Chapter 52: A Little Bit of Preparation

"First of all, your attitude at the beginning was too rigid. It might give a bad impression to the client or even scare them, affecting the guild's reputation."

"Um... Sorry?" Rhodes admitted, realizing his initial stiffness.

"Second, you showed the task sheet without confirming the client's identity first. At the very least, you should have asked for the client's name."

That made sense—Rhodes hadn't thought about that. He just assumed she was the client... She really was, though!

After some self-reflection, Rhodes understood that Mira wasn't just having fun (maybe?), but was actually teaching him the proper process of dealing with clients.

"And third, the payment details might be incorrect or subject to last-minute changes, which can easily lead to disputes. It's important to confirm it in person."

"Got it." Rhodes nodded, then added, "Thank you for the guidance, Miss Mirajane! (monotone)"

Mira took the opportunity to act important. "Hmm, not bad. I'll give you ten extra points—you barely passed!"

Rhodes was about to say something when he heard Laki's voice. She deliberately imitated Rhodes in a mocking tone, "Thank you, Miss Mirajane~~~"

"Hahaha..." Laki and part-time waitress Sally burst into laughter.

"Hey..." Rhodes felt his ears burn. Hearing someone mimic him was incredibly embarrassing.

Mira, however, kept her expression unchanged. "Laki, Sally, I'll be counting on you two to manage the bar tomorrow and the day after."

Sally replied, "Don't worry! I'll get Izu to help too!"

Laki chimed in, "Yeah, Mira, just go on your date without worries!"

Mira corrected her, "It's work."

"Yes, yes~" Laki and Sally laughed as they walked away with drinks for customers.

Rhodes wasn't too bothered by their harmless teasing. "By the way, I never asked—what's your business in the capital?"

"Weekly Sorcerer is hosting a fifteenth-anniversary celebration in Crocus," Mira explained. "I received an invitation and will be attending the evening event. I might even perform, maybe sing a song or something."

Oh, I get it. It's like those big company anniversaries where they invite celebrities to perform, create a lively atmosphere, boost morale, and build influence.

"I'll go get a bit of preparation done then," Rhodes said. "About the boat..."

"I've already booked the boat, and we can rent a carriage in Crocus," Mira replied. "You just need to prepare for the trip."

Definitely feels like this is disguised as a mission, or maybe it's more like a newbie tutorial.

"You're making me look like an unnecessary escort."

Mira replied, "Escort missions are supposed to be like this. If nothing happens, there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Relax a little."

"...Luckily my common language skills have improved, or else I wouldn't understand a word you're saying."

But wait, I can't rule out the possibility of unexpected situations.

Rhodes decided he'd better stay vigilant tomorrow. There were still a few things he needed to prepare.

The next day, Rhodes and Mira met at the guild and departed on time.

Today, Mira wore a white long-sleeve blouse with a slim tie of the same color as an accent, giving her a simple yet elegant look. She paired it with a yellow A-line skirt that concealed the bottom of her blouse, perfectly highlighting her slim waist. She also had a small crossbody bag in a color similar to the skirt, hanging by her side.

She wore light pink high-heeled thong sandals that made her small feet and exposed ankles look even more delicate.

After leaving the guild, Rhodes naturally took Mira's suitcase, freeing her hands so she could put on the beige sun hat she was holding.

As Mira adjusted her hair beneath the hat, she casually asked, "So, how does it feel to be going on your first long trip? Are you nervous?"

Rhodes answered, "With Senior Mage Miss Mirajane Strauss accompanying me, I'm not nervous at all."

Mira chuckled. "Then Client Miss Mirajane Strauss is reassured."

The two of them playfully revisited yesterday's "internal joke" as if it were a tongue-twister, chatting and laughing along the way.

Mira noticed that Rhodes occasionally shifted his large backpack to adjust its weight and asked, "Speaking of which, what's in that big backpack? It seems heavier than my suitcase."

Rhodes answered, "A few essentials for the trip. I'll show you when we get on the boat. There's something for you as well."

"Really? I'll look forward to it, then."

In Magnolia, there was no need to go out of the way to find a pier; the boat Mira booked was waiting by a small bridge along the canal.

It was a covered boat that could fit about four or five people inside. The boatman appeared friendly, a middle-aged man wearing a straw hat, his face weathered by the sun and wind.

Rhodes handed over Mira's suitcase first, jumped aboard with his backpack, then turned to support Mira by the arm.

Mira grabbed his arm and used his support to steady herself on the boat.

"Thank you. We'll be in your care," Mira said to the boatman before bending over to enter the cabin with Rhodes, sitting across from each other.

"Alright, please hold on tight—we're off!"

The boatman called out, untied the rope, and pushed the boat away from the shore, letting it drift along with the current.

Hidden under the boat, out of the boatman's view, a crab was swimming swiftly ahead, always maintaining a distance of about 500 to 600 meters in front of the boat.

Rhodes had summoned the crab to scout ahead. Before meeting Mira at the guild, he'd already released the crab into the canal.

Before they departed, Rhodes used the crab's perspective to observe the boatman for quite a while but found nothing suspicious.

Now Rhodes continued to have the crab scan the way for any signs of river pirates, aquatic creatures, or other potential threats.

While traveling, it was better to be cautious.

After using the crab's vision to examine the water surface and depths for a while, Rhodes refocused his attention.

Mira sat with her legs together, in a ladylike posture, her sun hat now placed beside her.

She was curiously examining Rhodes's large backpack, probably suspecting that he'd caught Elsie's habit of carrying a ridiculous amount of luggage.

"Here, let's take a look at what I brought." Rhodes opened the backpack, revealing several crystal orbs.

Mira's curiosity quickly turned into shock. "Are those... explosive magic crystals?"

Explosive magic crystals were single-use magical tools.

As the name implied, they exploded. They were like hand grenades but far more powerful.

"Yep, I specially borrowed them from the guild's inventory."

"Why did you borrow something like this?"

"Because I'm not good at offensive magic, and summoning creatures might not be fast enough, so I brought these just in case."

Rhodes took two crystals and put them in Mira's hands. "You take two for self-defense as well. If anything happens, throw them hard."

"We probably won't need them..." Mira tried to maintain her smile, realizing what he meant by "preparations."

However, Rhodes had more surprises in store. He pushed aside a few of the crystal balls and pulled out a book from underneath.

"And I've also got a magic book. Once opened, you can activate the spell on each page by injecting a little magic power. We each take one with us."

"A magic book too..."

Rhodes continued rummaging through his bag. "And there's more..."

Meanwhile, the boatman controlling the direction of the boat at the stern was trembling in fear.