Chapter 175: The New Year Approaches
Chapter 175: The New Year Approaches
Listening to Mira talk about all sorts of mundane things, Rod went from just nodding along with a smile to occasionally chiming in, and then to discussing with a genuine smile, like whether or not Erza's armor designer must be pretty stressed.
His mood visibly improved.
Having someone by your side to help ease your worries during tough times is a blessing, indeed.
"Thanks."
Mira leaned against the counter, one hand propping up her cheek, and teased, "Thanks for what?"
Does she even realize how beautiful she looks like this? Rod held up his glass and smiled, "Thanks for the juice."
"Hmm." Mira pressed on, "Is that all?"
Rod asked, "Has the Master or Erza mentioned anything about the S-Class Exam?"
"Yeah, they did. The Master said you all did really well," Mira thought for a moment and then asked, "You're not wondering if you did something wrong that caused Cana to fail, are you?"
Rod pondered, "Well... not entirely."
Mira continued, "Then, is it because...
Even though you were prepared, it still stung a bit to confirm that you can't beat Laxus, even when you give it your all?"
"A little, but it's not too bad," Rod replied. "I have clear goals for my training and a direction for getting stronger, so I shouldn't be too bothered by this for long."
To think that he could hold his own against an S-Class mage after just six months of training, Rod was actually quite satisfied with his progress.
Sure, he wasn't strong enough yet, but he was working on it.
"Then..." Mira glanced at Cana, who was hugging her barrel of wine, "You're mostly worried about Cana's state of mind, afraid she might lose her spirit or something."
Rod looked at her, "Mind reading?"
"I don't know any such magic," Mira said. "It's just what anyone would think, right?"
As long as he paid a bit more attention to her.
"The main concern is Cana's mental state. If she could vent like Warren and Bisca, it would be better, but I'm worried about her constant drinking. It's hard to advise her without making things worse."
Rod remembered Cana's expression on the day of the exam. He knew she didn't blame him for anything, but she would relentlessly blame herself, leading to self-destruction.
Once she couldn't take it anymore, she'd turn to alcohol to numb herself. Trying to talk to her would only backfire.
Before he came to this world, Rod had heard of people who had taken their own lives due to poor exam results...
Cana was only 17 years old.
In a way, she had been experiencing the equivalent of failing the college entrance exam every year since she was 14, and this time, she had come so close to success.
How could anyone not be worried about her in such a state?
"Have a little faith in Cana. And there are many people in the guild who care about her," Mira pointed to the bar. "See for yourself."
Rod turned around and saw Macao sitting across from Cana, holding a glass and speaking to her in a gentle voice.
Cana didn't react much, but when she tried to drink again, Macao held the barrel down.
She mumbled a few complaints in her drunken state.
Macao chuckled and kept talking to her.
Not long after, Wakaba joined them, pipe in mouth.
Cana waved away the smoke, and Macao made a face, standing on Cana's side to scold Wakaba.
They quickly fell into their usual routine of bickering and then getting physical, but after a while, they settled back down.
Mira smiled, "Those two may be a bit... well, you know. But they can be quite reliable when it counts.
Cana joined the guild eleven years ago, so they've practically watched her grow up. They might even see her as their own daughter.
So don't worry, just give her some time."
It seemed... that might be true.
Rod watched Macao and Wakaba. Even when they fought, they never forgot their responsibilities. They should be pretty reliable... right?
A tiger-like paw clamped down on Rod's shoulder. "Rod, let's have a fight!"
"Mira?" Rod asked, puzzled. "Why?"
"Because I'm annoyed! Why should we be eliminated in the first round while you guys make it to the third? And you had that smug look on your face the whole time."
Mira clenched her fists. "You won so much and still act like it's a disgrace? No way. We're fighting today!"
Rod sighed. "But it was Warren and Marcus who eliminated you, not me."
"They can wait their turn after I beat you up! Let's go now!" Mira didn't wait for an answer and strode toward the back courtyard.
Mira Jane gave him an encouraging smile. "Good luck."
Rod rolled his eyes. "You just want to watch the show."
"Maybe." Mira winked. "And you've noticed, haven't you? You have more than just me looking out for you."
Was she talking about Mira?
Rod thought for a moment and smiled. "Then I should repay her properly."
A few minutes later.
The ungrateful Rod beat Mira up.
She had asked for it, after all.
Mainly, she was unhappy that Rod had used the Ancient Stone Beetle to fight her, saying he was looking down on her.
Even when he used the Shadow Wolf, she still wasn't satisfied, insisting she wanted to see how he dealt with Ragsas.
Rod had no choice but to summon the Azure Carved Golem and punch her into the lake behind the guild.
Luckily, Rod didn't go too hard on her and even warned her to be ready, so she didn't get hurt.
Mira, ever the free spirit, patted Rod's shoulder and went off to find Warren.
Before Rod could say anything, a flash of light enveloped her, and her wet clothes instantly turned dry.
It wasn't a drying spell but a quick change of clothes.
As Mira had mentioned, many girls learned a bit of transfiguration magic for its convenience.
...
A heavy snowfall had blanketed the city a few days ago, and it was now the end of December, with the year X783 about to close.
The snow on the streets hadn't fully melted yet, and as Rod and Worm descended the stairs, they could still see the snowman by the front door of the guild.
Bale had built it the day before, and it had originally been adorned with a scarf and a hat, but Mrs. Molley had taken them away yesterday.
To be honest, Rod sometimes felt the urge to kick the snowmen he saw on the street, but he managed to control himself and even stopped Worm from causing trouble.
In the past half-month, Rod had proactively teamed up with Elfman for two more missions.
He had carefully chosen missions where the clients had at least two children.
Mira had hesitated when she saw his choices but eventually agreed.
In the end, the missions turned out to be quite ordinary, and Rod couldn't control the mission's direction or force any emotional moments. He just had to keep an eye on things.
He wasn't sure if Elfman had noticed anything strange, but he felt that Elfman was gradually getting stronger.
"Rrrrr~"
At the guild entrance, Worm immediately ran over to Mira as she opened the door, eager to get some affection from one of the few people who regularly fed him.
"Good morning," Mira greeted Rod, then squatted down to pat Worm's head.
Worm was getting heavier, and she didn't feel like picking him up anymore.
"Morning," Rod said, noticing Mira's coat and scarf. "Am I late?"
"No, it's just that the new year is coming, and the guild is going to have a small celebration. I'm heading out to buy some things."
"Oh," Rod patted Worm, signaling for it to go play inside the guild.
Then he accompanied Mira down the street.
...
Good news, did you see the red "Featured" label on the details page?
There aren't many "Fairy Tail" featured books on Qidian, you know.
O(∩_∩)O Ahaha~
(End of Chapter)
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