"W-What?! Mira is pregnant?!"
Team A had learned the news late, only hearing about it during the post-match celebration.
Erza froze mid-drink, eyes wide, completely stunned.
"Oh my, oh my~" Mira said with a bright, glowing smile. "Honestly, I shouldn't have rushed to use a substitute today. If I'd faced Erza directly, I think I could have defeated her with just one sentence."
Rhodes nodded solemnly.
"Yes. My decision was indeed too hasty."
Elfman, nervous and pale, whispered,
"Just… let her off the hook."
"Master Gray~ Juvia, Juvia also wants to..."
"Hm? You want some too?" Gray asked, halfway through a hot dog. He pointed at the food table. "There's more over there. Just grab it yourself."
"Yes." Juvia's soul visibly left her body.
Natsu circled around Mira several times before stopping.
"Pregnant means, Mira's gonna lay an egg, right?"
Lucy stared at him.
"Mira isn't a Dragon."
"But Elfman and Lisanna hatch eggs," Natsu said confidently.
"Aye!" Happy chimed in. He had, in fact, once been "hatched" by Natsu, Lisanna, and Elfman taking turns to keep his egg warm.
Later, he learned that among the three, Natsu had been the worst caretaker, mostly because he just slept on top of the egg.
Lisanna sighed,
"You guys, please don't make it sound like we literally came out of eggs."
Despite a few mess-ups here and there, both Team A and Team B had placed first and second for the day, so naturally, the guild threw a massive celebration.
Rhodes and Mira's good news added even more reason to celebrate.
Of course, Mira couldn't drink, and Rhodes refused to drink if she couldn't. Their younger siblings followed suit, switching to juice and quietly relocating to the children's table on their own.
Then Rhodes raised his voice in the middle of the tavern:
"I don't care if any of you fight each other, but if Mira gets dragged into it again, ka!"
He made a very obvious throat-slitting gesture.
The threat landed. For a moment, the entire tavern fell silent.
For a moment.
After a few rounds of alcohol, everyone conveniently forgot.
Rhodes? Who's that? Drink first!
Rhodes sighed deeply.
"These people…"
Mira laughed softly. "Isn't it nice?"
She wasn't particularly fragile.
Anyone foolish enough to drag her into a mess would suffer more than she ever would.
A Devil didn't need extra protection.
Still, Elfman pounded his chest, loudly declaring that he would absolutely protect his sister.
Even the Thunder God Tribe was paying more attention than usual to the pair.
Eventually, the lively banquet wrapped up, and everyone returned home happily.
Carla helped Wendy pack her belongings so she could move into the contestants' hotel.
Rhodes helped Mira pack as well and walked her to Wendy's old room.
Seeing Carla shift from cat form to a cat-eared girl, Rhodes asked,
"So, what are your plans, Carla?"
"Of course I'll keep living here," Carla replied matter-of-factly.
Then she suddenly narrowed her eyes mischievously.
"Do you have any objections to your wife and me sharing a room?"
Rhodes snorted.
"A six-year-old shouldn't say things like that."
"I am seven! And besides, our Exceed age scales are different from humans!"
Mira let out a dramatic sigh.
"My wife just became pregnant, and my husband is already flirting with other girls."
Rhodes said helplessly,
"She's a cat. And if you're going to act jealous, at least hide the smile tugging at your lips."
"I'm practicing," Mira whispered teasingly. Then she leaned close to his ear.
"Besides… aren't you especially fond of cats?"
Rhodes straightened.
"Don't slander me. I like more than just cats."
Wendy and Carla, innocent as ever, didn't understand a single word of the couple's coded flirting and simply continued packing Wendy's belongings neatly into a small suitcase.
Carla checked everything twice.
"I think that's everything. Right?"
Rhodes waved it off.
"Even if something's missing, it's close. We can always come back."
Just then, Lisanna popped into the room.
"Brother-in-law, don't worry! Elfman and I switched to the room next door. We'll take good care of Big Sister!"
"I told you it's not that serious…" Mira sighed.
Then she pulled Lisanna close, hugging her neck and touching their cheeks together.
"But instead of staying next door, why not sleep with Big Sister?"
Lisanna stiffened.
"I'd rather not."
After some more joking around, Rhodes finally left with Wendy.
Before leaving, Rhodes handed Mira a golden Celestial Spirit Key, along with his personal notes on Star Spirit Magic and the Price Summoning Technique.
He told her firmly, "Learn these. And if anything serious happens, call the Celestial Spirit King. Don't fight by yourself. Let him handle it."
Mira felt it was unnecessary, she wasn't that fragile. But to ease her overprotective husband's worries, she accepted both the key and the notes with a gentle smile.
"This bed is Mira's, and now it's yours," Rhodes said, crouching down slightly as he explained everything to Wendy. "The washroom is over there. Put your towel and toothbrush inside. And the closet, use that side. Oh, and don't forget to..."
He kept explaining detail after detail, clearly terrified of forgetting something important.
Gajeel eventually couldn't take it anymore.
"You're acting like her dad today," he grumbled. "Long-winded and annoying."
Rhodes shot him a sideways glance and, without missing a beat, slandered him calmly:
"Oh, right, Gajeel snores. And grinds his teeth. The sound is like cutting iron plates, so loud it's lethal. Wendy, do you need earplugs?"
Wendy stiffened in horror.
"I-It's that scary?"
Gajeel exploded.
"Oi! Don't spread nonsense! And you, don't believe everything you hear!"
Wendy looked even more terrified.
Gajeel inhaled deeply, visibly trying to control himself.
"Isn't it about time we got to the main business?"
Rhodes blinked innocently.
"What business?"
"The Dragon graveyard." Gajeel stared at him in disbelief. "You said you'd take us today."
"Oh, right." Rhodes had genuinely almost forgotten. "Then get ready. We'll pick up Natsu and head out. Laxus, you joining us?"
Laxus shook his head.
"No. I'll stay. Someone needs to watch the hotel."
He wasn't like Natsu or the others, he didn't have a Dragon he needed answers from.
Wendy tilted her head.
"What is the Dragon's graveyard? What does it mean?"
"I'll explain on the way."
The three of them left the hotel, crossed over to Team A's lodging, and picked up Natsu, leaving behind everyone else with far too much curiosity.
Lucy and Gray were burning to know what was going on, but Rhodes had already instructed Erza to keep them under control. Even the cats hadn't been informed.
This place was not a sightseeing spot, after all. Rhodes didn't want unnecessary complications.
With the three Dragon Slayers gathered, the group quietly slipped out of the city and into the outskirts.
As they walked, Rhodes carefully recounted what he'd seen in the underground ruins the previous day.
Natsu bounced impatiently.
"Where is it?!"
Rhodes flicked him on the forehead.
"That's the first thing you need to understand: no shouting, no rushing ahead. Otherwise you'll stay here and wait for our report."
Natsu's cheeks puffed up angrily, but Dragons were involved, this was no time to get thrown aside.
"Fine. I get it."
"Second," Rhodes continued. "There's something down there that can make my monsters vanish without a trace. Don't wander off. Don't touch anything. And when I say we're leaving, you come over immediately."
Wendy nodded obediently.
The other two, annoyed and itching to charge ahead, still understood the gravity in Rhodes's tone and nodded reluctantly.