystery.

"No, actually, he accepts a lot of normal missions too," Mira said thoughtfully. "Sometimes he takes jobs that send him really far away, but the reward isn't all that much—not by his standards. It kind of feels like he's doing it on purpose, just to travel."

"Maybe he's the wandering type," Rhodes guessed. "Like, he wants to explore Fiore through missions or something."

Mira gave a small shake of her head. "Maybe, but ever since the Harvest Festival, when you and Gray were out, he's been staying close to Magnolia. It's strange—there's no clear pattern to his movements."

"Has he ever teamed up with anyone?"

"Not once," Mira replied. "He always works solo."

"Hmm..." Rhodes leaned back in his seat. "Feels like he's hiding some huge secret."

A mage that mysterious couldn't just be aimlessly drifting from job to job. Maybe, like Natsu, he was secretly searching for someone important while using guild missions as a cover.

"I should start keeping an eye out for anything strange near the city," Rhodes muttered. "You never know what clues he might be leaving behind."

Still, that idea of traveling across the country on missions, it stuck with him.

If he could get stronger—much stronger—maybe he could do that too.

Go on a journey of his own.

And if the timing was right, maybe he could even ask Mira to join him. Form a team. A real one.