https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-415-Gerald-s-Whereabouts-News-from-the-Council/13079536/
Chapter 414: The Predicament
Chapter 414: The Predicament
For Jason, being ignored was not a big deal.
He preferred the guild's chaotic welcome to being completely disregarded when they refused interviews.
Only then could he witness the most authentic and beloved Fairy Tail.
Makarov's eloquent yet stiff speech was noted by Jason, but he had no intention of using it.
What he sought was the chaotic atmosphere of the small tavern, the shirtless Gray, the fire-breathing Natsu, and the brawling mages.
Even if they got carried away and punched him in the face, he would still shout 'COOL' and continue scribbling enthusiastically on the ground.
Lucy, unable to get up in time, hugged Natsu's leg, "Natsu, don't hit the journalist!"
Natsu dragged Lucy forward, "Why does he always write bad things about me! Saying that I destroyed this and that, and even more things!"
Lucy shouted back, "That's because you're always destroying things, destroying things, and destroying more things every day!"
"I don't care!"
The guild was once again filled with commotion, and Jason joined the mages in their revelry.
Eating, drinking, fighting, taking photos, and recording...
This was Jason's first time conducting an interview in such a manner, as if he had become a member of Fairy Tail himself.
In his own words, the guild was simply too COOL! He was determined to show the most genuine side of Fairy Tail to all the magazine's readers, making them fall in love with this COOL guild just as he had.
Excited, Jason remembered his promise to Rod to interview the new members before leaving. He suddenly thought of adding a new column for newcomers.
He interviewed Tono, Lucy, and Juvia, who had joined the guild this year, and took photos of them.
Unfortunately, Gajiru was absent, so he could only learn about the reasons for the two former Phantom Lord members joining Fairy Tail through Juvia.
This inspired Jason to consider doing an investigation into the whereabouts of former Phantom Lord members for next week's issue.
Jason was brimming with enthusiasm.
...
It was another night of staying out late.
The guild had a habit of throwing parties for any occasion, and the celebrations often lasted until the wee hours of the morning.
When Rod woke up, he found himself leaning against Mira's chest, her arm wrapped around his neck, and her hand resting on his chest.
As soon as he stirred, Mira noticed, "You're awake? Did you sleep well?"
"I fell asleep like this," Rod sat up, only to realize that Mira's head was resting on Elfman's chest, and the three of them had slept like this for half the night.
He asked, "Are you tired?"
Mira shook her head gently, beaming as she showed her left hand to Rod, "Look, my fiance gave it to me. Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful, very beautiful," Rod held her hand, gently caressing her fingers and the ring on it.
Looking at Mira's sweet smile, he thought for a moment before saying, "Let's buy a new one. Wearing this all the time... People might laugh at you."
Mira withdrew her hand, clenching her fist, and said fiercely, "Who dares to laugh at me, I'll twist their heads off."
Rod laughed, finding her both adorable and intimidating, "What a scary demon."
Just as Mira was about to say something, they heard Elfman mutter indistinctly, "So scary..."
The two froze, then turned to look at Elfman, who was leaning against the wall.
His head tilted slightly upward, his features almost scrunched together, and he wore an expression of pain, muttering words like 'sister' and 'scary'.
Mira felt a mix of tenderness, amusement, and a hint of annoyance, unsure if her brother needed a good scolding or if she had been too harsh on him in the past.
"He must be having a nightmare because you're leaning on his chest," Rod hugged Mira, trying to comfort his brother-in-law.
"I was leaning on his chest too, why didn't I have a nightmare?"
"You're different from him."
One had a buffer, the other didn't.
Mira thought for a moment, then pounded on Rod's chest, "Let's freshen up, it's time to work."
The morning's work was a bit tedious, especially after a night of revelry.
However, with enough hands, the tasks were completed swiftly.
Rod's first task was to wake everyone up. He went to the stage and found the drum set that hadn't been put away the night before. He picked up the drumsticks and started banging on the drums haphazardly.
As an outsider, he particularly enjoyed the two cymbal-like pieces, and the satisfying clatter they made when struck.
"Wow!"
"Who is that?!"
"Shut up!"
A group of people grumbled as they crawled out of bed, their eyes still blurry with sleep, confirming they were in the guild and not at home.
"Oh no! I told my wife I'd be home tonight!"
The married members, led by Wakaba, scrambled out of the guild in a panic.
The others turned their anger towards Rod:
"What are you doing, Rod?!"
"We were celebrating with you yesterday!"
