Chapter 143: Rod, When Are We Going Out Next Time?
Chapter 143: Rod, When Are We Going Out Next Time?
On the way back, they took the train from Onibas Station.
This time, Rod didn't have to force his way into a seat. Alzack mustered the courage to sit next to Bisca, though they still left a gap between them. Alzack gazed out the window at the passing scenery, while Bisca kept her eyes on the floor.
Rod pulled out a deck of cards to lighten the mood, deciding to let Alzack handle things from now on.
It felt like these two were on the verge of falling madly in love, and they might even progress faster than he did.
Jealous.
Back home, Rod planned to train for a few more days before choosing a suitable mission to do with Elfman.
The journey was peaceful, but as they neared Magnolia, the sky turned gloomy.
Bisca glanced out the window. "Who's that person?"
Rod and Alzack looked out the window. On a small hill in the outskirts, a cloaked figure stood, carrying several staves on his back.
"That's Mystogan," Rod said. "I saw him a few days ago, but I didn't get a good look at his face."
Alzack added, "So that's what Mystogan looks like... He really goes all out with the disguise, doesn't he?"
This was the first time Alzack and Bisca had seen Mystogan, though they had been hypnotized by him a few times before.
If not for today, they might never have recognized him on the streets.
Rod prodded, "Hey, want to take a few potshots at him?"
Bisca was taken aback. "Why?"
"Because it's annoying. When you guys were hypnotized and fell, did you ever hit your heads?" Rod thought back to his own experience with hypnosis...
Hmm? It seemed he had fallen with Mira back then.
But he was too shocked to notice.
Could Mystogan actually be a good guy?
No, no, that's not the point. Impoliteness is still impoliteness.
"I think it's a good idea," Alzack said, feeling a bit tempted. A quick shot of a tranquilizer to make the guy sleep in the wild as revenge didn't seem unfair at all.
"But now isn't the right time. He seems to be doing something important," Bisca frowned. "Is he practicing?"
At that moment, Mystogan had planted five staves into the ground. A small vortex was forming in the sky, as if a hole were opening up.
Mystogan's cloak and clothes fluttered in the wind as he gripped the middle staff with both hands.
Magic circles lit up from the ground, radiating light into the clouds.
The hole in the sky quickly shrunk, and the vortex reappeared, spinning in the opposite direction and growing smaller until it vanished, as if nothing had happened.
Mystogan's tense body relaxed, and he slowly returned the staves to his back, looking a bit disheveled as he left.
Rod asked, "What kind of magic can affect the weather and clouds?"
"A Magic Cannon might be able to disperse a small cloud," Bisca said. "Is that one of the guild's strongest candidates? How powerful is he?"
"I'm not sure," Alzack said. "But he doesn't look like he's practicing."
"Let's ask the master when we get back," Rod said, remembering that Mira mentioned Mystogan had been around Magnolia lately.
Come to think of it, he might have been on a mission, and that was why he stayed nearby.
Rod looked at the gloomy sky. Could Mystogan's mission be... artificial rain?
...
"Mystogan has his own mission; there's no need to worry about him," Makarov quickly changed the subject.
The three of them understood that it must be a high-level, confidential task.
Rod reported the mission's details to the master and Mira, praising Alzack and Bisca's marksmanship and combat skills.
Alzack and Bisca, in turn, praised Rod's thorough preparation and coordination in battle.
Rod's presence saved them a lot of time, reduced many troubles, and even solved numerous small problems along the way.
Alzack silently added to himself that Rod had also helped solve a major problem.
Mira jotted down a few words in the register and smiled, "All confirmed. Congratulations to you all."
She looked at Rod, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, clearly eager to hear about their adventure on the road.
Makarov chuckled, "You did a great job."
While the task wasn't particularly difficult, the fact that they managed to round up all the bandits in such a short time without any mishaps and minimal damage was impressive enough to earn his praise.
"Oh, right," Rod suggested, "We haven't had lunch yet. How about we celebrate with a meal? Let's eat here in the guild."
Alzack glanced at Bisca, "I, I don't mind."
Bisca also glanced at Alzack, "S-sure."
Although they had eaten together the previous day, that was during the mission. This time, they were in the guild!
Rod sighed inwardly, originally planning to stay out of their business from now on.
But Mira was clearly eager for some gossip.
So, in a decidedly unchivalrous move, Rod decided to push Alzack into the spotlight.
Or, from his perspective, it was a chivalrous act. If it were his old roommate, he would have been more than willing to play the wingman, even if it meant going out of his way.
"Has Mira eaten yet?" Rod asked, "Would you like to join us?"
Mira blinked, "Is it convenient?"
"Of course," Alzack thought he had figured out Rod's intentions and felt he couldn't be unchivalrous.
Bisca probably felt the same way, and having an extra person would help ease the awkwardness.
So, the four of them gathered a table in the guild. The atmosphere wasn't awkward, but it was certainly strange.
Rod and Mira were eager to see what would unfold between Alzack and Bisca, while Alzack and Bisca thought Rod and Mira were the ones to watch.
As they ate and chatted about their experiences from the previous day, the guild members who were always eager for gossip felt they had hit the jackpot.
So that afternoon, everyone ate their fill, both of food and gossip, to the point of feeling a bit stuffed.
"Oops, that was a miscalculation," Rod said afterward, looking regretful, "I thought I could bring you closer to the action, but it turned out to be so strange."
Mira laughed, "But isn't it also kind of fun?"
Rod couldn't help but tease her, "…You have a weird sense of fun…"
Makarov suddenly asked, "Rod, when do you plan to go out on another mission? Do you have anyone in mind to team up with?"
"Master, why are you bringing this up again?" Rod said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "I just got back. Is someone making you write another report?"
"That's not the issue," Makarov replied, "It's already November, and the S-Class Mage Promotion Exam is next month.
With your skills, if you put in a bit more effort, you have a chance to participate. But… do you remember how many missions you've completed?"
"Uh… four, I think…" Rod counted, "One of them was when Mira was taking care of me, so maybe three."
Makarov sighed, "In four months, three missions. While the difficulty was high and you completed them excellently, the number is… far too low."
The S-Class Exam would take place in mid-December, but the eligibility would be determined at the beginning of the month.
In other words, if Rod wanted to participate, he had only this month to prepare.
With only three mission experiences, it was absolutely impossible for him to qualify.
The S-Class Exam considered multiple factors, including magic, mental fortitude, intellect, and experience. As long as a mage demonstrated exceptional ability in one or more areas, they could qualify.
For example, Levy in the main storyline qualified, despite being one of the weakest in terms of raw power. She clearly met the criteria in other areas, such as intellect and experience.
(Small note: Of course, it's also possible that Hiro Mashima wanted to make Gajeel's inclusion in the team more reasonable.)
(End of Chapter)
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