Rhodes and Mira left work together.
They used to be the last ones out, cleaning up, locking the doors, and making sure everything was in order.
But now, the couple flatly refused overtime. The moment dinnertime approached, they dumped everything onto Laki and Kinana.
Their excuse was flawless: They were going for a walk.
A walk with a pregnant wife.
With reasoning that airtight, no one could object.
Today, however, Lisanna walked arm in arm with her sister, while Elfman and Rhodes took up positions at the front and rear like escorts.
The four of them strode down the street like local toughs, and wherever they went, the crowd instinctively parted.
Part of it was respect born of fame.
The other part was Elfman.
Imagine a two-meter-tall slab of muscle, veins bulging, radiating raw animal intimidation, eyes fixed on you without blinking.
Anyone who wandered within five meters felt their courage evaporate.
Only townsfolk truly familiar with Fairy Tail still dared to greet them.
Rhodes, by contrast, was far less dramatic.
He simply kept an eye out for rowdy kids, drunkards, burly passersby, unstable buildings, and any suspicious object that looked like it might fall from above.
After a while, Mira sighed.
"You two, aren't you tired?"
Elfman thumped his chest.
"Protecting Big Sis and her baby is a Manly Man's duty!"
"I'm used to it," Rhodes said with a shrug. "Call it vigilance training. Good practice for bodyguard work."
Lisanna giggled.
"Brother-in-law is fine, but Elfman scares all the customers away."
They'd originally planned to buy groceries along the way, but Elfman's thug-like aura cleared the stalls faster than a fire sale.
Naturally, he refused to tone it down.
After all, looking scary wasn't illegal, otherwise Gajeel would have been in prison long ago.
As expected, nothing happened. The family made it home safely and had dinner without incident.
After-dinner entertainment consisted of beating up Elfman, or rather, watching Rhodes beat up Elfman.
It wasn't bullying. It was training.
Specifically, helping Elfman master the power of Rock Dragon.
The defining trait? An absurdly tough hide.
Punching Elfman felt like pounding on solid stone.
Of course, Rhodes held back. Even rock would eventually crack.
When Elfman finally couldn't stand anymore, Rhodes stopped, cast a healing spell, and escorted Mira upstairs.
Mira had smiled the entire time, as if the battered lump downstairs weren't her own brother.
Fortunately, Lisanna was much kinder. She helped Elfman to his feet and teased,
"Brother-in-law said he used to lose to you."
Elfman let out a long sigh.
"Feels like a lifetime ago."
"Want some salve?" Lisanna poked his cheek, once stone-hard, now seemingly shattered by a single punch.
"No need. I'll recover quickly."
Elfman couldn't quite tell whether she was worried… or just teasing.
He only sensed that she hadn't fully grasped what was coming.
Lisanna blinked.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Elfman said quietly,
"Once the magic crystal is implanted, you'll be joining me."
The smile vanished from Lisanna's face.
Upstairs, Mira tilted her head, damp hair cascading over one shoulder. She wrapped it in a thick towel and padded into the bedroom.
Rhodes sat at the desk, absorbed in a book.
Mira hugged him from behind, peering at the open pages, dense material on magic crystal implantation surgery.
She chuckled.
"Planning to be the surgeon yourself?"
Rhodes caught the scent of her shower gel, felt a cool droplet slide from her temple onto his ear, and noticed something soft pressing against his back.
"Your little sister's about to go under the knife," he said mildly. "And you're not nervous at all?"
He closed the book and tilted his head, only to bump into the fluffy towel.
"It slipped," Mira complained, quickly rewrapping it.
"With Porlyusica handling it, what's there to worry about?"
The procedure's risk level was about the same as an appendectomy.
With healing magic and potions on hand, Lisanna would probably bounce straight into post-op training.
For a healer of Porlyusica's caliber, it was honestly overkill.
If someone hadn't shamelessly begged her, she'd have told them to hire any competent hospital surgeon.
"Still," Rhodes said thoughtfully, "I should at least know when to clamp a bleed."
"Alright, alright." Mira perched on the edge of the bed, lashes fluttering.
"Should I thank you on Lisanna's behalf for being such a considerate brother-in-law?"
Rhodes eyed his dangerously charming wife and let out a slow sigh.
"At this rate, I'll be sleeping in the guest room."
Mira instantly put on a pitiful expression.
"But without my husband holding me, I can't fall asleep."
"If I hold you," Rhodes replied flatly, "I won't sleep at all."
"Really?"
Her gaze drifted downward as she lifted one foot and gently stepped..
"Like this?"
Rhodes: "..."
Pregnancy had apparently made his wife even more enthusiastic about teasing him.
In the end, of course, they didn't sleep in separate rooms.
Early the next morning, the family of four arrived punctually at Porlyusica's cottage.
She opened the door already carrying a medical kit.
Then, blocking their entry, she shut the door again.
"Let's go."
Elfman blinked.
"Go where?"
"The hospital," Porlyusica said matter-of-factly. "I don't have an operating room here."
Flawless logic. No rebuttal possible.
Rhodes strongly suspected she'd deliberately left that detail out just to make them walk over for nothing.
So they turned around and headed back into town.
Porlyusica had already reserved an operating room. The hospital staff, grateful for the potions and miracle treatments she occasionally provided, were more than happy to accommodate her.
Implanting a magic crystal was, in principle, simple.
Three steps:
First, open an incision in Lisanna's chest. Second, implant the crystal. Third, close the wound.
Naturally, anesthesia was mandatory. The incision location and insertion angle were also critical.
Only with absolute precision could the crystal fuse with the body like a natural organ, converting ordinary magical power into Dragon Slayer mana and allowing Dragon Slayer Magic to function properly.
The surgery went flawlessly.
Between Rhodes' healing magic and Porlyusica's potions, suturing wasn't even necessary, the wound closed directly into a thin scab.
Within two days, it would fall away without leaving a scar.
Lisanna gently touched her chest, where a faint soreness lingered. Her eyes sparkled with nervous excitement.
"So… does that mean I can use Dragon Slayer Magic now?"