Chapter 418: Marriage After the S-Class Exam!

Chapter 418: Marriage After the S-Class Exam!

"Pervert!"

"I am a pervert."

"Scoundrel!"

"I am a scoundrel."

"Nuisance!"

"I am a nuisance."

Mila's vocabulary failed her, and she could only punch Rod's chest and bite his shoulder.

Technically, this fell under the category of a thug's excited punch.

Rod chuckled, but he knew that if Mira, the Demon, didn't knock him out with a punch, it meant she didn't want to fight, and he could indulge in her coquettishness.

"You're still smiling!"

"Okay, I'll stop."

At most, he wouldn't laugh out loud.

Mila was tired, grabbing Rod's hand to stop him from casually kneading and squeezing her body, "What should we do now?"

Rod thought for a moment, "Let's wash up and sleep."

Mila got up, knowing she needed to wash, but she couldn't sleep here. Who knew what he might do later?

Despite everything...

In any case, she couldn't sleep here.

She tugged at her clothes, which were in disarray. The top was fine, but the bottom was beyond repair.

Mila glared at Rod, she could wear his outer clothes, but what about the inside?

"Actually... I have something."

Rod reached into the deepest corner of his wardrobe and pulled out a small package containing two sets of underwear, similar to the style Mila usually wore.

Mila's eyes widened even more; Rod wasn't foolish enough to bring someone else's clothes for her. He must have bought them intentionally!

"You've been up to no good!"

"I'm just being prepared. Don't you remember the time with the Phantom Overlord? My clothes were damaged, and I had no spares."

Rod handed the package to her, "Don't worry, I washed them after buying them."

He even knew to wash them!

And he seemed so experienced in such matters.

Mila pouted, unsure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. In a moment, she would interrogate him about the classes he had taken or the many girlfriends he might have had.

She took one set and, after some thought, pushed the remaining set back to Rod.

Then, without a word, she walked barefoot to the door to put on Rod's slippers.

Rod held the underwear she had returned, was this a hint or a clear sign? He looked at Mila's fair feet, and suddenly, a bold idea came to mind.

No, no, Rod put away the clothes and patted his face to stay alert.

He wondered if something was wrong with him because, lately, whenever he was with Mila, his mind wandered to that topic.

All sorts of strange ideas kept popping up...

No, it was probably stranger not to think about it.

Another day, he'd chat with the experienced uncles in the guild, gossip about their romantic histories and inner thoughts, and subtly inquire about their experiences.

Perhaps he could even sell the hospitality coupons for Blue Pegasus at a low price and make a small profit.

For now... he needed to change the bedsheets first.

"Here." A small hand reached out to Rod, and he almost pulled out the hospitality coupons.

"What?"

"Clothes." Even her underwear was quietly prepared, and Mila didn't believe he had nothing else.

"..." Rod thought for a moment and handed her a nightgown.

Seeing that she was about to say something, Rod quickly added, "I need to wash up too. Why don't we..."

"Don't even think about it!" Mila escaped into the bathroom and locked the door.

This time, Mila's shower was much quicker, probably because she didn't wash her hair.

The nightgown Rod bought was exceptional; it revealed nothing yet seemed to reveal everything.

Mila had wanted to say, 'I'm going back,' but after a gentle sniff and seeing the changed bedsheets, her face flushed slightly.

She silently opened the window wide.

"Why don't you stay?" Rod hugged her from behind and gently kissed her earlobe.

"At this hour, Elfman is fast asleep. Going back would wake him up. If he's not asleep, it'll be even worse. If my sister goes out with her husband at night and returns with changed clothes, it'll be too suspicious."

Wouldn't it be even stranger to go back together in the morning? Mila's ears tingled, and she remained silent, not pushing him away.

Rod continued whispering a hundred reasons not to go back, accompanied by subtle movements of his hands.

Whether it was his words or her own heart, Mila broke free from his embrace and pushed him, "Go wash up. Otherwise, you're not getting in this bed."

"I can't even get into my own bed?" Rod grumbled as he went to the bathroom, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

It wasn't a big deal.

They had shared a bed on missions and slept leaning on each other during all-nighters at the guild.

This time, the only difference was the location, his home. It wasn't a significant change.

Mila reassured herself with this thought.

The only addition was the kneading and squeezing before falling asleep.

