Lost

Goldmine chuckled, casting a glance at Bob. "You trying to poach people again?"

Makarov didn't seem the least bit concerned. If someone wanted to steal Rhodes away, they'd have to win over Mirajane too—and that wasn't happening.

The old friends laughed and joked, but eventually, the conversation circled back to the pressing topic: the destruction of ERA.

"Any word on Yajima?" Goldmine asked.

"I was just about to ask you," Bob said with a tilt of the head.

Both of them turned to Makarov—after all, he was closest to Yajima.

"Relax," Makarov said, swirling his drink, his cheeks faintly flushed from the alcohol. "Yaji's got more brains than all of us put together. He'll come through just fine, even if everything's falling apart."

Truthfully, Makarov had already reached out to the remnants of the Council that morning. Yajima had been among the wounded, but fortunately, his injuries were minor and he wasn't in any real danger. Still, he couldn't get through to him directly.

After a moment of thought, Makarov decided to be honest: "Half the councilors are undergoing treatment, and they're all likely to face investigation afterward. It'll be tough to reach him anytime soon."

Goldmine sighed. "It's tough being a councilor. Still, Yajima lasted longer than most, though I'd say half of that was just cleaning up after you."

Bob added cheerfully, "He's always been so gentle~ That's why we love him."

Makarov exhaled deeply. "He might take this chance to finally retire."

"I remember he once said he wanted to open a restaurant," Goodman recalled. "But if that happens… Fairy Tail might be in trouble without him there."

Goodman turned to Rhodes with a grin. "So, Rhodes, what do you say, want to join our guild before that happens?"

Bob nudged him with a smirk. "You sly dog. Weren't you just complaining about me trying to steal talent?"

…

The guild summit continued for another three days. The topics gradually shifted—from responding to the immediate aftermath of ERA's collapse, to long-term recovery planning, and even a debate on reforming the selection criteria for the Ten Wizard Saints and councilors.

Even though they were just a regional alliance, they still had the authority to submit formal recommendations.

The consensus? Future Wizard Saints should be evaluated not just on magical prowess, but also on their integrity and service to the magical community. And councilors? Power was meaningless without strong character and sound judgment.

When the final day arrived, Rhodes diligently organized all the meeting notes, then handed them to a mage who specialized in Copy Magic to print dozens of copies.

He also compiled all of the key resolutions into a formal summary on behalf of the alliance. The letter was addressed to the Kingdom of Fiore and the temporary Council leadership, and he passed it around for all the guild masters to sign.

As the event drew to a close, someone brought up a new idea—why not appoint Rhodes as the permanent secretary for future summits?

He might not be flashy, but he was thorough, reliable, and organized… which was more than most guild leaders could say for themselves.

Several masters agreed to test it out at the next gathering—after all, they'd rather fight dragons than draft a report.

By the time Rhodes and Makarov returned to Magnolia, it was already September 20th.

The Fairy Tail guildhall had been fully renovated in their absence. All the debris, broken timber, and leftover materials from the reconstruction had been cleared away.

Compared to the old days, when anyone could just push open the large guild doors and walk straight in, Fairy Tail's new headquarters had added a bit of flair, a surrounding wall enclosed a cozy courtyard now transformed into an open-air tavern.

As Makarov and Rhodes entered through the front gate, they were greeted by a lively scene. Half of the sixteen outdoor tables were already occupied, some by guild members, but most by locals from Magnolia enjoying the sunshine and drinks.

As expected, the tavern had hired new waitresses while they were gone, complete with freshly issued uniforms. The new outfits featured bold, chest-high skirts that were definitely attention-grabbing.

The ever-flirtatious Makarov practically froze in place, as if gravity itself was dragging him toward the two lovely waitresses outside. With a wide grin that was far from subtle, he offered a... rather suggestive smile.

"Master, you're back!"

"You must be tired from the journey! Welcome home, Master! And you too, Rhodes~!"

"Not tired at all, not one bit!" Makarov said with a laugh, rubbing his hands together. "Ahh, this guild really is paradise!"

"Please try acting like a responsible guild master, at least for once," Rhodes said dryly, greeting the waitresses more normally. "Good afternoon. Is Mira inside?"

"She sure is!" one of the girls chirped. "We saw her just now! The two lovebirds reunited~"

"She's inside, and she looks so gorgeous in the new outfit~!"

Rhodes took the teasing in stride, completely unfazed. "Of course she looks gorgeous. Mira looks stunning in any outfit."

"Eeeeeek~ So sweet~!"

Leaving the smitten guild master behind, Rhodes walked into the guild hall by himself.

"Oi, Rhodes!"

"Max?" Rhodes glanced toward the newly built shop counter. "So the store's officially open?"

"Want to take a look? We've got figurines of you and Mira—3,000 Jewels each!"

"You actually made those?" Rhodes picked up a figure of Mira and inspected it. The material felt like hand-carved wood, the paint job a little uneven, and the craftsmanship was… well, enthusiastic, if nothing else.

Could it be that Laki helped make these with her magic?

"I personally recommend this one." Max held up a figure of Lucy in her usual blue skirt and white blouse. "Just press this button right here on the base…"

Click.

With a light press, the figure's outfit popped off in several pieces, revealing a detailed set of undergarments underneath.

Max gave the figure a little shake. "This one's 2,000 Jewels more than the others, but for some reason it's our best seller."

"You really don't know why?"

Rhodes sighed and carefully placed the Mira figure back on the counter. As tempting as it was to collect a commission off these, it looked like copyright or portrait rights weren't a thing around here.

"Not even a little tempted to buy one for yourself?" 

Max, still trying to push a sale, leaned forward eagerly. "At the very least, you should get Mira's! Jet and Droy both bought Levy's, and Alzack secretly bought Bisca's!"

"You just exposed their secrets like that?" Rhodes gave him a look of complete disdain. "What happened to professional discretion?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "Besides, I don't need to buy a figure. I can collect the real Mira."

Hard plastic dolls couldn't compare to the real deal—Mira could smile, hug, blush, and argue. That was what made her special.

With a flick of his hand and no hesitation, Rhodes turned and walked off, completely uninterested in Max's collection of half-baked figurines.

The guild had changed in more ways than just the shop. A performance stage had been added, and a gym and game room now stood where storage used to be. These renovations had started before their last mission, but they had only just opened for use in the past few days.

Rhodes didn't stop to admire the upgrades.

Instead, he made a beeline straight for the counter, taking long strides until he reached his destination—and wrapped Mira in a warm hug.

He didn't hold on for long. Mira got flustered easily in public, and he didn't want to embarrass her too much.

But still—she was here. Soft smile. Familiar warmth.

She had changed into the guild's new uniform, and Rhodes took a moment to admire her without blinking. The light blue-gray eyes he knew so well still sparkled just the same.

"I'm back," he said, holding her hands.

"Welcome back," Mira replied with a gentle smile. "You've worked hard. And…"

Her eyes glinted mischievously.

"Was Lucy's figure pretty?"

Rhodes's face immediately fell into a tragic expression.

Wait—had he entered her line of sight the moment he walked in?

Then again, he supposed it meant she'd been keeping an eye out for him.

He sighed, dramatically wilting. "I've been thinking about you every single day, and that's the first thing you say?"

Mira puffed her cheeks. "So what if you did? I thought about you every single day too."

'Oh no.'

Rhodes felt like he'd just lost the match.

...

Bonus @2000

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