Battle and Progress

Mira smiled and reminded him, "Mr. Rhode, who wants to 'prostrate himself,' it's time to work."

Rhode nodded, "Okay, I got it. That phrase was used incorrectly."

Mira said, "It seems not only your magic but also your common tongue has improved."

"It's because you and Laki often correct me, and Levy and Marcus have helped a lot..."

Rhode paused, as the four people he mentioned, except for Mira, were currently lying on the ground in the courtyard.

"Are they okay?"

"They're fine, they'll be back to their spirits in no time." Mira walked towards the hall, "Let's go tidy up inside first."

Rhode followed, looking back at her step by step.

Just as Mira had said, their companions, who had been slammed into the courtyard by the Master, quickly got up and brushed the dust off themselves.

When Laki was about to use magic to repair the wall, she was stopped by the Master:

"Tell Macao and Natsu to fix the walls and windows, no magic allowed!"

Laki provided a pile of lumber, gave Natsu and the others a helpless look, and then only went to repair the damaged tables and chairs inside the guild.

The Master's anger was only temporary; a few minutes later, when Macao and Wakaba, who were fixing the wall, started fighting again, he completely ignored them.

Everyone had their own tasks, only Natsu, after hearing about the recent battle, clamored to fight Rhode again.

Rhode gladly accepted, wanting to see how he would fare against Natsu now.

After a busy morning, it was time for Rhode's most anticipated lunch.

Today's spread seemed exceptionally rich. In addition to the two plates of vegetarian dishes Rhode brought, Mira and Laki each brought two more elaborate dishes.

Marinated raw shrimp, with each shrimp arranged head-in and body-out, neatly encircling the edge of the plate, was eye-catching.

Marinated crab roe, different from steamed crab roe, was a vibrant red, as if solidified.

The crab roe and meat lay quietly in the opened crab shells, making one's mouth water.

Seafood omelet, an entire omelet spread across a large round plate, with a neat circle of razor clam meat along the edges, and other shellfish meat piled in the center. Green chives could be seen underneath.

The various ingredients were perfectly blended by the omelet, resembling a blooming sunflower.

Finally, there was the crab and shrimp congee. As soon as the lid was lifted, the rich aroma wafted out, whetting everyone's appetite.

Warm, a polite Poro, lay by the edge of the table, waiting patiently for food.

At most, it would stick out its tongue and drool pitifully.

Rhode was also struggling to control his cravings, "Is it a seafood theme today? Why is it so lavish?"

Laki said, "Because Mira-jie said we should celebrate you, and she specifically asked Mr. Cook to make his specialties."

Mr. Cook was the head chef of the guild's kitchen. He had reportedly been working there for over twenty years, and basically every delicious dish Rhode had eaten there was his handiwork.

"This... it's too much," Rhode's eyes were captivated by the delicacies on the table, unable to look away.

"You mean 'I'm embarrassed'?" Mira brought over three glasses of deep blue wine, placed them down, and sat, "Three Blue Starry Skies, Kana's treating."

Rhode and Laki looked at the next table. Kana was sitting on the tabletop, holding a wine barrel and gesturing a toast to them with her body tilted.

The three raised their glasses in acknowledgment to Kana, then clinked them together and took a small sip each.

"Sweet?" Rhode savored it. Compared to food, he knew little about wine. It tasted a bit like a RIO, but smoother and with more alcohol.

Mira said, "This wine is from Bosco, a neighboring country. It's a bit expensive due to transportation and tariffs, but it tastes great.

The downside is that the alcohol content is too low, which doesn't suit Kana's taste, but I'm glad you like it."

"It's delicious, thank you!"

Rhode put down his glass and began to savor today's feast.

First, the marinated raw shrimp. The shrimp meat was very tender, almost sticky to the teeth, with a texture completely different from steamed shrimp.

Its natural sweetness was enhanced by the marinade, making the overall flavor fresh and not fishy, incredibly delicious.

The other dishes also had their own unique characteristics, and with every bite, Rhode could feel the chef's passion poured into his creations.

Rhode savored each dish meticulously, praising them enthusiastically.

"I think Mr. Cook will really like you," Mira smiled. While many in the guild enjoyed good food, Rhode was the only one who could articulate his appreciation so well.

"Haha..." Rhode said sheepishly, "Actually... I think Mr. Cook is too serious. I'm almost afraid to speak when I look at his face."

"That's because Mr. Cook is very serious about everything related to cooking. And..."

Mira recalled past events and said with a touch of nostalgia, "When Happy was still small, he dragged Natsu to the kitchen to look for fish to eat. They accidentally knocked over a spice jar and ruined a lot of ingredients.

As a result, Mr. Cook chased them for three blocks with a knife and gave Natsu a good beating.

From then on, Natsu and Happy never dared to enter the kitchen again, and Mr. Cook developed the habit of sternly watching everyone who entered the kitchen."

"...I see." Rhode nodded heavily. As expected of a Fairy Tail chef.

He would be extra careful when going to the kitchen in the future and would prefer to communicate through the serving hatch unless absolutely necessary.

Laki looked at Mira, feeling a bit happy inside. Mira had actually brought up that time herself. She must be starting to move on a little, right?

It wasn't just Natsu who had gone looking for fish with Happy and then been chased for several blocks back then.

In the afternoon, Rhode fought Natsu again.

—He was supposed to find Kana, but she'd drunk too much and couldn't even stand steadily, clutching a wine barrel and talking in her sleep.

Natsu's destructive power was far greater than Jet's. One move, "Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon," could break one of a Stone Beetle's legs.

One move, "Roar of the Fire Dragon," could send an Ancient Stone Beetle flying backward, even causing it to split in two twice.

It was only when they burrowed underground and attacked from the earth separately that they could give Natsu a little trouble.

But unlike Jet, who was pinned and struggled to exert force, Natsu would burst into flames, using his immense heat to directly send the Stone Beetle away.

This stark contrast made Rhode momentarily uncertain about the Stone Beetle's defense.

Was it strong or not?

Natsu's breath attack should be a pretty formidable magic, shouldn't it?

In this battle, Rhode achieved unprecedented results, using his numerical advantage to make Natsu lose his balance and nearly fall.

It was a shame he couldn't pursue before Natsu reacted, braced himself, flipped over, and used "Dragon Claw" to successfully resolve the crisis.

In close-quarters combat, Rhode was no longer completely defenseless. He exchanged blows with Natsu like a proper match for a few rounds before they reverted to a "tough guy" brawl of trading punches.

Elfman was so moved by this thrilling, bone-jarring combat that he cried, nearly jumping into the fray himself.