"First, the initial attitude was too stiff. It can leave a bad impression on the client, even scare them, affecting the Guild's reputation."
"Um... sorry?" Rhode admitted he was a bit stiff at first, that's for sure.
"Second, you showed the assignment to the client without confirming their identity first. At the very least, you should ask for their name."
True, Rhode hadn't thought of that. He just assumed she was the client... Well, she was the client!
First, criticize, then reflect.
Rhode realized Mira was telling him the proper procedure for dealing with clients, not just for fun (?).
"And third, there's a possibility of a mistake in writing or last-minute changes in the payment, which can cause disputes, so you must confirm it in person."
"Okay, I've got it." Rhode nodded, then added, "Thank you for your guidance, Miss Mirajane! (said flatly)"
Mira pretended to put on airs: "Hmm, not bad attitude, plus ten points, barely passable!"
Rhode was about to say something when Laki's voice suddenly came from beside, deliberately mimicking Rhode's tone: "Thank you for your guidance, Miss Mirajane~~~~"
"Hahaha..." Laki and Sally, the part-time waitress, laughed together.
"Hey..." Rhode felt his ears turning red, feeling very embarrassed being imitated like that.
Mira remained unfazed: "Laki, Sally, I'll trouble you with the tavern tomorrow and the day after."
Sally said, "Don't worry, I'll drag Iz here tomorrow!"
Laki said, "Yeah, Sister Mira can go on a date without worries!"
Mira corrected: "It's work."
"Yes, yes~" Laki and Sally snickered as they carried the drinks ordered by the guests away.
This kind of teasing was harmless, and Rhode didn't even blush: "By the way, I haven't asked what you're going to Flora City for?"
"It's the Weekly Sorashara's 15th-anniversary celebration being held in Flora City." Mira said,
"I've been invited to attend the party tomorrow and might have to perform, maybe sing a song or something."
Oh~ got it, a big company annual meeting or anniversary, getting a celebrity over to perform and liven things up, boost morale and influence.
"Then I'll make a bit of preparation." Rhode said, "The ferry..."
"I've already booked the boat, and we can rent a carriage in Flora City." Mira said, "Rhode, just focus on preparing for the trip."
It really was a trip disguised as a mission, or perhaps a newbie tutorial.
"You're making me, as the escort, seem a bit silly."
Mira said, "Escort missions are like that. As long as there's nothing happening, then nothing's happening, just relax."
"...Good thing my common language has improved, or I'd have no idea what you're saying."
But still, you can't rule out unexpected incidents.
Rhode decided he needs to stay vigilant tomorrow.
And he still has some things to prepare.
The next day, Rhode met Mira at the Guild, and they set off on time.
Today, Mira wore a women's white long-sleeve shirt, adorned with a narrow tie of the same color, simple yet elegant, and sun-proof.
Her lower half was clad in a yellow A-line skirt, hiding the shirt's hem, while perfectly accentuating her slender waist. A small crossbody bag of a similar color to the skirt hung at her waist.
Light pink heeled sandals complemented her small feet and revealed ankles, making them look even fairer.
Exiting the Guild's door, Rhode naturally took Mira's suitcase, freeing her hands to put on the beige sun hat she was holding.
Mira adjusted the hair under her hat and casually asked, "So, are you nervous about going on a long trip for the first time?"
Rhode replied, "With the experienced mage Miss Mirajane Strauss accompanying me, I'm not nervous at all."
Mira laughed, "Then the client, Miss Mirajane Strauss, is relieved."
The two played with their 'inside joke' from yesterday, talking and laughing.
Mira noticed Rhode had to adjust his backpack every now and then, and asked:
"Speaking of which, what's in that big backpack of yours? It feels heavier than my suitcase."
Rhode said, "Some essentials for a long trip, I'll show you once we're on the boat, and there's something prepared for you too."
"Really? I should look forward to it then."
...
In Magnolia, there's no need to specially find a ferry dock, as the ferry Mira booked was waiting beside a small bridge on the canal.
It was a small, covered boat, capable of seating about four to five people inside the canopy.
The ferryman was a middle-aged man who seemed amiable, wearing a straw hat, with sun and wind worn marks all over his face.
Rhode first handed over Mira's suitcase, jumped on board with his large bag, then turned to support Mira's arm.
Mira grasped Rhode's forearm and steadied herself as she stepped onto the boat.
"I'll leave it to you then," Mira said to the ferryman, as she and Rhode ducked into the cabin, sitting opposite each other.
"Please sit tight, here we go!"
The ferryman shouted, untied the rope, levered the oar against the shore, and the little boat set off, flowing along the current.
In the riverbed, unseen by the boatman, a river crab swam quickly ahead, going five or six hundred meters beyond the boat.
This was sent out by Rhode to scout. Before meeting up with Mira at the Guild, he'd already released the river crab into the canal.
Before leaving, Rhode observed the ferryman for a while through the river crab's perspective and found nothing suspicious.
Now he planned to have the river crab continue exploring ahead for any lurking river pirates or water monsters.
When traveling, it's best to be a bit cautious.
Having observed the water's surface and the underwater thoroughly through the river crab's view, Rhode shifted his attention back.
Mira sat with her legs together, in a ladylike posture, her sun hat had been taken off and placed aside.
She was now curiously eyeing the large backpack Rhode had placed down, wondering if he'd been influenced by Erza's habit of carrying a lot of luggage.
"Here, take a look at what I've prepared." Rhode opened the backpack, revealing a series of crystal balls.
Mira's curiosity immediately turned to shock: "Th-these are... Bursting Magic Crystals?"
Bursting Magic Crystals, single-use magic tools.
As the name suggests, they explode, comparable to grenades in function, but far more powerful than ordinary grenades.
"That's right, I especially borrowed them from the Guild's warehouse."
"Why would you borrow such things?"
"Because I don't really know offensive magic, and summoning wild creatures might not be fast enough, so I brought these just in case."
Rhode took out two magic crystals and shoved them into Mira's arms, "You should take two for self-defense as well, in case anything happens, just throw it hard."
"We probably won't even need these..." Mira tried to maintain her smile, realizing that this was what he meant by preparations.
However, Rhode hadn't finished. He moved aside a few crystal balls and took out a book:
"And a magic book, just open it and inject a bit of magic power, and the spells within the pages will activate. We each carry one with us."
"Even magic books..."
Rhode continued rummaging through the bag: "And also..."
The ferryman at the back of the boat, who was steering, was trembling with fear.