Chapter 550: Man...man!
Although Makarov was grinning so wide it looked like his mouth might split, he still rejected the idea of holding a banquet.
He had important matters to take care of in the next few days, the training grounds needed remodeling, and he had to plan the updates in advance.
And then there was the issue of a Wizard Saint now emerging from among the S-Class Exam candidates...
That meant the exam format might need to change.
Even without an official banquet, Rhodes didn’t get off easy. The others still dragged him into celebration for a good while.
But as expected, once the commotion kicked off, these loveable lunatics quickly forgot who the party was for and just started causing chaos for its own sake.
Which allowed Rhodes to quietly slip away.
"You’ve worked hard," Mira said with a soft smile as she poured him a glass of water behind the guild bar.
Rhodes downed it in one gulp, then gave her a meaningful look. "Not just hard work... I’m also really hungry."
"Oh? You haven’t had lunch yet?" Mira immediately asked. "What would you like? I’ll cook it for you."
There were many things he wanted.
Rhodes locked eyes with her but didn’t say a word.
Mira followed his gaze downward, and when she realized what he meant, her face turned bright red. She gave him a gentle swat and said under her breath, "Be serious!"
Rhodes chuckled but eventually looked away. He reached under the counter and gently held her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "Just something simple is fine."
"Okay. I’ll go start now," Mira replied, stepping away in small, flustered steps, her heart beating faster again.
Rhodes also felt a bit strange. When Mira pulled her hand back, he actually felt reluctant.
It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a while.
It reminded him of the early days of their relationship, how back then, every time he touched her, he never wanted to let go. He just wanted to stay close to her all the time.
But now, there was something different.
Whenever he looked at her, certain... scenes would flash through his mind. And more and more, he just wanted to take her home.
Rhodes gave his face a little slap and muttered to himself, "Are the after-effects that strong?"
"What was that?"
A girl’s voice suddenly interrupted.
Rhodes nearly jumped,cit was Lisanna.
"What ’what’?" he shot back reflexively.
Lisanna plopped down at the counter in front of him, propped her chin up on her hands, and stared straight into his eyes. "Come on, I’m curious. What did you say to Mira-nee to make her blush like that?"
Rhodes answered honestly, "She asked what I wanted to eat. I said just something simple. That’s all."
"Liar," Lisanna said flatly. "That’s not enough to make her blush like that."
Truth really is the first casualty of drama, Rhodes thought.
"If you don’t believe me, go ask her."
"And what good would that do?" Lisanna pouted. "You two are obviously in cahoots."
Her expression turned into one of exaggerated heartbreak, like a little sister who’d just been betrayed by her beloved sibling.
"Yes, yes," Rhodes humored her with a faint smile.
Honestly, it was no surprise she was Mira’s sister, Lisanna’s acting skills were top-tier.
If Rhodes hadn’t already been thoroughly "baptized" by Mira’s endless repertoire of acting tricks, fake pity, fake anger, fake not being angry, he might have actually fallen for it.
But Lisanna, seeing his completely unbothered reaction, pouted in frustration. Then, she turned up the charm.
"Mr. Rhodes~ No, wait... Brother-in-law Rhodes~ Brother-in-law sir~"
She leaned forward, full of exaggerated sweetness.
Still, Rhodes didn’t budge.
After all, no matter how much a mischievous little sister-in-law tried, nothing compared to Mira softly whispering "Husband..." in his ear that morning.
But really, this girl’s curiosity was just like her sister’s, bottomless.
Noticing Lisanna’s lips curling into a dramatic pout, Rhodes gave in just a little.
"When you get a boyfriend," he said dryly, "you won’t need to keep asking me these things."
But to his surprise, that only excited Lisanna more.
"Ohh?! So it’s something only couples talk about? Brother-in-law, come on, tell me!"
She leaned in again, eyes sparkling with nosiness. "Mira-nee has been acting so weird today! Spacing out, blushing... Is it because she missed you while you were gone?"
"And those clothes she’s wearing, I’ve never seen them before! Is that like... some kind of secret love token? Something she’s been hiding but couldn’t resist wearing today?!"
