https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-100-The-Gentle-Neighbor-Lady-Used-to-Be-a-Delinquent-/12810327/
Chapter 99: How About I Walk You Home?
Chapter 99: How About I Walk You Home?
“What reason could I possibly give to stop you from moving forward?”
Mira put down the towel, helped Rod sit up, and then dabbed the prepared potion on his skin.
Rod chuckled, “This feels familiar.”
“Indeed. Last time, someone was covered in injuries and couldn’t communicate, so they needed help changing bandages. Now, there are no injuries, but we’re still communicating, and you still need help with the potion.”
Rod teased, “...Who is this person, only causing trouble, really annoying.”
Smack! A hand landed on his back.
“Ow~~” Rod sucked in a breath, pretending it hurt more than it did.
Mira suddenly said, “I’ll come with you for practice tomorrow.”
“Huh?” Having someone accompany him was a good thing, “Why suddenly...”
“I’ll help you find the best solution quickly, so you don’t have to keep doing this. And...”
Mira’s eyes lowered, and she didn’t want to continue being depressed.
Mira wasn’t sure if simple training would help. Recovering her magic and using received magic wasn’t an easy task.
But if she could be as persistent as Rod and as positive as Natsu, it might at least make Elfman feel better.
If this could help Elfman overcome the shadow of that incident, it would be her duty as a sister, wouldn’t it?
This was all she could do right now.
...
“It’s so late, didn’t Elfman wait for you?”
“Yeah, I told him to go back early.”
“Then... how about I walk you home?” Rod suggested, “There are a lot of tourists in the city lately, and it doesn’t feel safe for a girl to walk alone at night.”
“Sure.” Mira smiled, “But we’re going in different directions, you’ll have to take a long detour to get home.”
“No problem, by the time I drop you off, I’ll have enough magic to summon a Swift Crab.”
Actually, his magic wasn’t quite there yet... but he couldn’t let her know that.
“Thank you.” Mira held her small bag in front of her, her smile adding a touch of beauty to the night.
By the time they left the guild, it was already past nine in the evening.
The streets were dark, with only the faint light from windows providing some illumination.
There were also small, twinkling lights set up for the festival, which could be a bit distracting if you stared at them for too long.
The night sky was clear, with a crescent moon and a sea of stars.
Unlike the big cities of the modern world, here, the stars were visible without the interference of city lights.
The two walked slowly, the street quiet and empty, with only the occasional chirp of a cricket breaking the silence.
Rod asked, “Do you rent a place here?”
Mira replied, “No, we bought it a few years ago.”
“Bought it?” Rod almost forgot that the woman beside him might be quite wealthy.
“Yeah, about three years ago, we decided to settle down here. I thought that if we had a place of our own, Elfman and Lisanna would feel more secure.”
She could now talk about Lisanna with Rod quite naturally.
Three years ago, she was only 15, the legal drinking age in this country.
Rod thought about his own 15th year... he couldn’t compare.
It wasn’t just him. Many of the girls in the guild chose to live in the dorms, partly for convenience and partly because they couldn’t save enough money.
Like Erza, if she wanted to, she could definitely afford to buy a house in a short time.
But she preferred to spend 500,000 J a month to rent five dorm rooms to store her armor and various clothes.
Then she would spend the rest of her money on new armor, new clothes, and all sorts of sweets.
Kana had the same capability, but she already had a house left to her by her deceased mother and unknown father, so she didn’t need to work too hard.
A girl like Mira, who saved money with her siblings to settle down here, must not only be good at earning money but also at managing a household.
Rod asked, "It wasn't easy, was it?"
"Yes, back then, we all worked our butts off to earn the money as quickly as possible."
When someone can laugh about their past struggles and still find them worthwhile, doesn't it mean they're relatively happy now? Mira was telling her story with a smile:
"That time, we worked tirelessly, and before we knew it, I was chosen as an S-Class candidate."
"... Seriously, can you really become S-Class just by working hard?"
"I thought you were competing with Erza, fighting every day, from the guild to the exam grounds. After knocking out a helpless Cana, you continued to fight Erza and then passed the exam."
"Ha! Not that extreme," Mira laughed, "But it was close. When I heard Erza was going to be an examiner, I got really fired up. Looking back, I feel bad for how I treated Cana during the exam."
"Poor Cana."
"Speaking of which, young Cana and Erza were both so cute. Have you seen their childhood photos?"
"Never!" Rod was genuinely curious, "Is there a photo album in the guild?"
"Of course, and there's even a collection of Laxus's drawings. Let me think... it should be somewhere in the library."
"I'll look for it tomorrow!"
"You're that interested?"
"Definitely. I'm not just curious about them; I'm also curious about what the 'Demon' was like."
"Ara," Mira placed a hand on her cheek, "I feel a bit shy. I was a bit different back then."
"That just makes me even more excited," Rod said, "I bet you were dark, chubby, and covered in freckles as a kid, and then you grew up to be this beautiful."
"... " Mira raised her hand as if to strike him. Was that a compliment or an insult? Mira's house was a simple two-story cottage, not much different from the other houses near the guild.
When Rod dropped her off, the lights were still on inside. Elfman was waiting for her to return.
The lit window gave off a warm, inviting glow, unlike the dark and empty house he returned to.
"Want to come in for a bit?"
"It's late, maybe next time."
Rod didn't want to risk a fight with Elfman. He summoned a river crab and climbed on, waving to Mira, "See you tomorrow."
Mira stood at the door, responding, "See you tomorrow."
...
"Home."
Rod felt a bit envious. The guild was a big, happy family, but a small, warm family was another kind of comfort.
Riding the river crab and enjoying the cool night breeze, Rod summoned Worm. The now basketball-sized Worm had become a perfect pillow. Rod held it, feeling its warm, soft body.
"Ah!" Worm struggled to escape, still upset about being sent back suddenly and then summoned again.
"It was to help you recover your magic faster," Rod explained.
It definitely wasn't because he found Worm a third wheel.
Worm's little horns drooped, not believing him and still unhappy.
Rod whispered menacingly, "Scrambled eggs, fried eggs, sunny-side up, egg drop soup, egg flower soup..."
Worm's horns perked up, trying to suppress the urge to enjoy the thought.
Rod thought for a moment, "How about I give you a good bath, a back massage, and a tummy rub?"
"Rrrrr!" Worm perked up, nuzzling into Rod's chest, happy again.
(End of Chapter)
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