https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-135-Aren-t-You-and-Mira-in-a-Relationship-/12810369/
Chapter 134: Mysterious and Enigmatic
Chapter 134: Mysterious and Enigmatic
Mira wore a simple yet elegant white off-shoulder sweater today, adorned with a tasteful pattern. Below, she paired it with dark blue wide-leg jeans and a pair of white flats. Her outfit was understated and sophisticated, but the design of the sweater, with its long sleeves that extended to cover half her palm while leaving her shoulders and delicate collarbones exposed, seemed to contradict itself—was it for warmth or for style?
After some careful consideration, Rod concluded that the primary purpose of this design was indeed to look good.
The two of them met up as planned around noon, leaving the tavern in the capable hands of Laki, Shari, and Izu.
It was hard for Mira to complain, given that she had just received a gift from Rod the day before.
The envious glances from others were inevitable, but at least no one was trying to block their path with geese anymore.
"Are you cold?" Rod asked, knowing it was a bit direct but unable to hold back.
"Not really. It's warm in the guild, and it's noon, so I'm fine," Mira paused, brushing her hair back before adding, "Do you think it looks bad?"
Rod was a bit surprised by her question. He pointed to his eyes and said, "I thought the word ‘beautiful’ was written all over my face."
"Is it? Let me take a closer look." Mira quickened her pace and turned to face Rod, a smile playing on her lips as she studied his eyes.
Rod stopped and met her gaze, taking in her eyes with a hint of blue, the slight downturn at the corners, and her beautiful lashes...
He also noticed how she unconsciously smoothed her hair.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward, and Rod felt his cheeks warming slightly.
Staring into the eyes of a girl he liked but hadn't yet confessed to was definitely not a good idea.
Both of them shifted their gazes uncomfortably, unsure whether to stop or keep walking.
"Mira-nee! Rod-nii!"
The timely arrival of a familiar voice brought relief to both of them.
"Romeo?" Mira recognized the young boy who often visited the guild. "Are you out playing by yourself?"
Rod knew the boy—Makao's son, who was only five years old and usually enjoyed playing with Natsu and Happy.
During the period when Rod's "Strongest Newcomer" news was all the rage, Romeo had briefly idolized him, though he still couldn't compare to his admiration for Natsu.
"Yeah," Romeo nodded and asked, "Is Natsu-nii at the guild?"
"Natsu and Happy are on a job. They should be back tomorrow or the day after."
Seeing the disappointment on Romeo's face, Mira added, "Your dad is at the guild. You can go find him."
Romeo shook his head. "Dad has his own things to do. I can't always bother him. I'll find other friends to play with. Bye, Mira-nee, bye, Rod-nii!"
"Bye," Rod and Mira waved, both hesitant to tell him that Makao was probably just drinking at the guild.
But Romeo likely knew his father's habits. To a young boy like him, that might just be what grown-ups do.
Rod remarked, "Romeo seems proud that his dad is a mage of Fairy Tail."
"Yeah, quite the opposite of Wakaba's daughter," Mira recalled the complaints Wakaba had shared about his family. "Wakaba doesn't seem to be very popular with his daughter, and he's been arguing with his wife a lot lately."
"He really isn't good at handling family matters," Rod remembered a time when he and Mira had helped ease the tension.
As they chatted about the guild's little gossip, they found themselves at the restaurant Mira had mentioned.
The cuisine here is really diverse, Rod thought to himself once again.
They had just ordered chestnut chicken stew, cumin mushrooms, pine nut corn, fresh clam soup, stir-fried green peppers with meat, and a lotus root and rib soup.
Although the sign, name, and decor were typical of this world, this was actually a Chinese restaurant!
Since Rod usually ate at the guild, Mira was quite familiar with his dietary habits and taste preferences.
No wonder she said he might like it here.
"What's wrong?" Mira smiled, finding Rod's surprised expression quite amusing.
Rod looked at her, "A bit surprised, yeah, thanks."
"Ah, looks like I guessed right," Mira winked playfully.
Rod wished she knew that randomly flirting was against the rules.
It was late autumn, and the dishes they ordered were all seasonal, which made them taste even fresher.
Combined with the chef's excellent skills and the pleasant mood, Rod thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
"Slow down, I'm not going to fight you for it."
Mira poured a small bowl of soup and pushed it toward Rod, having grown used to his enthusiastic eating habits.
These dishes didn't seem too hard to learn. Maybe he should try making them next time...
But not yet.
After a while, both of them put down their chopsticks and sipped from their small soup bowls, chatting.
A cloaked figure with a staff passed by the restaurant, noticed them, and suddenly flicked his cloak, vanishing like a phantom.
Rod hesitated, "That person..."
Mira said, "It's Mystogan."
Rod remarked, "If he's so covered up, why does he always use sleep magic when he comes to the guild?"
This guy was overly cautious, not only wearing a headscarf and a mask but also wrapping his arms and legs in bandages, looking as if he were severely injured.
"Probably for safety," Mira blinked, "I thought you'd understand."
"How can I understand... Am I in the category of weirdos now?"
"Not me, everyone else," Mira laughed, "But even if you are a weirdo, you're a reliable one."
"…Let's talk about Mystogan. Does he always take on high-difficulty missions?"
Rod knew Mira hadn't interacted with Mystogan personally, but she had access to mission records.
And being so fond of gossip, she would definitely pay extra attention.
"No, mostly regular missions," Mira confirmed, thinking for a moment, "Sometimes he takes on long-distance missions with relatively low rewards, as if he's deliberately going far away."
Rod speculated, "Maybe he loves traveling and uses missions as an excuse to explore the country."
Mira shook her head lightly, "But after the festival, during the time you and Gray were away, he seemed to stay around Magnolia a lot, with no discernible pattern."
"Has he ever teamed up with anyone?"
"Never, he's always on his own."
"Feels like he's hiding a big secret." Rod thought that such a mysterious figure wouldn't wander aimlessly.
Maybe he's searching for someone important, just like Natsu.
He should pay more attention to strange occurrences in the city. There might be some clues.
But the idea of traveling the country wasn't bad...
If he got stronger, he could do that, use missions to travel and maybe even invite Mira to form a permanent team.
(End of Chapter)
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