Chapter 138: If She... He Would...
Chapter 138: If She... He Would...
On a crisp autumn morning, the warm rays of sunlight were easily swept away by the gentle autumn breeze.
High above, wispy cirrus clouds remained undisturbed by the wind below, while the yellow leaves on the trees along the street danced briefly with the breeze before settling back down.
As a reliable wingman, Rod didn't leave early but arrived right on time.
He had initially intended to give the two some alone time, but when he reached the guild, Alzack and Bisca were standing over a meter apart, looking awkward and lost in thought.
Bisca leaned on her sniper rifle, occasionally spinning it around, while Alzack's hand rested habitually on his gun holster, occasionally scratching his cheek.
Both would occasionally steal glances at each other, quickly turning away as if afraid of being caught.
Rod wondered where all the stealth and observation skills Alzack had taught her had gone.
Standing at the guild entrance, they looked like two guardian deities, one named 'Baffled' and the other 'Clueless.'
Rod sighed and stepped forward to break the awkward silence. "Sorry I'm late."
"No..."
Alzack and Bisca spoke in unison, then stopped, glanced at each other, and fell silent again.
Rod looked at them helplessly.
Finally, Bisca spoke up. "We came a bit early. The timing is perfect."
Alzack nodded. "Right."
Rod's timing was perfect in every sense. If this continued, he might have to make a run for it.
"Shall we go then?" Rod waved to the guild members inside, getting the desired response before leading the two away.
The two shy individuals followed Rod, maintaining a meter's distance, like a pair of guardians.
This wouldn't do; it was too awkward.
Rod thought for a moment and asked, "Let's take a carriage. What kind do you usually rent?"
"A regular two-horse carriage," Bisca replied. "I love horses. If I could, I'd prefer to ride one."
Rod glanced at Bisca's outfit, which matched Alzack's cowboy style perfectly.
Unfortunately, Alzack didn't respond. Rod said, "You seem so quiet in the tavern, but you're actually quite cool. No wonder you and Erza get along so well."
Bisca blushed. "It's not for that reason. I actually met Erza before joining the guild..."
Bisca began to recount how she met Erza and the circumstances that led her to join the guild.
Alzack watched as Rod listened intently to Bisca, feeling a sense of superiority—ha, I've known how Bisca joined the guild for a long time, and Rod doesn't have a clue.
Rod glanced at Alzack. This kid was hopeless.
Why don't you ask her a few questions? Knowing or not knowing, does it stop you from asking?
Hearing something from someone else is different from hearing it directly from her.
You're making it seem like you're not at all interested in her!
Rod felt exhausted. He listened to Bisca's story and laughed. "You actually impersonated our guild's mage and didn't get beaten up by Erza?"
Bisca shuddered at the memory. "At the time, I didn't understand what a guild meant. I just thought Fairy Tail had a great reputation and seemed impressive.
And because I was an immigrant from the Western Continent with no real skills, I had to impersonate a mage to get food and shelter.
Thinking back, I must have given the guild a bad name..."
No, no, no, Rod shook his head. To be fair, if all you did was eat for free, collect protection money, and act like a bully, it's not that bad.
Rod glanced at the guy next to him, who only knew how to remain silent and grin foolishly. He decided to give him a nudge: "Where's Alzack?"
"Ah? Oh, I'm an immigrant from the Western Continent, just like Bisca..."
At least he managed to say, "just like Bisca," which brought a slight sense of relief to Rod.
After Alzack finished his story, he asked, "Actually, to get to Sunflower Village, we could take the train to Onibus and then switch to a carriage. That would save us some time, right?"
"..." Rod paused for a moment before replying, "With both of you carrying guns, taking the train might scare the other passengers."
Bisca wanted to mention that she used a transformation spell, carrying her sniper rifle just to look cool, and could easily store it away at any time.
But she was a bit more composed than Alzack and agreed, "It is indeed more convenient to take the carriage directly."
Alzack, seeing Bisca agree, nodded hastily, "Y-Yeah, that's true."
Rod: "..."
Next time, whoever wants to do this job can do it. I'm out, even for extra pay.
They rented a carriage, and Rod was the first to climb in, quickly placing his bag on the seat next to him before Alzack could sit down.
He hadn't expected that the seat-securing skills he'd been honing since college would come in handy today.
Alzack awkwardly sat down next to Bisca, not knowing where to put his hands.
Bisca wasn't much better off, and they deliberately left a gap between them.
Rod decided to enjoy the show, casually leaning against the window frame and waiting for the carriage to start, a grin on his face.
Sure enough...
"Sorry!" Alzack fumbled to sit back properly, his posture as rigid as a student with a principal in the classroom.
"It's okay..." Bisca smoothed her hair, trying to convince herself that it was a normal occurrence.
Sure enough, as soon as the carriage started, the two unprepared individuals bumped into each other, both blushing uncontrollably.
Rod found it quite amusing. Strangers bumping into each other wouldn't feel awkward, and neither would friends. But for people with a vague mutual attraction, even the slightest physical contact could make them blush...
Although he had no right to comment, watching others was certainly entertaining.
Rod thought it would be even more fun if Mira were there to watch the spectacle with them.
It was 8:11 AM, the 11th minute since he left the guild, and he was starting to miss her.
...
Back at the guild, things were bustling. Mira wiped the counter one more time and put away the cloth to rest. "I wonder how Alzack and Bisca are getting along."
Laki teased, "Mira, are you thinking about Alzack and Bisca, or are you thinking about the person who's with them?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Mira threw the cloth at her, "Of course, I'm thinking about Alzack and Bisca. I feel their reactions on the journey will be quite interesting."
"Sure, sure, I think those two make a great pair," Laki caught the cloth, which looked clean, and used it to wipe the table again.
Mira propped her chin on her hand, gazing at the guild's entrance. The people watching Alzack and Bisca must be having a great time right now.
...
(End of Chapter)
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