Rhodes managed to return unscathed after witnessing yet another round of wizard brawling.
By then, Cana had already disappeared, still hugging her barrel of booze like it was her life's greatest treasure.
Meanwhile Warm was fast asleep on his back, tiny belly exposed, snoring softly.
Makarov was sitting cross-legged nearby, a large snot bubble inflating and deflating from his nose with each breath.
Rhodes poked Warm's belly—no response.
He waved a hand in front of Makarov's face—still nothing.
"Why are they both sleeping so soundly?" he asked, puzzled.
Mira covered her mouth, laughing softly.
"Both of them got drunk off their feet thanks to Cana."
Rhodes glanced across the room at the wine-chugging menace, who was currently hunting down Macao for another drinking match.
"That woman is brutal."
"Hehe, well, actually..."
Mira almost spilled the truth about Cana's real reason for drinking, but at the last second, she changed her mind, deciding it would be more fun to let Rhodes find out for himself.
"She's a really good person," Mira said sweetly.
Rhodes wasn't entirely convinced, but he decided to let it go for now.
Then, a completely unrelated mystery popped into his mind.
"By the way," he asked, "Is there magic in this world that lets someone instantly remove their clothes?"
"Yup! That would be Requip Magic. A lot of female wizards use basic Requip spells to instantly change outfits when traveling—super convenient."
Rhodes' mind whirred as he connected the dots.
"So then, if someone mastered Requip Magic to the highest level, they could even switch out armor and weapons in the middle of battle, right?"
Rhodes snapped his fingers.
"Got it! That means the one who's best at Requip Magic must be..."
His answer was instant and confident.
After all—Gray was one of the main characters in Fairy Tail. He had to have some kind of special ability!
And besides, Rhodes had just witnessed Gray's 'Instant Shirt Removal' spell in action.
The strongest Requip user had to be him, right?
His analysis was solid. Logical. Foolproof.
"Gray is an Ice-Make Wizard—he creates ice constructs using his magic. That clothes-stripping thing?"
Mira shook her head, suppressing a giggle.
"That's just a bad habit he picked up during training."
Rhodes felt like his world had been shattered.
"Then... who is the strongest Requip wizard?"
Mira smiled knowingly.
"That would be Erza."
"Mm-hmm. Erza Scarlet." Googlᴇ search novel•fire.net
Mira's tone was filled with genuine admiration.
"She's the strongest female wizard in the guild. Her Requip Magic is on an entirely different level—she can switch between dozens of armors and weapons instantly."
Then, Mira added with a playful wink—
"And she's very beautiful too. Look forward to meeting her."
Mira suddenly leaned in conspiratorially, her voice full of amusement.
"You know, if you're interested in Erza, I have some... insider information."
Rhodes instantly felt a chill. Mira's smile was way too devious.
"The last guy in the guild who tried to pursue Erza was Loke. You know, the 'charming playboy' type?"
Rhodes nodded slowly.
"She beat him half to death."
Mira tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"But who knows? Maybe you are exactly her type."
"I value my life, thank you."
Rhodes gave an exasperated look.
'Miss Mira... your mischievous side is getting more and more obvious.'
And also— do you just enjoy gossip?
Being a waiter in Fairy Tail's tavern was a strange mix of peaceful, noisy, and sometimes downright dangerous.
If you weren't fast enough, you could accidentally get caught in a brawl. If you were smart enough, you could enjoy the show from a safe distance.
Of course, even while watching, you had to dodge flying bottles, chairs, and occasionally an entire table.
But at lunchtime, Rhodes unlocked one of the greatest perks of this job: A free meal.
And today's meal was—Fairy Tail's Special Casserole.
Rhodes had never heard of this dish before, but the second the lid was lifted, his nose and stomach had already reached a verdict.
It was so good that even Warm, who had been completely knocked out from drinking with Cana, suddenly woke up, following the aroma like a hungry little spirit.
Inside the thick, simmering broth, pieces of tender chicken legs, juicy pork, sausages, and creamy white beans were perfectly arranged.
