Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 189: Master Plans

The Shadow Gear Team happened to be hanging around the guild.

Jet had just been discharged from the hospital two days ago. Since his leg was still injured, he would need some time to recover before he could take on jobs again.

As for the embarrassing incident that landed him in the hospital, Jet didn't seem to care anymore. Everyone made a fool of themselves once in a while. What mattered was getting back up and trying harder next time.

When Rhodes returned with the flowerpots, he found the three of them eating and drinking together—although technically, drinking wasn't the best idea for someone who hadn't fully healed yet, wizards weren't exactly known for their restraint.

Besides, Levy and Troy hadn't been able to persuade Jet to take it easy. At worst, it would just delay his recovery by a few more days. So they let him be.

"Troy, could you take a look at these plants for me?" Rhodes asked, setting the pots down on the table. Two were orchids, and the other was a succulent.

"Potted plants? They don't look too good." Troy put down his wine glass and leaned in to inspect them carefully.

Levy asked curiously, "Rhodes, do you like growing flowers?"

"It's not exactly a hobby," Rhodes explained. "These were left behind by my old landlord. He said I could have them."

"I've been taking care of them for about half a year, but I had to leave them while I was out on a job recently. When I got back, they were like this."

Troy examined the leaves one by one, poked the soil, and looked surprisingly professional about it.

"These two orchids might have been frostbitten. They definitely need a change of soil. And this one here..." Troy pointed to the succulent, frowning, "looks like something's been eating away at the roots. Hang on a sec."

Troy dug into his pocket, pulled out two seeds the size of grains of rice, and tossed them into the pots.

The seeds sprouted instantly, but instead of growing upward, the tiny green vines burrowed into the soil. A few seconds later, Troy said, "Found them!"

Two thin seedlings poked their heads out of the soil, each dangling a fat, white grub from the top.

"Ugh~~" Levy recoiled with a look of disgust.

Troy quickly snapped his fingers, and the two seedlings grew pitcher-like mouths, snapping up the worms and retracting back into the soil, digesting the pests on the spot.

"Whoa~~ What a handy bit of magic!" Rhodes exclaimed. "You could make a fortune if you opened a flower shop."

Troy chuckled. "That's about the only thing I'm good at."

He smiled warmly and offered, "How about I take care of these three pots for a few days? I'll give them back once they've recovered."

Rhodes asked curiously, "Can't you just use your magic to fix them up instantly?"

Troy shook his head. "The seeds I usually use are specially cultivated. For ordinary plants like these, if you force them to grow too fast, they'll just die by tomorrow."

"I see. Thanks a lot for the help."

"You're welcome. I love taking care of plants anyway. Plus, I still owe you for those seeds you brought me last time."

Troy shot a glance at Jet. "And thanks to a certain someone, our team's been pretty idle lately."

"Hey... I already apologized, okay?" Jet grumbled, though there wasn't much he could do about it. He owed Rhodes a favor this time.

Rhodes thought for a moment. Blue Buff might actually help Jet heal faster. He offered:

"Want some help? I might be able to speed up your recovery a bit. Think of it as a thank-you gift to Troy."

"Spare me," Jet said quickly, shaking his head. "I don't want to owe you even more favors. It's just a few more days anyway."

"Suit yourself," Rhodes said, shrugging. Then he remembered something. "By the way, Levy, how's that newcomer doing?"

"Tono? He's already able to handle jobs on his own," Levy said. "For now, it's only smaller commissions within Magnolia, but he's really strong."

She thought for a moment, then added with a smile, "If it weren't for you, Rhodes, Tono might have been considered the most promising newcomer."

"Oh~ isn't that impressive." Rhodes grinned. "Wait, are you complimenting him or me?"

Levy blinked playfully. "Both, actually."

At that moment, Mira waved to Rhodes from behind the counter. It looked like Master Makarov had something to say to him.

"I'll head over first. Troy, I'll leave the plants in your care."

Troy nodded. "No problem. Oh, and I have something I want to ask you for help with later."

"Sure, we'll talk in detail after this," Rhodes said as he walked away.

Jet and Levy watched him go, a little curious about what Troy needed help with.

When Jet asked, Troy just laughed and joked, "I'm going to ask Rhodes to team up with me and Levy and replace you."

Jet knew he was teasing, but he still looked grumpy. He didn't want to punch Troy either, partly because he owed him a favor, and partly because his leg injury hadn't healed yet.

So he could only sulk in silence.

Levy gently leaned in and whispered to comfort him.

...

At the counter, Makarov sat cross-legged as usual. The glass beside him, once filled with wine, now held only hot water, courtesy of Mira.

She was determined to take good care of the Master's health, and she took the task very seriously.

Makarov looked a little deflated, though—whether it was because he had no wine to drink or because yesterday's talk with Laxus hadn't gone well, it was hard to say.

"Master," Rhodes said as he approached. Seeing Mira's firm expression, he added with a teasing smile, "Drink more hot water. It's good for your health."

Makarov's beard twitched upward. Was this brat deliberately trying to irritate him?

Still, remembering Rhodes' contributions to the guild, Makarov decided to let it slide.

"You performed very well on your last mission," the Master said.

Rhodes scratched the back of his head and replied modestly, "Honestly, Erza did most of the heavy lifting."

"But just now, Erza mentioned she made a major mistake during the mission, so she wants to give you part of her reward as compensation."

"Huh? I don't remember Erza making any big mistakes... Oh." Rhodes suddenly thought of something and asked, "Wait, by mistake, does she mean she forgot to bring food when we set out?"

Although he was eager to make more money these days, cheating a teammate out of their reward over something so minor wasn't something he could bring himself to do.

Makarov glanced at Mira, since Erza hadn't explained the details to him.

Mira smiled and confirmed, "That's right. Erza privately reflected on it very seriously and even said she's going to dedicate at least half her suitcase to food from now on."

"So it was something like that." Makarov sighed helplessly. Still, it was exactly the kind of thing Erza would take to heart. "In that case, the reward distribution will stay the same. Anyway, the message from the Council's branch is that you both did an excellent job."

Makarov's mood visibly brightened. Thanks to Rhodes and Erza, he could expect a little less scolding from the Council for a while.

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"By the way," Makarov continued, "the local guild alliance is holding a regular meeting next week. Would you like to come with me?"

"Me? As your bodyguard?" Rhodes asked, half-joking, but also half-serious.

"Of course not," Makarov said, waving it off. "I just thought it would be good for you to meet some of the other guild masters. It's nice to make connections."

Rhodes was still puzzled. 'What level am I even at? Why would I need to meet other guild masters?'

Mira leaned in close to Rhodes's ear, cupping her hand around her mouth, and whispered:

"Actually, the Master just wants to show off a bit. He's taken Erza and me to show off before too."

"Ohh~" Rhodes nodded in sudden understanding. "Then why not take Erza again?"

Attending the regular meeting would mean staying there for three to five days, days without making money or having time to train properly. Mira had already skipped attending before, preferring to stay behind at the guild where it was much more comfortable.