Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 326: Am I just unlikable?

Wendy wore a delicate purple wreath on her head, one that Mira had gently placed there herself. The flowers were woven from violets the two picked along the road, a simple handmade gift to go with the other souvenirs.

"Look, Carla! Miss Mira made this for me," Wendy beamed, twirling slightly with joy.

"It looks beautiful on you," Carla said softly, her voice laced with affection.

But a moment later, she felt something being placed on her own head.

It was another wreath, this one crafted by Rhodes.

From the slight uneven pressure pressing down on her ears, Carla could already tell... it was definitely not the same as Wendy's.

"This is something only little kids wear," she huffed, pulling it off. She eyed the lopsided crown of sparse, crooked violets. "Is this supposed to be a flower crown, or a grass clump?"

Wendy quickly slipped off her own wreath. "Carla, let's trade. I... I actually like this one better," she said with a sweet smile.

"There's no need." Carla placed the mismatched crown back on her head, albeit with a sigh. "It's not like I'm planning to wear it in public."

Such a little angel. Such a little tsundere.

Rhodes chuckled and took out the rest of the souvenirs. After saying goodbye to Magna, Wendy and Carla invited Rhodes and Mira back to their home.

Carla brewed the tea, as always.

Rhodes chatted with Wendy about the town they'd just returned from, describing the scenery, the mission, and the chaos that followed. Wendy shared updates about her training and the new skills she'd picked up lately, from weaving and leatherwork to carving and traditional Nirvit rituals. She even talked about what she hoped to learn next.

Mira made a perfect listener, leaning in with interest, asking just the right questions, and praising Wendy with warmth that made her glow with pride.

Rhodes didn't understand why Wendy had suddenly dived headfirst into learning all these ancient crafts, but he figured it was just a newfound hobby. After all, even Erza was obsessed with armor design and collecting clothes.

After a while, Wendy turned the conversation back to the guild. "I saw a photo of Miss Erza in Sorcerer Magazine recently," she said. "I was... really surprised."

Of course, she was putting it mildly.

"It was quite the situation," Mira said with a wry smile and began recounting Erza's now-infamous "glorious moment" from the latest issue.

Both Wendy and Carla listened wide-eyed, mouths slightly open.

Rhodes eventually brought up the person Wendy missed most: "By the way, Granny Porlyusica doing just fine."

Just as expected, Wendy brightened immediately. "Really?!"

"Absolutely," Rhodes nodded. "She's full of energy, and still yells louder than anyone I've ever met. And her broom hits hard. So yeah—she's in great shape."

"What kind of health check is that...?" Carla muttered.

"The last time I visited, I asked if she had anything she wanted me to pass on to Wendy," Rhodes added with a chuckle. "She slammed the door in my face."

Wendy's shoulders slumped slightly. "So she didn't leave a message after all..."

"But—" Rhodes continued, smiling as he set down his cup. "After slamming the door in my face, she opened it again just a few seconds later."

Wendy perked up.

"She told me to remind you to take care of yourself while practicing magic. Not to push too hard." Rhodes sighed. "She's got a temper just as strange as Carla's."

Wendy's face lit up again. "Yeah, that sounds exactly like her!"

"Excuse me?!" Carla slapped the table with a sharp thwack. "Who are you calling a tempered person?!"

Rhodes calmly picked up his tea and took a sip. "Mmm~ Who made this tea? It's incredible."

"You're not deflecting this with compliments!" Carla snapped.

Mira giggled softly, resting her cheek on one hand. "You're adorable when you're flustered, Carla."

Carla flushed pink and turned to Mira in protest. "Wh-Why are you siding with him too?!"

"Hm?" Rhodes leaned in with a mischievous grin, casually draping an arm around Mira's shoulder. "Didn't I already tell you? Mira and I are dating."

"Huh?!" Wendy froze, eyes wide, and blinked several times at the sight of Mira resting against Rhodes.

Then, her entire face turned beet red, steam practically rising from her head. "D-Dating?!"

That expression, it looked just like Erza when she got caught off guard.

