Before Setting Out

After Riyao was dragged away by the blushing Mirajane, the noise in the guild seemed to be paused.

The people who had been busy just moments before stopped what they were doing, leaving only a few empty beer glasses swaying gently on the table, making a lingering "clinking" sound. The air suddenly became eerily still.

Natsu, lying on the ground, sniffed, slowly opened his eyes, first letting out a huge yawn, then rubbing his eyes and sitting up, his messy pink hair standing on end like a rooster's comb.

He scratched the back of his head, looked around at the overly calm crowd, and stared blankly at them.

"Huh? Why is everyone so quiet today? It's not like Fairy Tail..."

Gray rolled his eyes, his instinctive reaction of shifting blame faster than he was searching for his clothes.

It's all your fault!

He had barely finished speaking when he pounced on her.

"What? What does that have to do with me!"

Natsu also lost it, and the two instantly started fighting.

"You ice-cold face, are you looking for trouble?!"

"Stop spouting nonsense, you fire-breathing idiot! I'll beat you to a pulp today, or I'll change my surname to yours!"

"Enough!"

Erza walked over with a frown, her face even colder than Gray's Ice Magic.

She raised her hand and gave him two quick flicks on the forehead, one on each side, her movements so fast they were almost invisible.

"Bang! Bang!" With two muffled thuds, Natsu and Gray fell straight to the ground like two stunned flies.

Natsu didn't even have time to hum a sound before he started snoring, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth and bubbles coming out of his nose. His speed in falling asleep could definitely beat 99.99% of the people in the Kingdom of Fiore.

On the other side, Riyao was being dragged out by Mirajane's arm, his collar pulled askew.

He wasn't annoyed at all, secretly pleased with himself. "She deliberately pulled me away, doesn't that mean she cares about me? Otherwise, why wouldn't she care about others?"

As he thought about it, his mouth couldn't help but stretch into a wider grin, and he even walked a little unsteadily, looking like a child who had stolen candy.

Mirajane turned around and saw his silly look. She frowned and suddenly loosened her grip on his fingers.

"Ouch!"

Caught off guard, Riyao landed hard on his backside, wincing in pain.

"Mira, you should at least have said something before you let go! Your butt is about to be smashed in eight pieces!"

"Who told you to laugh so lewdly?"

Mirajane stood with her hands on her hips, her cheeks slightly flushed, but her tone was stiff.

That was a happy smile!

Riyao got up and moved closer to her, reaching out to take her hand.

"You can keep hugging me, I won't resist!"

"Huh? Hug you? When did I ever hug you!"

Mirajane recoiled as if burned, her ears turning bright red. She turned and walked away, creating a gust of wind.

Riyao quickly caught up with a somersault, muttering to himself as he did so.

"Hey, Mira, even with your long legs, you can't walk this fast..."

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a girl on the roadside, and he glanced at her subconsciously.

"Hiss!"

A sharp pain shot through his arm, Riyao gasped. He turned his head and saw Mirajane smiling at him, her fingers digging tighter and tighter into his arm.

From red to purple, and then to black, the pain made me subconsciously mobilize my life energy, and the red marks on my arm faded at a visible speed.

"Is it pretty?" Mirajane's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, yet it sent a chill down Riyao's spine.

Riyao's brain worked at lightning speed, his eyes darting around, and he immediately raised his hands in a fawning manner.

"What's so pretty about them! I was just drawn to the unique style of her socks! I was thinking of asking her where she bought them so I could get you a pair too! You'd look a million times better in them!"

Mirajane finally loosened her grip, turned her face away, and gave a soft hum, but she wasn't angry anymore.

"You're smart to know what's good for you."

Seeing this, Riyao quickly changed the subject, patting his chest and laughing heartily.

"Oh, right! First time doing an S-Class mission, aren't you excited? Let me tell you, that Stone Statue Titan is supposedly huge!"

Mirajane paused, her brow furrowing again, her fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes, her tone tinged with unease.

"Speaking of which... S-Class missions have such a high danger level, can I really go? After all, I haven't been in the guild for very long..."

"What's wrong with that!"

Riyao patted her on the shoulder, his tone light as if he were talking about buying bread.

"I've already informed the old man! He has no objections, so you can rest assured! Besides, with my strength, even if we can't win, I can still take you with me!"

Mirajane glanced at him suspiciously.

"It's really hard to associate you with S-Class Mage, okay? What S-Class mage would come to my house every day to freeload, and even have a chaotic brawl with Natsu and the others in the guild hall?"

Your food tastes great!

Riyao patted his belly, looking completely at ease.

"What's wrong with freeloading? You should eat as much good food as you want! The Brawl mode is for strengthening guild bonds!"

Mirajane sighed, rubbing her forehead, but couldn't help feeling uneasy. She often heard people in the guild say that Gildarts was the strongest mage, with such destructive power that Magnolia even created a "Gildarts Mode."

Yet, Riyao managed to hold his own against Gildarts for a short period. Is a healing mage really that ridiculously powerful?

Lost in thought, she lightly kicked Riyao's bottom. Caught off guard, Riyao stumbled forward, turned to look at her, his face full of confusion.

( •́ _ •̀)?

However, he didn't dwell on it for long and quickly reminded her, "By the way, Sister Mira! This mission is in the middle of nowhere, far from any town, so we need to bring enough supplies!"

"Besides, it's not a forest environment, so my battery life will be relatively reduced. Without the advantage of terrain, I'll have to rely on Sister Mira."

Mirajane immediately put her hands on her hips, raised her chin, and showed a smug expression. "Hmph! Don't worry! Just wait and see, my Satan Soul will smash that rock to pieces! I'll protect you!"

The two returned to their lodgings and began packing their belongings.

The two had already reached the entrance of the manor as they talked.

Mirajane was carrying a small canvas bag containing only a few changes of clothes and some miscellaneous items.

Riyao was carrying a bulging bag filled with various medicines and outdoor camping gear.

Riyao stared at her small bag, then at his own large bag, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Mira, you only brought this much stuff?"

"Ah... that should be enough, right?"

Mirajane scratched his head, then nervously poked at his bag.

"If all else fails... can I have some of your snacks? I don't have much money."

The two bickered as they walked towards the station and boarded a train bound for a town near the location of the commission.

The train rattled and swayed. Riyao handed over the apple pie from his bag. Mirajane hesitated for a moment, then took it and took a bite, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The scenery outside the window rushed past, and a sense of adventure gradually filled the air, mixed with a hint of sourness.