Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master

For Jason, being overlooked wasn't a big deal.

In fact, he preferred being completely ignored whenever he wasn't conducting interviews.

That way, he could witness Fairy Tail in its most genuine, chaotic state.

Although Jason had dutifully written down Master Makarov's polite but somewhat stiff speech, he had no intention of actually using it.

What he truly wanted was to see the guild's usual lively chaos, the messy tavern, Gray stripping unconsciously, Natsu breathing fire and causing trouble, and wizards spontaneously breaking into fights.

Even if someone excitedly punched him in the face, he'd shout "COOL!" and continue scribbling notes furiously from the ground.

Before Lucy could even stand up properly, she clung desperately to Natsu's legs. "Natsu, don't hit Mr. Reporter!"

Natsu dragged Lucy along with him. "But he always writes bad stuff about me! Saying I destroyed this, destroyed that, and destroyed something else again!"

Lucy protested loudly, "Because you really do destroy things every single day!"

"I don't care!" Natsu snapped back.

It was another rowdy day at Fairy Tail, and Jason enthusiastically joined in, happily spending his day amidst the noise and laughter.

Eating, drinking, brawling, photographing, and scribbling down notes…

This was the first time Jason had conducted an interview this way, feeling as if he had become an honorary member of Fairy Tail.

In his own words, this guild was just too COOL!

Jason decided he would show the magazine readers the real Fairy Tail, making sure everyone fell in love with this amazing guild just as he had.

As the party wound down, Jason remembered he'd promised Rhodes to interview some newcomers before he left, inspiring him to add an entirely new "Newcomer Spotlight" column.

He interviewed Tono, Lucy, and Juvia individually, each had joined the guild recently, and took plenty of photos.

Unfortunately, Gajeel wasn't present, so Jason learned a bit more about the former Phantom Lord Element 4's reasons for joining Fairy Tail through Juvia.

This sparked another idea. Perhaps next week, he could investigate what the other former Phantom Lord members were doing?

Jason was brimming with energy and ideas.

...

Another night at Fairy Tail stretched well past midnight.

This guild truly loved parties, which always seemed to continue noisily until dawn.

When Rhodes woke up, he found himself comfortably nestled in Mira's arms, her hands draped around his neck, resting gently on his chest.

As soon as he stirred, Mira noticed and smiled softly. "You're awake? Did you sleep well?"

"I didn't expect to fall asleep like this," Rhodes chuckled. Sitting up, he quickly realized Mira's head had been resting on Elfman's chest, they'd ended up falling asleep in an awkward trio.

"Are you tired?" Rhodes asked gently.

Mira shook her head lightly and happily showed Rhodes her left hand. "Look, it's a gift from my fiancé! Isn't it lovely?"

"It's beautiful, really beautiful," Rhodes replied warmly, gently caressing her hand and the wooden ring.

Seeing Mira's radiant smile, he paused thoughtfully. "Maybe we should buy a new ring soon. If you wear this all the time… someone might laugh at you."

Mira swiftly withdrew her hand, clenching it into a fist, eyes flashing fiercely. "If anyone dares laugh at me, I'll twist their head off!"

Rhodes grinned affectionately. "Truly a terrifying demon."

Mira was about to say something when she heard Elfman mumble, "So scary."

The two of them paused, looking curiously at Elfman, who was leaning against the wall.

He tilted his head slightly, his features scrunched in pain, murmuring words like "sister" and "scary."

Mira felt a mix of concern, amusement, and mild annoyance, wondering if her brother deserved some comfort or if she'd perhaps been too harsh on him in the past.

"It's because there was pressure on his chest, he probably had a nightmare," Rhodes said gently, hugging Mira to defend his brother-in-law.

"I had pressure on me too; why didn't I have a nightmare?"

"You're different from him."

One had a buffer, and the other didn't.

Mira thought about it briefly, then playfully punched Rhodes on the chest. "Go wash up and get to work."

Morning chores were always tedious, especially after a night of celebration.

But now there were enough guild members around to handle tasks quickly.

Rhodes' first job was to wake everyone up. He walked to the stage, found the drum set that hadn't been cleared away from yesterday, picked up the drumsticks, and began hitting them randomly.

As someone with no musical talent, he especially loved clashing the cymbals together—it was exhilarating.

"What the heck!"

"Who is making that racket?!"

"It's too early for this!"

Groggy guild members stumbled awake, grumbling and rubbing their eyes as they realized they were in the guild hall, not at home.

"Oh no! I promised my wife I'd be home last night!"

The married members, led by Wakaba, bolted out of the guild in a panic.

