Chapter 102: Expectation vs. Reality
Chapter 102: Expectation vs. Reality
Goldman and Ajima came to Magnolia to see the Fairy Tail magic parade and to visit some old friends. Makarov had planned to show them around the guild, boasting about the talented young members.
However, things didn't quite go as planned...
Fortunately, the two visitors weren't exactly strangers to the guild's chaotic nature. They chatted and slurped down a bowl of ramen with Makarov before leaving to visit Porlyusica.
"Work faster! It's all our fault the Master is losing face!"
Before leaving, the Master had asked Erza to oversee the repairs to the guild. She donned a worker's outfit, a hard hat, and a megaphone, taking her role as foreman very seriously.
Gray's shirt had vanished again, and he was hammering away at the wall, grumbling, "Laki, can't you just fix this already?"
Laki waved her finger, "No can do. Erza said I can only fix tables and chairs, and I'm not allowed to disrupt the construction plan."
Wakaba, smoking his pipe, grumbled, "Why do we have to listen to her?"
Macao gave a thumbs-up, "Good point, Wakaba. You go take care of Erza!"
Wakaba pointed at himself, "Me? You've got to be kidding me."
Mira and Rod brought tea to the hardworking guild members, one smiling and the other trying not to laugh.
Jett complained, "Rod, you sure ran fast when the repairs started!"
Troy chimed in, "Yeah, I remember you were supposed to be in the back!"
"I just didn't want to upset the Master by participating in the destruction. What's wrong with that?" Rod looked at Levy, "Levy, how about I teach you how to write the word 'miserable' today?"
Levy chuckled and waved her hand.
Jett and Troy jumped up, "Bastard!"
"Um?" Erza, the overseer, gave them a stern look, and they quickly squatted back down to work.
Rod poured a cup of tea for Erza and another for the half-dead Natsu.
...
After a long day of work, the evening brought the eagerly anticipated training time.
Mira had said she would train with him.
Rod's expectation of training together:
Various exercises followed by mutual concern for each other's well-being, wiping sweat, drinking water, and chatting.
The reality of training together:
"Be a man!"
Rod looked at Mira, "Why is Elfman here too?"
Mira giggled, "Because when I told him I was trying to resume my training, he insisted on coming along, because..."
Elfman, lifting a barbell and doing squats, shouted with enthusiasm, "A real man trains with all his might to protect his sister!"
"Ha, ha, that's great." Rod got busy with his own routine.
Having an extra Elfman around was beneficial; he could be an additional opponent when practicing receiving magic.
He couldn't very well spar with Mira, as losing would be embarrassing, and winning would be painful.
Mira watched the two men sweat for a while, then changed into a workout outfit and joined in.
Her goal was to increase strength, flexibility, and magic power without gaining too much muscle.
As for how to increase strength without gaining muscle, mages had their own methods, none of which were scientifically sound.
In the small courtyard behind the guild, the sounds of counting, grunts of exertion, and Elfman's shouts of "Be a man!" filled the air.
During the break, Rod and Elfman drank the light saltwater Mira had prepared, watching her box.
Mira wore black shorts and a short-sleeved sports bra, exposing a strip of pale skin at her waist.
Her long white hair was tied up in a high ponytail, swaying from side to side with each punch she threw.
From this angle, it was easy to see a hint of the rebellious young girl in the photograph.
Of course, her current aura was much more like that of a sunny, lively sporty girl.
Rod watched her for a moment and commented, "Her punches are really crisp."
Elfman replied, "Of course, my sister was always strong. A real man!"
"Does your sister know you call her a real man?"
"A real man is a real man!"
It was tough to communicate with his future brother-in-law. Maybe they should just settle things with a fistfight later.
After a while, Mira seemed to be tiring. She raised her arm, casually wiping the sweat from her forehead as she walked over to Rod and Elfman.
Her face was flushed from the exertion, sweat trickling down her cheeks, and a few strands of hair clung to her face, damp and sticky.
Elfman stood up and said, "Sis, if you're really tired, you don't have to push yourself."
Rod didn't say anything, but he handed her a water cup and a towel.
Mira smiled and took the water cup, sipping it slowly until she had drunk about half.
"It's okay, Elfman. A bit of exercise after work makes me feel less stiff."
Mira wiped the sweat from her face as she spoke.
Elfman turned to look at Rod, suddenly feeling like he had lost something.
But Rod hadn't done anything, hadn't said anything. It was strange.
"Sis, if you're working this hard, I can't slack off either. A real man!"
"Want to practice?" Rod extended his arm, which transformed into a furry wolf claw, then covered in green armor.
"A real man!"
"I'll be the referee!" Mira tossed the towel and sounded like a regular, cheerful girl.
Rod wasn't worried about her being biased.
The two of them started sparring in the courtyard, their movements a mix of thuds and slaps.
"Elfman, go for it! Rod, don't go easy on him!"
Mira cheered for both of them, making sure to be fair.
Using only 'Partial Reception' against Elfman, Rod felt a bit uncomfortable.
In his Shadow Wolf form, he could release the wolf spirits around him to launch a surprise attack from behind.
But using such tactics against Elfman wouldn't be right.
He decided to stick to straightforward, solid combat. If things got stuck, he could always switch to Full Reception.
It was frustrating not to be able to use surprise attacks.
After the fight, Mira, who had been the cheerleader and referee, suddenly took on the role of coach.
She pointed out the moments when Elfman missed his opportunities and when Rod's movements were off.
Rod followed her instructions, throwing punches or kicks, and then asked for her feedback.
Mira stepped forward, lifting Rod's arm and patting his knee to adjust his posture.
"Is this right?"
"Your fist should be like this."
Mira straightened Rod's wrist and patted his shoulder, waist, and other points. "And when you punch, these areas should also exert force, like this, hey!"
She demonstrated the move as she spoke.
Rod mimicked her posture and even imitated her voice, "Hey~"
Elfman pounded the punching bag a couple of times and suddenly felt the urge to spar with Rod again.
With Elfman around, Rod didn't mention taking Mira back home, just lent her a river crab.
She knew how to control it.
The three of them parted ways, and the next day, they trained together again. Finally, it was the day of the Harvest Festival.
(End of Chapter)
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