Money, Money, Money

Fairy Tail's special beef curry rice, its aroma could be smelled from a distance.

When the plate was placed on the table, the fragrance of rice immediately filled his nostrils. The rice must have been high-quality.

Rhode picked up his spoon. To his left was the brownish-red curry soup, with evenly diced beef, potatoes, and carrots.

To his right was the rice, which appeared even whiter against the backdrop of the soup. The color and aroma from both sides were so enticing that Rhode didn't know where to start.

This blissful indecision lasted only a few seconds before Rhode, urged by his rumbling stomach, decided to start from the middle.

Curry and rice entered his mouth simultaneously. Salty, savory, and fragrant, with a hint of spiciness, it filled his mouth, making his tongue and teeth work involuntarily.

Rhode wasn't very good with spicy food, and even a slight hint of spice made fine sweat bead on his forehead.

But after the spiciness subsided, he could better taste the sweetness of the rice and the savory flavor of the beef.

Rhode was so engrossed in the delicious curry rice that he couldn't pull himself away.

"Rhode seems to get really into his food every time; it even makes me feel more hungry," Mirajane's voice rang out. "Do you really like good food, Rhode?"

"Of course, I like delicious food. I didn't pay much attention before, but now I seem to be enjoying the process of tasting good food more and more."

Rhode thought for a moment, then added, "Maybe it's because I was so hungry the past few days, or maybe it's because I almost died, and it's made me cherish things I didn't before."

Mirajane seemed to have regained her gentle and considerate demeanor. "If that's the case, you'll have to work hard. Our menu here is very, very long."

"I'll try my best... Haha." Rhode couldn't help but laugh. Work hard to eat? Work hard for the sake of eating? Whichever way you put it, it sounded a bit off.

A delicious plate of curry rice reduced Rhode's living expenses by 500J. He felt it was well worth the price.

In addition, he paid Mirajane for his meals over the past few days, and his wallet shrunk again.

Mirajane seemed a little worried that Rhode wouldn't make it to next month. "You don't have to rush to pay this back. Those meals can be considered a gesture of comfort."

"It's only natural to pay for meals. I can't do anything about the medical expenses for now, but I can't let the guild bear the cost of food... even though I 'borrowed' the money from the guild master."

"It's a temporary loan."

"Oh, oh, temporary loan, temporary loan."

Rhode carefully looked at the menu. If it was just a meal, the cheaper ones were around a few hundred J.

If he ate a larger portion but only ordered ordinary food, then a few thousand J would be enough.

Of course, if he ate whatever looked good without restraint, there was no upper limit.

Rhode, who wanted to enjoy good food, suddenly felt the pressure. He asked, "Are there any jobs in the guild that don't require magic?"

Mirajane tapped her chin with her index finger and thought for a moment.

"If you're willing, you can work part-time as a waiter in the tavern. Since you need to leave time to study magic... the salary would only be about 120,000J per month. Would that be okay?"

Rhode didn't hesitate. "Of course, thank you!"

For a Mage, 120,000J wasn't much. Stronger Mages like Natsu could earn that amount in a day or two by taking on a mission to clear out bandits.

Weaker Mages only needed to take on some local life-related tasks, and it wouldn't even take half a month to earn 120,000J.

Only the lowest-tier Mages, who could only take on small tasks worth a few thousand J, would worry about this amount.

Unfortunately, Rhode currently belonged to the category of 'quasi-magic apprentice,' which was even lower than the lowest-tier Mages.

This job was already a favor to him, and Mirajane had even specifically mentioned leaving time for him to study magic.

Another benefit of being a waiter was that two meals were provided. This way, after deducting rent and some daily expenses, it would take about half a year to repay the money the guild master lent him.

Mr. Hibiki's commission and Ms. Porlyusica's medical expenses would take even longer.

However, Rhode felt that after a few months, he should be able to take on some Mage missions, and repaying the debt would be faster...

The task ahead was arduous.

Since he had decided to work as a waiter for a while, Rhode stayed to help with the cleaning that day.

