Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 137: If She... He Definitely Would...

On this late autumn morning, the warmth from the bright sunshine was quickly swept away by the chilly wind.

High above, wisps of cirrus clouds remained unmoved by the breeze that danced along the streets below. Only the golden leaves clinging to the trees on either side fluttered gently through the air, carried briefly on the wind's path before drifting to the ground.

As a proper wingman, Rhodes didn't rush ahead. Instead, he thoughtfully timed his arrival so he wouldn't interrupt too early. He wanted to give the two of them—Alzack and Bisca—a bit of space to warm up to each other.

But when he arrived at the guild's entrance, they were already there, standing over a meter apart.

Bisca was leaning slightly on her rifle, idly adjusting its angle on the ground. Alzack kept one hand near the holster at his waist, occasionally scratching his cheek with his index finger. They each stole glances at the other from time to time, only to quickly avert their eyes whenever they were caught.

Rhodes wasn't sure where Alzack had picked up all these "stealth and observation" tricks, but he was using them like a pro—if awkwardly.

There they stood, side by side at the guild's entrance, like a pair of statues. One could be labeled "Oblivious," and the other, "Flustered."

Rhodes sighed and stepped forward, breaking the tension with a cheerful voice. "Sorry I'm late."

"N-No..." they both said at the same time, then immediately fell silent again, eyes meeting for a second before darting away in embarrassment.

Rhodes looked at them helplessly.

Thankfully, Bisca spoke up first. "We just got here early. You're right on time."

Alzack nodded quickly. "Y-Yeah."

Rhodes had indeed arrived right on time—any later, and he would've lost his nerve and turned around.

"Shall we get going?" he asked, waving back toward the guild building. Once he got a few waves in response, he motioned for the group to move out.

Still walking awkwardly apart, Bisca and Alzack followed Rhodes, keeping over a meter of distance between them like a pair of guardians flanking a royal procession.

This pace was unbearable. The awkwardness was almost tangible.

Thinking for a moment, Rhodes casually asked, "Let's take a carriage. What kind do you guys usually rent?"

"A standard two-horse carriage," Bisca replied. "I really like horses. Honestly, if I could, I'd rather just ride one."

Rhodes glanced at her outfit—a rugged, western-style look that perfectly matched Alzack's usual aesthetic.

Unfortunately, Alzack said nothing. Rhodes tried to help him along.

"You're usually pretty quiet at the tavern, Bisca, but I didn't know you were so cool. No wonder you get along so well with Erza."

Bisca smiled sheepishly. "It's not really that. I actually knew Erza before I joined the guild."

She went on to talk about how she'd met Erza and eventually became a Fairy Tail wizard.

Meanwhile, Alzack stood there listening, and an odd sense of pride bubbled up in him—Heh. I already knew this story. Rhodes didn't!

Rhodes glanced sideways at him. This guy is hopeless.

Ask her something! Who cares if you already know? It's completely different when you show her you're interested and ask her yourself!

Right now, it just looks like you don't care!

Rhodes was mentally exhausted. He nodded along to Bisca's story and grinned. "You actually pretended to be a Fairy Tail wizard and didn't get sliced in half by Erza? That's a miracle."

Bisca offered a sheepish smile. "I didn't really understand what a guild meant back then. I just knew that Fairy Tail was famous and, super impressive."

She glanced aside slightly, a bit embarrassed. "Since I came from the Western Continent and didn't have any real skills to make a living, I kind of, pretended to be a Fairy Tail wizard so I could get food and shelter."

Thinking back on it, she chuckled awkwardly. "Looking at it now, I feel like I really dragged the guild's name through the mud."

Rhodes nearly choked. No, no, no—dragged through the mud? If all she did was mooch some food, collect a few 'protection fees,' and play at being a local bully... well, that was basically beginner-level Fairy Tail behavior.

His gaze shifted to the guy next to him, who was just smiling silently like a background prop.

Fine. Time to be the reliable wingman again.

"What about you, Alzack?" Rhodes asked with a nudge.

"Huh? Oh—yeah, I'm also from the Western Continent, just like Bisca." Alzack said.

Rhodes gave a small sigh of relief. At least he knows to mention Bisca when he talks now. Progress.

After sharing his brief story, Alzack offered a suggestion, "Actually, to get to Sunflower Village, we could take the train to Onibasu first, then switch to a carriage. That'd save us some time, right?"

Rhodes paused, expression flat. "Yeah, sure. But you're both carrying massive guns. Riding the train might give the other passengers a heart attack."

Bisca was about to explain that she could use Requip Magic to make her sniper rifle vanish anytime—she just liked the way it looked when she held it.

But since she was clearly a little more decisive than Alzack, she simply nodded and said, "That's true. A carriage might be more convenient after all."

Alzack, immediately taking her lead, agreed, "Y-Yeah, definitely. Carriage it is."

Rhodes just stared at the two of them. I'm done. Next time, whoever wants to play matchmaker can do it themselves. I don't care how awkward the couple is or how much it costs—I'm out.

The three of them went to rent a carriage. As soon as they boarded, Rhodes climbed in first and very deliberately placed his bag on the seat beside him—effectively blocking Alzack from sitting next to him.

Call it petty. Call it underhanded. Rhodes called it seat-claiming mastery, a skill honed from years of fighting for spots in college lecture halls. And today... it finally paid off.

Alzack, flustered, ended up sitting next to Bisca, stiff as a board and unsure of where to place his hands.

Bisca wasn't faring much better. She kept her posture composed, but there was a noticeable gap between them—one that seemed to echo with awkward silence.

Rhodes, meanwhile, had taken his seat with the ease of someone enjoying a good show. He leaned against the window frame with a faint smile, casually observing the tension brewing beside him.

And, as expected...

"S-Sorry!" Alzack blurted out as the carriage shifted, instinctively scooting back to his original seat like a student caught whispering during a lecture. He sat up straight, posture rigid and formal.

"No, it's fine." Bisca tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to convince herself that this was perfectly normal and nothing to overthink.

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But of course, the moment the carriage began to move, the two of them—thrown slightly off balance—bumped shoulders. A slight touch, but enough to turn both their faces crimson.

Rhodes chuckled inwardly.

It's funny how this kind of thing wouldn't bother anyone else—bumping into a stranger or even a friend is usually nothing. But when two people have a little spark going, even the smallest contact sets off fireworks.

He found it genuinely entertaining.

If only Mira were here to see this, he thought. She'd be laughing with me.

It was exactly 8:11 a.m.—just eleven minutes since he'd left the guild.

And he already missed her.

Back at the guild, things had quieted down after the morning rush. Mira wiped down the counter one last time and set the rag aside, taking a moment to rest.

"I wonder how Alzack and Bisca are getting along," she mused aloud, resting her chin in her palm.

Laki, who was nearby, gave a sly grin. "Sister Mira, are you really wondering about Alzack and Bisca, or a certain someone who went with them?"

"Don't talk nonsense," Mira said, tossing the rag at her, though her cheeks held a faint blush. "Of course I'm talking about Alzack and Bisca. I imagine their reactions on the road must be pretty funny."

"Yeah, those two do seem like a good match," Laki agreed, catching the rag with a playful smirk. It looked clean enough, so she resumed wiping the nearby table.

Mira gazed thoughtfully at the guild entrance, a soft smile tugging at her lips.