"This magic experience is a bit rough, close your eyes and it might feel better."
"Okay."
Rhode silently thanked the president for the reminder last time and, together with Mira, activated the Hex Flying Gate.
The two of them were enveloped by a blue orb of light, as if entering another space, arriving at the guild rooftop within seconds.
Once they were back on solid ground, Mira swayed a bit, raising her hand to rub her forehead.
Rhode supported her, "We're here. How do you feel? Need some mouth-to-mouth?"
"Stop messing around. Just a little dizzy," Mira said after a few seconds, then went downstairs with Rhode.
Laki was anxiously wiping glasses, her posture reminiscent of Mira from six years ago.
Upon hearing someone coming downstairs, she quickly turned around and exclaimed, "Sister Mira, Rhode, you're back!"
She had been listless all afternoon, feeling it was her failure in managing intelligence work or not explaining things clearly that had caused everyone trouble.
Rhode waved his hand, "We're back. The president's here too."
"Yeah, tough going out there," Makarov, already informed about Erza and the others, asked, "How did it go?"
Rhode replied, "The mission was perfectly resolved, but we couldn't find the people, only retrieved the luggage."
Laki was a bit flustered, "What now?"
"Don't worry, with Erza around, nothing will happen," Makarov trusted the kids' abilities and didn't want others to panic too much.
However, his reassurance was of little use. With such an incident occurring so soon after their return, it was hard for Laki not to worry.
"It's all my fault; I shouldn't have let them take that task..."
Mira wrapped an arm around Laki's shoulders and softly said, "Mages are supposed to be responsible for the tasks they choose themselves.
Moreover, neither the client nor the bandit group had seen them, so they didn't disappear because of the mission. It has nothing to do with you."
Rhode also said, "I'll go over again tomorrow. If there's still no news, I have other ways, don't worry."
"Brother Rhode, Sister Mira!" Romeo rushed in from outside, anxiously asking, "Have you found Natsu and the others?"
Rhode asked puzzled, "How did you hear about this?"
Romeo said, "My dad told me. Is Natsu in danger? Do you want me to help?"
Rhode patted Romeo's head and said, "Don't worry, I'll bring them back."
"Okay!" Romeo easily trusted Rhode's words.
The person he trusted most in the guild was Natsu, followed by Rhode; his dad, Macao, wasn't particularly authoritative.
Rhode didn't want to dwell on it, and asked Makarov, "Was everything smooth today for you, president?"
Makarov sighed, "Smooth was smooth, but I've already started to regret it."
"What happened?"
"Isn't it absurd to start the first day of being reappointed president with writing a self-examination?!" Makarov's temper flared up, stamping his feet and waving his hands on the counter, "At least let me have peace for a month… no, half a month… no, a week!"
"I miss the raging president," Mira laughed, covering her mouth.
Rhode whispered, "Who got into trouble this time?"
Romeo quietly answered, "It's Gajeel, sir. After completing the last mission, he ate half of the client's iron fence."
Here, Romeo glanced cautiously at Makarov and lowered his voice further, "Actually, the complaint came in yesterday, but my dad hid the letter and handed it to the president today after the transition was completed."
Rhode: "..."
Amazing, Macao.
The old man is in his paper-birth age of over 90, yet he's really willing to cause trouble.
Rhode pondered for a second upon his conscience, thinking that telling the president now would only make him angrier, better save it as leverage.
Romeo suddenly felt a chill down his back, like he did something to betray his dad.
He noticed Rhode seemed free and asked, "Brother Rhode, you know Flame Magic too, right?"
"A bit," Rhode, knowing where this was going, proactively asked, "Want me to practice with you?"
Romeo was thrilled, "Can you?"
"Of course." Rhode handed the delegation letter to Mira and took Romeo to the backyard for practice.
Rhode glanced at the dusty gym equipment piled in the corner, "Kind of nostalgic."
Romeo asked, puzzled, "What?"
Rhode said, "I used to train and challenge everyone here, gradually getting stronger." He also occasionally stargazed here with Mira.
"Ah..." Romeo had heard a bit about that. But when everyone disappeared back then, he got more and more wary of coming to the yard.
A few days ago, he overheard someone bragging about defeating Brother Rhode here with no chance to retaliate; his dad even claimed so when drunk.
Romeo didn't believe a word of it.
Rhode sighed briefly, then faced Romeo and opened a hand, "Come on, hit me with your best Magic attack."
"Alright, watch this, Rainbow Flames: Red!" A basketball-sized red flame appeared in Romeo's palm, which he hurled forcefully at Rhode.
Rhode gently waved his hand, extinguishing the flame before it even touched his hand.
He laughed, "Be more serious, it's okay to even consider me your enemy."
"Alright, then, Rainbow Flames: Blue!"
A larger blue flame shot towards Rhode.
Again, with a light wave of his hand, Rhode easily put out the ice-cold flame.
At that moment, he realized something might be wrong; he wondered if this was too discouraging for Romeo.
However, Romeo only had admiration in his eyes, "Amazing! As expected of Brother Rhode! Try the next move!"
Rhode also thought, no wonder he's a Fairy Tail kid, such a great attitude.
Romeo raised his hands, and three flames of different colors formed above his head, which he pushed out with force.
This looked like a special move, so Rhode decided to symbolically use a bit of Magic.
A thin golden Shield of Light blocked all the tri-colored flames.
"I was wondering why this move looks familiar. Isn't that person's Magic class even teaching signature moves?" Rhode couldn't recall the Fire Element member of Ghost's name.
Romeo seemed a bit tired after using this move, explaining, "It's Teacher Usamaru, keep it down. I secretly went to learn it without telling my dad. But… I still can't hurt you at all, Brother Rhode."
Rhode placed a Crown of Insight on Romeo, "Keep learning from him; this Magic has quite some power. Your current issue is not having enough Magic Power, but since you're only 12, just focus on training well."
After a short break, Rhode said, "Now let's see your overall combat ability. Come on, the goal is to knock me out."
He tapped the ball of his right foot on the ground, making a roughly one-centimeter high circular stone platform rise, just big enough for him to stand on.
"Okay!" Romeo charged forward, attacking Rhode with youthful punches and kicks, sometimes intermixing some Flame Magic.
Rhode remained calm, only defending with one hand, occasionally commenting on which move wasn't executed properly, which attack's timing was off, or which strike left a vulnerability...
In his office upstairs, Makarov heard the commotion and glanced out the window, showing a gratified smile.
He couldn't help but feel this scene was exactly like Kildas training young Natsu. After Rhode, the new generation was thriving once again.