"Ugh..." Makarov wanted to ask a question, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he dry-heaved.
Rhode's face changed, and he forcibly stopped himself from throwing the President out of the window.
If the person beside him were Natsu instead of the President, Rhode would definitely have done it.
"I was too hasty; the Flying Gate shouldn't be placed in the bedroom."
Rhode had long been accustomed to this feeling but forgot how it feels for someone using the Hex Flying Gate for the first time.
Besides the strange sensation of being squeezed like a noodle when sucked by Edolas' Anima, there's also the dizzying feeling of rapid scene changes and super high-speed movement.
Rhode was prepared to clean the floor, gently patting the President's back and using magic to condense a ball of fresh water for him to drink.
Fortunately, Makarov was strong enough and didn't lose his composure in the end.
After recovering, Makarov's first words were, "I will never experience this form of magic again."
Rhode quickly advised, "Oh, don't say that! It's inevitable to feel uncomfortable the first time; you'll get used to it after a few more tries."
"Really? Then how many times did you try to get used to it?"
"..." Rhode's gaze wandered as he sheepishly said, "Not many times."
So-called not many times, how many times is it?
Makarov sighed, putting aside the side effects, it really is a convenient magic. Anyway, unless absolutely necessary, he would never use it again.
"This old body of mine can't handle such torment, so if you like it, take Natsu and the others to play more."
The old man was harsh, and Rhode reluctantly nodded, "Okay."
There are actually ways to reduce the discomfort, like closing your eyes in advance and opening them once you arrive.
But I just forgot, hmm, I'll have to remember when taking Mira to play, thanks for the reminder, President.
After this little incident, Makarov suddenly forgot what he wanted to ask. He looked around the room arrangement curiously and asked, "Is this your home?"
What's with these heart patterns and a LOVE-printed bedspread? Why are there dresses hanging on the balcony?
... It seems like the red dress that Mira often wears.
Makarov belatedly realized something, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
Rhode laughed awkwardly, "It's just that the place where I used to rent couldn't be lived in anymore, and it's hard to find a place now, so out of necessity, I moved here."
Makarov looked at Rhode without speaking, the meaning in his gaze was evident.
Like heck! Even Gajeel could find a place to stay on the same day, and you can't?
Rhode shrugged indifferently, whether you believe it or not, even if Acronologia flew over today to ask, it would also be hard to find a house in Magnolia.
Makarov chuckled, "Let's go to the Guild, so Mira doesn't worry about you."
…
The two arrived at the Guild, and Rhode immediately saw Mira playing drawing games with Asuka.
"We're back!" he shouted.
Mira looked up and smiled, "Welcome back."
Asuka repeated in her little voice, "Welcome back~"
She seemed to realize what she had said only after she said it, blinking her big eyes at the two at the door.
Upon recognizing familiar faces, Asuka cheered, "It's Grandpa Moustache and Big Brother Long Hair!"
After exclaiming, Asuka looked up proudly at Mira, as if proud of correctly identifying the people.
Mira gently patted her head, "Asuka is so smart, you recognized them right away."
Makarov seemed pleased too, and he quickly walked over, laughing as he picked Asuka up and showered her with praises.
The similarly-sized elder and little one played joyously for a while. Makarov stretched his hand toward Rhode but spoke to Asuka, "Grandpa brought you a gift; close your eyes and it will magically appear!"
Darn, I bought that... Rhode was tempted to take out something strange to prank the President.
But alas, Asuka was innocent.
"Wow! Thank you, Grandpa Moustache!" Asuka opened her eyes to see a toy gun and a target, joyfully asking the President to take her to play.
As expected of Alzack and Bisca's daughter, she loved playing with guns since childhood, and she was remarkably precise.
Mira approached to smooth out the wrinkles on Rhode's clothes and asked, "So, how did the gathering go? Are the other Ten Wizard Saints easy to get along with?"
"It was okay, though there were some odd folks, but half of them were acquaintances. Oh, something small happened midway; I'll tell you, today I..."
Rhode sat down recounting his experiences, and Mira smiled as she poured water and rested her chin in her palm, listening to him.
"Why does the Guild seem so quiet today?" Rhode took a sip of water after telling his story, "Where did everyone go?"
"They went out to work," Mira replied, "Recent newspapers and yesterday's interview seemed to have an effect; commissions sent today have slightly increased, and Laki even urged me to resume work soon."
Rhode glanced at Laki at the reception desk, and with no sense of concern said, "Ignore her, let's consider it a wedding leave."
Mira laughed along, "Okay."
"Oh, look at this!" Mira proudly showed Rhode her masterpiece.
"Ah... it's not bad at all," Rhode thought about Asuka drawing beside Mira earlier and said,
"By the standards of a four-year-old, it's quite impressive; you can see it's a humanoid figure, uh... with horns and feathers on the body? Is this drawing Elfman's and Lisana's take-over forms?"
As he spoke, Rhode felt the air around him turn chilly; the drawing paper in his hand was snatched away and crumpled into a ball.
"Eh?" Rhode noticed Mira's smile seemed frozen on her face or she was struggling to maintain a smile.
He suddenly thought of a possibility, that his wife's drawing skills might not be much different from Erza's...
He was silent for several seconds, then awkwardly asked, "Was that your drawing?"
Mira covered her face, "Boo hoo hoo..."
"..." Rhode hugged her, at a loss for words.
Why are you even comparing drawing skills with a four-year-old?
He glanced at the surviving piece of paper on the table, which was indeed Asuka's genuine artwork.
Frankly, his previous comments, made unbeknownst, were actually kind to Mira.
Dear, how do you manage to be more abstract than a four-year-old?
Rhode kept a flood of sarcastic comments to himself, doing his best to comfort Mira, who was particularly vulnerable to criticism in certain areas.
After a while, Mira, while wiping her tears, sniffled and said, "...I was designing our outfits."
"Ah... I'm sorry," Rhode felt a pang of guilt and remorse, "Let me help you with the design later."
"Okay," Mira agreed with a feigned pitiful expression, looking Rhode in the eye, "How about punishing you to sleep on the floor tonight?"
Rhode: "..."
No way!