Her questions came rapid-fire, a full-on barrage, and though Rhodes was a little overwhelmed, he couldn’t help but feel a small swell of pride.
Still a kid after all, he thought to himself, chuckling internally at her wild guesses.
Just then, Mira came out carrying a steaming bowl of ramen and shut the whole interrogation down with her gentle but firm voice.
"Lisanna, stop pestering him. Let him eat."
"You made it that fast?" Rhodes blinked, genuinely surprised. Even instant noodles weren’t that quick.
"This was actually Wakaba’s order," Mira admitted, setting the bowl in front of him. "But he’s busy right now, so I’ll give it to you first. Otherwise, it won’t taste good sitting too long."
Her expression was perfectly innocent, as if she were doing something righteous.
But anyone watching could see the truth.
Between acting like a responsible cook and feeding her husband, Mira had made her choice. She couldn’t stand letting Rhodes go hungry even a minute longer.
Lisanna looked at her sister with admiration shining in her eyes.
As expected of Mira-nee. The favoritism was bold, shameless, and... honestly, kind of sweet.
To be fair, Wakaba was busy right now, he was locked in a heated argument with Macao about whether this month’s Sorcerer Magazine cover girl, Jenny Realight, had better boobs or a better butt.
Naturally, fists were thrown, tables flipped, and lunch completely forgotten.
Rhodes accepted the ramen without hesitation. After all, this was Mira’s affection... and technically helping someone else too. The cook would just make another bowl anyway.
A little later, Natsu came storming back into the guild after finishing a job, his stomach growling louder than ever.
While they were waiting for their food, Lucy wandered over to chat with Natsu for a bit...
And then...
"WHAT?!"
Natsu froze like lightning had struck him.
Missing the medal ceremony was one thing... missing the celebration banquet was another. But how had Rhodes become a Wizard Saint in one day?!
He and Happy had only been out on a job yesterday!
And yet somehow, in that short time, Rhodes had skyrocketed into the ranks of Fiore’s elite mages?!
Natsu was still grinding through missions just to qualify for the next S-Class Exam, while Rhodes spent most of his days sitting around the guild, sipping juice and teasing Mira!
’How did this happen?!’
No, wait. Just a few days ago, Natsu had even dragged Rhodes out to spar. He got roasted by Rhodes in Purgatory Dragon form...Then got clobbered by Mira when she tagged in...Then got flattened by Rhodes and Wendy teaming up.
At the time, Natsu thought Rhodes only beat him so easily because of Wendy’s support.
But now?
Now Rhodes was on the same level as Master Makarov?!
Natsu clenched his fists. His determination was already burning hot from preparing to face Cana, Gajeel, Gray, and the rest of the guild in the upcoming exam...
And then this guy went and skipped the whole thing?!
"RHODES!! DUEL ME!!"
"Alright." Rhodes replied without hesitation.
Back when Rhodes used to challenge him, Natsu never turned him down. And now that the roles were reversed, Rhodes returned the favor.
But... something felt off.
Even though Natsu came in swinging, Rhodes could tell he wasn’t going all out.
Just using his Rift Herald Take Over was nearly enough to hold him off.
With Cloud Dragon, Rhodes could zip around with speed and win through sheer agility. With Mountain Dragon, he could tank Natsu’s hits and overpower him in close combat.
As for Purgatory Dragon...Unless Natsu specifically asked for it, using fire magic against Natsu was just asking to lose.
Still, even after being defeated one-on-one, Natsu’s spirit wasn’t crushed. He clenched his fists, eyes blazing. Rhodes was strong, no question.
But he could be stronger too.
If he lost? He’d just train harder. There was still time before the S-Class Exam.
With grit and sweat, he’d make it. He’d surpass everyone—even Rhodes.
When Gray and Alzack got back and heard the news, they nearly collapsed.
The more pessimistic ones felt like giving up on the spot. The more optimistic ones told themselves, Maybe Rhodes doesn’t even need to take the exam anymore?
As for Elfman;
"MANLY—! A MANLY MAN!!"
Rhodes could only smile. His dear future brother-in-law must’ve been proud of him.