Needless to say.

...

The summer heat lingered into September, and dawn still arrived early.

At around six in the morning, sunlight slanted through the window, illuminating the bedroom.

The two individuals on the large bed lay quietly, Rod's posture was unremarkable, while Mila's sleeping position seemed rather awkward.

Her head rested on Rod's shoulder, her right leg draped over his, and her arms wrapped around his upper body, her long white hair messily spread across the bed and his chest.

Apparently, she had once again used Rod as her pillow.

Rod woke up feeling something heavy on his body, and he initially thought it was Worm lying on him.

When he opened his eyes, he indeed saw a pile of white fur, just a bit longer than usual.

As he became more alert, he recalled crossing the '38th Parallel' before falling asleep last night. Seeing Mila's sleeping posture, he realized she had crossed the line.

Rod comfortably embraced her.

However, Mila woke up immediately.

She seemed a bit dazed, rubbing her eyes and snuggling against her 'pillow' before realizing the unfamiliar sensation. She suddenly sat up, remembering where she had fallen asleep.

"You crossed the line!"

"How could this sleeping position be my fault... Oh, it was me!" Rod sat up and realized he was indeed on Mila's side.

This was strange; he always slept lying flat, how could he have crossed over? Rod looked at the wrinkled bedsheet and eyed Mila suspiciously, "Did you dream about a pillow and drag me over?"

It's hard to say if other people's wives have this strength, but he definitely did.

"How could I have dragged you..." Mila's voice trailed off as she felt guilty, "Did you do something secretly?"

"It looks like you did something to me in my sleep."

"I didn't!"

Arguing seemed pointless, so Rod hugged her, "But now I want to do something to you."

Mila pushed Rod's chest, "Why are you so energetic this early?"

"It's not good if I'm not energetic in the morning."

"Pervert."

Mila was concerned that he might turn into a middle-aged man like Macao and Wakaba, with their lecherous tendencies.

...

After some playful banter, the two freshened up and headed out for work together.

Mila had wanted to prepare breakfast, but Rod's kitchen had been unused since he moved in.

Although it was clean due to regular cleaning, most of the essential kitchen utensils were missing. Even making a simple boiled egg seemed challenging without the right tools.

Rod had a camping pot, but setting up a field stove in the kitchen would be odd.

With no other choice, they decided to go to the guild for breakfast.

"Good morning, Brother Goodman."

"Morning," Goodman replied casually and turned back to his tasks, but a moment later, he spun around as if he had seen a ghost.

"M-Mila... Miss Mila Jeanne?"

"Good morning, Mr. Goodman," Mila said, hiding her slight embarrassment and greeting him with a smile.

"You... the two of you..."

He had seen them together before and knew they were dating, but this was the first time he witnessed them leaving together like a newlywed couple.

"Oh, right, I haven't introduced her to you yet." Rod proudly wrapped his arm around Mila's waist, "This is my fiancee, Mila Jeanne."

"You're already engaged?" Goodman exclaimed, "Congratulations, my congratulations to both of you!"

"Thank you." The couple exchanged a glance, their faces beaming.

Goodman asked, "By the way, when is the wedding? I'll definitely prepare a gift."

"We haven't finalized the date yet," Rod replied, "If everything goes well, it'll probably be in late December, around the end of the year, or maybe even on New Year's Day."

The couple had discussed this briefly the night before.

With the Harvest Festival approaching, they would be busy for the next two weeks, leaving little time for anything else. After the festival, they planned to take on a couple of high-paying tasks, then look for a house and start the renovations.

These tasks could likely be completed by early November, and then they could begin wedding preparations.

Although Mila didn't mention it, Rod remembered that Lisana's memorial day was in mid-November, making that time less suitable.

Additionally, the S-Class exam would be held in early December, and many guild members, including Elfman, Natsu, and Gray, would be rushing to complete tasks and improve their task ratings. They might not have much free time.

Rod didn't want those troublemakers causing a ruckus at his wedding, but it would be a shame if they weren't there to witness it.

So, they decided to set the wedding date after the S-Class exam.

This way, if Rod passed the exam, he could also dispel suspicions of being a freeloader, and two S-Class mages getting married would be fantastic.

After roughly setting the wedding date, both of them felt excited. They even discussed the wedding ceremony briefly before going to bed.

