"What excuse should I use to stop you from moving forward?"
Mira put down the towel, gently tugged Rhode up, and began applying the prepared potion on him.
Rhode chuckled, "This scene feels so familiar."
"Yes, there was someone completely bruised, unable to communicate, and needed help with changing the medicine. Now they're not injured, can communicate, yet still need help applying medicine."
Rhode quipped, "… Who is this person, always causing trouble for others, really annoying."
Smack! A palm landed on his back.
"Hiss~~" Rhode sharply inhaled, whether it hurt or not, he decided it hurt a lot.
Mira suddenly said, "Starting tomorrow, I'll join you in practice."
"Huh?" Of course, having company is great, "Why all of a sudden..."
"I'm here to help you find the most suitable method as quickly as possible, so it doesn't have to be like this anymore. And also..."
Mira's eyes drooped, and she didn't want to remain dejected any longer.
Mira was unsure if doing some simple training would help; restoring her Magic Power and using Receiving Magic wasn't easy.
But if she could persist like Rhode, and be as optimistic as Natsu, at least Elfman could feel a bit more at ease.
If this could motivate Elfman to step out from the shadows of that incident, isn't that also what a sister should do?
Right now, this is all she could manage.
...
"It's already so late, isn't Elfman waiting for you?"
"Mm, I told him to go back early."
"Then… let me walk you home," Rhode said naturally, "There've been many tourists in town recently, and it doesn't feel safe for a girl to walk alone at night."
"Sure." Mira smiled, "But we're heading in different directions, you'll have a long detour home."
"No worries, by the time I've walked you back, my recovered Magic Power should be enough to summon the Swift Crab."
Actually, even his current Magic Power… well, definitely not enough.
"Then I'll trouble you." Mira held her small sack with both hands hanging naturally in front, smiling lightly, adding a touch of charm to the nightscape.
It was past nine when they left the Guild.
There were no streetlights, relying only on the faint glow from the windows of neighboring houses.
Small festival lights flickered and glittered, staring at them for too long could be dazzling.
The weather was wonderful, countless stars accompanied by a sliver of a crescent moon.
Different from a modern metropolis, here one could stargaze without light pollution.
They strolled slowly, the streets void of people, only occasionally hearing a few insect chirps.
Rhode asked, "Did you also rent a house here?"
Mira replied, "No, we bought it a few years back."
"Bought it?" Rhode nearly forgot that the lady beside him might be a little rich woman.
"Yeah, about three years ago, we decided to make this home. I thought if we had a house of our own, Elfman and Lisana might feel more secure."
She could now mention Lisana to Rhode quite naturally.
Three years ago, she was only fifteen, just the legal age to start drinking in this country.
Thinking back to his own fifteen years… couldn't compare, couldn't compare.
Not just him. Many girls in the Guild chose dorms, partly for convenience, partly because they couldn't save money.
Like Erza, if she wanted, she could definitely afford to buy a house quickly.
But she'd rather spend five hundred thousand J each month to rent five dorm rooms for her armor and various clothes.
And then spend the rest on new armor, clothes, and all kinds of desserts.
Kana had a house left by her late mother and an unknown father, so she didn't have to work as hard.
As for Mira, saving up with her siblings to settle down here also meant she had not only strong earning abilities but was also good at managing the household.
Rhode asked, "Was it tough?"
"Yes, then, to save money quickly, all three of us went through a lot."
If someone can recount their past hardships as worthwhile and can smile about it, does it mean they are reasonably happy now?
Mira spoke with a slight smile:
"During that time, we worked tirelessly, worked until… I came to be selected as an S-Class candidate."
"... Huh, can you really exchange hard work for an S-Class distinction?"
"I thought you were so competitive with Erza, fighting every day, battling from the Guild to the exam site.
Defeating an innocent Kana midway, continuing to battle Erza, then passing the exam after the fight."
"It's not that exaggerated," Mira laughed,
"But it was similar, at that time, upon hearing that Erza would be an examiner, I was instantly fired up.
Thinking about it now, I was in a hurry to fight Erza, during the exam I was rather harsh towards Kana."
"Poor Kana."
"Speaking of, Kana was adorable when she was small, so was Erza; have you seen their childhood photos?"
"Never!" Rhode was not only curious about their childhood, "Is there an album in the Guild?"
"Of course, and there's also a Lissas art book. Let me think..." Mira pondered a while, "It should be in some corner of the library."
"I'll go look tomorrow!"
"Are you that interested?"
"Of course, not just curious about them, but also about what the 'Demon' looked like."
"Ala," Mira placed a hand on her cheek, "Feeling a bit shy, that period looked a bit different, you know."
"Now, I'm even more looking forward to it." Rhode said,
"Were they really dark, chubby, and freckly as kids, growing up into such beauties?"
"..." Mira raised her hand bag as if to hit; was this considered a compliment?
Mira's house was an ordinary two-story building, similar in style to the common houses near the Guild.
When Rhode walked her to the doorstep, the lights inside were still on, showing that Elfman was waiting for her return.
The windows with light streaming through felt different from going back to his dark home.
"Want to come in for a bit?"
"It's already late, maybe next time."
Rhode felt if he went in now, he might end up fighting with Elfman, which was unnecessary.
He summoned the River Crab, climbed on, and waved to Mira, "See you tomorrow then."
Mira stood at the door and responded, "See you tomorrow."
...
"Home, huh."
Rhode felt somewhat envious; the big family of the Guild was one kind of happiness, while having one's own little family was another warmth.
Sitting on the River Crab, feeling the cool night breeze, Rhode waved and summoned Warm.
Now basketball-sized, Warm was a perfect cuddle size, cozy and soft in his arms.
"Hoo!" Warm struggled, trying to escape his clutches; this person abruptly sent it back earlier and called it again suddenly.
It was still angry!
"I just sent you back to accelerate Magic Power recovery."
Definitely not to ditch a third wheel.
Warm's little horns drooped unwillingly, not believing, and unhappy.
Rhode uttered demonic whispers, "Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, steamed egg custard, egg drop soup..."
Warm's little horns perked up a bit, trying hard to keep them down.
Rhode thought for a moment, "How about I give you a bath, a back rub, and a belly massage later, what do you think?"
"Hoo lu lu!"
Warm happily snuggled closer in Rhode's embrace.