"Whaaaaaaat?!" Carla echoed, eyes widening as her tail puffed up. "Since when?!"

Mira didn't budge from her spot against Rhodes' shoulder. She was clearly enjoying the double reaction.

With a warm smile, she replied, "We made it official around the end of April, maybe the beginning of May. So, about two and a half months now."

Carla's eyes widened. "So the rumored boyfriend was real after all?"

Rhodes raised an eyebrow. "Wait, even you heard about that gossip?"

Carla crossed her arms, looking smug. "Because Wendy keeps an eye on anything related to you."

Though the guild was remote, it wasn't completely isolated. Wendy still occasionally left the village to take on small jobs in nearby towns, and when she did, she'd always bring back old newspapers and magazines, especially anything that mentioned Fairy Tail.

"She reads all the news about Fairy Tail," Carla added. "Especially if it has your name in it."

"That reminds me," Rhodes said, glancing at Wendy. "We've got a new member at the guild named Lucy. She's a Celestial Spirit Mage too, and she's been following our guild's news a lot, kind of like you."

He smiled. "When you have time, come visit the guild. I'll introduce you two. I think you'll get along."

"Y-Yeah..." Wendy was still blushing deeply, clearly flustered and not entirely registering what was being said. Rhodes wondered if she'd even heard him clearly.

Mira gave him a gentle nudge and a knowing smile.

Sensing that it was time to get serious, Rhodes let go of Mira and turned to Wendy. "Anyway, aside from visiting, we also came to show you something important."

Mira nodded, letting the teasing drop. She could tell from Rhode's tone this meant something special, especially to a Dragon Slayer.

Rhodes explained everything about the Mountain Dragon to Wendy in advance, including the fact that it didn't know Grandeeney or Igneel.

But even before he finished, the look on Wendy's face made it clear, she still wanted to see it.

Rhodes, as always, found a quiet area in the forest far from the guild where they wouldn't be seen. He summoned his monsters first to stand guard around the perimeter.

In a place surrounded by trees and thick canopy, the air buzzed with stillness as the earth trembled softly.

Then, with a burst of magic and a shifting of stone, the Mountain Dragon emerged—massive, regal, and ancient, its body like sculpted earth and moss, its golden eyes filled with silent wisdom.

Wendy stood frozen, her hands clenched over her chest, tears welling in her eyes.

She had been raised by a dragon. Even if this one wasn't Grandeeney, the presence alone stirred something deep inside her—a powerful, instinctive feeling of kinship.

What struck her most was the dragon's gaze. Its eyes weren't fierce or wild, but warm and kind.

Rhodes, watching from the side, blinked in confusion.

"Wait a second. Why is it being so gentle?" He frowned. "It didn't act like that when I summoned it..."

He remembered clearly, when he first met it, the Mountain Dragon had almost tried to crush him.

"Is it because I'm not as cute as Wendy?" he muttered bitterly.

Mira rose onto her toes and gently patted Rhodes on the head in sympathy.

But Rhodes only sighed. "That didn't help."

Wendy took a small step forward and asked softly, "Excuse me... do you know Grandeeney? She's a Sky Dragon who raised me."

The Mountain Dragon gazed at her for a long moment, then slowly shook its head.

The motion was subtle for a creature of its size, but the gust of wind it created ruffled everyone's hair.

Wendy's smile faltered slightly. "I see..." Still, she bowed deeply, hands pressed together. "Thank you for letting me meet you, Mr. Mountain Dragon."

The great beast leaned down without warning.

Carla immediately moved in front of Wendy, ears back and eyes narrowed. She was small, but fearless.

But the dragon only pressed its snout gently to Wendy's cheek, rubbing her with the side of its massive face in an unmistakably affectionate gesture.

Wendy reached up to touch it, tears slipping down her cheeks.

Rhodes, meanwhile, looked like he'd just eaten a hundred sour lemons.

"Why does my dragon plays with Natsu like a cat and treats Wendy like a daughter?" he mumbled in defeat.

"Whose summon even is this?"

He turned to Mira with a look of existential crisis. "Mira... am I just completely unlikable?"