As soon as the door closed, Mirajane could not hold back her question any longer.
"Kabe, how could you agree so easily? Are we really going to help that snobbish guy catch a mermaid tomorrow?"
Kabe did not rush to answer. Instead, he went around the guest room, opening every door one by one to check things over before finally nodding in satisfaction.
"As expected of a noble. Even a random guest room comes with its own private bath."
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?"
"I heard you, I heard you. Do I look like a human trafficker to you?"
He reached out and tapped the head of the already-flustered Mirajane, who was so anxious she could barely think straight.
While casually stripping off his clothes without the slightest hesitation, Kabe explained:
"First of all, the kingdom's laws clearly state that it is forbidden to capture or keep any intelligent humanoid beings as slaves. And on top of that, look at how ridiculously high the reward he is offering is. That alone makes it obvious there is something fishy."
"W… what do you mean by that?"
Mirajane covered her eyes with both hands, stammering as she asked, yet still secretly peeking through the gap between her fingers at Kabe's bare upper body.
Left in only a pair of underwear, Kabe yanked her hands away from her face with a huff.
"Give me a break and use that pig brain of yours a little. With a million J, would it not be better to just hire a proper S-class mage directly? Why bother with rejects like us?"
With that, he strode into the bathroom and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
"Think the rest through on your own. I am going to shower."
Mirajane was still mulling over his words, mind turning them over and over. Then she heard a very soft click from the bathroom door. Her expression immediately twisted in indignation.
"Hey, what is that supposed to mean? Do you think I would sneak a look at you in the bath, you little brat?"
"Who knows. Maybe you problem children like them young."
Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom and Kabe's mocking voice drifting out, Mirajane's chest heaved with anger and... well, fine, it was hard to see any change at all.
"Jerk. So what if you joined the guild two years earlier than me and have a bit more experience. What is there to act all smug about!"
After a few indignant grumbles, Mirajane decided she did not want to talk to this jerk anymore.
She kicked off her long boots with two sharp motions, then dove face first onto the soft, springy bed. Lying sprawled on it, she began to seriously think about the problem Kabe had thrown at her.
He is right. If Babitt loves collecting things that much, and if a mermaid is that precious to him, then why not just spend a little more and hire some reliable S-class mage? Why specifically choose us?
Ugh, if I had known, I would have read a few more detective novels these past two days. Maybe I could have figured out what that guy is hiding already.
The more she thought about the dangers that might await them during tomorrow's mission, the more restless Mirajane became, tossing and turning on the bed, unable to calm down.
At that moment, the bathroom door clicked open.
Kabe stepped out, wrapped in a bath towel, rubbing his damp hair.
"That fast?" Mirajane stared with wide eyes.
"You were in there for, what, three or four minutes? In that short a time, what exactly did you wash?"
"I just rinsed off and washed away the sweat. For a guy, that is more than enough."
"Liar. Elfman never does that."
Her retort left Kabe completely speechless.
Thinking about how Elfman currently acted like some shy girl, he could not find a single angle to argue from.
"I will have Natsu and Gray help give Elfman a proper education when I get the chance."
"Yes, yes. His personality really does need to change."
Clueless about his fate, Elfman's future was casually decided in just a few words between the two of them.
Once his hair was dry enough, Kabe tossed the towel aside and walked toward the bed.
Mirajane shrank back, heart suddenly pounding.
"W-w-what are you doing? Do not come over here!"
Kabe stepped forward, grabbed the blanket, and gave it a hard yank.
The room spun around Mirajane, and in the next second she landed on the floor on the other side of the bed in a spectacular flop.
"Go take a bath. Smelly people are forbidden from getting on the bed."
"Is your nose broken? I smell great. What do you mean smelly!"
Face flushed, Mirajane glared in protest, but saw Kabe's gaze slowly slide down to her feet, wrapped snugly in long black stockings.
"They have been trapped in leather boots all day. If you dare swear there is no smell at all, I will stuff your foot into my mouth right now."
"P-pervert!"
With a mix of shame and anger, the girl lashed out with a flying kick. Her foot, the one Kabe had just complained about, landed squarely on his face.
Without even looking at the twitching Kabe sprawled on the floor, she grabbed fresh clothes from her bag and stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it tight.
Kabe lay on the floor staring at the ceiling. Only when he heard the water start running did he slowly sit up.
He rubbed the cheek she had kicked, then brought his fingers to his nose and sniffed.
"...Huh. Seriously, there really is no smell."
Bang.
"Shut up!!!"
...
The next morning, Mirajane was woken by the sound of a maid knocking on the door.
Last night, after storming out, she had taken her bath and changed into fresh clothes, then dove straight under the covers. Pulling the blanket over her head, she refused to speak another word to Kabe.
Later in the night, she had stayed on guard, afraid that a certain someone might suddenly give in to his "animal instincts" while she slept. She remained tense and wary until three or four in the morning, before finally dozing off.
So after only a few hours of sleep, she was dragged back to consciousness by the maid's wake up call.
Kabe, whose sleep quality was always excellent, was completely unaffected. After answering the door, he got up, dressed, and washed up as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
Mirajane, on the other hand, who had barely slept at all, felt like she was suffering in her own personal hell. Her head was spinning and she could barely open her eyes.
When Kabe came out of the bathroom, having washed his face and brushed his teeth, he saw Mirajane sitting on the bed, her small head bobbing as she nodded off.
He could not help grinning wickedly.
"Well, well. Someone did not sleep well, huh? That is strange. A noble's big, soft bed is pretty comfortable."
Mirajane opened her bloodshot eyes and stared at him with pure resentment.
"You pervert, why did you only ask for one room?!"
Still smiling, he walked to the bed and placed a cool, damp towel over her face.
"Stop saying stupid things. To be in an unfamiliar place and still worry about that nonsense, you must be anxious to die early."
Her mind went blank for a moment, then Mirajane suddenly thought of Babitt's suspicious intentions. She hurriedly scrubbed her face with the wet towel, forcing herself fully awake.
"You mean someone might attack us in the middle of the night? Did you notice anything strange?"
Kabe gave her a look of theatrical surprise.
"You are asking me? Weren't you the one on night watch?"
"Wha… what are you talking about? This is not the time for jokes, I never stood..."
Mirajane's words cut off halfway, hanging in the air.