Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 216: New Mission

March arrived with a gentle breeze.

The temperatures began to rise, the ice and snow gradually melted, and in some areas, patches of green grass had already peeked through.

As for Rhodes, his account balance only went up by 200,000 Jewels.

The reason? Erza had been "too lazy" last month. Not that she actually was, it was more that she didn't team up with Rhodes like she usually did (though not on purpose).

Rhodes himself hadn't taken on any difficult missions lately. Most of his jobs last month were small tasks here and there.

The highest-paying one had been that escort mission with Elfman.

This was the normal pace for a standard wizard's life. After deducting rent and living expenses, saving up 200,000 a month was already considered quite thrifty.

At the counter, Happy and Warm were locked in a tense negotiation.

"Warm, I want to trade my grilled fish for your fried fish."

"Woo." Warm shook his head firmly.

"Why not?"

"Hulu..." Warm pointed with his little claws.

"I'll even help you pick out all the bones!"

"Hulu!"

Deal closed.

Natsu wasn't making a ruckus today, so the tavern was unusually calm.

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Perhaps it was because Erza was sitting front and center in a very noticeable spot.

Across the way, Bisca was talking to Erza, her cheeks slightly flushed.

After a brief pep talk and a firm nod from Erza, Bisca bolted toward the request board and began scanning the jobs.

Meanwhile, Macao wasn't on great terms with Wakaba today, so he was sitting over with Cana instead.

Cana, for her part, had gotten over the sting of her last failed mission. She'd been working hard over the past couple of months, taking on more jobs and, thanks to Macao's persistent nagging, even cutting back on her drinking.

Macao, forever ruining the bar's profits.

Loke hadn't been coming around the guild as often lately. According to Gray, he'd been feeling "unwell," so he wasn't taking on many jobs.

Rhodes had his doubts. He speculated that maybe Loke had been juggling too many girlfriends again and his body just couldn't take it.

Then again, Gray also said that when he dragged Loke to the hospital, the guy had the nerve to try and flirt with the nurses using his "weak and wounded" act. He wasn't even in the building five minutes before he had an arm around one of them, laughing and chatting like a seasoned playboy.

Rumor had it Loke had set his sights on a new target lately—one that was supposedly "a real challenge."

Gray couldn't be bothered with him anymore.

Rhodes knew his little theory was far from the truth... but it didn't stop him from wanting to punch Loke anyway.

That weird line of thinking made Rhodes feel like one of those overdramatic sitcom characters from another world.

"Well, Mira, we'll take this mission," Bisca said, handing over a request slip. "I'm teaming up with Al. I mean Alzack."

"Let me take a look." Mira didn't check the mission at first, she just glanced at the pair curiously. Did Bisca almost say "Al"? Hmm.

The two quickly grew flustered under her gaze, and Bisca pushed, "C'mon, hurry! It looks urgent!"

"Alright~" Mira finally gave the request a closer look. "You're supposed to infiltrate a ballroom event and stop an enemy planning to cause trouble, disguised as a couple?"

Disguised as a couple?

Mira's eyes sparkled.

Bisca was bolder than she looked.

Rhodes immediately caught on to the key part of the request. He stepped forward and clapped a hand on Alzack's shoulder.

"Hey, buddy... how about letting us take this one?"

"Eh? Well... I mean..." Alzack hesitated. Of course, he didn't want to give it up. But he did still owe Rhodes a favor.

"Don't cause trouble," Mira said, pushing Rhodes aside as she verified the mission's difficulty. She proceeded to help Bisca and Alzack register it properly.

"Good luck," Mira said with a knowing smile. "In every sense."

Once outside the guild, Bisca's face was still flushed red. It was only then she realized she missed her chance to fire back with a playful "You too" just to see Mira's reaction.

"What a shame," Rhodes sighed, flipping through the task board again. "That would've been a fun job. Can't believe I didn't spot it first."

Mira rolled her eyes at him. "You should focus on the upcoming council meeting. Have you figured out how you're getting out of it this time?"

"I have to go way out of town this time," Rhodes groaned. "It's always a hassle when Master gets drunk at these meetings."

Last month, he'd ended up going to the meeting because he lost track of time, too busy spending the day with Mira. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

Although... that one little fan of Mira's who wanted an autograph would probably get left out again. Maybe he could have the Master deliver it instead.

"Let's go eat before I head out," Rhodes said. "Anywhere you'd like?"

Mira, without hesitation, skipped right over the idea of not going. "I chose last time. Your turn."

"How about dumplings?" Rhodes suggested.

"Sounds good. I know a place. We can go there again when you come back."

"No complaints here."

"Then why are you the one deciding again?" Mira asked, giving him a teasing look.

Rhodes just smiled. "Same thing. You know this place better than I do."

Mira let the comment pass without argument. "By the way, the forsythias in South Gate Park will bloom in a few days. Want to go see them?"

"Okay," Rhodes agreed enthusiastically. "I remember there are cherry blossoms in that park too, right?"

Mira nodded. "There are, but they don't reach full bloom until April. That's when our guild holds its annual cherry blossom viewing. It gets pretty lively."

"Is that during the Harvest Festival?"

"No, this one's just a Fairy Tail thing. Mr. Cook prepares a mountain of food, and we hold games, competitions, even a raffle."

"Sounds like a good time," Rhodes said. "But we've still got a while to wait. How about a picnic when we go see the forsythias?"

Mira saw right through his suggestion. "Sure, but who's making the food?"

"Uh... my cooking skills stop at grilled meat." Rhodes scratched his cheek sheepishly. "If all else fails, we could just grab some takeout from the guild kitchen."

He looked at Mira with hopeful eyes, waiting for her to take the hint.

Mira didn't take the bait. "Alright, we'll do that."

Rhodes's bright expression immediately turned into mild disappointment.

He was clearly hoping to eat something she made.

Mira giggled to herself, then gave in. "Okay, okay. I'll cook."

"Yes!" Rhodes lit up again.

"But only if you come grocery shopping with me."

"Even better!"

Mira snorted twice. "Maybe I should just send you to do it alone."

"I mean, you could... but you know me. I'd probably come back with carrots instead of onions."

"I wouldn't put it past you," Mira said, shaking her head. "But no worries. Whatever you bring back, I'll still know how to cook it."

"Ahh..." Rhodes sighed, smiling warmly. "You're impossible to trick."

But as he flipped through a few more mission slips and came across one that hadn't made it to the board yet, the smile on his face began to fade.

"What is it?" Mira noticed the sudden change in his expression and followed his gaze to the document in his hand.

It was a commission requesting a mage to help find a doctor for someone's daughter.

According to the request, a young girl had developed a strange illness. For the past two months, her parents had taken her to every doctor in the area, but no one could diagnose what was wrong, let alone cure it.

Some physicians had even begun to suspect it wasn't a disease at all, but a curse. They'd advised the family to seek help from a mage.

To Mira, the commission didn't seem especially different at first glance.

But then her eyes landed on the child's name.

Liz.

That name... it rang a bell. A sharp, uneasy one.

"Liz..." Mira murmured. "Where have I heard that before?"