"Another one of these ads... so annoying."
Laki's attitude toward the advertisement was much like how Rhodes felt about software pop-ups—interesting at first, but tiresome after seeing them too often.
She leaned in slightly and spoke in a mysterious tone. "Flip a few more pages, there's a surprise~"
"A surprise?" Rhodes raised an eyebrow but turned the pages as she suggested.
The section that followed the advertisement was precisely what he had been looking for—the news column.
Though Laki was clearly referring to something else as the "surprise," Rhodes still took a quick glance at the articles:
"Popular Actress from Ryder Entertainment Has a Secret Boyfriend?"
The headline claimed it was an exposé, but the photo accompanying it only showed a couple from behind. Rhodes didn't recognize the actress, but her rumored boyfriend looked oddly familiar—perhaps someone from the guild?
"The Magic Council to Intensify Crackdowns on Dark Guilds" This was a standard official report, though Rhodes had already confirmed indirectly that Fairy Tail was, in fact, not a dark guild.
One particular title caught his attention:
"Fairy Tail Wizards Annihilate Infamous Bandit Gang in a Single Strike!"
It sounded like a normal article about guild activities—until Rhodes skimmed through the details.
"The bandits were ruthless, and the battle was so intense that an entire pine forest on the mountainside was burned to ashes."
Rhodes looked up at Laki, unimpressed. "Let me guess... a few weeks ago?"
Laki smirked but said nothing.
Rhodes sighed and shook his head. He didn't need to guess who the culprit was. He had already met that flame-loving pyromaniac.
As Rhodes continued flipping through the magazine, he finally came across the "surprise" Laki had mentioned.
"T-This... this... isn't this...?"
It was unmistakable. That iconic white hair, styled just as it was now, with bangs gathered into a neat tuft atop her head.
But unlike the usual warm, cheerful expression he was used to, the smile in the photo was different—sultry, confident, and undeniably captivating.
What caught his attention even more was what she was wearing.
Mira stood elegantly on a beach, dressed in a sea-blue swimsuit. Her posture was effortless, one hand gently lifting her hair, as if caught in a casual yet breathtaking moment.
The upper part of her swimsuit had so little fabric that Rhodes couldn't tell if it was even meant to be swimwear or lingerie. Even when he deliberately tried to look away from the more gravitationally strong areas, his gaze was drawn to the smooth curve of her shoulders and the delicate shape of her collarbone.
Her lower attire was a long, high-slit skirt—or rather, a large piece of fabric, casually knotted at her waist. It elegantly draped across her frame, accentuating her slim, enviable waistline.
Her right leg was concealed beneath the flowing fabric, while her left leg was fully exposed through the slit, revealing long, flawless skin beneath the sunlight.
For the first time, Rhodes noticed something else—Mira's Fairy Tail emblem was white and printed on the side of her left thigh.
Laki smirked as she leaned in. "Well? Stunning, isn't she? You're speechless, huh?"
At first, Rhodes nodded instinctively, then quickly shook his head, realizing something felt off.
But even after denying it, he still felt conflicted. Saying that Mira wasn't beautiful would just be lying to himself.
"Really?" Laki pouted in disappointment.
"I have almost every issue of Sorcerer Weekly from the past year, and at least 20 of them feature photos of Mira. Are you sure you don't want to take a look?"
Rhodes' pride pushed him to refuse, but deep down, he had a nagging feeling that he would regret it.
His expression twisted into an obvious inner struggle. "I just wanted to borrow the magazine to learn more about the world here! But now that you're putting it like that, it feels weird no matter what I say!"
Laki burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. One hand clutched her waist while the other slapped the counter.
"Cana was right! Your reactions are hilarious, Rhodes!"
Unlike Natsu, who was completely oblivious, and unlike Macao and Wakaba, who were shameless old pervs, only people like Rhodes—who knew exactly what was going on but were too shy to admit it—were the most fun to tease.
Rhodes thought about the so-called bad woman who was always drinking.
Mira had told him that she was a good person, but... maybe he should take some notes in his little black book.
Laki finally stopped laughing when she saw Rhodes preparing to flee.
"Mira was invited to be Sorcerer Weekly's special model last year," she explained, smiling. "She became incredibly popular after her first shoot."
She then pointed at the boy band on the cover. "Mira has actually appeared on more magazine covers than them."
Rhodes blinked in surprise.
"She's probably the most popular cover model among all wizards in Fiore now," Laki continued proudly. "She's basically our guild's poster girl!" The most update n0vels are published on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁
So, she's the face of Fairy Tail.
Rhodes finally understood Mira's role in the guild.
"Mira really is amazing."
Fairy Tail was full of hidden talents.
The S-Class wizards were absolute powerhouses in battle.
And those who didn't fight—like Mira—were just as legendary in other ways.
It seemed that Fairy Tail's rise to fame wasn't just due to its legendary ability to stir up trouble.
Although he had been tricked—just a little—Rhodes still managed to borrow the magazine.
A single issue of Sorcerer Weekly cost 300J, which was roughly the price of two mugs of the cheapest beer.
Since the magazine was published weekly, Rhodes figured he could afford it.
However, tracking down older issues was a different story. Instead of buying them, it was far easier to borrow from someone else and just buy the future issues himself.
Luckily, Laki had already promised to bring her collection over tomorrow.
"It's not like I need them anymore," she had said. "Besides, it frees up space for my real collection."
Rhodes had a feeling she meant her stash of... torture devices.
She also seemed to hold a grudge against Sorcerer Weekly.
Apparently, the magazine claimed to feature the latest high-quality magic products, but not once had they ever showcased her favorite torture tools.
"Seriously, it's false advertising," she grumbled.
For the sake of keeping the borrowed magazines, Rhodes decided to play along.
"Yeah... definitely false advertising."
With his full support, Laki clenched her fist in determination.
"I'll make sure to write a strongly worded complaint in this week's feedback section!"
Rhodes blinked, realizing he might have said the wrong thing.
"Uh... maybe you should be a bit more... decisive?"
Laki nodded firmly, eyes gleaming.
"You're right! I need to be even more direct—let them really understand how I feel!"
Rhodes: Did I just make it worse?
"Well, it all started when I was invited once by chance."
Mira's voice brought him back to reality.
"And after that, it just became harder and harder to refuse."
Mira herself had never been particularly interested in modeling, but she hadn't minded doing it either.
After all, she and Elfman had lost their sister just last year. For a long time, both of them had been drowning in grief, making it nearly impossible to take on wizard jobs.
If not for the steady income from her photo shoots and a bit of savings they had set aside, the siblings might have ended up just as broke as Rhodes—or even in debt.
That was precisely why, even though she no longer needed the money, Mira had never turned down the magazine's invitations.
"Let's not dwell on that. How's your training going, Rhodes?"
"Not bad. I think I'll be ready to try summoning a new creature in a few days."
Rhodes nodded. "Yeah, it's just a general term I use for my summons."
Was a Poro technically a wild monster? Maybe. Close enough.
"Then, do you want to test yourself in an actual battle?"
"Actual combat? With who?"
Mira tapped her chin, pretending to think.
"Well... You know how many battle junkies we have in this guild. Just pick one at random. If it's your first time, you should probably pick someone you dislike the most."
Rhodes immediately suspected she was up to something. With Mira's mischievous side, she was definitely stirring up trouble.
But it wasn't a bad idea. Training alone could only get him so far.
He glanced around the tavern and pointed without hesitation at a certain ladies' man.
"Of course, the one I dislike the most is him! Loke!"
Not far away, Loke—who had just been fed a sip of wine by a beautiful woman—suddenly lifted his head in confusion.