Mira smiled and reminded him, "Mr. Rhodes, who looks like he wants to 'prostrate' on the spot, it's time for work."
Rhodes nodded tiredly. "Yeah, I know but 'collapse' would've been a better word choice."
Mira chuckled. "It seems that along with your magic, your common language skills have also improved."
"That's thanks to you and Laki always correcting me and Levy and Reedus too—"
Rhodes paused, suddenly realizing that the very people he just mentioned, except Mira, were currently lying face-down in the yard.
"Uh... are they going to be okay?"
"They'll be fine," Mira reassured him casually. "They'll be up and moving soon."
She turned and walked toward the guild hall. "Come on, let's start cleaning up inside first."
Rhodes followed, stealing a glance back every few steps.
Just as Mira had said, the guild members who had been smacked into the ground by Master Makarov began dusting themselves off and standing up.
When Laki was about to use magic to repair the wall, Makarov stopped her.
"Leave it to Macao and Wakaba. No magic! They broke it, they fix it!"
Laki sighed, gathered a pile of wood for them, and then turned to fix only the broken furniture inside the guild.
Master Makarov's anger only lasted for a moment. Just a few minutes later, when Macao and Wakaba started bickering again while fixing the wall, the guild master... simply ignored them.
Everyone went back to their usual routines.
Except for Natsu, who, upon hearing about Rhodes' previous battle, immediately challenged him to a rematch.
Rhodes happily agreed—he was eager to see how much he had improved.
After a busy morning, it was finally lunchtime—Rhodes' favorite part of the day.
However, today's meal was clearly something special.
Mira and Laki had each brought out two massive platters alongside Rhodes' usual vegetarian dishes.
On the table, a dazzling seafood feast awaited them:
Raw Marinated Prawns, neatly arranged in a circle around the plate, their heads facing inward, bodies fanned outward in a perfect spiral.
Marinated Crab Roe. Unlike steamed crab, the marinade had solidified the roe into a rich, deep red color. The crab meat and roe sat nestled inside an open shell, making for a visually stunning presentation.
Seafood Omelet. A large, golden omelet spread across an entire plate. Along the edge, a ring of tender clam meat had been arranged with other shellfish piled in the center. Beneath it all, vibrant green chives peeked through like the petals of a blooming sunflower.
Crab & Shrimp Casserole Porridge. As soon as the lid was lifted, a wave of rich, mouthwatering aroma filled the air, instantly stimulating everyone's appetite.
Warm perched at the edge of the table, his eyes practically glowing with anticipation.
He was a well-mannered Poro and wouldn't touch the food without permission.
But that didn't stop him from sticking his tongue out and drooling pitifully.
Rhodes gulped. "Wait... is today's theme seafood?! Why is it so extravagant?"
Laki grinned. "Because Mira wanted to celebrate for you. She asked Cook to make his specialty dishes."
Rhodes was so overwhelmed by the feast before him that his brain nearly shut down.
"This... this is too much!"
But his stomach betrayed him, growling audibly.
Laki and Mira both giggled.
As if that wasn't enough, Mira returned carrying three glasses of vibrant blue liquid.
"Here, three glasses of 'Blue Starry Sky.'" She set them down and smiled. "Cana's treat."
Rhodes and Laki turned toward the next table.
There sat Cana, balancing a beer barrel on her lap, smirking as she raised her own drink toward them.
The three of them raised their glasses in return, clinked them together, and took a sip.
Rhodes smacked his lips thoughtfully.
He wasn't exactly a wine connoisseur, but the drink reminded him of a smoother, richer RIO, with a much stronger kick.
Mira chuckled. "This wine comes from one of our neighboring countries.
Because of tariffs and transportation, it's a bit expensive, but the taste makes it worth it."
"The only downside is that the alcohol content is too low—doesn't really suit my taste," Cana sighed, swirling the drink in her hand. "But as long as you guys enjoy it, that's all that matters."
"It's delicious! Thank you!" Rhodes responded with genuine appreciation, setting his glass down before turning his attention to the feast in front of him.
He started with the raw marinated prawns.
The texture was delightfully soft and almost sticky, a stark contrast to steamed shrimp. The natural sweetness of the shrimp was enhanced by the marinade, making every bite burst with fresh, clean flavors—without even a hint of fishiness.
Each dish had its own unique charm, a testament to the chef's passion for his craft.
Rhodes took his time savoring every bite, appreciating the rich flavors and textures.
"This is incredible," he praised, his admiration evident in every word.
Mira chuckled. "I think Mr. Cook would like you very much."
Many people in the guild loved to eat, but Rhodes was the only one who truly appreciated the food with both his words and his taste buds.
"Haha..." Rhodes scratched his head sheepishly. "Actually... Mr. Cook looks so serious that I don't even dare to talk when he's around."
Mira smiled nostalgically. "That's because Mr. Cook takes anything related to food very seriously. And... well..."
She paused for a moment before continuing, her voice laced with amusement and fondness for the memory.
"When Happy was still little, he once dragged Natsu into the kitchen to steal some fish.
They ended up knocking over an entire rack of seasoning jars, ruining a huge batch of ingredients.
As a result, Mr. Cook chased them for three blocks with a cleaver and beat Natsu senseless."
"So that's why Natsu never goes near the kitchen anymore."
Mira nodded knowingly. "Ever since that day, both Natsu and Happy have completely avoided the kitchen, and Mr. Cook developed the habit of staring down anyone who enters."
Rhodes nodded solemnly, taking mental notes.
"Understood. I'll be extra careful when I go to the kitchen. Actually, if I don't have to, I'll just communicate through the serving window."
Laki glanced at Mira, feeling a small sense of relief.
Mira rarely brought up old memories on her own.
Perhaps she was finally starting to come to terms with everything that had happened.
After all, Natsu wasn't the only one who had been there that day.
Rhodes ended up sparring with Natsu again that afternoon.
Originally, he was supposed to fight Cana, but after drinking far too much, she couldn't even stand. She was curled up around a barrel, muttering incoherent nonsense in her sleep.
Natsu's destructive power was on a whole different level compared to Jet's.
One Fire Dragon's Iron Fist was enough to shatter a stone beetle's leg.
One Fire Dragon's Roar could send the Ancient Stone Beetle flying, forcing it to split into smaller forms on impact.
If there was one advantage, it was that Rhode's summons were nimble underground—whenever his stone beetles burrowed beneath the battlefield, they could break through the surface and attack from multiple angles, forcing Natsu to stay on his toes.
But unlike Jet, who had been trapped by the beetle's grip, Natsu simply ignited his entire body in flames, using the intense heat and explosive power to break free and blast his way through the summons.
With such a drastic contrast, Rhodes was left scratching his head.
"Wait... is this beetle strong or weak?"
After all, Natsu's flames should count as a high-level attack, right? Thıs content belongs to 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽
Still, Rhode achieved his best results yet.
By strategically outnumbering Natsu, he actually managed to throw him off balance, nearly making him fall!
It was the perfect chance to press the attack until Natsu reacted at the last second, bracing against the ground and flipping mid-air, catching himself with a perfect Fire Dragon's Claw counter.
In close combat, however, Rhode was no longer completely powerless.
He held his own against Natsu for several rounds, trading blows and dodging flames before inevitably ending up face-down in the dirt again.
Still, for a moment, it had been a real fight.
This hard-fought battle was so touching that Elfman—watching from the sidelines was moved to tears.
Clenching his fists, his voice trembled as he declared:
"This... this is what it means to be a MAN!"
And he almost jumped in to join the fight.