Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 273: Can’t I just lie to you?

He packed it all up but left the lunchbox with her. For some reason, it just felt more charming when she carried it herself.

Mira pulled out an umbrella and asked, "Did you bring one?"

Rhodes squeezed in beside her under the eaves. "Nope."

Mira eyed him suspiciously. "Really?"

Rhodes looked dramatically up at the ceiling. "Truly."

Liar.

Mira handed him the umbrella in her hand and said, "There's a spare one inside. I'll go get it."

But before she could turn, Rhodes used Requip Magic to store the umbrella in an instant and replied with a perfectly straight face:

"Actually, I just checked. This one's broken. I'll throw it out later. Let's use the spare instead."

Mira gave him a playful slap. How clingy could one person be?

She laughed and took his arm. "Alright, let's go."

Rhodes summoned the umbrella again.

They huddled close and stepped into the gentle rain. The soft patter of raindrops on the umbrella sounded soothing.

Before long, they noticed the umbrella didn't cover them evenly.

Rhodes tilted the umbrella more toward Mira.

Mira leaned in closer to Rhodes.

Then, after thinking it over, she lifted his arm and tucked herself under it, letting him rest it over her shoulder.

The weather definitely wasn't ideal for riding the Scuttle crab, but luckily there were plenty of carriages for hire in the square.

Kind of sad, really, rainy days meant more business.

Most of the horses were sheltered in nearby stables. Only the drivers remained outside, bundled up in rain gear.

Some wore modern waterproof coats, while others had more old-fashioned cloaks and broad-brimmed hats.

Rhodes found himself oddly curious about what it felt like to wear a raincoat like that.

They picked the most rainproof-looking carriage they could find.

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After agreeing on a price, the driver asked them to climb in while he went to fetch the horses and secure the harness.

Rhodes noticed the horses wore special rain cloaks too.

"Thanks for your hard work," Rhodes said instinctively.

The driver blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "You're the ones working hard. I heard wizard work is dangerous stuff."

Rhodes gave a modest smile. "It's not so bad, just got to be careful."

"You're from Fairy Tail, right?" the driver asked, a little amazed. "Didn't expect you folks to be this friendly."

The coachman, busy fastening the harness, had to raise his voice over the rain as he spoke with them.

"Not many wizards act like you two," he said.

Rhodes tilted his head. "What do you mean? Aren't most wizards like this?"

"I've met a few in the past... let's just say they acted kind of stuck-up."

"Ah, sounds like you're not from around Magnolia."

"Right, I actually came from Oak Town yesterday."

Oak Town, home turf of Phantom Lord. No wonder the guy seemed a bit wary.

Rhodes made a mental note to stay alert, even if the man was just a regular coachman. You never knew who might be tied to someone dangerous.

"All right, hang on tight. We're heading out now," the coachman called.

He reminded them to shut the carriage windows to keep out the rain. That cut off the conversation, since this style of carriage wasn't open-fronted, the only way to talk to the driver now would be to yell, which was hardly appealing.

Outside, the rain picked up. The steady drum of droplets on the canopy made a pleasant rhythm, though it also darkened the carriage's small interior.

Inside, it was cozy, quiet... and just dim enough that being alone might feel a little eerie.

Rhodes lifted a finger, intending to write a glowing rune to light up the space.

But before he could finish the first stroke, Mira caught his hand.

"No need for that," she whispered, gently tugging his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder.

With the rain cocooning them and the carriage swaying gently, the world outside faded. In this tiny space, it really did feel like it was just the two of them.

Rhodes smiled as she adjusted her position, eventually wrapping her arms around his waist and nestling against his chest.

After a while, Mira pulled back slightly, gave him a teasing glance, and reached her hand into his shirt.

Rhodes froze for a split second, but Mira only pulled out the corner of a worn leather cover.

She gave a small snort. "Your spellbook's getting crooked again."

Rhodes scratched his cheek, sheepish.

Mira nestled back into him, and this time, Rhodes casually draped his arm around her shoulder, letting her rest there.

He often wanted to run his fingers through her hair, but Mira would always bat him away with a frown if he tried. So he just enjoyed the warmth and silence for now.

It was close to noon, and there wasn't a village or rest stop in sight.

Fortunately, they had come well-prepared. The driver guided the carriage beneath a large tree to briefly shelter from the rain. He took out some feed for the horses and carefully inspected their rainproof cloaks, making sure none of them had gotten wet.

Once satisfied, the driver sat down with his own lunch.

Rhodes and Mira offered him a cup of warm water to go with it, though they themselves didn't need anything else.

That afternoon, they resumed the journey. The rain gradually tapered off, and when Rhodes and Mira looked out the carriage window, they saw something curious: clear skies ahead and dark clouds behind.

It wasn't so much that the rain had stopped, it was that they'd left the storm behind.

Mira gazed out the window for a long time and sighed, disappointed. "No rainbow?"

Rhodes nodded. "Yeah, shame."

Mira gave him a side glance, already suspecting that he was about to say something cheesy.

Instead, Rhodes simply raised his hand and cast a Solid Script spell: "RAINBOW."

The letters shimmered midair, transforming into an arching, seven-colored bridge across the sky.

Mira blinked in surprise. He had literally created a rainbow for her.

Rhodes winked. "A friend once told me... kissing under a rainbow brings lifelong happiness."

Mira smirked. "Was that friend you, by any chance?"

"You're too smart. Can't you just let me have this one?"

"Nope."

Still, even as she said that, Mira leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

—

As the sun began to set, they neared their destination: Ravendel Village.

Suddenly, Rhodes called out, "Stop the carriage!"

The driver slowly brought the horses to a halt, and both Rhodes and Mira jumped down.

The driver looked around, confused. "What happened? We're almost there."

Rhodes narrowed his eyes, his tone serious. "You won't want to go any closer."

Using the enhanced vision of a summoned Scuttle Crab, Rhodes had already confirmed that the rat infestation wasn't just serious, it was abnormal.

One of the scouting crabs had even been ambushed and bitten on the leg by a rat the size of a small dog.

If rats were now attacking other animals on sight, it meant the infestation had reached a critical stage. No wonder the villagers had requested help from a guild.

Rhodes summoned a group of Raptors, his swift, bird-like familiars and turned to the driver.

"My advice: leave now. These Raptors will escort you a fair distance for protection. If you still want to enter the village with us, that's your call, but if you do, keep your horse calm and your eyes open. What'll it be?"

"I'm leaving right now!" the driver blurted, eyes wide.

The moment a wizard said "danger," he knew better than to stick around. No amount of curiosity was worth his life, or his horse.

Even though there weren't any villages directly along the road, he knew of others nearby. A slight detour would get him somewhere safe.

...

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