Others turned their irritation toward Rhodes:

"Rhodes, what's your problem?!"

"We were celebrating you yesterday!"

"That's right, and now you're causing chaos so early in the morning!"

Rhodes chuckled and put down the drumsticks. "Alright, alright, I'll remember your kindness forever. But it's time to get moving. The tavern is opening soon. If you need to go home, go; if you need to work, get started! And if you're still angry, feel free to beat me up later. I promise I won't fight back!"

But he couldn't promise the same for his fiancée.

Grumbling but understanding, everyone slowly got up, straightened their clothes, and adjusted themselves.

Some headed home, others checked the notice board, and a few sat down at tables, immediately ordering breakfast.

The more diligent ones even started rearranging the furniture.

Of course, there were still those like Natsu who slept soundly.

Who knew how he managed it, feet up on the table, rear on the stool, head sprawled awkwardly on the ground, making anyone who saw him worry about potential blood rushing to his head.

"Natsu, Natsu, wake up!"

Laki, who was about to clean the area, gently pushed Natsu but couldn't wake him.

"Let me handle this." Rhodes summoned Warm and, without giving Warm time to react, he picked him up and tossed him onto Natsu.

Bang! Crack!

The long bench couldn't withstand the weight and snapped in half. Pinned beneath Warm, Natsu could only make muffled noises, waving his limbs helplessly.

Laki covered her mouth, stifling laughter. Rhodes could really be ruthless when teasing Natsu.

Warm, however, was kind-hearted. He quickly climbed off Natsu, licked his face as a form of apology, then trotted over to Mira for some food.

"What was that for, Rhodes!"

Natsu jumped up and lunged at Rhodes. Rhodes didn't back down, eagerly engaging in a playful morning scuffle.

Their tussle moved from the middle of the tavern toward the entrance, only stopping when Erza grabbed Natsu by the collar. "Enough, Natsu, don't disturb everyone's work."

Rhodes found himself gently embraced from behind by Mira. "Honestly, why are you fighting with Natsu, too?"

"I haven't beaten him up in a while, and my fists were itching," Rhodes said teasingly.

"What did you say? I'm always the one beating you!" Natsu protested loudly.

"Check your black eyes before you talk!"

"You jerk! I'll make you pay for that!"

The two childish rivals were separated amid laughter, officially marking the start of another lively day.

...

"I didn't expect Rhodes to fight with Natsu like that," Lucy commented.

After freshening up at home and changing into clean clothes, Lucy returned to the guild. She had missed their energetic morning battle, seeing only Natsu's bruised eyes.

Mira smiled, polishing a glass behind the counter. "Rhodes often sparred with Natsu in the past, usually losing. Only recently has he started getting the upper hand."

In just over a year, Rhodes had transformed remarkably from a complete novice into a formidable wizard. Mira's earlier admiration had now turned into genuine pride.

"Oh, that's incredible." Lucy rested her chin thoughtfully. "When will I become that strong?"

"Want to try Rhodes' training method?" Mira teased, recalling some amusing memories. "It's not too extreme at first, you only need to get beaten once or twice a day."

"No, thanks..." Lucy quickly declined. She had her own approach to training. "Could you recommend a good job for me instead? I still owe you money."

"Don't worry about that. I'll keep an eye out for something suitable." Mira reassured her. "Also, although I'm not sure about Natsu's progress, Erza isn't working as a waitress anymore. You could team up with her."

"That's a great idea!" Lucy brightened. Teaming with Erza would mean they could handle tougher quests.

Just as Lucy headed to the job board, Rhodes called out to her. "Lucy."

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to check in on your family?"

"Huh? I just came from home."

"I mean the Heartfilia family," Rhodes clarified gently.

Lucy looked surprised and puzzled. "Why would you ask that?"

Rhodes handed her the morning newspaper. "Take a look. It seems the Heartfilia Konzern is having some difficulties."

Lucy wanted to say her family's company was no longer her concern, but her compassionate nature prevailed. She accepted the newspaper and read carefully.

"Financial trouble..." she murmured softly.

Lucy recalled her last visit home, when her father had tried arranging her marriage to secure a business alliance in the south.

Her expression grew worried, but she eventually returned the newspaper to Rhodes. "It's alright. If there's anything I know about him, it's his business capabilities. Even if I returned, he'd only say I'm interfering."

She couldn't help financially, anyway- not with the kind of money required.

Did she really need to marry a stranger just for the sake of her father's business ambitions?

...

Bonus @800

40 chapters 👉👉 patreon.com/Keepsmiling818