Chapter 83: Reception
Chapter 83: Reception
"Basic training is no problem, I can help you with that, but for advanced techniques..." Makarov thought for a moment before saying, "Go and ask Mira."
Rod looked at him. "Ask Mira?"
"Yes, you already know, right? She used to be an S-Class Mage, and she specializes in Reception magic."
"I meant, how would Mira feel about it..."
"This shouldn't be an issue. She's a strong girl," Makarov said. "Besides, it's been almost a year since Lisanna's passing. While the pain of such a loss will never fully fade, we can't let her stay in grief forever. Helping her heal over time and find new goals is part of our duty as comrades."
Rod had already planned to do this, but he was worried that mentioning Reception magic might upset her.
Mira's situation is complicated; I need to find the right moment to talk to her...
Oh, there's an opportunity right now.
Rod asked, "Master, do you know any good restaurants in Magnolia?"
Makarov almost didn't react. "Restaurants... Your questions today are all over the place."
"Hehe," Rod chuckled. They seemed unrelated, but they were all connected in some way.
"The most expensive one is near the cathedral, the best-tasting one is near the South Gate Park, but the overall best..." Makarov grinned, "is our guild."
"Ew," Rod said with a grimace. "I understand your love for the guild, but that's a bit too sappy."
Makarov actually blushed. "You brat, you don't understand the value of sentiment."
Rod's eyes widened. The Master actually blushed!
But a few seconds later, he relaxed. After all, the old man had just been crying and wiping his nose on him in the guild. A little blush was nothing to worry about.
The old man is kind of cute.
Getting the antidote was straightforward.
Ms. Porlyusica tossed a small bottle to Rod and warned him not to abuse the venom even with the antidote.
Rod, being a bit cheeky, asked if she had any backups and backups of backups.
Then Ms. Porlyusica kicked him out, slamming the door shut.
"I forgot to ask about the cost," Rod realized. His debt might have just increased.
Master and Ms. Porlyusica seemed to have other matters to discuss, so he didn't want to bother them.
Once I master Reception magic, I'll go out and earn more money to pay off my debts!
...
The first day of September arrived with a light rain, which drizzled from the middle of the night until morning.
The rain brought a hint of autumn's coolness.
The drop in temperature was evident, as Worm was once again willing to follow Rod around, bouncing at his feet.
As a financial guru, Rod immediately went to buy some autumn and winter clothes as soon as he noticed the temperature drop.
One of Rod's money-saving tips: buy clothes out of season.
"Good morning, Rod. Not riding your strongest summon today?"
With the recent release of Sosara, Rod had gained a bit of fame in Magnolia as the 'Strongest Rookie,' especially when he occasionally rode his summon, a giant crab, to and from work.
"Good morning. My strongest summon wants to rest every Sunday and isn't always willing to carry me around," Rod replied politely, though he was spreading a bit of misinformation.
"Summon creatures have rest days? That's amazing."
"Sure is."
Rod walked towards the guild with a light step.
He was in a great mood today.
Over the past few days, he had read a lot about Reception magic in the guild library.
He was ready to start practicing.
And he had a lunch date with Mira at a restaurant near the South Gate Park.
According to the guild master, the food there was delicious, the prices were reasonable, and there were plenty of beautiful women.
Unfortunately, almost all of them had boyfriends.
Rod's suspicions grew as he listened. Wasn't this place just a dating hotspot? And did the old man often visit this restaurant, always eyeing the beautiful women?
Wasn't he a bit too old to be acting so young?
The guild master sternly insisted that he was merely appreciating their beauty.
It raised suspicions about whether Makao and Wakaba, those two lecherous old men, might have learned their ways from him.
...
In the morning, Rod performed his usual cleaning duties. When he wasn't on a mission, he worked part-time as a waiter at the guild.
Even when he could handle most missions on his own, he had no intention of quitting this job.
He had a plan: to become as strong as Erza, capable of taking on an entire guild single-handedly.
When the last enemy fell under his might, he would use his last bit of strength to ask, "Who are you, really?"
And Rod would simply reply, "Just a guy who serves tea and water at the guild."
He couldn't wait for that moment!
The guild was gradually becoming lively. Suddenly, Natsu ran up to the front desk with a mission request.
"Mirajane, I'll take this mission! Rod, want to team up?"
"Not today, I have something else to do," Rod thought for a moment and asked, "Why are you going out again? Didn't you and Happy just finish a mission?"
"Love! We still have plenty of the reward money left," Happy chimed in. "But this mission is about investigating a monster that suddenly appeared at the volcano."
"A monster at the volcano?"
"Exactly!" Natsu clenched his fist, his eyes filled with excitement. "Igneel likes volcanoes, so this sudden appearance might be Igneel!"
"I see." Rod remembered that Natsu was always searching for his adoptive father, the fire dragon Igneel.
No matter how far away or how long the journey, Natsu would persevere if there was even a hint of a lead.
Rod asked Mirajane, "Is this mission dangerous?"
"An unknown monster does pose some risk," Mirajane flipped through the mission details and smiled, "But this task is just an investigation, not a hunt. And since it's at a volcano, Natsu will be fine."
Natsu took the mission request from Mirajane and was about to leave, but he ran back to the door.
"Rod, you sure you're not coming?"
"No, I have to learn some magic from the guild master today," Rod glanced at Mirajane. "And I have a few other things to do."
"Aww..." Natsu left, looking dejected.
Mirajane chuckled, "No wonder you're the strongest new member. Natsu trusts you so quickly."
Rod replied, "I think he trusts my Rift Crab."
A few minutes after Natsu left, Cana approached with a mission request. "Mirajane, I'll take this mission."
"Sure." Mirajane looked it over, noting it down, and asked, "Cana, haven't you been out on a mission in a while?"
Cana's face turned a bit red. "I haven't been drinking much lately, so I don't need as much money for alcohol."
Mirajane thought for a moment and said, "Come to think of it, the guild's alcohol sales have dropped recently."
Cana feigned anger, "Are you saying I single-handedly support the entire bar's revenue?"
Mirajane laughed, "Just kidding... but you are the mainstay, Cana."
At that moment, the guild master called out, "Rod, come to the courtyard."
"Coming!" Rod waved to Mirajane, "See you at lunch, Mirajane!"
"Okay."
"Oh~ lunch? Another date with Rod?" Cana covered her mouth, exaggerating, "I'm so jealous~"
(End of Chapter)
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