The tables and chairs had to be wiped and neatly arranged, the floor swept clean, the main door locked after confirming no one was left inside, and the lights extinguished before leaving.

Rhode found a bit of the feeling of doing cleaning duty with his classmates in middle school.

After saying goodbye to each other, everyone went home. Elfman usually waited for Mirajane when he wasn't out on a job.

Rhode walked with them for a short while. During their casual chat, he learned a shocking piece of news: "Elfman is your younger brother? I always thought he was the older one!"

"Oh dear, I'm not at the age where I'll be happy just being called young." Mirajane touched her cheek with her right hand. While she said she wouldn't be happy, her smile didn't stop.

Elfman also seemed happy. "A man should be more mature!"

Rhode fell into thought. He had inadvertently complimented both siblings with one sentence. Was he the kind of person who was good with words?

He didn't even know himself.

Because Rhode returned a bit late, the landlord had already locked the door and gone home.

Rhode took out his key and opened the door to enter.

The room was pitch black. Rhode fumbled his way to the staircase with the moonlight filtering in through the window, carefully walking upstairs.

The house was mostly made of wood, and the staircase was no exception. Fortunately, there were no creaking sounds when Rhode stepped on it, so it wasn't too old.

Rhode found a match after entering the house and lit the candle on the table.

The technological level here isn't great; there aren't even electric lights. Many people still use candles and oil lamps.

Although there are magic-powered lamps, and their prices have dropped considerably in recent years, they are still much more expensive than oil lamps.

Therefore, the landlord hadn't prepared any magic items for this old house that had been vacant for many years.

As for water, there was convenient running water, but if he wanted hot water, he'd have to boil it himself.

After washing up, Rhode simply wiped his body with cold water, contemplating whether he should use the guild's bathroom.

"Looks like I'll need to get some household appliances later—or should I call them household magic items here?"

"Money, money..." Rhode, having left school in an unusual way, had to worry about making a living.

Thinking about the wages from working at the tavern and the rewards from Mage quests, Rhode began to look forward to life after learning magic.

With infinite anticipation for his future life, Rhode fell into a deep sleep.

Rhode opened his eyes, sunlight slanting across his face through the window. He sat bolt upright: "I'm late!"

"Fresh apples, crisp pears!"

"Cabbage is cheaper now!"

"Fresh zucchini, come and see!"

The noisy calls of vendors had already started outside. Rhode suddenly felt a sense of displacement.

He flopped back heavily, raising an arm to shield his eyes: "It seems I don't have morning classes anymore, how wonderful?"

After a moment of silence, Rhode got up, washed, changed into the new white T-shirt and black capri pants he bought yesterday, ruffled his bangs, and went downstairs.

A moment later, he ran back into the room with a clatter, found the necklace on the bedside table, put it on, and left.

"Good morning, Mr. Rhode, did you sleep well?" the landlord, Goodman Riel, greeted him enthusiastically.

"Big Brother Goodman, you're here so early."

"Just arrived, about to open for business."

The window area on the first floor was a large wooden board, about two meters long and one meter wide.

After unfastening a few clasps from the inside, it could be pulled outwards and lowered completely.

Once two folding wooden legs on the side were propped open, it immediately transformed into a platform serving as a shelf.

Rhode found it interesting, no wonder the door wasn't in the center but deliberately placed near the side.

He helped Goodman set up the awning and then prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment, as a thank you, here, take this." Goodman tossed an object the size of a keychain to Rhode.

Rhode caught it in his palm and saw it was a small wooden token, about two to three centimeters, with illegible carvings and a red string tied in a beautiful knot.

"What is this?"

An amulet. Although it's just a common handicraft, I carved the wooden charm myself, and my wife tied the knot.

Goodman smiled, "I heard Mages occasionally take on dangerous commissions. Be careful."

Goodman's shop mainly dealt in handicrafts like wooden carvings and woven ornaments. He had made one while stocking up yesterday.

"Thank you." Rhode wanted to say that he was still a long way from taking dangerous missions, but he didn't say it out loud, merely accepting the man's kindness carefully.

He felt as though the loneliness and unease of surviving alone in another world had been dispelled a little more.