Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master

Rhodes wasn't about to let Mira handle danger alone. He gently pressed her arm aside and guided her toward the side of the road.

Mira blinked in surprise at his decisive action but obediently stepped back without protest.

Rhodes stood alone in the middle of the road as the bag snatcher charged straight at him.

With a swift motion, he raised his leg and kicked the man's wrist—the short knife flew into the air.

"Damn—!"

The thief barely had time to curse before Rhodes grabbed his wrist, shifted his weight, and executed a shoulder throw—a move straight from Cana's book.

Boom!

The bag snatcher slammed onto the bluestone pavement with a heavy thud. The stolen handbag flew from his grip, skidding across the ground.

Without even looking, Rhodes extended his right hand calmly, catching the falling knife by its handle.

Flawless execution.

Rhodes was very satisfied with how cool he looked.

But then… he realized there was a small problem.

Originally, he had planned to squat down, press the knife next to the thief's ear, and intimidate him a little—just to be dramatic.

But he had overlooked a couple of things.

First, the commercial district's road was paved with bluestone, not the softer dirt floor of the guild's backyard.

Second, this wasn't a Fairy Tail wizard—just a regular, non-magical thief.

Rhodes had gotten too used to fighting his guildmates, so he hadn't held back.

As a result, the bag snatcher let out a pained cough, spat out blood, rolled his eyes, and promptly passed out.

He was completely unconscious.

Rhodes scratched his head. "Uh… Did I hit him too hard? I really didn't mean to…"

Feeling a little guilty, he knelt beside the man to check his condition.

He was still breathing, but his arm was probably broken.

Mira, however, was unbothered. "It's fine," she said casually. "Armed robbery is a serious crime. The sheriff will take care of it."

She picked up the stolen handbag and smiled. "We'll just wait for the owner."

Nearby pedestrians had already run off to get the sheriff, and the voice of the woman who had been robbed grew closer.

"Isn't that Miss Mira?"

"She's a Fairy Tail wizard!"

More and more onlookers recognized Mira, and soon their attention turned to the guild emblem barely visible beneath Rhodes' short-sleeved shirt.

A few people went to check on the unconscious thief. Instead of sympathy, they just shook their heads.

One of them clicked their tongue. "Tsk, lucky guy."

Rhodes blinked. "Huh?"

Another bystander sighed dramatically. "Getting beaten up by a Fairy Tail wizard and only breaking an arm? He got off easy."

"Back in the day, the collateral damage from one of their fights destroyed half a street!"

Rhodes was speechless.

"Wait… Did I just embarrass the guild?" he asked Mira hesitantly.

Mira giggled. "Not at all. In fact, you looked quite handsome just now~"

Fairy Tail's reputation remained the same as always.

"They're good people… They just have no concept of restraint."

Finally, the owner of the handbag arrived—a plump woman with a slightly old-fashioned perm and a flushed face from running.

Mira handed over the bag with a smile. "Please check if anything is missing."

The woman clutched it tightly. "Thank you so much! There's something important in here."

She trailed off, her eyes widening as she took a closer look at Mira's face.

Then, her gaze shifted to Rhodes' emblem.

Her expression brightened in recognition. "Oh! What a coincidence! My husband is in your guild too!"

Rhodes blinked. "Wait… really?"

The woman raised her hand to her forehead, mimicking a familiar gesture.

"You know Wakaba, right? The guy with the weird hair and that old pipe?"

"So, you're Mr. Wakaba's wife? My name is Mirajane, and this is Rhodes," Mira said with a warm smile, speaking to the older woman as if they had known each other for years.

"I often hear him talk about you and your daughter. Honestly, if it weren't for you, his life would be a complete mess."

"Really? He actually said that?" The woman's face lit up with a mix of happiness and embarrassment. "That man… so he knows how much he relies on me, huh?"

"Yes, yes, Mr. Wakaba mentions you quite a lot," Rhodes chimed in with an awkward chuckle.

Technically, that wasn't a lie—Wakaba did talk about his wife often, but most of the time, it was while grumbling about being nagged.

Rhodes suddenly realized something.

Mira was very skilled at conversation.

The first part of her sentence, "I often hear him talk about you," was completely true.

The second part, "If it weren't for you, he'd be a mess," was more of an educated guess—but phrased in a way that made it sound like something Wakaba himself had admitted.

This subtle wordplay led to a misunderstanding that would likely never be corrected.

