Goldman joked that Bob was trying to poach talent.
Makarov wasn't worried at all; if someone wanted to poach Rhode, they'd need to have the skill to take Mira along too.
The old friends chatted and laughed, but the topic inevitably returned to ERA matters.
Goldman asked, "Have you heard from Yajima?"
Bob said, "I was just about to ask you guys."
Both of them looked at Makarov, as he had the closest relationship with Yajima.
"Don't worry, that guy is very smart; if there's trouble, it won't be his trouble." Makarov said, his face already flushed from the drink.
He had contacted the Advisory Council earlier that morning, and among the injured evaluators was Yajima.
Fortunately, he wasn't seriously hurt and was not in danger, just unable to speak directly with him.
After thinking it over, Makarov decided to clarify: "Half of the evaluators are still in treatment, and they also have reviews waiting for them. It might be hard to reach him anytime soon."
"Being an evaluator is quite hard, it's amazing he could do it for so long," Goldman remarked to Makarov, "especially considering how often you guys give him trouble."
Bob said, "Because he's been a very gentle person from the beginning~♡"
Makarov sighed, "Xiaoya might take this opportunity to retire."
"I remember he mentioned wanting to open a restaurant," Goldman said. "But if that happens, Fairy Tail might be in danger."
"So, Rhode, do you want to come to our Four-headed Hound before that happens?"
Bob patted Goldman's arm, "You're so sneaky, just now you accused others of poaching."
...
The meeting continued for another three days, with topics ranging from maintaining regional stability to helping the Council resume operations. They even discussed standards for selecting the Ten Wizard Saints and evaluators.
Even though they were merely a regional-level Guild Alliance, they still had the right to make suggestions.
Everyone agreed that selecting the Ten Wizard Saints should emphasize not just strong magic power but also moral character and contributions to the Magic Realm.
As for the evaluators, of course, conduct and ability should be the top priorities.
When the meeting ended, Rhode organized the meeting minutes and had someone with 'Copy Magic' print dozens of copies.
He also summarized the feedback decided in the meeting to send to either the Kingdom or the Advisory Council, writing it out as a letter under the Local Guild Alliance's name for all Presidents to sign.
Once everything was prepared and they were ready to adjourn, many had the idea—why not invite Rhode to be the routine meeting's permanent secretary?
This kid, although not extraordinary, at least keeps things neat and orderly.
Some Presidents planned to propose this at the next meeting, especially since they always had a headache doing reports themselves.
When Rhode and Makarov returned to the guild, it was already September 20th.
The guild had completed all renovations, and even all the construction and renovation waste had been cleaned up.
Compared to before, when the entrance opened directly into the guild, now there was an additional wall, enclosing a small courtyard serving as an open-air tavern.
When the two pushed open the courtyard gate, eight of the sixteen tables in the courtyard were already filled with guests, a few were guild members, but more were town residents.
Following the previous plan, the tavern hired new waitresses and issued new uniforms—the bold chest-high skirts were particularly eye-catching.
The not-so-serious Makarov's eyes were instantly drawn by gravity, smiling and greeting the two beautiful waitresses outside.
"President, you're back!"
"Welcome back, President! Rhode too~"
"It wasn't hard at all~" Makarov rubbed his hands, "Our guild truly is a paradise!"
"Please, try to be a bit more serious." Rhode said, greeting them properly, "Good afternoon, is Mira around?"
"Ah, asking for Sister Mira as soon as you come back." The two girls teased, "Such a loving couple~"
"Sister Mira is inside; she looks amazing in her outfit~"
Rhode, with his thick skin, wasn't afraid of their mockery: "Of course, she looks amazing in anything she wears."
"Ewww~~~"
Leaving the President, Rhode made his way into the guild.
"Yo, Rhode!"
"Marcus?" Rhode glanced at the counter, "Is the shop officially open?"
"Want to take a look? There's a figurine of you and Mira, only 3000J."
"Did you really make one?" Rhode picked up a Mira figurine, examining it up and down, it felt wooden, with somewhat rough craftsmanship and average coloring.
Maybe Laki used magic to make it?
"Personally, I recommend this Lucy model. Just press here..."
Marcus picked up a Lucy dressed in a white shirt and blue skirt, pressing lightly on the base, causing the outerwear to click apart into pieces, revealing only the undergarments.
He shook the model: "Even though it's 2000J more expensive than others, for some reason, this one is the most popular."
Do you really not know why?
Rhode placed the Mira figurine back on the counter; he was tempted to ask for a royalty fee, but it seems there aren't such things as image rights here.
"Not buying one of yourself?"
"Why buy a figure of myself?"
Marcus was eager to sell, "At least you should buy one of Mira's to keep? Jet and Troy bought Reby's, and Alzack secretly bought Bisca's."
"And you revealed it even though they bought it secretly?" Rhode questioned Marcus's professional ethics, "I don't need those; I can directly keep Mira herself."
The real Mira can be squeezed and hugged; what's fun about a hard wooden figure.
Rhode waved his hand, not a trace of reluctance.
The inside of the guild was quite different from before, with a dedicated stage added, along with a new gym, game room, etc. These were completed before his last trip and just recently opened.
Rhode didn't have the time to carefully observe further changes in the guild; he took quick strides to the counter for a big hug with Mira.
In front of everyone, hugging for too long would make Mira shy, so he quickly let go.
Mira had also changed into the new uniform, and Rhode gazed at her for a few seconds, finally holding her hands, his eyes lingering on her beautiful light blue-grey eyes: "I'm back."
"Welcome back, hope it wasn't too tiring, and..." Mira said with a smile, "Did you like Lucy's model?"
Rhode's face turned sour.
Is this entering Mira's monitoring zone right as he walks in?
On the bright side, she just couldn't help but pay attention to him.
Rhode sighed, pretending to be hurt: "Even though I thought about you every day, this is what you say when I return."
Mira pouted, "What's so great about thinking of me? I thought of you every day too."
Darn, Rhode felt like he lost.