On the way back, they took the train from Onibus Station. This time, without Rhodes having to forcibly save a seat, Alzack himself mustered the courage to sit beside Bisca.
However, they still left a gap between them. One of them turned to look out the window while the other kept their head down, staring at the aisle.
Rhodes pulled out a deck of playing cards to ease the tension, but after this trip, he truly planned not to meddle anymore. He hoped Alzack would gather his own courage from now on.
Honestly, it felt like the relationship between these two could transition to a full-blown romance at any moment—possibly even faster than his own progress.
How enviable.
When Rhodes returned, he planned to train diligently for a few more days before selecting a suitable mission to undertake with Elfman.
The journey back was uneventful, although as they neared Magnolia, the sky turned gloomy.
Bisca happened to glance out the window. "Who is that?"
Rhodes and Alzack both looked outside. On a small hill in the countryside stood a cloaked figure with multiple staffs on their back.
Rhodes commented, "That outfit... it must be Mystogan, right? I saw him a few days ago, but unfortunately, I couldn't see his face."
Alzack said, "So that's Mystogan... He really wraps himself up way too much, doesn't he?"
Both Alzack and Bisca were seeing Mystogan's silhouette for the first time, though they had been hypnotized by him several times before.
If not for today, they probably wouldn't recognize him even if they passed him on the street.
Rhodes suggested with a mischievous tone, "Hey, wanna take a couple of potshots at him?"
Bisca was taken aback. "Why?"
"Just for some payback. Didn't you ever hit your head when you got hypnotized and fell?" Rhodes thought about his own experience being hypnotized. Back then...
Wait a minute—he had actually fallen with Mira.
But because he was startled, he hadn't paid attention.
Could it be that Mystogan was actually a good guy?
No, no. He was still rude regardless.
"I think it's a good idea," Alzack admitted, feeling tempted. Sneakily shooting a tranquilizer bullet to make the guy sleep in the wild as a bit of revenge wasn't too much, was it?
"But now doesn't seem like the right time. He seems to be doing something important." Bisca frowned. "Is that training?"
At that moment, Mystogan was placing five staffs into the ground. In the sky above, a small swirling vortex was forming, as if he intended to open a hole in the clouds.
His cloak and robe flapped in the wind as he clasped the central staff with both hands.
Magic circles lit up in layers from the ground upward, beams of light shooting into the clouds.
The gap in the sky shrank quickly. The swirling vortex reappeared, this time rotating in the opposite direction and getting smaller until it completely vanished, as if nothing had happened at all.
Mystogan's tense posture relaxed as he slowly replaced the staffs onto his back. His departing silhouette looked somewhat fatigued.
Rhodes wondered aloud, "What kind of magic can affect the weather and clouds like that?"
"A Magic Converging Cannon could probably scatter a small patch of clouds," Bisca replied. "Is that the power of one of our guild's strongest candidates? Just how strong is he?"
"No idea," Alzack said. "But judging by his appearance, he doesn't look like he's training."
"Let's ask the Master when we get back." Rhodes remembered Mira mentioning that Mystogan had been around Magnolia recently.
In that case, what they saw just now could very well have been him completing some sort of mission—staying in the area because of it.
Rhodes glanced at the overcast sky and thought, Could Mystogan's mission be... artificial rainfall?
…
"Mystogan, huh? He has his own missions; don't worry about him." Makarov brushed off the subject of Mystogan.
Hearing the Master say that, the three could only assume it was a high-level confidential mission.
Rhodes then reported to the Master and Mira about the mission they had completed. He praised Alzack and Bisca for their marksmanship and combat skills.
In turn, Alzack and Bisca praised Rhodes for his preparations and coordination during the battle.
Having Rhodes around saved them a lot of time, minimized hassles, and resolved numerous small issues along the journey.
Alzack added silently to himself, He also helped solve a major issue.
Mira wrote a few words in the logbook and smiled, "Confirmed completion—congratulations." She looked at Rhodes, her eyes brimming with curiosity, clearly eager to hear about the events during their trip.
Makarov chuckled and said, "You all did very well."
Though the mission wasn't particularly difficult, they managed to capture the entire bandit group swiftly, without a single mishap or causing unnecessary destruction.
That alone was worth a commendation of "well done."
"Oh, by the way," Rhodes suggested, "we haven't had lunch yet. How about celebrating with a meal together? Umm... here in the guild."
Alzack glanced at Bisca out of the corner of his eye. "I-I'm fine with that."
Bisca also looked at Alzack shyly. "S-Sure."
Though they had just eaten together yesterday, that had been during the mission—this was here, in the guild!
Rhodes sighed internally. He had resolved to stay out of their business.
But clearly, Mira wanted some gossip.
So, Rhodes very "unloyally" decided to sell out Alzack.
Then again, from his perspective, it was actually quite loyal.
If it were his old dorm mates, and he put in this much effort to be their wingman, they wouldn't just call it loyalty—they'd practically make him godfather.
"Mira, have you eaten?" Rhodes asked again. "Wanna join us?"
Mira blinked. "Would that be okay?"
"Of course." Alzack thought he saw through Rhodes' little plan and felt he couldn't let him down.
Bisca probably thought the same, thinking that having another person would help ease any awkwardness.
And so, the four of them gathered at a table in the guild. The atmosphere wasn't awkward—but it was strangely peculiar.
Rhodes and Mira were eagerly anticipating Alzack and Bisca's gossip, while Alzack and Bisca thought they were observing Rhodes and Mira.
The group chatted about their experience from the previous day as they ate, while the nosy members in the guild believed they were catching gossip about all four of them.
Thus, that afternoon, everyone had a filling meal—both with food and gossip. Some were even left feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"Such a miscalculation..." Rhodes said, regretfully. "I was hoping to let you get a close-up view of the drama, but things just ended up weird."
Mira laughed. "But isn't that what made it fun?"
Rhodes couldn't resist teasing her. "...Your idea of fun sure is strange..."
Makarov suddenly asked, "Rhodes, when are you planning to go out again? Do you have anyone in mind to team up with?"
"Master, not again?" Rhodes said, half amused, half exasperated. "I just got back. Did someone else make you write a report?"
"No, no, that's not it." Makarov explained, "It's already November. The S-Class Mage Promotion Exam will be held next month.
With your abilities, you could probably make it if you work hard enough. But... do you remember how many missions you've completed in total?"
"Uh... Four, I think..." Rhodes counted in his head. "One of those was when Mira was taking care of me, so if you discount that, it's three."
Makarov sighed. "Four missions in four months, though not easy ones, and each executed very well. But in terms of quantity... it's simply too few."
The S-Class exam would take place in mid-December, but the eligibility would be decided at the start of the month.
Which meant that if Rhodes wanted to participate, he only had this one month left.
Having only three mission experiences meant there was no way he could be considered.