Mira wore a yellow long dress with beige ribbons and bows, simple yet elegant and beautiful.
She held a guitar in her arms, her gaze sweeping across the audience below the stage, who were clapping and cheering.
When she spotted someone who had just put down his plate and waved at her, Mira smiled gracefully, and then bowed to the audience before sitting down.
She gently crossed her legs at the slit of her dress, perfectly covering any areas that shouldn't be exposed. Then, her fingers lightly brushed across the guitar strings.
A small bird flew over, its head morphing into a microphone, hovering in front of Mira.
The prelude began, and Mira got into her zone. The hall quieted down, and everyone focused on the music from the stage.
Finally, she opened her mouth, her clear and melodious voice singing a gentle, healing song.
Mira sang with such passion, her expression and tone changing along with the emotions of the lyrics and melody.
She poured her feelings into every listener's heart.
There were some excellent singers present, but even they couldn't help but sincerely applaud for Mira when she finished.
"May I flap my wings more powerfully and fly higher."
"I believe in you."
"From now on, let us weave beautiful memories together."
The last few lyrics had a significant impact on Rhodes.
But rationally, the entire song seemed like it was dedicated to the guild members.
The most touching lines should be the earlier ones:
"Because I have my home, because I have people waiting for me."
The guild was everyone's home, and the guild had people waiting for everyone to return.
Fairy Tail was that kind of place.
...
After the song ended, Mira took a bow and left the stage, circling back to the banquet hall to find Rhodes.
"So, how was it? I've only recently learned to play the guitar. Was it embarrassing?"
"Of course not. It was great—sounded wonderful, and your singing was really moving," Rhodes said. "A few of those reporters just now seemed on the verge of tears."
"No way, not that exaggerated."
"Not exaggerated at all." Rhodes picked up an empty plate and placed several types of food in front of her.
"You must be hungry. These are the ones I've tried, and they taste really good."
Not only were they tasty, but there were also no messy sauces, syrups, or fish bones—nothing awkward to eat.
Rhodes made a careful selection, not only considering her taste but also ensuring she looked elegant in such a setting.
"Thank you."
Mira, who was used to taking care of others, appreciated the feeling of being taken care of.
"It's delicious." Mira smiled softly, squinting her eyes slightly. When it came to recommending good food, Rhodes was completely trustworthy.
Rhodes chose some food he hadn't tried yet for himself, casually asking, "Are there more plans after this?"
"Just saying hello to some editors I'm familiar with," Mira replied. "But it's better to stay until the celebration ends before leaving. Besides..."
"Besides?"
Mira blinked, "There's still Jenny's final performance. Aren't you looking forward to it?"
"Not particularly, but out of respect for Hibiki, I should acknowledge her effort. Otherwise...
"Otherwise, if she asks me later which outfit of hers was the best tonight, and I say a yellow dress..."
Rhodes glanced at Mira, "I feel like she'd kill me."
Mira looked at her own outfit, then laughed, mischievously saying, "Why not answer just like that?"
A devil.
But it felt quite amusing, and Rhodes gave a mischievous smile, "Sure."
With two devils at the scene, Jenny backstage suddenly shivered.
...
The celebration continued until around ten at night. In fact, the actual programs, speeches, and employee interactions ended by nine.
The remaining time was for socializing, drinking, and partying. Of course, even when it came to rowdiness, it couldn't compare to the guild.
After Rhodes accompanied Mira through the necessary events, they returned to their rooms to rest.
Mira had a few drinks, and her cheeks were slightly flushed, though she didn't get drunk.
Or rather, it was a good thing she didn't get drunk.
Because of that, there were no romantic surprises that evening.
Only that he got to see Mira in her sleepwear after taking a bath—not exactly noteworthy.
The next morning, after packing up, they went out together to hire a carriage—a proper one with a cabin that could shield them from sun and rain.
Rhodes confirmed that the coachman was an ordinary person, and the two horses pulling the carriage seemed healthy. Everything seemed fine.
Mira had gotten used to his cautious habits by now, quietly waiting for him to finish the inspection before paying and boarding the carriage.
Unfortunately, even after leaving the capital, they didn't run into Jenny again, and their teasing plan came to nothing.
"Traveling by road has its downsides—Swift Canyon Crabs are too conspicuous."
Though he said this, Rhodes still sent out two River Crabs—one ahead and one behind—to scout.
"Taking a boat would mean going upstream, plus today's weather isn't suitable for sailing."
Mira ignored the crab issue and simply explained the reason for taking the carriage.
Besides, arranging to hire a carriage was something Rhodes needed to gain more experience with.
"By the way, this is for you." Rhodes took a paper bag from his backpack.
Mira was about to say she already had a grenade in her purse and didn't need anything else, but when she opened the bag, it wasn't a spellbook as she'd imagined—it was a small black crossbody bag.
"Oh, it's the envelope bag from that store yesterday?" Mira looked pleasantly surprised. "When did you get it?"
"Morning, during my jog. Passed by that store." Even if he made a point to pass by, it was still "passing by." Rhodes said,
"Think of it as a thank-you gift. Though I wasn't sure about your preferences."
He really wasn't sure. Rhodes only remembered that during Mira and Jenny's competition yesterday, this bag appeared twice in Mira's outfit.
Jenny might not have noticed in her fury, but she could've asked for points to be deducted because of it.
"Thank you, I love it!"
No wonder when he said he'd gone for a jog that morning, he didn't seem to have broken a sweat.
Mira hugged the bag and the paper bag together, her eyes curving into crescents.
"I'm glad you like it." Rhodes let out a sigh of relief. His deduction was right, and at least this gift hadn't been a miss.
Rhodes was about to say something more when suddenly he froze and shouted ahead, "Stop the carriage, stop!"
The coachman reined in the horses steadily, and with a soft whinny, the carriage slowed down and came to a quick halt.
Sitting sideways, Mira's body tilted slightly from the inertia, but she quickly regained her balance. She asked, "What's wrong?"
"There's someone blocking the road ahead," Rhodes replied.
Mira pulled back the curtain from the carriage window and stuck her head out, seeing only a relatively flat but slightly winding dirt road.
She strained her eyes to look forward, but all she saw was a dirt slope—no sign of anyone.
"Where?" she asked, puzzled.
"About a kilometer ahead. Two people—one with a magic staff, and the other holding a flute. They must be wizards."
"A kilometer away..."
Mira thought of the Swift Canyon Crabs Rhodes had sent out. What a reliable scouting unit.