"Miss Mira," Lucy asked curiously, "why did Master say we're not allowed to go up to the second floor?"
Mira smiled gently as she polished a mug behind the counter. "Because the missions posted up there are S-Class jobs. They're far more dangerous than the ones downstairs."
Lucy's eyes sparkled with wonder. "Wow… so only S-Class wizards are allowed to take them?"
"That's right," Mira nodded. "The rewards are amazing, sure, but even for an S-Class mage, those missions are life-threatening."
Lucy gulped, her expression turning sheepish. "Even if you hadn't warned me, I wouldn't dare to try one... I mean, I'm nowhere near strong enough. I'm not Erza or you."
Just then, Rhodes walked over to the counter, holding up a request slip.
"Mira, how about this one?" he asked as he set it down.
Mira looked at the paper and blinked. "You decided already?"
Rhodes nodded seriously. "Because this one… is something I can't ignore."
Mira glanced down at the job listing: Violet Town – Missing Girl Case.
Her expression softened.
'So that still weighs on your heart.'
She gave him a quiet nod and picked up the request. "I'll talk to Master about it. We can leave right away."
"Huh?" Lucy leaned in, surprised. "Miss Mira and Mr. Rhodes are going out on a mission together?"
Then she suddenly panicked. "Wait, if you two leave, who are we supposed to talk to when we want to take a job?"
Rhodes raised an eyebrow, half amused, half exasperated. "Lucy… you do realize that's the Guild Master's job, right?"
"Oh… right!" Lucy smacked her forehead. "I completely forgot Master's supposed to approve the jobs! I always just ask Miss Mira out of habit!"
Normally, the guild leader would handle approvals. Asking Mira or Rhodes was just something everyone got used to when they were around.
Happy, munching a grilled fish, took the opportunity to chime in with his usual tact:
"Lucy's got the memory of a goldfish!"
He punctuated his insult by chomping the fish right on the head.
"Don't you dare bite the fish's head while insulting me, you rotten cat!" Lucy shouted, grabbing a menu to swat him.
/
Rhodes grabbed a pen and filled out the mission registration form himself.
By the time he finished, Mira had already returned from speaking with Master Makarov. "Go home and pack up first," she said.
"I already keep everything I need on me," Rhodes replied casually. "Just grab some food after you're done packing."
Since earning enough money and learning magic that let him swap clothes instantly, Rhodes had taken to carrying spare clothes, a blanket, and common medicine with him at all times. Emergency mission? No problem, he was always ready.
"In that case, just come straight to my house." Mira nodded, heading off to inform Elfman that she'd be away for a while.
Rhodes, meanwhile, whistled for Warm, telling the little creature to go back home once he was done playing.
On the way to Mira's house, the two of them stopped at a few shops and bought some food for the road. If that wasn't enough, Mira said they could always raid her fridge before leaving.
Rhodes had been to Mira's house plenty of times, so once they arrived, he made himself at home, pouring a glass of water as he settled in to wait.
Mira was halfway up the stairs before she hesitated, turned, and stamped her foot. "Don't just stand there like a dummy, come help me pack!"
"Okay." Rhodes set down his glass and followed her upstairs.
This was his first time actually stepping into her room.
It was… just as he imagined. Clean. Warm. And it smelled faintly of Mira herself, sweet, soft, and hard to describe.
He couldn't quite decide if the decor was expected or not, but it was undeniably girly.
The curtains were double-layered, pink blackout curtains over delicate white gauze. The sheets and pillows were soft shades of pink, the quilt a plush off-white, patterned with tiny animals. A giant plush cushion sat on the bed, vaguely shaped like… maybe a Wombat?
A glass vase sat on her nightstand, holding fresh flowers. Judging by the green stems, they'd either been trimmed recently or freshly picked.
For some reason, seeing those well-kept flowers made Rhodes feel warm inside. Like knowing Mira was taking care of herself, living a peaceful life made him happy too.
That said, her room wasn't so obsessively tidy that it felt sterile. There was a bit of comfortable mess.
A few bottles and jars of who-knows-what were clustered loosely on her vanity. A nightgown had been draped over the back of a chair, the edge of its skirt brushing the floor.
And then…
A black bra hung upside-down from the window. Next to it, a lacy, triangle-cut piece of fabric—clearly matching—was slung over the curtain rod, the delicate black lace shimmering faintly in the light.
Before Rhodes could even blink;
Mira, with the lightning reflexes of a true S-Class mage, snapped into action.
/
Rhodes barely caught a glimpse of movement, just a shadow streaking past and the next moment, the two hangers by the window were left swinging gently in the breeze.
Mira had snatched her garments with lightning speed, back turned to him now, her shoulders stiff. "Don't look around!" she barked.
Rhodes wisely redirected his gaze upward to the ornate magic chandelier hanging from the ceiling. "Right. Totally wasn't looking. So… what do you want me to help you pack?"
"Pick a few outfits you like," Mira muttered, still facing away. Her face was tinged red as she extended an arm toward the wardrobe. "From that closet. And don't touch this one."
So, he got to pick her outfits for the trip?
Was she just being lazy, or was she giving him permission to decide what she'd be wearing for the next few days?
Either way, Rhodes wasn't going to complain.
"Leave it to me," he said, rolling up his metaphorical sleeves.
Trying hard to erase the mental image of the lace he'd just accidentally seen, Rhodes turned his full attention to the wardrobe.
Mira might've usually worn elegant dresses around the guild, but her clothing collection was impressively diverse. Inside the spacious wardrobe were pieces that ranged from modest and graceful to sporty, chic, and well, blatantly daring.
And this was after she'd packed away all her winter clothes.
As a wizard, Mira's jobs often involved travel, dangerous terrain, and unpredictable battles. Long skirts and gowns might look nice, but practicality mattered too. Even high-slit skirts could get caught or torn in a fight.
So Rhodes gravitated toward functional-yet-cute choices, T-shirts paired with skirts, lightweight blouses with shorts, and a couple of casual travel dresses. Cute and easy to move in.
From where she was folding clothes behind him, Mira kept sneaking glances his way.
And with every passing second, her suspicions deepened.
Hmm… lots of short skirts. Definitely eyeing those crop tops. Was he picking all the outfits with bare legs?
Did she wear long dresses too often? Was her usual wardrobe too… conservative? She began rethinking her style on the spot. Maybe she should mix things up.
Rhodes, blissfully unaware of the silent evaluation happening behind him, continued flipping through her closet. Once he'd picked out the prettier outfits, practicality kicked in.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, pulling out a few more items. "Better include a couple jackets and long pants. If we end up in the woods or somewhere damp, it's best to have full coverage... Maybe something water-resistant..."
Mira smiled as she listened. He really was thoughtful, even if he pretended not to be. She decided to give his choices a passing grade.
Just as Rhodes was folding up the last outfit, something occurred to him.
"By the way, Mira…" he said casually, turning to her.
"Hmm?" she asked, distracted, still stuffing something into a pouch.
"You know," he said, half-serious, "before hanging up certain kinds of clothes, you're supposed to make sure they're fully wrung out."
Mira froze.
"And it's best to hang them somewhere that gets good sunlight. At least make sure there's airflow. Otherwise, they might…
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Mira spun around and hurled the small overnight bag at his face.
Rhodes caught it, just barely, only for her to snatch it right back with a huff.
"Why do you know so much about drying underwear?!"