Chapter 176: Rod's Life Isn't Half Bad
Chapter 176: Rod’s Life Isn’t Half Bad
When Rod joined the guild, it was early July. Now, it’s the end of December. From summer to winter, he’s been living in this world for half a year.
Back then, he was a lone wolf, with no one to turn to.
Now, the guild is full of friends he can chat with, buddies he can roughhouse with, and comrades he’s fought alongside…
And he’s found someone he likes.
In terms of his daily life, he’s added some convenient magical 'appliances' to his home, gradually making it more comfortable.
In his career, he’s been working hard to improve his strength, reading books to expand his knowledge, and taking on more missions to gain experience.
In his love life… the person he likes is almost always by his side. They share special moments of intimacy, and sometimes a simple coffee date can make his entire day.
There are still some challenges, but Rod enjoys the process of working through them.
Perhaps because Mira mentioned that the New Year was coming, Rod quietly did a year-end review for himself.
Overall, his life is now fulfilling and happy. With clear goals, he’s full of energy when he does things.
Mira leaned forward a bit, tilting her head to look at him. "Why are you suddenly smiling so happily?"
"It’s the New Year," Rod said, noticing that she coincidentally wore a matching coat with him today, making his smile even wider. "Will everyone gather to celebrate the New Year?"
Mira thought for a moment and replied, "Well, many people celebrate at home, so it won’t be as lively as the Harvest Festival."
Rod looked around. "From the atmosphere on the streets, it seems the New Year isn’t as important as the Harvest Festival."
Mira explained, "The harvest is the most important event of the year, and the magical parade attracts a lot of tourists, so the atmosphere is naturally more festive."
Rod nodded in understanding. The Harvest Festival has become a well-known tourist attraction, while the New Year is still a regular holiday.
Although both are worth celebrating, it’s obvious that the attention and excitement differ.
However, Magnolia City is never short of excitement, because…
"Fire Dragon’s ‘Snow Punch’!"
"Natsu! You’ll get scolded for destroying someone’s snowman!"
"Don’t worry about such trivial things, Happy!" Natsu formed a snowball with his hands, "Here’s my move!"
"Starting a fight out of nowhere is cheap!" Happy flew to the roof, sweeping his wings to scatter snow, "Snow Mist Attack!"
Natsu raised his fist, fuming, "Happy! Using snow without snowballs is cheating!"
"What if there are rocks in the snowballs?"
"That’s even more disgraceful than cheating!"
The two bickered as they threw snowballs at each other, heading toward the guild.
"They’re… noisy from the getgo." Rod suddenly grabbed Mira’s arm, pulling her toward him.
A snowball flew past where Mira had been standing, landing on the ground behind her.
Caught off guard, Mira stumbled into Rod’s chest.
She quickly steadied herself and smoothed her hair behind her ear. "It’s just a snowball, no need to be so tense, right?"
"I’m used to it," Rod added, "and their snowballs might have rocks in them."
Mira glanced at him, then turned to greet the two troublemakers, "Natsu, Happy!"
"Love!"
"Oh~ Mira and Rod!" Natsu raised a snowball, excitedly asking, "Want to join in?"
"Although it’s fun," Mira declined, "we have something to do."
Rod added, "You two be careful not to break anyone’s windows."
While it’s not easy to shatter glass with a snowball, Natsu… well, it wouldn’t be surprising if he toppled a house during a snowball fight.
Rod is a kind person; he doesn’t want the guild master to have to write a report on New Year’s Day.
Natsu made a face. "You’re becoming such a nag, Rod. You’re turning into Erza."
"Love! Rod is becoming a nag."
"If Erza were here, she’d definitely change into a snowman costume and bury you two with snowballs."
Rod's comment earned him two ghostly faces in response.
Mirajane was too busy laughing. If she knew any mind-reading magic, she might have called Erza over to join Natsu in a snowball fight.
After watching the two troublemakers leave, Rod and Mirajane officially began their shopping.
They needed to buy ingredients and alcohol, of course, but also decorations for the festival and a new set of dishes to replace the ones that had been broken recently.
Rod had asked why they didn't switch to wooden dishes, which could be repaired by Lucy whenever they broke, potentially saving some money.
Lucy had pushed her glasses up, suggesting that she might hang him up if he insisted. So, Rod dropped the idea.
Ceramic plates and bowls were quite comfortable to use, and switching to wood would be a step backward. It had nothing to do with fearing any torture devices.
As usual, they ordered the bulkier and heavier items to be delivered, while Rod carried only the lighter items like ribbons and decorations, making it look like they were actually out shopping.
After purchasing the necessary items, the rest of the time was for—well, not exactly using public funds for personal gain, but more like a paid shopping spree.
Actually, the city's traffic was quite complex during the festival, and the two of them suddenly lost their way back to the guild, so they ended up taking a few extra streets.
As they circled back, they happened to pass by Rod's place, where Goodman was, as usual, minding the store.
"Hey, isn't that Rod, and... Miss Mirajane?" Goodman was clearly surprised.
He looked closely at their clothes and gave Rod a suggestive look. "You two... are out shopping?"
"Hello, Mr. Goodman." Mirajane greeted him politely. She had seen Goodman a few times at the guild and knew he was Rod's landlord.
"Hey, big brother Goodman, we needed to buy some things for the guild. Your shop seems to be opening later these days," Rod admitted he was quite happy about the misunderstanding—though it wasn't entirely a misunderstanding.
Goodman replied, "It's getting colder, and there's not much business early in the day."
Rod nodded. "That's true. Oh, by the way, I have a warm stove at my place. I could bring it down and lend it to you?"
"Thanks, but I've already got it covered, no need to worry." Goodman pointed to his stall and winked at Rod. "I brought some new products today. Want to take a look? They make great little gifts for girls."
Goodman was talking about hair accessories and bracelets, which his wife had designed based on the techniques from the fabrics and crafts Rod had given them last time.
They had a touch of ancient craftsmanship but weren't too out of place with modern styles.
Rod was easily convinced. He saw a few pretty hair ties that would suit Mirajane.
Seeing Mirajane's interest, Rod didn't hesitate. He picked out a few:
"This red one goes well with the dress you usually wear. This black one is thicker and would look great in a high ponytail. And this one with the star decorations is finer and would look beautiful in a braid."
Rod rattled off his thoughts.
Mirajane pushed her bangs back and tied her hair into a high ponytail with the black tie. "Like this?"
She looked in the mirror. "It looks similar to my usual hairstyle."
"Looks good is all that matters." Rod nodded, noting that it was missing the big bow from her usual style.
Mirajane switched to the red one, pulling her hair to one side and letting it drape over her shoulder. She brushed her bangs to the sides. "What about this?"
This dangerous hairstyle...
"This looks... very (virtuous), and beautiful!" Rod's heart raced. The hairstyle was perfect, and he felt an urge to confess.
He said "virtuous" very softly, but Mirajane heard it clearly and her face turned a slight shade of red.
She let her hair down and picked up the fine hair tie with the small decorations. "Braiding... is a bit of a hassle. I'll do it when I have time."
"Sure, sure, sure..." Rod nodded rapidly and bought all three hair ties before she could change her mind.
Big brother Goodman had a good profit, but Rod felt he hadn't lost out either.
(End of Chapter)
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