https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-287-Elusa-Let-s-Fight-When-You-re-Free/12933034/
Chapter 286: Elusa, the Photo Model, and the Debate
Chapter 286: Elusa, the Photo Model, and the Debate
"Mila! Rod! You're finally back!"
Makarov was so overjoyed that he jumped down from the second floor, and in his excitement, he didn't even land properly, face-planting on the ground.
One could say that, living up to his status as one of the Ten Wizard Saints, at the age of 88, he merely ended up with a red face after such a fall from the second floor.
He sprang up as if nothing had happened, wanting to cry while hugging Rod's leg.
—Hugging Mila might result in being kicked away.
Occasionally, Makarov also hoped for a new member who would be beautiful, well-figured, and good-tempered.
"Is it that bad, Guild Master? We've only been gone for a few days," Rod said, still not as comfortable as Mila and Natsu in addressing the Guild Master so casually. At times like this, he never knew how to push him away.
Makarov complained, "I feel like a century has passed! Do you know what I've been through these days? Elusa kept urging me to do the Guild Master's work, and she wouldn't let me drink if I didn't finish it!"
Rod thought for a moment, "Isn't that a good thing? Mila also often restricts your drinking, right?"
"It's different! If Mila restricts me, I can just sneak a drink. But when Elusa restricts me, she swings her sword at me the moment I pick up a glass!"
"Oh~" Rod pondered, making a mental note. So, the Guild Master sneaks drinks when Mila prohibits him from drinking.
"And she even checks the self-reflection essays I write. If there's a typo, she makes me rewrite it, saying my 'attitude isn't serious enough'!"
Rod nodded, "That does seem a bit overboard. It's just a self-reflection essay; you can just bluff the Council Chamber, it's not like it's a party application."
"Right?" Makarov seemed to have found a kindred spirit, listing Elusa's 'crimes' one by one.
In fact, if placed in another guild, Elusa's demands would be quite normal. Some might seem a bit harsh, but they would still be beneficial in curbing the guild's bad habits.
The problem lies with Fairy Tail.
Here, these normal demands are treated like strict laws.
Rod now understood why everyone was so happy when he and Mila returned; they were all eagerly awaiting Elusa's shift to end.
And the person being crazily complained about by the Guild Master is currently chatting with Mila.
"Elusa looks good in this outfit."
Elusa was delighted, "Really? I insisted on staying because I liked it so much."
"Yeah, but why the sudden interest in being a waitress?"
"Because you and Rod asked me to temporarily take over your duties, and being a waitress is part of your job."
"You don't have to be that serious about it..."
"No, since I promised to manage the guild in your absence, I must take every task seriously!"
This was Elusa's personality; she often took things too seriously.
So Mila had an idea, "In that case, I also have a photo model job. Elusa, why don't you give it a try?"
"Model? Oh, right, the magazine company sent a letter a few days ago, inviting you to shoot the swimsuit photo spread for their July issue."
"Oh dear, I don't plan to shoot that kind of photo spread lately, but it's not nice to reject it outright." Mila made a troubled expression, "How about I introduce you to the previous editor?"
"Really?"
Elusa was a little interested but not eager to volunteer.
The magazine company seemed hesitant to approach the Fairy Queen, so she had never received an invitation.
The plan was a success, and Mila said with a mischievous smile, "Sure, I'm looking forward to Elusa's swimsuit photo spread."
Although he didn't catch what Mila and Elusa said, when Rod glanced at Mila's smile, he knew she had something mischievous in mind.
Rod didn't mind; if it was something she wanted to do, that was fine, as long as it wasn't directed at him...
Oh, it seemed she had done something similar to him, but the outcome was hard to define as a loss.
Through the Guild Master's complaints and Erza's friendly interactions, Rod and Mira each gained some insight into the current state of the guild.
To be fair, Erza's capabilities were impeccable. She had everything, from accounts to quest records, meticulously organized.
However, her overly serious personality meant she took charge of everything, be it daily life or quests, big or small. This made her seem rather strict.
Mira, on the other hand, mostly let everyone have their fun, enjoying the chaos with great enthusiasm. She even went as far as to involve herself just for the sake of the spectacle.
Comparatively, Erza resembled the role of a strict father, while Mira was like an indulgent mother to the guild members. (Rod: Huh?)
From the members' reactions, it was evident they preferred the 'strict father' to be out on quests, leaving the 'indulgent mother' to manage things at home.
Mira and Erza agreed to introduce the editor to her tomorrow, and Erza began a thorough handover of her duties.
Rod flipped through the recent quest records, and to his surprise, not a single quest had failed.
Despite the Guild Master and Erza's complaints about causing trouble, every quest was a success. For instance, Loki, while escorting a female celebrity to a commercial performance, elegantly fended off some perverts' harassment, but he ended up pursuing the woman himself.
After completing the quest, he even managed to woo a Council Member's granddaughter.
Take Natsu's quest, for example; he annihilated the entire Drac Devian Thief Clan.
However, he also destroyed three residential buildings and a clock tower in the process, fortunately without harming any innocent bystanders.
Rod was flabbergasted, "I can understand Loki, but how did Natsu go back to his old ways?"
Would the quest rewards even cover the damages?
Mira chimed in, "I think Natsu has been holding back. In the past, he might have done something more outrageous, like burning down an entire street."
Erza's face turned grim, and she spoke with a sense of self-reproach, "So, Natsu wasn't giving his all during battles? I specifically told him to go all out when working!"
Rod realized that these two had very different ways of thinking... Forget it, Mira was being reasonable. He decided to tease Erza instead, "So, you're the root of the problem!"
Erza responded, "No, I think the issue lies with you, Rod."
"Huh?" Rod was taken aback, "I wasn't even here these past few days."
"It's been an issue for quite some time now," Erza recalled and said seriously. "It started when you assisted Mira with quest registrations. You seem to enjoy helping them analyze information more and more, giving them suggestions on how to approach quests, advising on choosing battle terrain, avoiding dangers, and minimizing damage to buildings."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Rod asked, puzzled. "I just want everyone to have smoother quests and reduce unnecessary risks and losses."
"Of course, the outcome is positive, but this is something they should figure out themselves.
Giving it their all to analyze the situation, fighting with all their might, and completing quests entirely in their own way—that's what I mean by going all out! Only then can they grow through quests. But you're trying to think for them, and over time, they might start thinking, 'As long as we do what Rod says, it'll be fine.'
While it may increase efficiency and reduce mishaps in the short term, I believe it hinders their growth in the long run!"
Rod furrowed his brows. He was certain he never intended to stifle the members' growth or control anything. He only wanted them to be safer during quests.
He never expected to be blamed by Erza for something like this.
She probably didn't mean any harm; it was just a difference in their philosophies.
Recalling the situation, he wondered, why did it come to this? Oh, because of Natsu... Is Natsu already influenced by him?
What about the others?
(End of Chapter)
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