Unfortunately, in the end, Natsu didn't get an extended sentence. He just had to apologize and pay a small sum to settle it.
Out of goodwill, Rhode wanted to save Natsu and Lucy some transportation fare, so he grabbed them by the back of their collars and dragged them into the Hex Flying Gate.
In a matter of seconds, the three of them were on the rooftop of the guild.
Seeing their weakened legs, Rhode considerately continued dragging them downstairs: "We're back!"
Miss Mira wasn't there; it was Lisana who responded first: "Brother-in-law! And Natsu and Lucy... why are you guys like this again?"
Lisana ran over and poked Natsu's face, complaining: "Brother-in-law, dragging people around like this is too rough."
Then she helped Lucy sit down in the front for a bit.
Rhode glanced at the abandoned Natsu and thought, yep, childhood friends for sure, this has to be the real deal.
Several people greeted him, asking how things went.
Rhode responded cheerfully, indicating that it was all resolved.
Then his gaze swept around the guild, and he considerately left Natsu at Gray's table, telling him to take good care of him.
Sure enough, as soon as Rhode turned around and left, Gray immediately started mocking: "You're a loser, you fiery idiot. I heard that just a couple of people took you down?"
"What did you say? You icy jerk!" Natsu got so angry that his numbness disappeared, and he flared up, ready to fight Gray.
Gray was also pressing his forehead against Natsu's, emitting cold air.
But in the next second, Gray sat down quietly, remaining unresponsive to Natsu's provocations.
Not just Gray, everyone else who had been noisy suddenly became particularly quiet.
Natsu and Lucy were confused until Hapi pointed at the door.
The two of them saw Mira coming in with several large bags, seemingly giving off even colder vibes than Gray.
"Wha-what's going on?" Lucy rubbed her arms, "Why does Miss Mira seem so scary?"
Hapi whispered: "Because Rhode's been on a business trip for too long, Mira's been in a bad mood these days... Gray just got disciplined yesterday."
Gray widened his eyes, wanting to retort but couldn't.
Hearing this, Natsu and Lucy also sat down obediently.
The culprits for Rhode being stuck at the royal palace for a week seemed to be the two of them.
Rhode went over and hugged Mira, casually taking the bags: "Didn't I say I was coming back today? Why didn't you wait for me to go shopping together?"
"I wanted to make something delicious for you." Mira adjusted Rhode's collar, "It must have been hard out there, right?"
"It really was. Natsu's snoring sounds like thunder, and the chefs at the royal palace weren't up to par. Even if they made the same dishes, they just didn't taste right."
Rhode 'complained' as he pampered his wife.
Even though he returned briefly each day these past few days, it was still better to have him by her side.
As soon as Mira smiled, it was like the ice melted in the guild, and warmth filled the room.
The atmosphere became lively again. Reby approached Lucy to see how she'd been doing lately, throwing in a few digs at the Iron Dragon.
Natsu went from being laughed at by Gray to being laughed at by a crowd, leading to yet another ruckus.
It's just a fight, no need to mind them.
Rhode sat down with peace of mind, enjoying the special meal Mira had prepared for him.
Not even the imperial chef's cooking could compare to his wife's.
Mira rested her chin in her hands, watching him eat with a smile on her face.
When he slowed down a bit, Mira asked, "How's that thing going?"
Rhode replied: "It should be soon. Lately, keep an extra eye on Lucy. Has there been any movement from the Council?"
"I heard they've sent out an investigative team and have warned each guild." Mira said, "Our guild also received information, along with news of several star spirit mages being killed."
"Someone's been attacked again?"
"It happened to star spirit mages from other countries before the Council's warning came out."
The two of them exchanged information softly, continuing until Rhode finished his meal and took the dishes back to the kitchen.
Mira poured some tea and placed it beside her, sitting and flipping through some documents.
When Rhode came out, she patted the seat next to her, making Rhode feel a bit odd.
Still, he sat down, watching Mira as she wrote and drew: "Is the president still busy?"
Rhode emphasized the word 'busy'.
"He is." Mira laughed, "But not in the way you think. The president has been communicating with presidents from other guilds, working hard to gather information."
"Ah..." Rhode chuckled, "So, actually busy with proper work, huh?"
Mira said: "If you think like that, the president will be hurt. He's been quite worried about you guys these past few days."
Rhode looked at her, "Isn't that what you think of the president too?"
Mira couldn't help but laugh, honestly admitting: "Yes."
Inconsiderate couple, gossiping about a nonagenarian behind his back.
...
The bustling day ended, and Lucy bid farewell to her best friend Reby, heading home alone.
As usual, she spread her arms wide, walking step by step along the riverbank, listening to the concerned words of the enthusiastic people on the boats, facing the spring evening breeze, feeling extremely comfortable.
Even after just seven days away, she already felt a sense of nostalgia.
"Even being a guest at the royal palace doesn't compare to coming back to..." Lucy took out her key to open the door and finished the sentence with a shout, "...my room!"
"Hey, Lucy." Erza was sitting on Lucy's large sofa, wearing pajamas, with freshly brewed tea on the coffee table.
"Ah—this feeling is surprisingly a bit nostalgic too." Lucy patted her forehead, walked in, and casually closed the door.
She got used to it. At least this time it's Erza, a girl.
She resignedly sat down, picking up the tea Erza had poured for her, and after a sip, she oddly felt like she was the guest.
"Why is Erza here?" Lucy asked, "Did Mr. Rhode ask you for a favor this afternoon?"
She remembered Erza had rushed out back then.
Erza nodded: "Yes, he said you might not be able to use Celestial Spirit Magic in the coming days and asked me to protect you more."
"Huh?" Lucy was taken aback, then quickly understood why, "I've been in the city all this time, isn't that unnecessary?"
"Of course it's necessary. Seven years ago, you were attacked on your way home, and just seven days ago, even the princess got attacked at the royal palace." Erza said seriously, "So even in Magnolia, we can't let our guard down."
Lucy looked at Erza, feeling uneasy: "So..."
"So I decided to stay at your place." Erza said, "Please take care of me."
"...Alright."
Lucy felt like opposing wouldn't make a difference.
But thinking carefully, living with Erza didn't seem too bad. It was at least better than waking up to find Natsu and Hapi in her bed.
Erza suddenly stood up: "I've already prepared the bathwater; go ahead and take a bath!"
"You're really not shy..." Lucy didn't mind, though.