"Really, we're being looked down on huh." Mira spoke with a laugh, though her words lacked conviction now.
After all, she had indeed failed to handle it and was ultimately saved by Marco, who had secretly been watching their backs.
"Then next time, make sure not to give me the chance."
Marco winked at Mira, teasing her with a smile.
He didn't want her to lose her fighting spirit over this.
A dejected, silent Mira looked pitiful, and Marco had been wondering how to comfort her.
"I will. Next time, I definitely won't give you the opportunity."
Mirajane nodded, understanding Marco's meaning.
He was encouraging her not to give up—if she hadn't done well this time, she could strive to improve next time.
But from the sound of it, Marco still intended to secretly follow her on future missions, as if he didn't fully trust her capabilities.
"So, how many times are you planning to follow me on missions?"
Mirajane tilted her head, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
She was curious—would Marco sneak along every time she took on a quest from now on?
"Until I no longer have to worry about you."
Marco didn't deny it, answering with complete bluntness.
Given Mira's performance this time, he would definitely follow her on the next "S-Class Quest"—he couldn't rest easy at all.
Marco's straightforward words left Mirajane silent for a moment, her cheeks flushing slightly.
His phrasing carried a hint of ambiguity.
"Hmph! You make it sound like I'm weak. Don't look down on me! This was just a little mistake! It won't happen again!"
Aside from embarrassment, she felt a spark of irritation.
Mira wrinkled her nose and waved a small fist, trying to salvage her pride.
She refused to be seen as weak or incompetent in Marco's eyes.
"Then do your best."
Marco smiled and reached out, ruffling Mirajane's hair.
His stature had grown increasingly tall, and Mirajane now had to look up at him, making it easy for him to pat her head.
This time, she didn't pull away—something she would never have allowed before.
"By the way, Marco, when Erza went on her first S-Class Quest, did you secretly follow her too?"
As Marco continued to stroke her hair, Mirajane suddenly asked.
"..."
Marco's hand froze for a second before resuming its motion.
Smack!
This time, however, Mira had had enough and swatted his hand away.
"I knew it. You definitely went, didn't you?"
After pushing his hand aside, Mira couldn't help but roll her eyes.
She wasn't the least bit surprised by this outcome.
"No, no, I really didn't go."
Watching the lively expression return to Mira's face, Marco grinned and waved his hands, quickly defending himself.
"Really? I don't believe that at all." Mira looked at him skeptically.
Given Marco's personality, how could he not have secretly followed to protect Erza during her first "S-Class Quest"? Mira found it hard to believe.
"Really. Because I was sure Erza could handle it."
Marco nodded earnestly in response.
He truly hadn't gone, and wasn't lying, because he trusted Erza's combat abilities too much.
Moreover, Erza's first "S-Class Quest" wasn't particularly difficult either.
"..."
Mira bit her lip, unsure whether to feel happy about this answer.
The reason Marco didn't go to protect Erza was because he trusted her strength too much - didn't that implicitly mean she wasn't as capable as Erza?!
"But I went with her on her second S-Class Quest. The second mission was highly dangerous, and I wasn't too confident about her going alone."
Before Mira could speak, Marco continued.
"..."
Hearing this, Mira's expression shifted again.
So he ended up going after all.
And Erza's abilities weren't always trusted in Marco's eyes either.
It wasn't that their skills were lacking, but rather that Marco himself was simply too powerful.
After her expression shifted through several changes, Mira finally laughed and shook her head.
Having lived together for several years now, how could she not understand Marco's character?
This guy had been eating breakfast at her house every morning all these years, and he'd never changed.
"My skills aren't as good as Erza's, so if you're going to follow anyone, follow me more often."
Mira wrinkled her nose, speaking submissive words in a fierce tone.
She rarely admitted so directly that she wasn't as good as Erza.
"Of course, I'll definitely follow you more often. With Erza's abilities, she can handle most missions steadily on her own."
Marco answered with a laugh, making Mira grit her teeth again.
She reached out and punched Marco twice, then walked away with a "hmph," muttering "I'll catch up to Erza sooner or later."
"This girl..."
Watching the angrily departing Mirajane, Marco's face was full of smiles.
At least he'd managed to bring Mira back to normal, no longer looking as defeated and listless as before.
He preferred this energetic version of Mira.
Of course, Marco could also tell that this incident had still greatly affected Mira.
It hadn't really been completely resolved.
The fact that Mira could calmly admit she "wasn't as good as Erza" showed just how significant the impact had been.
"For now, the effects don't seem entirely bad."
Marco decided to keep observing - to watch Mira's emotional changes and character development.
The impact of this event deserved serious attention.
After all, Mira cared deeply about her younger siblings.
This time, her brother Elfman had nearly been absorbed by the "Beast King," and her sister Lisanna had almost been absorbed by "Anima," while she herself could do nothing but watch helplessly from the sidelines.
If Marco hadn't appeared to save the situation, someone would have needed to give Mirajane the line "Look at what you've failed to protect," and Mira's personality would have definitely undergone major changes because of it.
"With the current outcome, her personality probably won't change drastically, but some minor shifts are likely unavoidable."
Watching Mira laughing and joking with her younger siblings, Marco hoped she could properly process these emotions without getting trapped by them.
[Ding! Mission "Saving Private Lisanna" completed!]
[Mission Progress: Help Lisanna return safely from the "Beast King Subjugation" mission. (Completed)]
[Claim mission reward?]
After temporarily alleviating some of Mirajane's worries, Marco turned his attention to the pop-up window of the Saint System.
The task had naturally been completed successfully.
However, he felt this "Saving Private Lisanna" mission should have been followed by a sequel titled "Saving Private Mirajane."
Marco thought resolving Mirajane's psychological issues was even more challenging than saving Lisanna—no wonder missions involving personality and mental struggles offered such generous rewards, given their inherent difficulty.
'Claim mission reward.'
After mentally grumbling about it, Marco didn't hesitate and directly chose to draw the prize.
This time, it was another grand reward!
------
Almost cannon soon!