After all, even if Wakaba's wife confronted him at home, he wasn't stupid enough to deny it outright.

The conversation then shifted to some rather personal inquiries, such as whether Wakaba ogled the waitresses at the guild too much or flicked his cigarette ash around carelessly.

Mira answered everything with a gentle smile, responding in a way that was somehow both polite and non-committal.

Even if she was being strategic, she was careful never to say anything that might actually cause problems for someone else's marriage.

Rhodes took mental notes.

Lesson learned: The art of talking without really talking.

Just as their conversation wrapped up, a sheriff in a brown uniform arrived with his team, looking serious.

Wakaba's wife quickly explained the situation, clarifying that Rhodes was the one who bravely stopped the thief.

The sheriff checked the unconscious criminal, made sure he wasn't in any life-threatening condition, then ordered his men to carry him away.

He also confiscated the short knife as evidence.

Just as Mira had said earlier, armed robbery was a major crime in Fiore.

Not only was Rhodes not held responsible for the injury, but the sheriff even thanked him for his actions.

The situation was handled quickly, and Wakaba's wife bid them farewell—though not before flashing Mira a cheerful smile.

"By the way, take this. Consider it a little thank-you gift!"

Before Rhodes could react, she stuffed two small papers into his hands.

He blinked and looked down—not money, but, "Honey Dessert House Grand Opening Invitation Ticket"

Before he could say anything, the woman winked at him, gave him an encouraging pat on the arm, and whispered:

"Young man, keep working hard."

Then, before he could process her words, she walked off with a knowing smile.

Mira tilted her head curiously. "What did she say?"

"Uh…" Rhodes hesitated. He wasn't entirely sure what she meant by 'keep working hard.'

Instead, he focused on the papers in his hand. "She gave us an invitation to a dessert shop."

Mira took one and examined it. "Oh, it opens next month." She gave him a playful smile and waved the ticket in the air.

"Let's go check it out together when it opens?"

"Well... okay."

Rhodes gave a small nod. Next month was really just over a week away, and… well, desserts were always nice.

Something to look forward to, right?

"Alright, time to get down to business," Mira said as she tucked away the invitation ticket. She then pulled out the shopping list—which unfolded into a surprisingly long piece of paper.

Rhodes leaned in to take a look. After a single glance, he instinctively reached for his pendant. Yeah, the crab was definitely going to be carrying all this back later.

The shopping district was different from what Rhodes had imagined.

Compared to the skyscrapers and traffic jams from his previous world, this place had a balance between a lively city street and a small-town marketplace.

The roads were bustling with pedestrians, merchants shouted their deals, and shops ranged from large, well-established businesses to simple makeshift stalls.

For a town with only about 60,000 people, this place was surprisingly lively.

Mira moved through the market gracefully, selecting only the freshest fruits, vegetables, and cuts of meat.

She bargained effortlessly, her pleasant voice adjusting to the different personalities of the shopkeepers.

Some laughed and teased her, while others acted tough at first before giving in to her charm.

Rhodes followed closely, occasionally holding out a bag for her selections.

Most of the time, though, he just watched.

One moment, he was observing Mira's careful selection of ingredients.

The next, he was taking in the world around him.

The discarded leaves near a vegetable stall, the wet, uneven stone pavement in front of a seafood shop, the salty breeze carrying the scent of fish, the stray puppy weaving between shoppers' legs.

The sound of laughter, haggling, and footsteps blending into the heartbeat of the town.

It was messy, imperfect, and so full of life.

And for the first time in a long while, Rhodes felt completely immersed in it.

"Rhodes?"

Mira's voice pulled him back to reality.

She stood in front of him with that warm, familiar smile—the same smile that always felt a little out of reach before.

"Let's go. We still need to pick up some wine."

Rhodes blinked.

His heart skipped a beat.

Why does this feel… different?

Maybe it was the way she looked at him just now. Or maybe it was how natural it felt—shopping together, walking side by side, sharing casual conversations.

For so long, that smile felt distant—something meant for someone else.

But now, it felt closer than ever.

"Are you tired?" Mira asked, tilting her head.

"No," Rhodes replied quickly, shaking his head. "Let's go."

As they continued walking, Rhodes couldn't help but repeat a single word in his mind.

'We.'

It was just a simple word.

But somehow, it felt really nice.

And just for a second, he entertained a small, unrealistic thought.