Roland hadn't hidden the kiss-like mark on his neck, so Mirajane noticed it at a glance.
No—rather than hidden, it was more likely he simply hadn't realized it was there.
She withdrew her gaze without a trace, her smile unchanged, showing not the slightest shift.
She tilted her head toward Levy beside him. Not just her hair, even her clothes were different from her usual style.
Her blue short hair was tied back into a ponytail, with soft waves framing her forehead on both sides. She wasn't in her familiar dress either, but in an oversized black T-shirt.
It looked like a men's shirt. And there was no similar mark on her neck.
That discovery tamped down Mirajane's suspicions. She tilted her head and smiled. "Levy-chan looks cute today."
"You're exaggerating. I only changed my hairstyle."
Flustered by the praise, Levy scratched her cheek. She had no idea where her headband had gone last night.
And she'd been too sleepy after waking to look for it, so she'd had Roland tie her hair into a ponytail instead.
"Let's get today's work started, then."
On the other side, Roland called out six shadow ninjas and issued orders.
At his voice, they scattered through the hall. One of them naturally took the tray from Mirajane's hands.
"Nice! Another day I can nap on the tables!"
Laki, who'd been hustling nonstop around the hall, let out a long breath and whooped.
After getting used to the newcomer's magic, going back to the old way of working really was exhausting.
If you can lie down and collect pay, who wants to stand and run around?
Declining Macao's invite to join a card game, Roland slid onto a high stool at the bar and ordered a malt juice.
On the small stage, Marcus—with his blond center part—was doing standup. Some listened intently; others clustered up drinking and playing cards.
The lively din inside the guild and the lonely sound of rain outside felt like two opposite worlds.
System, show me today's refreshed quests.
Taking a sip of frothy beer, Roland murmured inwardly.
A light screen swirled into view; azure letters flickered in midair—
[Quest One: All right, I'm playing cards today!]
[Description: Win three times in any card game. Cheating, bribery, and other means are not restricted.]
[Reward: Honesty Pills — from Doraemon]
An unexpectedly easy quest.
And the reward was solid.
Propping his chin with one hand, Roland eagerly read on.
[Quest Two: A nemesis? Hardly!]
[Description: Phantom Lord was founded to oppose Fairy Tail. Crush those weak yet arrogantly noisy ants with absolute power.]
[Reward: Executioner's Blade, Kubikiribōchō — from Naruto]
...Yeah, that reward didn't match the cost at all.
His fingertips tapped the bar as he pondered.
Leaving aside that it was already afternoon, an Executioner's Blade alone wasn't worth moving to wipe out a large, proper guild.
Aside from its broken edge regenerating after tasting blood, did it have any other special features?
He shook his head and looked to the third quest.
[Quest Three: Do you enjoy a love triangle?]
[Description: Welcome back to the romance board. Have Mirajane state her feelings to you out loud.]
[Reward: Two tickets to the world of Edolas — note: tickets are valid for three days only.]
Two tickets to Edolas?
Roland had been ready to pass based on the description—until he saw the reward, and his eyes widened.
Calming down, he glanced at Mirajane, who was chatting and laughing with Levy beside him.
Like Juvia's teru teru bōzu, these two tickets were unmistakably tailored for Mira.
After all, her sister Lisanna was in Fairy Tail over in that world.
"Now that's a lucky pull."
A warm smile touched Roland's lips, and the drumming of his fingers on the counter stilled.
The quest was a bit tough... but paired with the first reward, it should be doable.
Looking at the first quest's reward—Honesty Pills—Roland had an idea.
"Mira, want to play cards?"
A shadow ninja appeared at his side, respectfully offering a deck. Roland riffled it smoothly and asked in a gentle tone.
No need to cheat or bribe—play enough rounds, and even with bad luck he'd win three.
"Eh? Cards?" Mirajane blinked, then nodded. "Sure. I'm not too busy anyway."
With the Shadow Battalion so industrious, Miss Mirajane was mostly stuck at the counter doing the books.
"I'm in too!"
Levy let the straw slip from her lips and raised a hand energetically.
"Just three of us... Is Cana not at the guild?"
Roland glanced around but didn't see the woman usually hugging a beer barrel, and asked in mild puzzlement.
"She headed out on a job this morning. If she keeps skipping work, she won't have money for drinks tomorrow," Mirajane said after thinking. "Her words."
"In that case, how about Dou Dizhu or Daifugō?"
Roland nodded in understanding, then explained the two different rule sets.
After a few trial rounds, Levy opted for the one she knew better—Daifugō.
"Well then... let the game begin."
Roland looked at Mirajane across from him, anticipation in his voice.
Those two tickets to a trip through a parallel world were as good as his.
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