A thin, golden-brown crispy layer floated on top, glistening with rich, flavorful goodness.
Rhodes was already drooling.
Mira and Laki took their seats.
"Alright, let's eat!" Mira said cheerfully.
Rhodes didn't even hesitate. He scooped up a spoonful of broth and took his first sip. And in that moment, his soul ascended.
The soup was rich, thick, and absolutely bursting with umami. Rhodes put his spoon down dramatically and clapped his hands in appreciation.
"This...this would be absolutely perfect with rice!"
"Wow! The chicken thigh is crispy and golden on the outside, yet juicy and tender on the inside. It's already amazing, but with the soup? Even better!"
"Whoa, this pork is incredible too! So flavorful! And even the beans... Why are they this good?!"
Rhodes had completely lost himself in the meal, turning into a "Wow Monster", exclaiming about every single bite.
But soon, he realized that talking was slowing him down.
After a brief internal struggle, he made the wise decision—
Eat first. Talk later.
Twenty minutes later...
Rhodes and Warm were both stuffed. Leaning back, Rhodes patted his stomach in satisfaction. He looked at the now-empty casserole dish and pointed at it.
"Wait... This was an employee meal?!"
He still couldn't believe it.
"This looks way too complicated to make for staff, right?"
Mira thought for a second before casually listing the steps:
"Not really. You just boil white beans, onions, carrots, tomatoes, thyme, and pork skin into a thick soup.
Meanwhile, you fry the chicken, pork, and sausages.
Then you layer everything in the casserole dish, pour the soup over it, bake for a while... and it's ready!"
Rhodes sat there in utter disbelief.
"Not really complicated," she says.
Holding Warm on his lap, he absentmindedly rubbed the little fluff ball while feeling like he had just witnessed culinary wizardry.
At this moment, one thing became clear in his mind.
"Mira, I want to work as a waiter here forever."
Laki chuckled. "Looks like Rhodes is very satisfied with the contents that filled his stomach this time."
"Satisfied? That's an understatement!"
Rhodes thought about her wording for a second.
Wait... "The contents of my stomach"??
Mira noticed his confused expression and waved a hand dismissively.
"Please don't learn common speech from Laki."
"Sis, that's rude!" Laki pouted. "I have a poetic way of speaking, okay?"
"Sure, sure~" Mira humored her, then turned back to Rhodes.
"But you're still a beginner with the language, so let's not get you learning Laki's 'poetic' phrases just yet, okay?"
"Ugh, whatever." Laki pouted and began clearing the dishes.
Rhodes had the afternoon off, so he decided to follow Makarov's advice and visit the guild's library.
Elfman had already dragged him there once before.
The inside was a bit dim, but the tall wooden bookshelves were packed with countless books, stretching all the way to the ceiling.
Next to them stood movable ladders, perfect for grabbing books from the highest shelves.
The library was as quiet as ever in the afternoon, filled with the distinct scent of old books.
"Woo... woo?" Warm let out a small whimper, clearly not a fan of the place.
Rhodes gestured for silence, picking up the little fluff ball and placing it on his shoulder.
Without thinking, he lightened his footsteps, as if respecting the atmosphere of the library.
Following the signs hanging from the shelves, Rhodes navigated to the magic section, scanning the titles for anything related to his abilities.
But to his disappointment, there was no book titled "Celestial Spirit Magic."
"The Guild Master said there were materials here..." Rhodes murmured to himself.
"Maybe it's classified under a broader category?"
He flipped back a few shelves and found a book titled:
"Encyclopedia of Magic"
Opening the , he noticed that magic was divided into two main categories:
Ability-based Magic – where magic is directly channeled through one's own power (like elemental or enhancement magic).
Possession-based Magic – where magic relies on external mediums, such as items, contracts, or spirits (like Requip Magic or Celestial Spirit Magic).
"Since the Guild Master said my magic is closer to Celestial Spirit Magic, that means it's a possession-based type."
Rhodes was about to flip to that section...but first, he followed the universal rule of picking up a book—Randomly open a page and see what's inside.