"Yeah, and now you're making noise early in the morning!"
Rod put down the drumsticks with a grin, "Alright, alright, Rom will always remember everyone's kindness. But it's time to get up. The tavern is opening, so those who need to go home, go home, and those who need to work, get to work! If you're unhappy, you can come and hit me later, I promise I won't fight back!"
But I can't guarantee my fiancee won't.
The group grumbled and complained, but they knew it was time to get ready. They rubbed their faces and straightened their clothes.
Some decided to head home, while others went to check the bulletin board. A few sat down at the tables and started ordering breakfast.
The more diligent ones even took the initiative to tidy up the tables in front of them.
Of course, there were still some who were sound asleep, like Natsu.
No one knew how he had fallen asleep, but there he was, with his feet propped on the table, his bottom on the chair, and his head on the floor, a position that made others worry about potential blood clots.
"Natsu, Natsu, wake up!"
As Rachel tried to clean up the area, she nudged Natsu, but he wouldn't budge.
"Let me handle this," Rod said, summoning Worm. Before Worm could react, Rod picked him up and threw him onto Natsu.
With a loud thud and a crack, the long bench couldn't bear the weight and broke in half. Natsu was pinned under Worm, emitting only whimpers, his limbs flailing helplessly.
Rachel covered her mouth to hide her laughter. Rod didn't hold back when it came to teasing Natsu.
Worm, being the good-natured creature he was, scrambled to his feet, licked Natsu's face with his slobbery tongue as a gesture of comfort, and then trotted off to find Mira for some food.
"What are you doing, Rod!"
Natsu jumped up and started fighting with Rod, who didn't back down. It was a good morning workout for both of them.
The scuffle continued from the middle of the tavern to the entrance. Finally, Erza grabbed Natsu by the collar.
"That's enough, Natsu. Stop disturbing the girls at work."
Mila hugged Rod from behind, "Really, why are you picking a fight with Natsu too?"
"It's been a while since I gave him a good beating. My fists are itching."
"What are you talking about? It's always me getting beaten up by you!"
"Take a look at your dark circles before you talk!"
"Damn it, I'll show you!"
The childish bickering was interrupted as the two were pulled apart, signaling the start of a new day.
...
"I never thought Mr. Rod would actually fight with Natsu like that."
Lucy returned home, freshened up, and changed her clothes before heading back to the guild. By the time she arrived, she only saw Natsu's dark circles, having missed the exciting fight that had just taken place.
Mila, with a mischievous smile, was polishing a glass and said to Lucy, "He used to fight with Natsu all the time, but he was usually on the receiving end. It's only recently that he's been able to hold his own against Natsu."
In just over a year, Natsu had progressed from an ordinary person who knew nothing to this level. Mila's admiration had now turned into pride.
"Wow, that's amazing," said Lucy, resting her chin on her hand. "When will I ever become that strong?"
"Want to try Rod's training method?" Mila recalled Rod's past embarrassments and smiled, "It wasn't always this intense. You just needed to get beaten up a couple of times a day."
"No, thanks..."
Lucy had her own training methods in mind. After some thought, she said, "Instead, could you recommend a suitable job for me? I still owe you money."
"Don't worry about that," Mira assured her. "I'll keep an eye out for something suitable. Although I'm not sure how Natsu's training is going, Erza is no longer a waitress, so you can team up with her."
"That's great!" Lucy was delighted. With Erza as her partner, she could consider taking on raid missions.
As Lucy was about to check the bulletin board, Rod called out to her.
"Lucy."
"Yes?"
"Do you want to go home and visit?"
"Huh? I just came from home."
"I meant the Heartfilia household."
Lucy was taken aback and asked, "Why do you ask?"
Rod handed her a newspaper, "This is today's morning paper. It seems the Heartfilia Group is in some sort of trouble."
Lucy wanted to say that the Heartfilia Group had nothing to do with her, but her soft-hearted nature got the better of her, and she took the newspaper, reading it carefully word for word.
"Financial difficulties..."
Lucy furrowed her brows slightly, remembering the last time she visited home. Her father had wanted her to marry into a certain family's young master to expand their business to the south...
A look of concern crossed her face, but she eventually returned the newspaper to Rod, "It's fine. That man is incredibly capable when it comes to business. Even if I went back, I'd only be a nuisance."
She couldn't do much about the financial difficulties; that level of funding was beyond her means.
Did she really have to marry someone she didn't know for her father's business plans?
(End of Chapter)
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