Chapter 37: Why Are You Protecting Me?
Chapter 37: Why Are You Protecting Me?
Kana's fighting style differed from Natsu and the others, focusing more on grappling and throws. Her incredible strength seemed to come from her daily habit of lifting barrels of ale, though that was just a guess.
During the fight, Rod noticed Kana twice attempt to gouge his eyes and once try to kick his groin, but she held back each time. Despite her restraint, Rod still broke out in a cold sweat. He'd have to think of ways to defend against such moves in the future. A man must protect himself when out and about.
Rod took a moment to review the fight, mentally increasing Kana's danger level.
Kana shook her empty ale barrel. "Rod, a beer!"
"Sure thing!" Rod went to the corner, picked up a barrel, and then paused. "Kana, did you mean a glass or a whole barrel?"
"Just a glass, only one!" Kana glanced at Macao, who was arguing with Wakaba about parenting. "Why are you so fussy?"
Confused, Rod poured a glass of beer for Kana and noticed she was drinking much slower than usual, as if she was savoring it to stave off her thirst.
"What's with that look? You want to fight again?"
"Sure, I don't mind more experience," Rod said, though he was genuinely concerned. "I just think something's off with you."
"I feel the same," Mira interjected, sensing a juicy bit of gossip. "Could it be that Kana has a boyfriend?"
"No way," Kana denied, raising her glass. "Beer is my boyfriend!"
"Then maybe you have a crush but lack the courage to confess. The boys you've been around lately... let me guess..."
Mira was particularly enthusiastic about such matters and immediately turned her attention to Rod. "It's Rod!
Kana, you must have been moved by Rod's indomitable spirit and then captivated by his manly demeanor during today's fight!"
Kana sighed in relief. Seeing Mira's usual antics in matchmaking reassured her. Last month, Mira had claimed Wakaba had a crush on Laki. Ridiculous, that guy just liked every pretty and gentle girl equally.
Experienced guild members knew to ignore and question any gossip that came from Mira.
Rod, not yet mature enough, immediately denied it. "While I appreciate your praise, Mira, my manly demeanor was left on the floor after Kana's shoulder throw."
He glanced at Kana's crossed leg on the bar, remembering how close he came to being kicked by her high-heeled sandals.
"If not Rod, who else could it be?" Mira pondered. "Did Loki make a move on you?"
"Does he have the guts?" Kana scoffed. "And I don't like that type... Why are we even talking about this boring topic!"
Kana picked up her glass and strode away, pausing midstep, her strides becoming smaller before she finally sat down at the table with Macao and Wakaba.
Mira, chin in hand, guessed, "Hmm... Could it be Macao?"
"You're getting more and more absurd, Mira-san." Rod marveled at her imagination. "Macao is almost twenty years older than her, right?"
"Who knows?" Mira smiled, finally dropping the topic. "By the way, can you accompany me for some shopping this afternoon?"
"Sure." Rod didn't hesitate, though he was curious. "Isn't that Cook's job? He seems to like picking out the ingredients himself."
"True, but Cook and his grandson have a boat ride and fishing planned for this afternoon, so he asked me to do it."
Mira explained, "He's already made a list. We just need to be thorough in our selection."
The meticulous Cook, who usually insisted on the highest quality ingredients, was willing to relax his standards for his grandson.
It was a pretty good grandfather, all things considered.
"No problem, I'll handle the bags," Rod said, clear about his role. Picking out ingredients was a high-stakes task, and that definitely wasn't his job.
...
"Miss Mira, are you going out?"
"Yes, I need to buy a few things."
"Good afternoon, Miss Mira!"
"Good afternoon."
"Miss Mira, will you be featured in the next issue of the Mage Weekly?"
"Sorry, I haven't taken on any work for the magazine recently."
As soon as they stepped out of the guild and into the residential area, Rod quickly realized just how popular Mira was. Almost everyone who recognized her greeted her with a smile, and some even took the opportunity to ask a question or two.
"You're really popular."
"Everyone is just too enthusiastic," Mira chuckled, "though it can be a bit overwhelming at times."
"Yeah, yeah, the great and famous Mira Jane Strauss. Maybe next time you should consider wearing a pair of sunglasses and a mask to... stand out in a crowd?"
As they grew more familiar, Rod felt more at ease speaking to her.
"Great idea," Mira clapped her hands, "though to really stand out, I could try transforming into your appearance—just the head."
"Please, I don't want to be known as the 'female mage with a fetish from Fairy Tail' on Sorcela."
Rod conceded, noticing that Mira no longer corrected his occasional slip-ups in speech.
Mira smiled and walked alongside Rod across the stone arch bridge to the other side of the river. She pointed ahead, "Just one more intersection and we'll be at the shopping district. Have you been here before, Rod?"
Rod shook his head, "Not yet. Most of my activities are on the other side of the river. I usually buy what I need from the shops near the guild."
"Hmm? You've been here for almost a month now, haven't you explored the city at all?" Mira asked, "What do you do after work?"
"Train, practice magic, meditate, read, and read magazines..."
Rod thought for a moment, realizing that most of his activities were aimed at survival and improvement.
The only thing he could call leisure was listening to music while doing laundry.
Even reading magazines was for gathering information about the world.
Mira asked, "Don't you find it exhausting?"
"Not really, learning magic is quite interesting," Rod replied, "and only by training hard can I feel a bit more at ease... and have the means to pay off that large debt."
"Ah, debt can indeed be a headache," Mira said, "but don't stress too much. The Master rarely has financial issues."
"The more reason I want to pay it off quickly. The Master has been too kind to me," Rod sighed, often feeling the pressure more from his own conscience.
It was a form of self-inflicted stress.
Mira smiled but didn't say anything. The Master treated all members, including Rod, like his own children.
But Rod either hadn't realized it yet or wasn't used to it.
"Get out of the way! Don't block the path!"
As they talked and entered the shopping district, a man suddenly rushed toward them.
"Clear the way! Don't meddle in this!"
The man held a woman's handbag in one hand and a short knife in the other, threatening people to move.
Someone in the crowd was shouting, "Catch him! He's a purse snatcher!"
Seeing the man getting closer, Mira's finely arched eyebrows furrowed slightly. She raised one arm, positioning herself protectively in front of Rod.
Rod: ???
"Lady, you said you weren't good at fighting, so why are you protecting me?"
(End of Chapter)
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