Where Are the People Attacked by Dragons

Elfman came over pushing a wheelchair.

Under Mirajane's direction, he helped Rhode into the wheelchair and pushed him around the guild.

Rhode actually felt he could walk, his left leg just hurt a bit.

But since it was a kind offer, he accepted it.

Elfman's first destination with him was the restroom.

Rhode felt a little embarrassed but had to thank him for his thoughtfulness; he did need to take care of a small matter.

Restroom, bathroom, infirmary, library, kitchen – all the necessary facilities were available in the guild. If needed, one could absolutely live here as if it were home.

Following the corridor outwards, Elfman pushed Rhode to the main gathering place for guild members – the mission hall, which also served as the tavern.

The main hall had over twenty long tables, with round tables along the edges, and more than a dozen stools at the counter, easily accommodating over a hundred people drinking together.

As it was already late, the lively daytime tavern had quieted down. Only a girl with purple hair, a large red bow, and glasses was arranging tables and chairs.

Mirajane waved to her, "Good work, Laki. Is everyone gone?"

"Everyone's gone home. It was super busy today, but thankfully there weren't many fights."

Laki continued her work, pushing chairs under tables, "I'm about to head back and use some water to cool off and dust myself."

Elfman said, "She means she's going back to take a bath, right?"

Mirajane was already used to Laki's way of speaking, "Sorry, I had something the Master asked me to do today, so I left all the tavern work to you guys."

"It's fine... Is that the thing the Master asked you to do? It looked quite cool. Who was it?"

"I don't know either." Mirajane glanced at Rhode and smiled apologetically, "We're still in the stage of teaching him the common language."

"Eh~~ That sounds like a lot of trouble." Laki didn't ask further, placing the last chair, "Well, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Generally, no one stayed in the guild at night, but Rhode's situation meant he could only stay there.

However, it wasn't appropriate to leave him alone, so Mirajane decided to stay the night with Elfman.

After a brief tour of the guild, Rhode attended another evening lesson with Mirajane.

Rhode noticed there didn't seem to be many electrical appliances. The items on the tables and hanging on the walls were all oil lamps or candles.

However, he thought he saw a ceiling fan in the tavern earlier; he wondered what powered it.

During the lesson, Elfman went back out, probably to get things needed for staying overnight.

At night, Rhode slept alone in the infirmary. Mirajane and Elfman found separate rooms to rest.

"Goodnight, I'm in the next room. If you need anything, just call my name." Mirajane used gestures along with words to make Rhode barely understand the sentence.

"Thank you." This was one of the few sentences Rhode had learned, and he had said it countless times today.

The lights were extinguished, and the light of a crescent moon in the sky shone through the window.

Rhode leaned against the headboard, tilting his head to look out the window. There were no sudden car headlights, no engine roars, and no annoying hum of air conditioning units.

Many things he used to dislike were gone, but he couldn't feel happy.

Outside... was a completely unfamiliar world.

When people are idle, they tend to overthink. Curiosity and fear of the strange world, anticipation and unease about the unfamiliar environment...

During the day, when Mirajane, Laxus, Elfman, and the others were around, he didn't feel much.

But at night, when the lights went out and he was alone in the dark, all sorts of thoughts surged uncontrollably.

Would he be able to go back, or would he stay here forever?

What would his future life be like? —

"Good morning! Did you sleep well last night?"

"Good... morning."

Rhode naturally hadn't slept well, but facing someone who came to check on him so early in the morning, he could only force himself to be energetic.

However, his answer didn't matter, as the answer was already written on his face.

"You're not quite used to it yet, are you?" Mirajane saw the fatigue on his face and encouraged him, "You should be able to get out of bed today. Elfman, can you take Rhode to wash up?"

Elfman flexed his muscles, "If you're a man, cheer up quickly!"

Rhode flinched back, Is he going to arm wrestle? My injury isn't even fully healed.

"Elfman~"

"I know, big sister."

Today's schedule was similar to yesterday's: eating, drinking, learning, and trying to communicate.

However, today Rhode could move around. Although his left leg was still a bit stiff, he could already walk to the tavern ahead and sit by the counter watching the several waiters busy at work.

As the sun slowly rose higher, the guild gradually became lively.

Some people ordered breakfast and chatted with familiar friends, while others went to the public notice board to look at the papers posted there.

Occasionally, someone would tear off a piece of paper to register with Mirajane, then leave in a hurry.

Others simply stood there and watched.

Laxus, whom Rhode had met yesterday, also arrived at the guild early, set up his easel, and began painting after adjusting his colors.

Mirajane, with a sunny smile, went about her work—carrying plates, wiping tables, and registering missions. Sometimes she would chat with people.

When she had free time, she would teach Rhode a few more words.

Rhode curiously observed everyone who entered the guild, trying hard to listen to their conversations, hoping to find someone familiar or catch a word he could understand.

Most of the time, however, it was like watching a foreign film without subtitles. Although the language was becoming more familiar, it was still difficult to pick out anything he could understand.

Moreover, although many of the people who came in had distinct personalities, Rhode didn't recognize any of them.

That was until a boy with cherry-colored hair kicked open the door and shouted, "Old man! Where are the dragons? Where are the people attacked by dragons?"

"Natsu, don't be so noisy first thing in the morning!"

"Shut up, Macao!" Natsu said to the middle-aged man with short purple hair, "Tell me quickly, where is the old man, and where is the person attacked by dragons?"

A small blue cat followed Natsu in and jumped onto the table to explain to a middle-aged man with a pompadour and a pipe:

"Aye! Natsu heard outside that the Master saved someone who was attacked by a dragon, so he rushed over."

"Dragons? Is that true?" Wakaba blew a smoke ring. "I heard that beasts went berserk in the eastern forest, destroying a large area of trees."

"That's the one!" Natsu placed his hands on the table, leaning forward, and asked urgently, "And then, did a dragon appear? Did the old man fight the dragon?"

"How would I know?" Wakaba spread his hands. "The Master went to a routine meeting yesterday. Judging by his appearance, he doesn't look like he fought anyone."

"However, the Master did bring someone back," Macao chimed in, pointing to Rhode at the front desk with his thumb. "That's him. He seemed quite injured yesterday... Hey..."

Natsu had already darted to the front desk.

Rhode was staring at Natsu. The cherry-colored hair, the checkered scarf, the black coat—this must be Natsu.

Confirming his location once again, Rhode didn't know whether to be happy or unhappy.

He was happy because he remembered Tatsu mentioning once that Fairy Tail had a grand happy ending and a famous line about no one being able to defeat him in his BGM.

So, as long as he stayed here, his safety shouldn't be too much of a concern.

What made him unhappy, naturally, was the complete confirmation that he was in another world. Although there were a few people here whose names he knew, in reality... he didn't know anyone familiar.

At this moment, Natsu had already rushed over and made eye contact with him: "@#%*..."

Although he could see the urgency on the other person's face, Rhode really didn't understand what he was shouting. He could only look to Mirajane for help.

Mirajane stood beside Rhode. "Natsu, calm down. It's still difficult for Rhode to understand our language."

Natsu blinked. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

Mirajane said, "Perhaps the language and writing of his homeland are completely different from ours. He's already trying his best to learn."

"..." Natsu clenched his fist, very unwilling. "I finally got some information about dragons, and you're telling me this?"

"Natsu, your expression is too fierce," Mirajane gestured for Natsu to be gentler, not to scare people.

"Try asking Laxus for help, otherwise, we'll just have to wait for the Master to return, or wait for Levy to come back and try."