Mira smiled happily at his response. She tucked the letter away and said she'd think about the offer.
As for the magazines, she left them on the front counter, rembering that Rhodes enjoyed keeping up with current events.
After the New Year celebrations, the guild quickly returned to its usual rhythm, and Rhodes resud his training routine as usual.
...
Three days later, a young boy with glasses arrived at the guild.
He looked very youthful, with a round face, a neat flat-top haircut, and a large schoolbag strapped to his back. He had a polite and well-behaved appearance.
After entering, he looked around the lively bar area, then made his way toward the front desk.
"Hello," Mira greeted warmly. "Are you here to post a job request?"
"No," the boy replied with a slight bow. "My na is Tono...Tono Rabitz. I just turned fifteen, and I use Light Magic."
He introduced himself clearly and confidently, then added, "I'd like to join Fairy Tail."
"I see. Nice to et you, Tono. I'm Mirajane," Mira replied with a gentle smile. "Please wait a mont. I'll call the Master."
"Please, have a seat." Rhodes ca over to help once Mira left. "I'm Rhodes. I joined the guild half a year ago, so I'm still pretty new myself. Make yourself at ho."
"I know who you are! You're the strongest of the newcors, right?" Tono said excitedly. "I've been following all the news about Fairy Tail."
"Really? Haha, that reporter made sound cooler than I am." Rhodes laughed modestly. "Maybe you'll be the next strongest newcor. Want sothing to drink?"
Tono sat obediently on a nearby stool and replied, "Just water, thank you."
Rhodes poured him a glass and handed it over just as Makarov and Mira returned.
The process for Tono joining the guild was as straightforward as it had been for Rhodes. Master Makarov asked a few routine questions before stamping the Fairy Tail emblem on his hand.
It was the first ti Rhodes had seen soone join the guild from start to finish, and he found the experience strangely aningful.
"Does this an I've officially beco a senior mber now?" he wondered aloud.
Makarov gave him a blank stare.
A senior wizard? In truth, he had only moved up from second-to-last in completed missions to third-from-last.
Mira chid in with a playful smile. "So, are you thinking about ntoring the new recruit, Rhodes?"
Rhodes found the idea intriguing and asked, "Can I guide him?"
Just to be sure, Makarov looked at him with a raised brow. "And what exactly are you planning to teach him?"
Rhodes glanced at Mira and smiled. "Just like when Mira helped in the beginning—walk him through the basics. How to accept a job, et the client, and complete the request."
Tono's eyes lit up. So joining the guild ca with a personal ntor? And not just anyone, but the strongest of the recent newcors? He seed dependable.
Rhodes paused to think and added, "I can also share a few of my own lessons—like..."
"That's enough. I've made up my mind," Makarov cut in decisively. "Let Levy guide Tono instead."
"Eh?" Rhodes blinked in surprise.
"You ntioned you like history, right?" Makarov said, turning back to Tono.
"Yes, I do. But... I thought Senior Rhodes—"
Makarov waved a hand. "Don't worry about him. He's... not quite compatible with you."
Rhodes looked visibly offended.
Mira stifled a laugh behind her hand. The Master probably just didn't want another rookie ending up lugging around unstable explosive lacrima like last ti. He was being cautious.
She gave Rhodes a light pat on the back to console him, then turned to Tono. "Co on. I'll introduce you to Levy."
Makarov added, "Don't give that look, Rhodes. I've got a job for you in a few days."
"For ? What kind of mission could possibly be left for ?" Rhodes muttered, already suspecting it might involve the Magic Council again. Those people were always more complicated than they let on.
"We don't have all the details yet," Makarov replied. "We're still waiting on confirmation. In the anti, stay local—don't take any jobs that send you too far out."
"Alright," Rhodes answered, though his uncertainty showed on his face.
Makarov, ever used to dealing with his quirks, added reassuringly, "Relax. If it cos down to it, I'll make sure you're tead up with soone reliable."
That only made Rhodes more nervous. If the Master was already planning teammates ahead of ti, it probably ant this mission was a big one.
With a sigh, Makarov walked off with his hands clasped behind his back, muttering sothing under his breath.
He still had a self-review to write.
That blockhead Natsu went out to chase down a bunch of petty thieves and ended up demolishing seven houses. Before he even made it back, a formal summons from the Magic Council had already arrived.
Headache.
When Mira returned to the guild, she found Rhodes sitting at the bar, looking rather glum.
"What's wrong?" she asked gently. "Did the Master scold you?"
"No, not exactly. But I've got a feeling he's about to dump sothing huge on ."
Mira smiled reassuringly. "That's because he trusts you."
"Sure, he 'trusts' —but not enough to let ntor the newbies."
"Well, that's..." Mira hesitated, not knowing how to respond. Personally, she thought Rhodes would be a great ntor.
"Anyway, forget that. Didn't Levy head out on a job? Why'd the Master assign Tono to her?"
"Levy just got back today. You were probably in the training yard and missed her," Mira explained. "Actually, sothing unexpected happened during the mission. Jet ended up in the hospital, and Droy's with him."
Rhodes frowned. "That serious?"
Mira looked a bit sympathetic. "Apparently, Jet tried to show off and fell right into a hunter's trap ant for wild beasts. Levy and Droy had to handle the job while protecting him the whole ti."
"That's rough," Rhodes muttered, unsure how to comnt without being rude. It was like the classic saying: trying to save face but ending up flat on your rear.
"Should I visit him at the hospital?"
"Best not to. Levy said Jet doesn't want anyone seeing him like that."
Mira chuckled. "But if you do go... you'd better bring Reedus with you."
"..."
And there it was—devilish Mira, unmasked.
"Oh, by the way, did you think more about the magazine offer?"
"I'm heading to Sorcerer's branch the day after tomorrow," Mira replied. "The Master hopes that by doing this, I can help restore Fairy Tail's image a bit."
Rhodes imdiately understood. The whole Natsu demolition incident must've gotten the Master flustered. Mira was stepping up to help clean up the ss.
Originally, Rhodes had planned to accompany her.
But he didn't even make it to that day.
The very next morning, Makarov called him in—with a rare, serious expression on his face.
And standing beside him were Mira, looking concerned... and Erza.
The mont Rhodes saw her, a bad feeling settled in his gut.
If this involved teaming up with Erza, then whatever this mission was, it was no joke.
"This mission is rather dangerous," Makarov said gravely. "If, after hearing the details, you feel it's too much, you're allowed to turn it down."
Rhodes glanced at Erza and guessed, "S-Class?"
Makarov shook his head. "Not quite rated as S-Class officially, but for most people, it might as well be. It's incredibly dangerous and could turn life-threatening if mishandled."
Erza nodded solemnly. "If you're taking it this seriously, then it must be urgent. Please tell us the details."
Rhodes nodded too. If it required this level of firepower, then it clearly wasn't sothing the guild could ignore.
Makarov explained slowly, "A black magic cult known as Devil's Shadow has appeared near the kingdom's northern coast. They worship the dark mage Zeref."
Rhodes felt his expression tighten.
"They've been abducting children from nearby villages and towns. Their goal is to use them as sacrifices to summon a demon from the Books of Zeref."
Erza's eyes darkened.
"Their magic is twisted, bone-shattering curses, blood rituals, and death spells. If their summoning ritual succeeds, this mission could instantly escalate past S-Class. That's why I'm sending Erza—to prevent that outco at all costs."
Makarov then turned to Rhodes, his voice heavy with concern.
"But she can't do this alone. She has to fight and protect the children. That's why I need soone reliable to back her up. And the one I trust most for that role is you, Rhodes."
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