After Warm had gone and the guild quieted down again, Mira couldn't help taking out the note once more.
She unfolded it, read it with that same soft smile, and tucked it gently back into her pocket.
Then, still smiling, she turned to her sister. "Lisanna, why don't you sleep with me tonight?"
"No, please don't," Lisanna replied instantly, her face twisted in mock despair.
"Why that tone?" Mira tilted her head, her eyes glistening with exaggerated hurt. "Have you started to dislike your sister already?"
Before Lisanna could even answer, Mira launched into a full performance worthy of a play. "Of course, it's only right to dislike your sister. I must've been such a terrible one, getting married and forgetting all about my poor little sister. I'm the worst sister in the world!"
She even bowed her head dramatically, wiping away imaginary tears.
"Mira-nee…" Lisanna groaned. She had zero resistance to this act. "It's not that, I just thought you'd yell at me if my room was too messy."
"How could I?" Mira said sweetly, sweeping her into a hug. "If your room's messy, your big sister will just help you clean it up."
"Right," Lisanna sighed, accepting her fate.
It wasn't that she hated sleeping beside her sister, it was that Mira was a terrible sleeper.
Actually, that was putting it mildly. She tossed, turned, hugged, and grappled people in her sleep. And from what Lisanna could tell, it had only gotten worse after marriage.
She honestly didn't know how her brother-in-law survived each night.
If this continued, she worried Rhodes might eventually request a separate bed, or worse, divorce her sister out of self-preservation.
Lisanna sighed quietly, already strategizing for survival: maybe she could slip a giant stuffed bear into Mira's arms once she started dozing off tonight.
Meanwhile, back in the village, Rhodes had finished his letter and returned to studying. He flipped open his second-generation magic tome, searching for a spell that could counter spatial magic, the kind the Hellhound Zodiac had used to escape.
Unfortunately, the only relevant incantation he found required advanced preparation and deep runic casting knowledge. There was no way to learn it overnight.
So he set the book aside and thought through alternatives.
That left only the simplest approach: rely on reaction time, or plan a perfect ambush.
As he pondered, the door creaked open.
In stepped Carla wrapped in a small towel, Wendy holding hers neatly, and Lucy trailing behind with an oversized one that barely stayed in place, all lined up shortest to tallest like a trio of guilty bath-goers.
The sight was so absurdly neat that Rhodes couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Carla gave him an unimpressed look. "What's so funny?"
Lucy's face turned bright red. "Why is your first reaction to laugh when you see a beautiful woman wrapped in a towel?!"
Rhodes raised an eyebrow. "Would you prefer I drooled instead?"
Lucy froze, spluttering.
He chuckled. "Honestly, Lucy and Wendy look fine in towels, but… why is Carla wrapped up too?"
Lucy's eye twitched. Was he seriously implying a cat in a towel was more interesting than her?
Carla flicked her tail indignantly. "It helps me dry faster! Obviously!"
The truth was simpler, she'd gotten used to staying modest around Wendy. Ever since she'd taken the girl under her wing, she'd felt the need to set an example.
"Carla, let me help dry your fur!" Wendy said cheerfully, picking up the hairdryer.
Rhodes closed his book and stood, grabbing his toiletries. "Alright, you three take your time. I'll go wash up next."
That night, everyone settled in early. Rhodes lay closest to the door, with Carla curled up beside him, then Wendy, and finally Lucy at the far end.
Rhodes claimed this arrangement was "to prevent Lucy from trying anything suspicious," which, unsurprisingly, made her explode with indignation.
Still, despite her protests, exhaustion won out, and before long the whole room was quiet, save for the faint sound of Worm's breathing outside the window.
When dawn came, Rhodes stirred awake.
A soft weight rested on his chest.
He blinked, and found a small white cat snoozing peacefully atop the blanket.
He couldn't help but smile wryly.
For some reason, it felt… strangely empty to wake up without anyone clinging to him for once.
Rhodes discreetly lifted Carla, who had rolled onto his chest in her sleep, and placed her gently back beside Wendy.
On the other side, Lucy had somehow migrated into Wendy's blankets during the night, fast asleep and clinging to the girl like a stuffed toy.
Wendy squirmed weakly, finally managing to pull her head free and gulp down a few desperate breaths.
A few seconds later, Lucy blinked awake, rubbing her eyes. Carla yawned too, her tail twitching irritably.
"Good morning," Rhodes greeted with a laugh. "I told you that sleeping next to Lucy was dangerous, didn't I? She'll take advantage of you before dawn."
"No way!" Lucy snapped automatically, then froze as she realized her current position.
After several awkward seconds, she sat up and stammered, "I-I was just… comfortable! It's only because Wendy was next to me, that's all!"
Wendy wheezed softly, still catching her breath. "Miss Lucy… you were hugging too tightly."
"Ah! I'm sorry!" Lucy squeaked, quickly letting go.
Rhodes leaned over to Carla, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "When you all used to go on missions together, did Lucy ever wake up hugging Natsu or Gray like that?"
Carla tilted her head, thinking. "No… but Erza did, occasionally."
Rhodes raised an eyebrow. "Erza?"
"Mm-hm. Natsu used to complain that she squeezed the air out of him, while Gray would just turn red and pretend nothing happened."
Rhodes chuckled. "That sounds about right. Erza really does treat them like little brothers… though maybe she just doesn't see herself as a woman at all."
Still, Gray's reaction seemed pretty normal. Or maybe there was more to it, they were childhood friends, after all.
Rhodes smirked faintly. He'd have to gossip about that with Mira when he got home.
After tidying up their bedding and freshening up, the team left the inn under the warm, hopeful gaze of the village chief. The morning air was cool, and sunlight streamed over the green valley as they headed toward the rendezvous point.
"Alright," Carla said, glancing sideways at Rhodes, "shouldn't you tell us your grand plan now?"
Rhodes nodded sagely. "Of course. Attracting bees is simple."
He pointed directly at Lucy. "We'll have Lucy dress up as the most dazzling bee in existence."
"Me?!" Lucy yelped, pointing to herself.
Carla's eyes narrowed to slits. This was the great plan she'd been expecting?
"Brother Rhodes," Wendy said cautiously, "are you being serious right now? This doesn't sound like something you'd say, it sounds more like something Natsu would come up with."
But Rhodes only nodded, perfectly straight-faced. "Completely serious. It has to be you, Lucy. Have faith in yourself."
Lucy blinked, her face flushing.
"I'm going to be honest," Rhodes continued gravely. "Among every female within a ten-kilometer radius, you are by far the most beautiful and charming. Even those bees will fall helplessly for your allure and come buzzing out on their own."
"Ahaha… you're exaggerating!" Lucy said with an awkward laugh, though her cheeks were crimson. "It's not that bad!"
Rhodes folded his arms solemnly. "No exaggeration. Our entire mission depends on your charm today."
Lucy smiled bashfully, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Well, since you put it that way, then I..."
Carla was already staring at her like she'd lost her mind.
She swept her gaze around the empty mountain valley, the silent forests, the barren cliffs, the utter lack of anyone else nearby, and deadpanned:
"'Most charming female within ten kilometers,' huh? Aside from us… are there even any others?"