Chapter 30: The Next Target
Chapter 30: The Next Target
"Thanks, but I can handle the rest myself."
After taking care of the areas he couldn't reach, Rod didn't want to keep Mirajane busy any longer.
"I'll head out then," Mirajane put down the medicine bottle and tweezers. "Take it easy and get some more rest."
"Sure, thanks."
As Mirajane left, Rod took off his T-shirt and began applying the ointment to the bruises on his chest.
He also took the time to reflect on his fight with Natsu.
Today's battle left Rod not only with a lot of pain but also with valuable lessons.
First, he had finally had a proper fight, which was significant. At least now, he wouldn't feel intimidated at the mere mention of a fight.
Second, he learned a few tricks for using magic to defend himself.
While his current magic power wasn't enough to block Natsu's punches, it would be effective against ordinary people, allowing him to withstand their attacks.
During the fight with Natsu, Rod tried to mimic Natsu's movements as closely as possible.
When Natsu punched, Rod punched. When Natsu used an elbow strike, Rod did the same.
Of course, aside from a couple of playful hits on a crab, Natsu didn't use any magic.
On closer reflection, it seemed that during the hand-to-hand combat, Natsu deliberately left openings for Rod and didn't make much effort to dodge or defend.
As a result, if you counted the number of hits and the number of times hit, they were pretty even.
However, the final outcome was that Rod was left lying on the ground, almost unable to get up, while Natsu dusted himself off and carried Rod to the infirmary.
"Thinking about it now, it feels like Natsu was deliberately acting as my sparring partner," Rod said to himself, looking at his injuries with a wry smile. "I got beaten up and still have to thank him. What a strange situation."
But when he hit the crab, it was purely out of curiosity and the urge to try.
By the way, the strange feeling he got when the crab disappeared was something he needed to investigate further.
After resting for a while in the infirmary, Rod got up and went to help out in the front.
In the guild hall, besides Mirajane and Laki, there was another girl helping out.
She had short, black hair that made her look like a tomboy from the front, but she had a long braid tied at the back. She wore a short red qipao and black knee-high socks with the guild emblem printed above the knees.
Rod recognized her as Sally, who used transformation magic, though not as proficiently as Erza. During battles, she mainly changed her weapons.
It was said that her specialty was a pair of steel claws attached to her wrists, which made her a fearsome close-combat fighter.
Sally worked fewer shifts than Rod, and being a waitress was just a part-time job for her. Her main income came from going on missions with three other friends.
There was another girl named Iz, who was in a similar situation, but Rod had only seen her once when she couldn't speak, so he didn't know her well.
"Rod? I heard you had a fight with Natsu today," Sally said, her hand glowing as she produced her steel claws, looking eager for a fight. "How about a match with me?"
Clearly, she was another brawler.
Rod quickly declined, "Give me a break, I'm still sore all over."
"Hey, Sally, my drink!"
Someone called out, annoyed that Sally had stopped to chat.
"Be patient, I'm on my way!" she snapped.
Yeah, better not provoke her. She might not be the strongest, but she could easily beat the current Rod.
Rod looked around and decided to stand by the counter.
Gray was leaning against the counter, a mission request in front of him, waiting for Mirajane to register it. "Hey, that Natsu guy, his punches are pretty heavy, huh?"
"Ah," Rod sighed, rubbing the swollen spot on his face. "How did I not see him?"
"Gray just took a job and went out with Happy," Mirajane said, handing Gray his mission form. "I'm heading out too. See you later."
Rod nodded. "Yeah, be careful on your way."
As Gray took a few steps out, Mirajane called after him, "Gray, your clothes!"
Gray looked down to find himself in nothing but his boxers again. "When did this happen?!"
Mirajane chuckled as Gray retrieved his shirt and pants, then poured a glass of water for Rod. "Are you worried about Natsu?"
"Yeah, I guess. After all, I've been on the receiving end of his 'care,' so it's a bit... awkward."
Rod held the glass of water, not drinking it, just staring at the gently rippling surface. "It's a bit uncomfortable."
Getting beaten up naturally made him feel uneasy, but Natsu had held back, intentionally or not, teaching him some fighting techniques. He should be grateful for that.
Moreover, Natsu seemed younger than him, which made the situation even more awkward.
Rod found himself getting caught up in small worries, overthinking things, making it hard for him to be as straightforward as everyone else.
This led him to wonder if he was fitting in, if he was being too different and might be excluded.
Then he would scold himself for being so immature, thinking about such trivial matters.
And yet, with others being so genuine, he felt guilty for overthinking these things...
Mirajane watched Rod's expression change, guessing he was still sore about losing: "You've only been learning magic for a few days. To reach this level is impressive. If you keep this up, you might be able to take on ordinary jobs next month."
"You're right. I'll focus on training for now." Who knows what the future holds? Maybe he was just not used to fighting for the first time.
Rod glanced around the guild hall, where people were laughing and chatting. "Who should I challenge next?"
A spiky-haired teenager, the chatty Marcus from this morning, caught his eye.
He decided to ask for a spar.
---
Work, training, and enjoying the guild's chef's culinary skills made for another fulfilling day.
Back home, Rod followed Laki's advice and smashed the lidless wooden box to retrieve the magazines inside.
_Sorcerer Weekly_ was a weekly publication, and Laki had given him a year's subscription, plus a few special issues, totaling about sixty magazines.
Sixty magazines neatly stacked on the table, the pile was more than a foot thick.
"Pity about this perfectly crafted box... How about I make it your nest?"
Rod showed the smashed box to Worm.
The box wasn't large, but it was big enough for a Poro.
However, Worm didn't like the idea and shook his head, retreating under the bed.
"Fine, I haven't cleaned under there properly yet. Don't get yourself covered in dust."
Rod tossed the broken box next to the fireplace to use as firewood, once again envying the convenience of transformation magic.
He took out the Wind Chant glasses and quickly flipped through the magazine.
"The Master of the Phantom Lords..."
This was one of the two most famous magic guilds in the Kingdom of Fiore, the other being Fairy Tail.
However, Fairy Tail had been relatively quiet for a long time until it gained more prominence in recent years.
Rod read about this in an issue of _Sorcerer Weekly_ that focused on the Phantom Lords.
If one considered size and the number of members, the Phantom Lords actually surpassed Fairy Tail. Besides its main branch, the Phantom Lords had over twenty branches, with a large number of members.
"Too bad the name 'Phantom Lords' sounds so much like a dark guild..."
After reading about the Phantom Lords' top mages and some of the incidents they caused, Rod's doubts were somewhat alleviated.
This guild was just as chaotic as Fairy Tail.
(End of Chapter)
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