Chapter 128: Going Home

After inexplicably accepting a strange promise, the two left Robinlu's tent, utterly confused.

Rhodes sighed, "Do all old people speak in such roundabout ways?"

Gray also frowned, "Something about destiny fading, magic glowing brightly... I didn't get it at all."

"Ask him, he won't say, and when he does, it's vague. So frustrating..."

Rhodes could only gather that Wendy would most likely become part of Fairy Tail someday, which meant that Cait Shelter would face some changes.

Like Robinlu had said, it wouldn't be able to sustain itself.

Could it be financial difficulties, or an attack by a dark guild like the Bandaged Naked Men?

Either way, Cait Shelter disappearing would be too cruel for Wendy. Rhodes wondered if there was any way to prevent it.

Even if it meant Wendy wouldn't join Fairy Tail... so what?

Wendy's favorite place was Cait Shelter, after all. Just because they were in different guilds didn't mean they couldn't be friends.

Later, Carla approached Rhodes and Gray while Wendy was reading, "The guild master talked to you about Wendy, right?"

Rhodes asked, "How did you know?"

"Because he talked to Wendy about it a few days ago," Carla explained. "What did you tell him?"

Gray responded matter-of-factly, "Of course, we have to respect Wendy's wishes. Choosing which guild to join is everyone's freedom."

"Hmph, you're not that annoying after all," Carla glanced at Gray, then quickly looked away, adding, "If only you would dress properly."

"Eh?!"

...

The next morning, despite Wendy's reluctance, it was time for Rhodes and Gray to head back.

Of course, Rhodes intended to buy some souvenirs to take back as gifts.

The specialties here were clothing, fabrics, and various woven and wooden handicrafts.

Supposedly, these items were made using ancient weaving and carving techniques passed down for hundreds of years, giving them special commemorative value.

The enthusiastic villagers even offered to give these items for free, saying that they produced so many that they couldn't possibly use them all, given the small population.

But Rhodes couldn't bring himself to take them without paying. He only accepted a few gifts from Wendy and Carla, paying for the rest.

When his money ran out, he even borrowed some from Gray, promising to pay him back once they received the mission reward.

He felt this was the least he could do since they had received so much hospitality without giving anything back in return.

It felt similar to getting his first paycheck after graduation and wanting to buy gifts for family.

The previous trip to the capital with Mira hadn't worked out due to his lack of money; he hadn't dared to ask her for more. When teaming up with Natsu, that small village didn't have anything special to buy; but now, finally, the opportunity seemed right.

Gray, being an old hand at this, wasn't as troubled. Bringing gifts for specific people actually made him feel awkward.

Plus, he wasn't all that interested in fabrics or clothing.

On their way in, Rhodes had carried a backpack and a suitcase, but by the time they were ready to leave, he had added an even larger suitcase.

Gray complained, "Why do I have to carry your stuff?"

"Well, I'm not in a convenient situation. How about carrying this instead?" Rhodes handed him a small bag.

Gray chose to move away, "I'm not carrying a bunch of explosives."

Wendy, Carla, Master Robinlu, and a few villagers saw them off at the village entrance.

Robinlu simply stood there with his hands behind his back, smiling at them without saying much.

Tears welled in Wendy's eyes, "Mr. Rhodes, Mr. Gray, will you come back someday?"

Rhodes patted Wendy's head, "I'll come visit if I have the time. You can also come to Magnolia to hang out with us."

"That's right," Gray squatted down and spoke to Carla, glancing at Rhodes and Wendy, smiling, "Do you need that kind of comfort?"

Carla looked annoyed, "No thanks, stay away from me. And put on some clothes, or the town guards might arrest you for being indecent."

Gray sighed helplessly, "You're really saying that at a time like this?"

Rhodes added, "It's not Carla's fault. You really should wear your clothes properly, and your pants too."

"...."

Rhodes felt so tired—he was fed up with saying the same thing over and over.

The touching farewell mood was utterly ruined by this guy.

Their return journey was uneventful, with the biggest challenge being to keep an eye on Gray.

After failing repeatedly and getting labeled as the companion of a pervert, Rhodes also chose to stay away from him.

One disliked how the other could explode at any moment, and the other disliked how his companion could strip at any time. Without Wendy and Carla traveling with them, they finally started to find each other unbearable.

In order to avoid causing too much of a scene, Rhodes summoned Worm and told it to follow behind Gray, picking up his discarded clothes.

It was a fair and reasonable setup—having a pet help collect dropped items.

However, Worm protested. It had gone so many days without being called out to play, and now it was summoned just to do work?

Rhodes took out some "pay," and the two sides came to an agreement.

—

"Welcome back!"

After several days, seeing Mira's sweet smile again was a comfort.

"We're back!" Rhodes put all his luggage down at the counter, "Feels like I was gone for a whole year. Exhausted."

Gray responded calmly, "You're exaggerating. We were just playing around the last two days."

"You don't understand—this is called travel fatigue. It can only be cured by the smiles and care of family."

Rhodes relaxed entirely, propping his chin up with one hand, using any excuse to get a few more glances at Mira.

"You've worked hard." Mira poured two glasses of water, handing them to Rhodes and Gray, who downed them in one gulp. Then she called upstairs, "Master, Rhodes and Gray are back!"

Makarov agilely jumped down from the second floor—surprisingly spry for an eighty-seven-year-old man: "Hey, you two have worked hard."

"Master, use the stairs," Mira pouted adorably behind the counter.

"I got it, I got it." Makarov brushed her off like a student pretending to listen to a teacher.

"I already know the details of the mission—you two did an amazing job. I can't believe..."

Makarov tried to wipe his eyes as if to stop tears, "I actually got praised by the Council. Waaah... You guys did so well!"

Rhodes hadn't expected the guild master's reaction to be this dramatic, "Is it really worth getting this worked up over?"

Mira chuckled, covering her mouth, "Master was happy all day yesterday. Even his walk was more spirited than usual."

The more Mira spoke, the more Rhodes felt pity for the master. He should try not to cause trouble for him in the future...

Yeah, first, he'd return the explosive magic crystals in his bag before they blew up.

Gray felt somewhat guilty. He was partly responsible for the guild master's condition and decided never to strip randomly again!

Rhodes decided to let the master express himself a bit, picked up his backpack, and headed for the storeroom, leaving one final remark before going:

"Gray, clothes."

"Oh."