Rod was unfamiliar with the local customs here, but Mira had witnessed some and generally, they leaned more towards Western traditions.

Most residents of Magnolia held their ceremonies at the central Cathedral of Cartier.

The ceremony would typically include vows, an exchange of rings, a kiss, blessings from the priest, and a speech from the father.

Afterwards, a celebratory banquet would be held, and then the newlyweds would depart for their honeymoon.

Among the Archmages, the process might be even more straightforward, with some skipping the honeymoon altogether and returning to work the very next day after their wedding.

Those like Rod, who insisted on buying a house, were in the minority. The norm was for newlyweds to rent a place together near the guild.

Having experienced the unease and lack of security that came with not having a place of her own, Mira had always supported Rod in this regard.

Rod was aware of this, so he left the wedding arrangements entirely up to Mira's wishes.

Seeing how she longed for a wedding like the ones she heard about, Rod was determined to fulfill her desires.

He wanted to follow the local customs as much as possible and make the wedding as wonderful as she imagined it. After all, when in Rome, do as the Romans do; there was no need for anything special.

However, Mira had a minor worry that she hadn't shared with him.

In this place, the bride was expected to take her husband's surname. For instance, Bisca's full name was Bisca Mulan, but after marrying Alzack Connel, she would become Bisca Connel.

Mira wasn't sure about Rod's customs. Should she be called Romira, or should she keep her surname and become Mira Rom?

...

Work at the guild proceeded as usual, except that Elfman arrived a little later than normal.

His sister hadn't come home last night.

And his brother-in-law hadn't shown up for breakfast.

But when he arrived at the guild, he saw that the couple was already there, working together.

Even though he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, Elfman knew what this meant.

However, with their wedding approaching, it wasn't something he should be worrying about.

He felt that if he asked any questions, something exciting would likely happen.

Forget it, he thought. I'll just take a mission and disappear for a couple of days to think about this.

He was torn; would his sister move to Rod's place, or would Rod move in with them? Should he rent a place of his own?

Elfman stared at the bulletin board, torn between his thoughts. He finally tore off a mission slip that caught his interest and stood there with Nab to receive their punishment.

After waiting for a while, Vakaba finally arrived and took a mission slip. Elfman followed behind him, trying his best to remain inconspicuous and avoid drawing his sister's attention.

"The Harvest Festival is coming up, and you're going all the way there?" Rod said as he helped Vakaba with the registration.

"I'm going there precisely because the Harvest Festival is approaching. I want to earn some money to give to my wife in advance," Vakaba explained. He planned to take a break from next week onwards and give himself a ten-day or half-month vacation.

But to do that, he needed to earn enough money to keep his wife happy and also set aside some money for his cigarettes and alcohol.

He glanced at Mira, who was carrying a tray, and whispered to Rod, "You'll understand this kind of worry after you're married... but you might not have this problem."

Rod nodded, "Of course, our Mira is understanding and considerate."

"No, what I mean is, Mira can keep track of all your earnings, so you can't hide any money from her."

Vakaba chuckled as he spoke, "Hahaha, many people used to envy you. I even bet with them yesterday that you'd be the poorest in the guild after getting married!"

"..."

His words made a lot of sense.

Marrying Mira was like marrying the financial director of a company; she could calculate his monthly salary, bonuses, and allowances down to the last detail.

Rod's salary was entirely managed by Mira, and Archmages were not allowed to take private missions outside the guild, so she was aware of all his mission earnings.

Even if the client decided to increase or decrease the reward, they would still contact the guild afterward and provide written documentation.

Unless someone was as shameless as the Phantom Lord, using force to coerce clients, it was impossible to earn income outside the official records.

"It doesn't matter," Rod repeated, perhaps trying to convince Vakaba or himself, "Our Mira is understanding and considerate."

Vakaba took the stamped mission slip and shook his head with a meaningful expression, "Women can change after marriage..."

As he turned around, he met Mira's kind gaze.

She had only heard Vakaba's last sentence and was trying to guess what he meant. Why would he come to dissuade Rod from marrying her after she had finally received his proposal?

Hmm... Where should I bury him?

Vakaba nearly dropped his pipe in shock. He swallowed hard and quickly tried to clarify, "Women often become more considerate after marriage..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end