"We're back!"
Lucy pushed open the guild doors, clearly in high spirits.
However, the phrase "pride comes before a fall" tends to be true at times like these.
—Lucy's bright smile directly met the back of Natsu's head.
Rhode heard the impact clearly, and while carrying Wendy away, the two of them rolled away.
"Sister Lucy..."
Wendy's worried expression, despite hanging in the air, was quite amusing.
Rhode was used to this: "Don't mind them."
But just as he stepped inside, another figure flew out.
Originally intending to kick it away, he paused, noticing the size, and instead held the person's back.
"Romeo?" Rhode put him down, surprised, "Why are you involved too?"
"Brother Rhode, you're back!" Romeo greeted warmly, then felt a bit embarrassed, "Because I'm a mage of Fairy Tail too."
"That's not the time to say that." Rhode jokingly complained on Lucy's behalf.
Wendy asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"
Romeo replied, "It's okay, Sister Wendy."
Rhode hadn't noticed before that Romeo actually called Wendy "sister": "By the way, which one of you is older now?"
As far as he remembered, Romeo should be 13 this year, while Wendy, not counting the time seal, seemed to be 13 as well...
"How mean, of course, I'm older!" Wendy's tone unusually intense.
Now, in the guild, the only ones who could call her sister were Romeo and Asuka, and Brother Rhode was cruelly taking away half!
Too much!
Romeo, sensing the atmosphere, quickly said, "Age can't be measured like that, of course, Sister Wendy is older, she's already 19."
"..." Although acknowledged, Wendy somehow didn't feel happy.
Natsu energetically charged over: "You were too careless, Romeo, the battle's not over yet!"
Romeo immediately responded, "Yes, Brother Natsu!"
Rhode glanced at him, realizing this kid was indeed corrupted by Natsu.
Natsu also noticed Rhode: "Isn't this Rhode? Just in time!"
Rhode felt this scene was familiar but didn't think much, kicking the charging Natsu away: "Bring Lucy inside for me!"
"Waa!"
"Yikes!!!"
Lucy had just groggily stood up and suffered another heavy blow, leaving her dazed again.
Carla looked at Rhode: "That seemed heavier."
"...It really wasn't intentional."
The guild was still bustling with noise, but amidst the clamor came a gentle yet clear voice: "Could you please make way?"
No one responded to her.
So Rhode soon heard a heavy thud, and a path quickly cleared through the chaotic guild.
Mira effortlessly stepped over the 'mountain of bodies', standing with her hands behind her back before Rhode, smiling gently: "Welcome back, hubby."
Rhode hugged her tightly, and the two of them walked back to the bar, unimpeded.
"These people are so careless, suddenly falling all over the place."
"Indeed," Mira chuckled, stepping over her own younger brother.
Wendy and Carla followed with helpless expressions.
Romeo stood at attention, hesitating whether to join the fray again.
Laxus, hearing the commotion subside, thought something had happened, peering down from upstairs.
Turned out it was just the demon causing trouble, nothing to worry about.
But could it be that Rhode had gotten stronger again?
Sensing the gaze from upstairs, Rhode waved at him.
Laxus nodded and sat back down, drinking his beer.
Makarov passed by his grandson, smiling: "I thought you'd go down and challenge him."
"Why do something so boring?" Laxus said, "I'm not Natsu."
As Makarov headed downstairs, Rhode was discussing tasks with Mira, while Wendy was sipping fruit juice, and Carla was practically hugging her cup.
Lucy had a band-aid on her forehead, still a bit dazed, so she just listened without speaking.
Rhode spoke to Makarov: "President, I have something to discuss with you."
Makarov's face lit up: "What? You finally decided to..."
"Stop, stop, didn't we already settle that matter?" Rhode felt a headache coming on and quickly got to the point,
"There are tasks from other guilds, and I need detailed information. It's troublesome and requires the guild's name to request their help."
"Hmm..." Makarov pondered for a while, knowing such task-related information was sensitive, he asked, "Is it particularly important?"
Rhode said, "Recently, something happened in the Star Spirit Realm that might concern the safety of Lucy and other Star Spirit Mages, so we must confirm."
Since it concerned the safety of his own kids, there was no hesitation. No matter how troublesome, it had to be done.
Makarov immediately agreed and then asked for more details.
Rhode explained what had happened over the past two days and some of their speculations.
Makarov laughed heartily three times; he didn't catch much after, but once again Fairy Tail had won.
Haha, silly Goldman!
"President, president... president?"
Makarov snapped back to reality: "Hmm? Ah, you're right, let's do as you said."
"..." Rhode looked at him, casually adding, "I just mentioned Mira had been working too hard lately and needed a week off, so you'll handle everything from now on."
Makarov immediately objected fiercely: "No way!"
Mira and Wendy laughed, knowing their president hadn't been listening at all.
Rhode knew all too well their president's nature and didn't bother to get mad, knowing that communicating with other guild presidents should be left to the old man.
For now... Rhode took out the task record and found a task Gray had completed before—hmm, if I recall correctly, it was to hunt the 'Ghost Reindeer'.
That day at the Council, the chairman especially mentioned Gray's good deed, so Rhode remembered it vividly.
He asked, "Lucy, isn't there a constellation related to reindeer?"
"Huh? Hmm..." Lucy tried to get her brain working again, responding, "Yes, it was incorporated into Lupus about 300 years ago."
"Gray, come over here!" Rhode called out, but there was no response.
Since the recent battle in the guild had just ended, the scene was quite a mess with no apparent winners.
Gray was now stark naked, thrust upside down on a table, coccyx facing the bar, legs drooping off the side, unsure if he was unconscious or asleep.
"Honestly..." Makarov patted his forehead, one after another always like this.