Chapter 38: Her
Chapter 38: Her
Rod was naturally unwilling to let Mira face any danger. He pressed down on her arm and guided her to the side of the road.
Mira seemed to be taken aback for a moment before she obediently stepped back.
Rod stood alone in the middle of the road. With a swift kick, he struck the mugger's wrist, sending the short knife flying into the air.
"Damn..."
Before the mugger could finish his sentence, Rod had already grabbed his wrist. With a quick shift of his body, he used a shoulder throw—a move he had learned from Cana.
With a dull thud, the mugger's body crashed onto the cobblestone street, and the bag he was carrying flew out of his hand.
Without even looking up, Rod extended his right hand and caught the hilt of the falling knife with perfect timing.
Show-off move successful!
Rod was quite pleased with his performance, but there was a small issue with the next step.
He had planned to squat down and press the knife near the mugger's ear to scare him, but he had overlooked a few details.
First, the commercial street was paved with cobblestones, not the soft earth of the guild hall.
Second, the mugger was just an ordinary person, not as tough as a mage.
Rod had used the force he would use in a sparring match with his guildmates. This time, the impact made the mugger cough up blood and pass out, eyes rolling back. There was no need to scare him further.
"Uh... Maybe I went a bit too hard. I didn't mean to..."
Rod crouched down, feeling a bit guilty, and checked the mugger. He was still breathing, but his arm was likely broken.
"Don't worry, armed robbery is a serious offense. We'll hand him over to the constables."
Mira picked up the dropped bag and said, "Let's wait for the owner to come back."
Some of the nearby pedestrians had already gone to fetch the constables, and the person who had been shouting earlier had run over.
"Isn't that Miss Mira?"
"It's a mage from Fairy Tail!"
Soon, someone recognized Mira and noticed the guild emblem on Rod's sleeve that wasn't completely covered.
A few people went to check the mugger's injuries. When they reported back, no one felt sympathetic. Instead, some looked disappointed.
To be knocked unconscious and have a broken arm by a Fairy Tail mage—this guy must have had some good luck.
Rod listened to their praise and peculiar comments, feeling a bit self-doubtful as he looked at Mira. "Did I embarrass Fairy Tail?"
"Not at all," Mira smiled. "That move was pretty cool~"
And the guild's reputation remained the same—'They're all good people, but sometimes they don't know their own strength.'
The owner of the bag was a plump lady with a slightly outdated hairstyle and rosy cheeks.
Mira handed her the bag. "Please check if anything is missing."
"Thank you so much for your help! The bag has some really important... oh!" The lady paused when she saw Mira's face, then noticed Rod's guild emblem.
"Are you from... What a coincidence! My husband is also a member of your guild. He's called Wakaba!"
The lady gestured to her forehead. "He's the one with hair like this and a constant smoker."
"So you're Mr. Wakaba's wife. I'm Mira Jane, and this is Rod," Mira spoke naturally to the lady.
"I often hear him talk about you and your daughter. Without you, his life would be a mess."
"Is that so? He really says that?" The lady looked both pleased and a bit shy. "He knows that, huh?"
"Sure does. Mr. Wakaba talks about you a lot," Rod chuckled.
He had heard Wakaba mention her often, but mostly in complaints.
He realized Mira was quite good with words. The first part, "I often hear him talk about you," was true, while the second part, "Without you, his life would be a mess," was her own deduction.
However, when put together, these subtle misunderstandings began to take root.
The auntie, upon returning home, wouldn’t expect Wakaba to be foolish enough to clear the air.
Next, the auntie started asking more questions, like whether Wakaba leered at the female waitresses in the guild or flicked cigarette ash around.
Mira smiled and answered each question, but her responses were vague, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Though she might be devious, Mira wouldn’t say anything that could disrupt someone’s family harmony.
Rod quietly observed the art of conversation, and then a group of brown-uniformed guards rushed over, led by their captain.
Wakaba’s wife explained the situation to them, confirming that Rod had acted bravely.
The guards checked the thief’s injuries and, seeing that he wouldn’t die, had him carried away. They also collected the short knife as evidence.
As Mira had said, armed robbery was a serious crime in this country, and not only was Rod not held responsible, but he received a thank you.
Fame of Magnolia +10.
The matter was quickly resolved, and the auntie bid farewell to Mira, who had been a delightful conversation partner.
“By the way, here’s a little thank you.” The auntie pressed two tickets into Rod’s hand.
She looked at Mira, then at Rod, and winked, whispering, “Young man, you should try your best.”
“Huh? I...” Rod glanced at the tickets—‘Honey Sweet Treats New Store Invitation’—but before he could protest, the auntie had already walked away.
“What did she say?”
“Um... just some tickets for us.” Rod thought for a moment and handed both to her. “Do you like sweets?”
“It opens next month.” Mira took one and waved it. “We can try it out then?”
“Sure... that sounds good.” Next month was just over a week away, and the idea of sweets made Rod a bit excited.
“Alright, let’s get down to business.” Mira put away the tickets, took out a shopping list, and unfolded a long piece of paper.
Rod leaned in to look, touching his pendant. He’d have River Crab carry everything back later.
The bustling market street was a bit different from what Rod had imagined. Compared to the skyscrapers and busy traffic of his previous world, this place was somewhere between a city commercial district and a rural market.
There were plenty of people milling about, and the sounds of vendors calling out their wares echoed continuously. There were both well-established stores and makeshift stalls lining the street.
Considering this was a town with a permanent population of only 60,000, this market street was quite impressive.
Mira carefully selected high-quality fruits, vegetables, and meats, haggling skillfully with the various shopkeepers in her melodious voice.
Rod followed closely behind, occasionally taking a food bag, watching Mira choose ingredients, and observing the surroundings.
Rotten leaves were scattered around the vegetable stands, and the front of the seafood shop was wet with small puddles of water.
The salty sea breeze blew by, and a dirty little dog ran past, while shoppers bustled around...
It was a scene that felt very much like real life.
“Rod? Let’s go, we need to order some wine next.”
Mira’s pleasant voice brought Rod back to reality. He saw her familiar smile, and his heart rate subtly increased.
He used to feel that her smile was distant, but now it seemed so close.
“Are you tired?”
“No, let’s go.”
The word ‘we’ felt so good.
He had just... had a fleeting, unrealistic thought.
(End of Chapter)
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