https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-20-What-Kind-of-Pet-Doesn-t-Do-Chores-/12809319/
Chapter 21: A Good Reputation is a Good Start
Chapter 21: A Good Reputation is a Good Start
The tavern was as lively as ever, but Erza's intimidating presence had significantly diminished over time. While she still stepped in to lecture when things got out of hand, it seemed that once the immediate threat passed, everyone quickly forgot her warnings.
There were always those who would drink too much and start brawls, forcing Rod to occasionally practice dodging various flying objects.
After enduring the morning work shift, Rod left Worm behind and slipped away to the library. He planned to use the Wind Chant glasses to read up on some magical books. As for history and geography… he could put those aside for now and occasionally listen to Levy’s stories.
The pages flipped rapidly, and the text and sentences were clearly visible through the lenses. Rod could read every word with perfect clarity. He finished a seven-hundred-page encyclopedia in just about twenty minutes.
Rod now had a basic understanding of many magical concepts. While it wasn't as if he could remember everything perfectly, it was as if he had thoroughly read the entire book.
This tool was incredibly useful for those who didn't need to read in detail but wanted to broaden their knowledge. For those who simply wanted to expand their horizons, it was nothing short of a godsend.
A 32-fold increase in reading speed was simply astounding. Rod suspected that the Wind Chant glasses might have some time-related magic embedded in them. The inventor was a genius.
After returning the encyclopedia to its place, Rod sat down and closed his eyes to give his brain a short rest. After a while, he found books on ancient magic and spatial magic and continued reading until noon.
"Are you Rod? I’m Marcus, and I use Sand Magic."
A spiky-haired young man ordered a drink and sat down at the bar, striking up a conversation with Rod. "I’ve heard about your legend, you know. You’re really impressive."
Rod was taken aback. "I have a legend?"
Mira smiled and poured Marcus a drink, equally curious.
For someone as gossipy as her, it was surprising that she didn’t know about any impressive legends surrounding Rod.
"Sure, there’s that one. Before you joined the guild, you easily handled a beast invasion and destroyed a large part of the forest!"
Marcus waved his hand. "No wonder you’re a mage of Fairy Tail. You fit right in!"
Rod wanted to clarify this exaggerated legend, but Marcus didn’t give him the chance.
"Hey, what kind of magic do you use? It must be pretty powerful, right?"
"It’s not that powerful, I use—"
"Is it like Natsu’s Fire Magic? When it comes to destructive power, nothing beats flames, right?"
"It’s not, it’s—"
"Then it must be Earth Magic. It’s incredibly destructive in a forest. I heard one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Jura, uses Earth Magic. And—"
Rod tried to interject several times, but Marcus wouldn’t let him get a word in. It was like dealing with a pushy hair salon lady who insisted on signing you up for a membership.
"Marcus is the host for all the guild’s events. He’s always eager to chat. And when he drinks, he gets a bit—"
Mira whispered to Rod, choosing her words carefully. "—a bit talkative. It’s hard to get a word in, so just listen to him and he’ll eventually stop."
"…Alright," Rod nodded. Compared to Laki, who had a collection of torture devices, Marcus’s tendency to talk more after drinking was relatively normal.
Mira added, "If you don’t want to listen, you can just leave. In the guild, if you dislike something, you can say it directly. There’s no need to suffer for the sake of politeness."
"It’s fine. I’m a bit curious about who started the rumor about me destroying a forest."
Rod was annoyed. He had been attacked by beasts, not a mindless destroyer.
"Who, who would make up such a rumor?" Mira’s expression was a bit off.
She hadn’t started the rumor, but she had simply told her guildmates about Rod’s background. The beast invasion and forest destruction were real, but somehow, the story had morphed into Rod effortlessly defeating the beasts and destroying the forest.
Mira wasn't quite sure if she should take the blame for what was happening.
Marcus had been talking nonstop for almost five minutes before he finally stopped to take a swig of beer to wet his throat.
Rod was about to seize the opportunity to ask a question when a bottle flew over and hit Marcus right on the back of his head.
"Phew~~~" Marcus sprayed half a cup of beer, "Who did that!"
The answer to that question was almost self-evident.
Marcus turned around to see a conspicuous group of fighters in the tavern and, without a word, joined in the fray.
Rod dodged quickly, avoiding the spray of beer.
Mira skillfully wiped down the counter with a cloth and then watched her companions fight, a smile on her face.
The brawl continued until someone accidentally knocked over Erza's plate.
The air fell into a brief silence, and Natsu and Gray tried to sneak away quietly.
"Give it... a rest!" Erza stood up abruptly, her gloved fists landing equally on the heads of every fighter involved.
Natsu, Gray, Marcus, and a few others clutched their heads and fell to the ground.
Erza flexed her fists, "Alright, if you want to fight so badly, I'll join in until one of you can't stand anymore!"
"Yay!" Happy stood on the table, raising his hand with a mischievous grin, "They can't stand anymore!"
"Hehe..." Mira laughed, "Just as I expected."
The word 'again' was telling, giving Rod a clear understanding of how this guild operated.
"Here." Mira placed a bowl of pudding in front of Rod, "When the time is right, take this to Erza."
Rod was confused, "The right time?"
Mira pointed at Erza and smiled without a word.
Just then, the formidable Erza suddenly trembled, looking like she had lost her soul as she wobbled back to her seat.
Instead of sitting down, she crouched and picked up the shattered ceramic pieces and smashed dessert from the floor: "My... strawberry pudding..."
The mighty Queen of the Fairies now looked as helpless as a little girl.
"Ara, such a cute Erza." Mira clasped her hands, savoring the strange joy.
"..." Is this the right time now? Rod hesitated and then walked over to Erza.
"You guys..." The air pressure around Erza dropped, and she turned to glare fiercely at the culprits sprawled on the ground.
Everyone shuddered involuntarily.
"Miss Erza?"
Rod called out, using a respectful title.
"Hmm?"
Erza turned around abruptly, her face shadowed, one eye flashing red like a beast about to pounce.
Her imposing presence made Rod's heart skip a beat, as if he had been sucked into a low-pressure zone by a single glare.
"Y-Your pudding... it's also strawberry-flavored," Rod managed to say.
"..." The imposing presence lasted another second.
Then the queen transformed into a friendly big sister. She stood up, smoothed her hair, and smiled warmly, "Thank you very much."
Erza even clenched her fists and began to reflect, "Really, I almost lost my temper over a pudding. I need more training."
Happy sprouted wings and flew over to Rod's ear, not hesitating to comment, "You already lost your temper."
"..." Rod said nothing, looking at the cat with admiration.
Little cat, you really dare to speak your mind, don't you? Couldn't you give her a little face?
Erza spoke earnestly, "By the way, you're Rod, right? You just joined the guild, and you're already so concerned about your companions. I'm really touched."
Her face showed genuine emotion, and she pulled Rod's head into her chest as she spoke, "That's exactly what Fairy Tail should be like!"
Clang!
Rod's head hit the hard metal armor, making a crisp sound. He looked at Mira, who was giving him a thumbs-up from behind the counter...
Was this part of your plan, Miss Mira?
(End of Chapter)
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