Disconnected? Natural?

The unlucky guild master often drew missions with low pay but high difficulty. Since he couldn't personally handle every task, he had to delegate them to the younger members.

Laxus would have been the ideal candidate, but his personality made him difficult to manage.

Therefore, Erza, who possessed a strong sense of responsibility and sufficient strength, would often step forward to resolve these matters for the guild master.

Rhode savored this information, realizing that Erza's influence within the guild might stem from more than just her strength.

"Wait, wait a minute!" Rhode suddenly noticed a blind spot. "What did Erza mean earlier when she said she finished the mission ahead of schedule... is it what I think it is?"

Erza nodded. "I just took on the entire guild single-handedly. It's no big deal."

"..." Rhode fell silent. What a casual way to put it.

Could it be that the outside world wasn't as dangerous as he imagined?

Rhode hesitated. "Isn't doing that a bit unsafe?"

"Mm, the decision made in haste this time was a bit rash," Erza admitted, reflecting seriously on her actions. But she immediately added, "I was too eager for this shop's strawberry cake and couldn't wait for reinforcements. I'll be more careful next time."

"..."

So, she single-handedly cleared out a Dark Guild because she was in a hurry to get home for cake. Perfectly reasonable.

Mira wasn't surprised at all; this was indeed Erza's style.

Besides, she had seen the information on the Scorpion Tail guild, and Erza was more than capable of handling them.

The waiter quickly brought the items Erza had ordered, lining the small plates across the table.

Erza was immersed in the world of desserts, occasionally displaying an adorable expression completely unlike her usual demeanor.

Rhode did some mental calculations:

'Erza defeated an entire Dark Guild, and I've been defeated by Erza.

Therefore, my strength is equivalent to that of a Dark Guild. The logic is sound.

Hahaha, keep it low-key, keep it low-key.'

After finishing his dessert, Rhode entertained himself.

Erza pushed the multiple servings of strawberry cake she had ordered towards Mira and Rhode. "Let's eat together."

Rhode asked, "Don't you love strawberry cake the most?"

"That's why I want to share it. Sharing with companions makes the deliciousness even more delicious," Erza said, her voice almost monotone, a blissful look on her face.

"Since it's Erza's kind gesture, I'll have a little more," Mira said, cutting a small piece of cake in half and sharing it with Rhode.

Then, as Erza ate more, she felt something was off. "Speaking of which, why are you two here together... Could it be... a date?"

Rhode hadn't even reacted, but Erza's face turned red, and she stammered, "You, you guys... When, when are you getting married?"

"Pfft..." Rhode covered his mouth, nearly spitting coffee onto her face. "You're thinking way too far ahead!"

"No, isn't it?"

"Wakaba's wife just gave us two complimentary tickets," Mira explained, then cupped her face with one hand and said with a slight smirk, "Ahaha... but I suppose it could be considered a date."

"D-d-d-date..." Erza continued to stutter.

Mira laughed even harder. "A shy Erza is also quite amusing. It's a shame Rhode isn't blushing; it's not as fun as before."

Rhode let out a sigh of relief. A month of training had thickened his skin, or perhaps strengthened his ability to accept things.

Most importantly... when he left the house today, he had approached the outing with the mindset of going on a date.

Now that Mira was teasing him like this, he couldn't possibly feel embarrassed.

Afterward, Rhode noticed Erza was a bit airheaded.

While he and Mira had already moved on to the next topic, Erza was still confirming with Mira if she was joking.

After finally explaining things clearly to Erza and waiting for her to finish her dessert, the three of them left together.

"Please come again! We welcome you back!"

The server at the entrance bowed politely, but Erza suddenly stopped and said to Mira and Rhode, "Wait for me."

Rhode asked, "What's wrong with her?"

Mira thought for a moment. "She probably wants to pack a few cakes to take home, right?"

A few minutes later, Erza returned, but she had changed into the uniform of the shop's server.

Rhode was completely bewildered. A valiant female knight went in, and a gentle waitress came out?

Was it a metamorphosis?

"Welcome, honored guests. What would you like to order?" Erza said, bending slightly to gesture them in, then straightening up. "How is it?"

The girl responsible for greeting customers was already captivated by Erza.

"Very..." Rhode's compliment got stuck in his throat, and he changed it to, "It suits you very well."

Mira smiled and applauded, "That's beautiful. Why the sudden change?"

"Because I felt this outfit was very cute, so I asked the owner if she could sell it to me," Erza tugged at her collar.

"Then she said it wasn't for sale, but if I worked here for half a day, she'd give it to me."

Rhode was a bit stunned, "...So you agreed?"

Erza nodded matter-of-factly, "That's right, so I need to start working. Please take my luggage back to the guild for me?"

"No..." Rhode's head was buzzing.

You're an S-Class Mage, your quests are worth millions, and you sold yourself for a common uniform?

Mira had no intention of stopping her, and instead encouraged Erza, "Good luck! We'll take care of the luggage."

In the end, the River Crab shouldered everything, not only pulling the luggage cart but also carrying Rhode and Mira.

"You don't understand Erza's actions very well?"

Mira sat sideways, her legs pressed together, her skirt held tightly, like a mermaid.

"A little bit. Is her personality like this? She seems a bit disconnected and airheaded."

Rhode recalled Erza's expression; she seemed to be enjoying herself.

Mira said, "I prefer to call it freedom and acting on impulse. Erza just likes all sorts of distinctive clothes and trying out interesting professions.

The reward is completely outside her consideration. Rather, if doing so makes her happy, that's the greatest reward.

Compared to Erza, no, not just Erza, but compared to most people in the guild, you, Rhode, seem too worried and tense.

I don't know what you've been through or what worries and pressures you carry, so I'm not qualified to tell you to relax like everyone else.

But at least today, at least for that little while at the dessert shop, I hope you were happy."

Her bright smile, the same as when they first met, her gentle words, the same as when he first heard them, flowed into Rhode's heart like a gentle stream, word by word.

Soft, warm.

Rhode was sure he had found the reason for his affection.

"Thank you, I... I was very happy."

"Every day spent in Fairy Tail is a happy one."

"Today was especially happy."